Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, Mk. XLVI: A Tark of the Klones, Electric Boogaloo

[Coidzor]

So does that make him a Pinball Wizard?

Well, I mean, there has to be a twist.

[MReav]

Also "My mind is a fortress." Something you'd think would be true of any being capable of standing as an Archmage.

In Mookie's defence, there are two [edit: possible] explanations:

1. DJ wasn't as powerful as Dominic when he fried his eyeballs.
2. Mookie has pretty much been telling us that DJ only earned his spot on the Archmage council by mind-controlling the other Archmages, suggesting that while his Enchantment skills are awesome, his other skills aren't nearly so.

[Oracle_Hunter]

In Mookie's defence, there are two explanations:

1. DJ wasn't as powerful as Dominic when he fried his eyeballs.
2. Mookie has pretty much been telling us that DJ only earned his spot on the Archmage council by mind-controlling the other Archmages, suggesting that while his Enchantment skills are awesome, his other skills aren't nearly so.

Remember when Dominic almost had a mental breakdown because his favorite candy was no longer in stock? And how he was going to Mindbreak if he didn't get an all-expense paid cruise?

Yeah, I dunno if I'd trust the mental fortitude of a pampered rich kid like Dominic over that of someone who literally pulled himself up from the street. What I will say is that Dominic has DJ totally beat in the areas of "being a protagonist" and "being the author's self-insert" which, as has been said, is the real reason he's justified for thinking he can pull this off

[MReav]

Remember when Dominic almost had a mental breakdown because his favorite candy was no longer in stock? And how he was going to Mindbreak if he didn't get an all-expense paid cruise?

Yeah, I dunno if I'd trust the mental fortitude of a pampered rich kid like Dominic over that of someone who literally pulled himself up from the street. What I will say is that Dominic has DJ totally beat in the areas of "being a protagonist" and "being the author's self-insert" which, as has been said, is the real reason he's justified for thinking he can pull this off

I should have stated two possible explanations.

And I know, I personally am hoping this bit of hubris does cost Dominic something, like burning out his third eye.

[Zaq]

If Domonic does get punished for this, it's not because he was being prideful. It's because he did something, even if it was as small as looking at something. Doing something is inexcusable in this world and a cardinal sin.

The moral of this story is not "don't reach too far", it's "don't reach."

The implications of Mookie's work are terrifying, primarily because of how far below the surface they are—that is to say, not very far at all. And yet, I remain convinced that he remains blissfully ignorant of what he's actually saying, even as he says it.

I don't care if you (using the generic "you") typically happen to subscribe to Death of the Author or not in your critical theory . . . Mookie's work practically demands it.

[Doompuppy]

The King should have just sat on his ass instead of looking for it. 'A watched pot never boils' should be the Deegan motto.

Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, Mk. XLVII: A watched plot always spoils

[Coidzor]

Don't you mean an unwatched pot never boils, because if a Deegan or Deegan proxy isn't around to witness it, nothing exists?

[T-O-E]

The Deegans are looking at the reader, not the background, which therefore ceases to exist. That is why we see white voids.

[Veridis Quo]

The Deegans are looking at the reader, not the background, which therefore ceases to exist. That is why we see white voids.

So does this mean that "The face of god is the heart of the 4th wall"?

Edit: Or perhaps "The face of the reader is the heart of the 4th wall"

[Trazoi]

Newspost's up. Mookie is calling this "Dominic's very unwise decision", so here's hoping for fried Dom eyeballs on Tuesday.

(Fair chance he'll go blind, slim chance blindness will have any negative effects, good chance blindness will instead turn out beneficial.)

[Kizor]

It's still funny to see Dominic in pain, so we still win.

Has been ever since fish started falling on his head.

[T-O-E]

Just because it's unwise doesn't mean he's going to suffer consequences. Remember the first rule of Dominic Deegan.

Edit: Or perhaps "The face of the reader is the heart of the 4th wall"

In divine wonder of the majesty that is the Heart of Magic, Dom turns towards it and groans like he's just heard a bad pun.

[Trazoi]

Remember the first rule of Dominic Deegan.

"It always gets worse"?

[Mr. McGician]

Newspost's up. Mookie is calling this "Dominic's very unwise decision", so here's hoping for fried Dom eyeballs on Tuesday.

I'm shocked that Mookie is actually judging Dominic's actions negatively. Is this the first time this has happened in the history of the comic?

[elros]

I think Mookie's statement proves that he loves "injured" characters more than anyone else. Since Nimmel and Katya have been elevated to top caste, Mookie had to do something to make Dominic (and eventually, Luna) even MORE damaged than before.

I have a bad feeling that Dominic will end up like Neo at the end of the Matrix Revolutions. The entire experience may leave him blind in the traditional sense, but it will make him more powerful and enhance his overall perception.

