Number of Character Appearances V

[Jasdoif]

I vaguely recall Wrecan saying something about potentially adding Blackwing and Scruffy to the protagonists section (this was back when neither of them had more appearances than Xykon and Redcloak). I don't remember precisely what it was.

Forum search to the rescue!

Also, as soon as Scruffy or Blackwing pass Xykon on the chart, they will get included in Protagonists.

EDIT: Huh, I think this is the first time I've been cross-page-ninja-ed. And possibly my first encounter with a wombat ninja.

[Gift Jeraff]

Maybe rename that section "The Order of the Stick." I wouldn't consider Blackwing and Scruffy protagonists.

[martianmister]

Updated through 960
Belkar Bitterleaf (charmed), Blackwing, Durkon Thundershield (as Vampire), Mr. Scruffy, Roy Greenhilt, Vaarsuvius

[Emanick]

Updated through 960
Belkar Bitterleaf (charmed), Blackwing, Durkon Thundershield (as Vampire), Mr. Scruffy, Roy Greenhilt, Vaarsuvius

Did you remember to include High Priest of Hel?

[martianmister]

Did you remember to include High Priest of Hel?

He has no speech baloons, so I didn't include it.

[Chronos]

Yeah, but he still appears.

[Bird]

He has no speech baloons, so I didn't include it.

If it's conceded that the vampire body saying stuff is an appearance for the High Priest, then I'm not sure why the vampire body standing around or grimacing in disapproval at Belkar doesn't. The High Priest is controlling the body in either instance.

If the argument were that only spectral head-space High Priest counts, that'd be something else.

[Emanick]

Yeah, I have to agree with Chronos and Bird. I'm not sure what the difference is between the High Priest of Hel appearing and speaking and the High Priest of Hel appearing and doing other things, like hypnotizing Belkar. We're not counting speech bubbles.

[martianmister]

If it's conceded that the vampire body saying stuff is an appearance for the High Priest, then I'm not sure why the vampire body standing around or grimacing in disapproval at Belkar doesn't.

"Vampire body" is counted as an appearance for Durkon (as vampire). I don't count Durkula as appearance for HPoH because we're not actually seeing him. But because of:

Q. What counts as an appearance?

A. Any likeness of the character being visible and any dialog from a character, even if "off-panel" or invisible (so the strip where the party is in the invisibility sphere counts for each of the main characters).

...strips with his dialog counts as an appearance for him.

[Bird]

"Vampire body" is counted as an appearance for Durkon (as vampire). I don't count Durkula as appearance for HPoH because we're not actually seeing him. But because of:



...strips with his dialog counts as an appearance for him.

Thanks for the explanation! I understand where you're coming from, now. And, by the way, thanks for maintaining this thread.

I'm not sure I agree with the premise that we don't see the HPoH, since it seems that Durkon and the HPoH share that vampire body. (I had a feeling a metaphysical snag might be at issue.) Certainly, we see the actions that the vampire takes, which are the HPoH's actions--a frown at Belkar is his just as much as a dialogue bubble is. So, I'm not sure the HPoH is "invisible" or "off-panel"--because we see him frowning and such right there on the panel. It's his frown, even though he shares the body. Under this view, any appearance of Durkula is an appearance of the HPoH.

On the other hand, we can take the contrary view--that the vampire body is not the HPoH, since the HPoH is an incorporeal negative energy spirit. If we take that view, then in some sense Durkula's dialogue is not the HPoH's dialogue. It's Durkon's dialogue, which he is delivering for the HPoH as proxy. Under this view, we'd only count the HPoH when he appears as a spirit inside Durkon's head. To give an analogous situation: if Nale charms Belkar and tells him what to say, and the next page has Belkar delivering Nale's speech, is that second page an appearance for Nale? Or does Belkar-the-proxy-for-Nale not count?

So, either way you interpret the HPoH, it seems internally inconsistent to count the HPoH as appearing when Durkula speaks, but not when he's hitting someone or standing around or whatever.

(Of course, if it's better to just stay with things as they are instead of monkeying around in a way that could affect the count of previous strips, I can appreciate that.)

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I think it may be easier (and perhaps more logically consistent) if we just count his appearances when we can actually see the spirit, and whenever he actually talks it counts for Durkon (as vampire). In other words, Bird's second option.

[ti'esar]

961: Andromeda, Durkon Thundershield (as vampire), High Priest of Hel, Roy Greenhilt

I assume we've seen Andromeda before, but I haven't really been trying to keep track of the Mechane crew members.

[Emanick]

She appears to be the same person as Sally, who before today had five appearances.

Well, that's confusing.

[Chronos]

Yeah, same color and style of hair, same color of pant legs, same skin color, and in both cases she's the one making repairs.

[Fawkes]

Maybe Sally really was short for Salvatore...

[Gift Jeraff]

Maybe Sally really was short for Salvatore...

I say we go with this.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Maybe Sally really was short for Salvatore...

This actually makes things easier. However, I would expect the person that Bandana said she was sending down to check on the engines be the one to report back, and that was the girl.

[oppyu]

Maybe Sally is one of those weird nicknames, probably with a simply hilarious anecdote regarding how Andromeda got it.

[2.5 cats]

I just reread the recent comics and will throw my 2 cents in the pot that says that Sally and Andromeda are one and the same person. Sally is likely a nickname.

[martianmister]

Updated through 961
Andi aka Andromeda aka Sally, Durkon Thundershield (as Vampire), High Priest of Hel (as Durkon), Roy Greenhilt

[Gift Jeraff]

Sally has indeed been retconned.

[Fawkes]

Sally has indeed been retconned.

Yup. Strip 951 says 'Andi' now.

[FireDrake]

962: HPoH (as Durkon), Durkon (as Vampire), Durkon's Mother [perhaps now Sigdi Thundershield], Thirden, Bald Male Dwarf with Flagon, Black-haired Female Dwarf [Durkon's Aunt?], Red-Haired Male Dwarf with Pickaxe.

Is the Blonde Female Dwarf from Panel 5 the same one we saw back in 958?

[Chronos]

Is the Blonde Female Dwarf from Panel 5 the same one we saw back in 958?

Probably, considering the comment in this one about all of the dinner parties involving the same five people.

[ti'esar]

We aren't listing nameless dwarves unless they've appeared in previous comics.

[martianmister]

Updated through 962
Durkon Thundershield (as Vampire), High Priest of Hel (as Durkon), Sigdi's Black Friend, Sigdi's Blond Friend, Sigdi's Gray-haired Friend, Sigdi's Red-haired Friend, Sigdi Thundershield, Thirden

[Yendor]

963: Big Slimy Monster (+2)*, Durkon Thundershield (+2), High Priest of Hel (+1), Roy Greenhilt (+2), Sigdi Thundershield

*Damned if I know what it's called.

[ti'esar]

Should we begin listing Durkon with his middle name?

[martianmister]

Updated through 963
Durkon Thundershield (+2), Giant Frog (+2), High Priest of Hel (+1), Roy Greenhilt (+2), Sigdi Thundershield

[Flame of Anor]

Should we begin listing Durkon with his middle name?

We can probably leave that one to the Class and Level Geekery thread.