posted
Something Positive started a new plot thread in yesterday's comic that involves an author who is almost certainly a stand in for OSC. The plot thread continues in today's comic.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I loved how the comic strip so obviously values open-mindedness and actually thinking about the possibility that the other person's ideas might have some value, instead of rejecting them completely because they contradict one's own prejudices.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I would think that the fact that the steak is walking makes it even MORE rare than Ralphie intended. Her statement still holds.
Posts: 1539 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Why is the strip called "Something Positive" when it is the exact opposite of that? I mean, the language alone isn't exactly positive.
Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
The steak shall nolonger walk! WHY!? BECAUSE I PUT IN ON MY BARBEQUE, COOKED IT WITH BBQ SAUCE AND ATE IT!!! GHWAHAHA! Posts: 1567 | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
No. I think it's precisely because the strip is generally cynical. As Farmgirl observed, that would be the sarcastic thing to do -- and never let it be said that the author passed up any opportunity for cynicism.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oddly enough, for a strip that revels in its cynicism (and which has deservedly earned the label "equal opportunity offender" in its criticism of everyone and everything), I find Something Positive to be at the same time one of the most genuinely tolerant and uplifting strips on the internet. Sounds like a contradiction in terms, but for every strip that relentlessly mocks stupidity, there's another strip that takes a fair look at both sides of the argument (the latest strip included).
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Sep 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'd never seen it before this link, but I've gone and read the first month and enjoyed it quite a bit. Much better than a lot of the other internet humor I've seen.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
My single favorite is Schlock Mercenary (recently having supplanted Sluggy Freelance due to Pete's inability to keep a deadline, and Howard's steadfast work ethic). But S*P is up there.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yeah, they're both fantastic comics--probably my second and third favorite web comics, respectively.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
It would be kind of ironic; a friend's friend told me that he thought Mr. Card was homophobic from one his essay on gay marriage. I suppose some people will take one's opinion to the extremes.
Posts: 169 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Bloom County was always my favorite strip, but it almost invariably stopped being funny the moment it became preachy. (With a very few exceptions. And that's only because Berke Breathed is a FREAKING GENIUS.)
That preachy/funny law is, like, a cosmic one, man.
posted
I hate Something Positive. It's relentlessly mean-spirited. I realize it's fashionable these days to be nasty to everyone and everything--it's probably a backlash against the mush-minded political correctness pseudo-philosophy--but that doesn't mean I have to think it's cool. There's got to be a middle ground somewhere.
Penny Arcade actually did take on OSC once. Well, the Ender's Game movie, anyway.
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Sluggy and Schlock are both up there, although which one's on top tend to be determined by Pete's output- Howard is as consistent in his quality as he is in his update schedule (which is to say, it's consistently very high), but I think the best Sluggy stories are near-perfect. Unfortunately, the current story, "Oceans Unmoving," is not one of these. Posts: 1321 | Registered: Sep 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think the current storyline has potential, actually; it just suffers from the agonizingly undead pacing that's afflicted Pete's updates.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, I intend to support Pete by buying all his books in hardcover. And I didn't join DotN because of his scheduling.
Overall, though, Sluggy has the best continuity and story arcs I've ever seen. The only other writer that comes close is Joss Wheedon. And his schedule is even worse than Pete's.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hey, I'm a new poster here and this post totally caught my attention. I've been a fan of OSC for 10 years now. I may disagree with his views on a lot of things because I am quite the liberal, but that doesn't change my mind on OSC or his books. He's one of the best authors out there these days. His insight into the minds of people, religion, philosophy, and politics amazes me with every book of his that I read. So I may disagree with a lot of his views, but it totally doesn't stop me from being a huge fan of his works.
Posts: 9 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
OMG! That's just so perfect. My best friend who happens to be gay is also a huge OSC fan. We were just talking about this the other day when we were trying to decide whether or not we were going to drive up to the Greensboro book signing today. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go and my reply was quite similar to that comic. I told him to go and get his book signed...he didn't have to ask him to marry him.
posted
Okay, that didn't go where I thought it was going. I still don't like Something Positive, because the negative far outweighs the positive in the strips I've read, but I admit that story disappointed my fears as to its direction.