In other news, I have been reading about how experts perfect their craft by spending 10,000 hours on something. Since Mookie has been doing DD for 10 years, he should have reached that mark if he spent at least 3 hours a day on each comic. I think that means that Mookie has become as good as he is ever going to be.

[SaintRidley]

In other news, I have been reading about how experts perfect their craft by spending 10,000 hours on something. Since Mookie has been doing DD for 10 years, he should have reached that mark if he spent at least 3 hours a day on each comic. I think that means that Mookie has become as good as he is ever going to be.

I think you're probably giving him at least two hours per day credit more than he's earned.

[Zaq]

I think you're probably giving him at least two hours per day credit more than he's earned.

He's explicitly stated that he spends 8 hours a day on each comic. Even if we say he's being generous and knock off half of that . . .

[T-O-E]

You have to actually study and push yourself or you won't get much out of it. Mookie seems to not have improved at all in the last few years and may have actually gotten worse. It's weird because you'd expect at least some improvement or change but he's been stagnating for ages.

"It always gets worse"?

Forever.

I wonder if this trend will continue to his next comic or if it'll be a blank slate (which will then probably get worse on its own.)

[SaintRidley]

He's explicitly stated that he spends 8 hours a day on each comic. Even if we say he's being generous and knock off half of that . . .

It still feels like too much time for the product, doesn't it?

[Trazoi]

I wonder if this trend will continue to his next comic or if it'll be a blank slate (which will then probably get worse on its own.)

I'm curious as to how it will go as working with someone else means Mookie can't approach writing for Star Power the same way he writes for Dominic Deegan. Mookie has to improve or the comic will crash and burn. I'm hoping for Mookie and Garth's sake it works out but if I were honest I don't like the odds of the comic surviving to make the one year mark.

Incidentally, searching for 'Star Power comic' gets a Kickstarter for: "Star Power - A Bawdy, Body-Positive Erotic Comic".
Blurb: "Women find themselves in a race of sexual competition when the mysterious Delilah Dragon arrives in her Marvelous Surgery Wagon."

[Lord Raziere]

It still feels like too much time for the product, doesn't it?

Yeah. I've tried my hand at webcomicry once. I've made full-color comics, granted the art was simpler, but even the stuff I made more sense than this, and it didn't take 8 hours to do them.

[Coidzor]

I'm curious as to how it will go as working with someone else means Mookie can't approach writing for Star Power the same way he writes for Dominic Deegan. Mookie has to improve or the comic will crash and burn. I'm hoping for Mookie and Garth's sake it works out but if I were honest I don't like the odds of the comic surviving to make the one year mark.

Incidentally, searching for 'Star Power comic' gets a Kickstarter for: "Star Power - A Bawdy, Body-Positive Erotic Comic".
Blurb: "Women find themselves in a race of sexual competition when the mysterious Delilah Dragon arrives in her Marvelous Surgery Wagon."

Wait. What?

Who is this Garth and why would he want to work with Mookie?

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Wait. What?

Who is this Garth and why would he want to work with Mookie?

Spoiler

Show

Mookie is going to write a new webcomic after DD alongside a much better (though not perfect) artist. We hope for the best, but expect the worst.

[Coidzor]

Spoiler

Show

Mookie is going to write a new webcomic after DD alongside a much better (though not perfect) artist. We hope for the best, but expect the worst.

What can I say, I manage to quit and they drag me back.

Doesn't really answer my question as to what's wrong with this Garth character.

[Humbug]

I wonder what Mookie is doing with all of those hours since I can bang out a page of similar quality in less than 2.

[Trazoi]

Garth used to do a webcomic called Finder's Keepers if you want to see his comic art.

Anyway...
Sneaky Gate
Future Link

Luna dialog is weird. Everyone senses the Mookie twist and is acting accordingly. Got to wait until later in the week to find out how much of a Sue dodge this is.

I love Dominique:

Spoiler

Show

[Squark]

Eh, that I love Dominique was too close to the original too be funny.

[Trazoi]

Eh, that I love Dominique was too close to the original too be funny.

Yeah, I'm going to reign them in now that the crazy backstory talking heads have stopped. I'm guessing the Translation Party well is dry until everyone starts yammering on about Beasts and battle-casters again.

However I did like how TP distilled one bubble down to the vaguely ominous "No, you will know".

[Ninjadeadbeard]

So. That's it. Wow. And here I was thinking there'd be consequences in this comic. Silly me.

[Veridis Quo]

Something about this line from panel 5 seems wrong to me. I keep reading it to myself and it just sounds awkward.

Hey. Wait a second. No secrets, remember? If something's wrong, we talk about it. Visions are no exception.