Shortpacked!

15 fucking years! Christ I feel old.

Oh man, I am loving this. Willis, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

15 years, hell, Geoff Johns went from a copyboy to the creative head of the whole of DC Comics in less time.

Someone pointed this out on the comments.

Willis called them a jerk.

Honestly, I don't see the point in pointing that out. So Johns took the reigns to a preexisting universe in under fifteen years. Willis built two of his own coherent universes and made money off of them with complete creative control. I'd call that more impressive.

edited 12th Sep '12 7:43:45 PM by Wackd

It just shows how long Willis has been at this, he's literally outlasted entire careers. Still wondering why he isnt as big as those Penny arcade guys.

O_O

HOLY CRAP.

He doesn't have Robert Khoo. Penny Arcade would be nothing without Robert.

I think getting married to a co-worker in the store you work at, surrounded by friends who all work at the same store is strange. The kind of thing that happens all the time in fiction but would usually not be a good in real life.

Okay, one—we've never seen Amber have any sort of social life outside the store, she's clearly close to Ethan (natch) and Leslie, and Faz is her brother. Her fiancee is an employee in the same store and, government friends excepted, has most of his friends working right across the street. And of course Robin, who also works at the store, is marrying them.

The reason why this would never work in real life is because you'll never find a group of employees this close anywhere, and the only reason it works here is because of the small staff and the horribly antisocial nature of the two getting married. So I think it works out.

Secondly—the store has a shark pit built into the floor. The staff once abducted their boss and ran autonomously for months with no consequences. The moral implications of that for Ethan broke the universe. One employee became a congresswoman by having a sugar-rush induced blackout and backed entirely by necrophiliac Star Wars fans. A second sugar-rush induced blackout resulted in world peace for about a month. Ronald Reagan and Jesus have both been employees, as are two ex-Super-Soldiers and a talking car. And what you think is strange is a wedding happening at this store.

Um...okay.

I think I'll site one of the funniest strips i a while.

"This is a place of business, not a dating service!" "Bullshit." "yeah I call bullshit." "BUUUUUUUUUUUULSHIIIIT." "Who here hasn't slept with another employee?"

Yeah, I was using 'strange' to be nice, I really meant, um, 'sad' or 'pathetic'. Which I do not mean as an insult to Shortpacked or the characters within. It's more of a comment on fiction in general, like how in fiction nearly everyone gets married to their high school crush but in reality it's not so common. Generally in fiction everything outside of the main story or setting is not that important and this is one of the side effects. In fact, the Shortpacked wedding isn't as bad as most other events in other fiction as you've got Mike's friends at the wedding two, though that's only because Mike has been in two stories, while Amber has only been in one (unless I have forgotten something).

Well with Amber's announcement having the ceramony in the store makes more sense now.

I'm wondering if this is just a convenient way to write out Amber and Mike (which is understandable as they have gotten a lot of focus recently and might be running out of room to grow) or if this is a launching point for a spin off to allow the use of the use of the Walkyverse character that haven't had focus in a long time. Though to be honest the former seems more likely.

If it is the former, then why Denver, a city with a built-in supporting cast?

I mean, don't get me wrong, both characters have pretty much finished their Character Development, and I do think they're being written out. It's Denver that's tripping me up.

Honestly, though, from what we've seen Joe could use more development. The whole Rachel thing left him pretty broken.

It could be that he wants the option to do a spin-off, but I don't think even Willis can do three strips at once (unless Shortpacked! Denver is one a week free, pay for the rest deal like Joyce and Walky). It also seems like he's been setting up for a Shortpacked Vs. Conquest arc so dropping Shortpacked seems unlikely within the next year and Dumbing of Age is just starting. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for it to be a spin off I just wouldn't bet a huge amount of money on it happening.

edited 20th Sep '12 11:33:53 AM by BigMadDraco

He's said on his Tumblr and Twitter that Shortpacked! isn't ending any time soon ("I very much enjoy half my income!"), he ended Joyce and Walky! because he can't sustain three comics ("I am but one man!")

He refuses to discuss what's gonna happen to Amber just yet, though.

Well, he's said that just because Amber is leaving the central location doesn't mean that's the last we'd be seeing of her.

Of course, he ended up linking to Dumbing of Age (and today's strip with Amber in it) when he said that, so it's once again kinda hard to read what he's saying.

And now, with some filler, BATMAN! :D

Oh my god, Willis mentioned me in the blog post for today's comic!

edited 17th Dec '12 10:08:36 PM by Wackd

RETROPACKED!

Holy crap, this is awesome! What does this mean? Shy Amber? Pre-gaywakening Ethan? Dead Mike? What about Reagan? I'm beyond excited to see where this goes.

Anyway, does this strike anyone else as sort of... out-of-character for Leslie? I mean, yeah, she wants Robin back, but she's willing to break up Robin and Joe? I guess she does sort of rationalize it with getting a new Rachel, but has Leslie thought at all about how Robin would react to being dumped by Joe assuming her plan works out?

edited 18th Dec '12 10:44:44 PM by RedM

Well Robin said she still had feeling for Leslie, and wanted to be with her but couldn't break Joe's heart by dumping him. But if Joe got a Rachel then he wouldnt need Robin and Robin could get back with Leslie for then there would be no need for Phantom 4ways.

Even so, Robin said she still liked Joe beyond the whole "he's a wreck and he needs me" deal.

yeah she still does, but if they both had their respective loved ones they could be with instead I think they would take it. Seeing as how they would call out the others namesduring sexy times.

And we see the glorious return of the greatest villain in the series! No, not Sidney Yus. I am beyond excited now.

Me too, especially since it seems so many questions are about to be answered.

"Why['d you time-freeze] Canada?"
{I figured no one would notice. Hot damn was I right!}

edited 22nd Dec '12 3:57:06 PM by Wackd