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
Berke Breathed is a genius. I hold him singularly responsible for warping my developing cerebrum in ways that all other artists I encountered would be measured by.
so, "pear pimples for hairy fishnuts"? preachy or funny? Still resonates in my mind.
didn't care much for Outland, I must say. Maybe I outgrew Opus and the gang.
Posts: 551 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Sounds like a contradiction in terms, but for every strip that relentlessly mocks stupidity, there's another strip that takes a fair look at both sides of the argument (the latest strip included).
Who called it, baby!
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Sep 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I really like that, although it wasn't funny at all. Then again, it wasn't really meant to be.
OSC, I can see why you didn't like it, but I thought it was pretty well thought out. A lot of people, right or wrong, don't agree with your stances on a lot of things. Particularly your stance on gay marriage.
That is fine. I don't think the strip was trying to present an accurate view of you opinions, I think it was making a different point. One about tolerance of opinions other than your own. Sure, it set up a straw man to do it, but they can only get so much into a comic strip....it isn't an essay here at Hatrack...
To me the comic was more about peoples reactions to what they thought you were saying, and not really about your actual views at all.
Wordy, but well done, IMO.
I even agree with the conclusion....I have never been starstruck like a lot of people seem to be, and I don't expect celebrities to be better people than I am just because they are famous. And I really don't expect them to have the same opinions as I do about everything. How boring would THAT be?
I may not like all your opinions, and I am sure you wouldn't care for some of mine....but I was still very, very happy to meet you and your wife in Boston, and have you sign some of my books. I avoid your political columns because I don't agree with them....but I still buy your books, and enjoy rereading them often.
And I love posting here at Hatrack. I almost feel like that strip was about me, in some ways.
So I guess while it's views on your opinions may not be accurate according to you, the overall feel of it rang true to me....and I liked the point that authors don't give up the right to have their own opinions, and that readers can enjoy reading their books regardless of the authors politics or opinions.
posted
I am star-struck, and I like it that way. I have very good taste in my irrational hero-worshipping.
Posts: 1163 | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Verily - I apologize that my comic yesterday did not meet your lowered expectations. I will work harder in the future to see to it all my story evolutions follow only the path expected of me
(kidding! I swear!)
Posts: 8 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
It depends on if you choose to believe the "racist" or the "better looking" was describing... McKenzie. Welcome to hatrack. Your blonde character reminds me of that fellow on "Fat Albert" who had eyes growing out of his green knit hat.
Posts: 2010 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks for the welcome - and that's an interesting comparison. I'd never thought of that. I've been told Mike looks like an emaciated Guy Gardner, though.
Posts: 8 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Kwea, I'm not seeing anything in this thread that indicates that OSC didn't like the comic. On the contrary, although he disagrees with the comic's writer politically, he seemed to genuinely appreciate the comic's open-minded stance.
posted
I'm sure this is what was being referred to:
quote:I loved how the comic strip so obviously values open-mindedness and actually thinking about the possibility that the other person's ideas might have some value, instead of rejecting them completely because they contradict one's own prejudices.
At first this sounded like sarcasm to me as well.
*adjusts sarcasto reader*
edit: It *still* sounds like sarcasm, but Geoff is making me doubt myself.
quote: I am star-struck, and I like it that way. I have very good taste in my irrational hero-worshipping.
I have to agree that I'm the same way. And as irrational as it sounds, when I find out that one of the "stars" I worship has views that are so drastically different from my own especially on topics I feel are important, it does make me step back and re-think my hero worship.
But with OSC I didn't even have to step back to re-think. I love his books way too much. A man who has such amazing ideas, writes such mind blowing books, and has such an insight into the minds of different peoples and cultures still is deserving of my hero worship. Posts: 9 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
See, I've never really been one to go in for hero worship*. The only person I've ever really set on a pedestal in my life was an early girlfriend, and that came back to bite me pretty hard. I don't really have any idols. There are people I respect, certainly, some famous and some not (and quite a few of them are members of this forum and its various satellites), but worship? Why would you worship another human being? It's always struck me as a recipe for disappointment, if not disaster.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
