Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, Mk. XLI: No Morals! No Quarter! All Brutal!

[BlackDragonKing]

So, Miranda's maiden name is also Deegan. Does this imply what I think it implies?

No, apparently Donovan doesn't have a last name, so he just married into the family.[/killjoy]

Also, I don't mind this comic at all. If it was in a different point in the plot, I'd actually enjoy it a lot, because lord knows that's what I'd do if I had illusion powers and I didn't like my daughter's boyfriend.

Yet more proof Mookie should probably stick to a gag comic next time, so he can do comics like this WITHOUT some huge epic plot waiting politely for him to finish.

[M84]

So, Miranda's maiden name is also Deegan. Does this imply what I think it implies?

Donovan might have just taken his wife's last name. It happens.

He is a wandering bard/swordsman who was raised by Elves. Maybe they never bothered to give the orphan human a last name.

Edit:

So this is what it's like to be ninja'ed. Can't say I enjoy it.

[Zaq]

A master illusionist testing someone's fortitude? I would have expected they'd test someone's will a lot more than their fortitude. Oh, come on. You were thinking it too.

Well, it's pointless filler, but it's not actively making things worse, I suppose. I really don't get what the idea is, of course. "If we're relentlessly trollish to you, you won't marry our daughter, right?" Ugh. I get the whole "parents don't approve of the marriage" thing (hell, my dad's parents totally hated my mom), but this doesn't seem like even a little bit of a natural response.

Why am I expecting a natural response from Mookie? I should know better.

[guttering flame]

Is this a slightly veiled autobiography of Mookie's relations with future Nookiette's parents?

[Coidzor]

Ah, so the Deegans are a long line of trolls.

...And I just saw the photo he posted from the wedding.

I wish I hadn't. I really do.

[Toast1862]

- I've been playing a lot of SKYRIM lately and it makes me want to play all my viking-themed metal, as loud as possible, all at once. And here's an awesome metal cover of the Skyrim theme.

..... I have a very bad feeling about what's ahead. >:

[random11]

It seems that EVERYTHING is solved with magic, even family disagreements.

I wonder if there will be a flashback of some big holiday dinner.
One Deegan will use fireball to roast a turkey, another will use illusion spells for tree decorations, presents will be magically conjured from another dimension, and of course, during the dinner people will use "magic belts" that magically expend the more you eat.

[Johnny Blade]

Mooooooore Deegan flashbacks. This actually wouldn't be too bad if it wasn't yet another thing stopping the plot. Don't you have a king to worry about?

Yeah, I said Mookie can do silly stuff reasonably well a few days ago, and I stand by my words, but what good does that do anyone if he doesn't know when to do it?


At this point I really wonder what it is with this whole evil king plot going off the rails every two weeks.

Is it Mookie trying to prevent it from becoming another Maltak, which nobody liked, by interspersing self-contained stories?
Doesn't he want to write about DJ Callan and Snuggly anymore and loses focus all the time?
Or is he simply completely oblivious?

[lord_khaine]

...And I just saw the photo he posted from the wedding.

I wish I hadn't. I really do.

So did i, and i feel it were one of the few times where one of his comments were spot one, when he said "Do whatever the hell you want on your wedding day"

Rock on..

[Neoriceisgood]

I bet Miranda's mom likes metal.

[Arakune]

Grandfather Deegan is awesome. The problem? He is aiming his wrath at the wrong Deegan(s).

[T-O-E]

Gonna be honest. I didn't hate this one.

The whole panel thing gives further credence to the notion that he's making the comic on autopilot, without putting any thought into it at all. There's his comic-book-reading, panel-giving self that can tell good writing from bad, and then there's his Dominic-Deegan-writing self, which turns on every midnight out of habit.

Well a lot of people can't seem to criticise their own work. Like, at all. See Aaron Diaz's blog that shows his technical ability and then look at the confusing mess of panels that is Dresden Codak, or Kim's "practical" belts and cleavage.

Oh and here is a comic about an alien who communicates by having a translator lick his back.

[TheArsenal]

Oh and here is a comic about an alien who communicates by thaving a translator lick his back.

This was the eye into madness.

[T-O-E]

Yeah, madness is pretty cool sometimes.

[Bobikus]

Gonna be honest. I didn't hate this one.



Well a lot of people can't seem to criticise their own work. Like, at all. See Aaron Diaz's blog that shows his technical ability and then look at the confusing mess of panels that is Dresden Codak, or Kim's "practical" belts and cleavage.

Oh and here is a comic about an alien who communicates by having a translator lick his back.

Diaz is especially irritating since he is one of the most outspoken webcomic artists against oversexualization of female characters in comics, yet isn't remotely self-aware of the constant Male Gaze in his own comic.

[AgentofOdd]

Grandfather Deegan is awesome. The problem? He is aiming his wrath at the wrong Deegan(s).

Well, to be fair to Grandpappy Deegan, he can't do much against the power of "SEE THE TRUTH!!". And of course, is there anything you could do to Metal Gerg that won't simply inspire him to write a totally metal song? I suppose it's possible locking him in a realm of sunshine and ponies and unicorns could work.

[Arakune]

Well, to be fair to Grandpappy Deegan, he can't do much against the power of "SEE THE TRUTH!!". And of course, is there anything you could do to Metal Gerg that won't simply inspire him to write a totally metal song? I suppose it's possible locking him in a realm of sunshine and ponies and unicorns could work.

Then you'd have super greg, without the super. Unfortunately for us since greg is a deegan, he won't be commiting suicide (as if being dead stoped someone in this comic) but go all angst and all, having enough material to make at least ten world tours.

[Wraith]

Is this a slightly veiled autobiography of Mookie's relations with future Nookiette's parents?

