What's With All the W's?

[kriklaf]

Since the authors say there's a reason, I'll grudgingly give them the benefit of the doubt and believe they're doing it for a purpose, but the "childlike aspect" of the comic (or however it's put in the survey) is by far the biggest turn-off for me. Explain it away however you like--a dwagon is a different creature than a dragon--I still hear it read in a little kid voice (Mommy, I scared of the dwagon!), which is jarring in the extreme. Renaming creatures in an attempt to change a reader's preconceptions about a common fantasy device is one thing, but substituting a word which carries its own preconceptions (and transcriptions of common childhood mispronounciations definitely qualifies in my book) just points a reader's subconscious expectations in another direction.

[mikeejimbo]

One thing I like though, is trying to take preconceived notions and changing them. Forcing myself to think "Well yes, that's what I usually think, but what if it didn't work that way?"

[Hexa_Regina]

I think the writers are trying to balance out the serious aspects of the plot with a hefty dose of childish silliness. Much like the way Calvin in the old Calvin and Hobbes strips always talked like an adult about childish things, the Erfworld characters talk somewhat childishly about serious things in their setting.

[Mike_Lemmer]

It weminds me of Elmah Fudd.

[Death, your friend the Reaper]

Dweath likes them.

But they do add to the childlike demeanor of the comic, I find it very amusing.

[Fat Daddy]

The 'cutesy' speak really turns me off the comic. I have read the first 7 but will be hard pressed to continue.

[Learnedguy]

it's to avoid copyright infrigment <.<?

[Mauril Everleaf]

I would like to point out that not all of the r's are w's. there are only 4 w's for r's in the seven strips, 64 panels, 96 speech bubbles and 757 words of dialogue and narration (give or take a dozen or so). So im not sure what all the fuss is about.

[pclips]

I would like to point out that not all of the r's are w's. there are only 4 w's for r's in the seven strips, 64 panels, 96 speech bubbles and 757 words of dialogue and narration (give or take a dozen or so). So im not sure what all the fuss is about.

*snrk* OT... At least, with all the complainy noises about how little comic there is yet, someone noticed how much work went into lettering those mere seven pages. (I do the lettering. It's the final part of the writing process, as I see it.)

I'm glad it looks easy and all, but I kind of feel like saying, "Quick! Open a drawing program and make 96 individual vector objects to be speech balloons, letter them from this script, evaluate them for visual balance, the flow in the reader's mind, and how much they block up the art. Oh, and throw in a dozen sound effects with graphical text effects. See if you can do 7 pages in under 25 hours or so."

[Fat Daddy]

I keep expecting Elmer Fudd to make a cameo..."Shhhh. Be vewy vewy quiet...I'm hunting dwagons. Hehehehehe."

[Jacklu]

Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about. The addition of Ws to the occasional word is hardly what I would call earth shattering. I think the Ws give the comic a certain charm and I'm farely certian that if anyone knows what their doing, Elvis does. So for now I'll enjoy the comic purely for what it is and trust that if Rob has put the Ws in then they're there for a reason... unless he just likes watching people squirm from the horrors of dwagons and spidews.

[Mauril Everleaf]

*snrk* OT... At least, with all the complainy noises about how little comic there is yet, someone noticed how much work went into lettering those mere seven pages. (I do the lettering. It's the final part of the writing process, as I see it.)

I'm glad it looks easy and all, but I kind of feel like saying, "Quick! Open a drawing program and make 96 individual vector objects to be speech balloons, letter them from this script, evaluate them for visual balance, the flow in the reader's mind, and how much they block up the art. Oh, and throw in a dozen sound effects with graphical text effects. See if you can do 7 pages in under 25 hours or so."

im glad that i could amuse you so.
btw, i really like the comic. im big into graphic novels, especially those with a manga flair, so the art piqued my interest, then the plot (inasmuch as it has been developed in so short a time) has kept me interested. keep up the good work!

[Brickwall]

Look, I love the comic, but I really just hate seeing those W's. It doesn't put me off the comic, it just puts me off. And an annoyed Brickwall tortures the players in the games he GMs.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

The question isn't why do they use W's, it's why do we use R's?

The script was written by Elmer Fudd?

Seriously, I don't much care either way, although I like how it's turning out.

And there are a lot of good gaming jokes in there (End the Turn comes to mind...). I like it, and want to see more.

[IronMouse]

I don’t know what is with all the “W”s…but it is very annoying.

And I can’t see that getting any better. Having established this annoying speech pattern the strip will be compelled to keep doing it for as long as it runs.

[Jorkens]

I would like to point out that not all of the r's are w's. there are only 4 w's for r's in the seven strips, 64 panels, 96 speech bubbles and 757 words of dialogue and narration (give or take a dozen or so). So im not sure what all the fuss is about.

Quoted for truth.

Or at least, for having been truth at the time of posting.

[Mauril Everleaf]

comic is up to 1000 words, 121 speech bubbles, 78 panels, 8 strips and still only 8 "w's for r's". seriously thats a mere 0.8% of the words so far. i would count the percentage of replaced letters, but that would just be too much, now wouldnt it?

[Brickwall]

How about you count the number of different words used? As in, no repeats. "The" only counts once for the entire thing, for example.

Honestly, that'd be much more useful.

[Mauril Everleaf]

then dwagon, gobwin and such would only count once a piece too, which make there be a total of only 4 w's for r's (gobwin, dwagon, spidew, and gwiffon) and i doubt there will ever be much more.

i can figure that if you really want me to, but thatll take some time. but ive got nothing better to do......so off i go.

[TinSoldier]

Actually I would only count the number of words that either contain 'R' or are expected to contain 'R' and calculate the percentage from there.

[Brickwall]

Also a wonderful idea.

[EdgarVerona]

I thought it was a speech impediment, but EVERYONE does it. So it's either some kind of cultural thing (i.e. part of the language, r is replaced with w) or it's some kind of regional dialect (like how Bostonians Paaaak the Caaaah instead of Park the Car =) ).

I'm still neutral on it though, for now. Might grow on me and I won't notice it anymore.

[Mr_Saturn]

Twe W's awe cwute.

Which was what we wanted wight?

[Godehart]

I voted yes because I don't hate them. I think it adds something to the comic. They are definetly NOT better than Thog though :P

[Maurog]

Better than Thog as in "more good" than Thog in the sense that Thog is evil.

[Noneoyabizzness]

dang it people, donb't you get it?

it's world of fuddcraft. the w is manditory, as are the overswized heads

[Symian]

I love them! I don't love them more than thog, but I DO now think he'd be better as "thwog"! ;-)

[Furin_Mirado]

I personaly like the Rs because it says something about the setting. A griffon is a half-lion, half-eagle that can tear you to shreds in an instant. However a gwiffon appears to be a large, feathery, flying peep. Given that the setting appears to be inside a military strategy game then it would seem that it's marketed for children. The fact that every creature living in the game doesn't seem to notice this and takes everything seriously adds extra humor.

[Siberys]

I like the direction the comic is going, but I seriously dislike all the Ws in place of Rs and Ls. Then again, I'm the perfectionist son of a High-School English teacher, so... yeah.

Cheers,
Siberys

[dragon95046]

I am not even sure how to pronounce "Spidew". I bounce around between sounding like spy-doh, spy-dew and spit-dew. As for the big deal of their being only 4 words that substitute W's, it really comes down to just one of a number of things that irk me about this comic boo...er "graphic novel."