Paging Dr. Freud: Mookie has always contested that of his characters, he identifies most strongly with Donovan rather than Dominic.

"Autobiographical" might well be the key word to describe this arc, given how his other issues with teenage bullying and his preferred passtimes have also become important plot points in the comic. That or "Unfortunate Implications"....

Well, to be fair to Grandpappy Deegan, he can't do much against the power of "SEE THE TRUTH!!".

Grandpappy Deegan once tried to play an illusion-enhanced version of the old "Got your nose!" game with Toddler Dominus.

....He's much better now. He still has that nervous twitch in the presence of kitchen tables and wholemeal flour, though.

[Oracle_Hunter]

At this point I really wonder what it is with this whole evil king plot going off the rails every two weeks.

At this point, can we even argue that there is a plot to derail?

Mookie is slowly regressing to his initial state by taking his plot-driven comic with funny pages and turning it into a funny-pages comic with moments of plot. Unfortunately, he still feels need to pay lip service to this huge mess of a plot he started back in 2008 which means that we will continue to be jerked around by the "plot" whenever Mookie feels like getting back to it.

To be honest, we should have known this was coming when he started doing THE BEAST interludes

[Mr. McGician]

At this point, can we even argue that there is a plot to derail?

Mookie is slowly regressing to his initial state by taking his plot-driven comic with funny pages and turning it into a funny-pages comic with moments of plot. Unfortunately, he still feels need to pay lip service to this huge mess of a plot he started back in 2008 which means that we will continue to be jerked around by the "plot" whenever Mookie feels like getting back to it.

To be honest, we should have known this was coming when he started doing THE BEAST interludes

Keep in mind that Mookie conforms the plot of his comic around events of the year. It appears that ending the year in the middle of an arc is distasteful to him, so he needs a filler arc to pad out the rest of the year. If we get another filler arc in January, though...

So, it looks like the filler arc will be pointless flashbacks to Deegan family history. Jayden? Shun the nonDeegan! Shunnnnnn!

[Johnny Blade]

You mentioning Jayden made me realize just what exactly Luna was suggesting here right now.


Most considerate.

[multilis]

Girl Genius and DD updates sounded similar... crazy spark/magic grand parents stories.

[ninja_penguin]

Oh dear, those wedding photos. I do hope they had something semi-normal for their photos, or at least the photos that they want to show to people later.

To the comic: Yeah, I really see grandpa Deegan as being Grandpa Donovon, really. It fits the 'lifelong troll' stereotype more.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Well, to be fair to Grandpappy Deegan, he can't do much against the power of "SEE THE TRUTH!!". And of course, is there anything you could do to Metal Gerg that won't simply inspire him to write a totally metal song? I suppose it's possible locking him in a realm of sunshine and ponies and unicorns could work.

You leave the ponies out of this!

[Nerd-o-rama]

I really don't get what the idea is, of course. "If we're relentlessly trollish to you, you won't marry our daughter, right?" Ugh. I get the whole "parents don't approve of the marriage" thing (hell, my dad's parents totally hated my mom), but this doesn't seem like even a little bit of a natural response.

Why am I expecting a natural response from Mookie? I should know better.

I think the idea in this sort of a situation is that it's a test to see how much crap your daughter's suitor will put up with. If he can't handle some sophomoric illusion-trolling, then he clearly doesn't deserve her.

Also cheap laughs at the expense of a man you can feel like you have power over. It's the same deal as Meet the Parents.

Is it Mookie trying to prevent it from becoming another Maltak, which nobody liked, by interspersing self-contained stories?
Doesn't he want to write about DJ Callan and Snuggly anymore and loses focus all the time?
Or is he simply completely oblivious?

Yes.

[Traab]

I think the idea in this sort of a situation is that it's a test to see how much crap your daughter's suitor will put up with. If he can't handle some sophomoric illusion-trolling, then he clearly doesn't deserve her.

Also cheap laughs at the expense of a man you can feel like you have power over. It's the same deal as Meet the Parents.



Yes.

The problem is, in all stories everywhere, the father of a girl is required by LAW to hate her suitor. This manifests itself usually in snarky comments and dangerous looks. He WANTS to do more, but short of physical violence, which is generally frowned upon by his beloved princess, he has few options. Being a master illusionist however, gives momma deegans dad WAY more methods of keeping those filthy perverted BOYS from his precious baby girl! So he uses them.

[Nerd-o-rama]

The problem is, in all stories everywhere, the father of a girl is required by LAW to hate her suitor. This manifests itself usually in snarky comments and dangerous looks. He WANTS to do more, but short of physical violence, which is generally frowned upon by his beloved princess, he has few options. Being a master illusionist however, gives momma deegans dad WAY more methods of keeping those filthy perverted BOYS from his precious baby girl! So he uses them.

It beats the sodium pentathol from my Meet the X example.

[Domochevsky]

Mhm, surely it is a pure coincidence that grandpa Deegan looks like Mookie with those sideburns...

(I never found the "let's be a complete prick as test of suitability to the son-in-law" spiel funny. )

[ninja_penguin]

(I never found the "let's be a complete prick as test of suitability to the son-in-law" spiel funny. )

In my family, it's always been a bit more of a good natured ruffling to make sure that the guy doesn't have attitude problems. It's not malicious pranking so much as just being able to deal with my nutty aunt, my uncle who does taxidermy, my uncle who was probably a prohibition gangster in a previous life, and listen to me and my brother's one-word inside jokes and being able to survive us.

[BlackDragonKing]

Mhm, surely it is a pure coincidence that grandpa Deegan looks like Mookie with those sideburns...

(I never found the "let's be a complete prick as test of suitability to the son-in-law" spiel funny. )

Your girlfriend's father will never like you when you're getting started out. That's just science.