El Goonish Shive II - I stand by my ridiculous comic

[Lizard Lord]

To be honest I can't help but think that Tedd's hair color change is an artist error somehow. I just can't see Tedd changing his hair at this point. Plus wouldn't it be noticeable that his hair spontaneously changed color? Even with all his stupidity you would think that Rich would react to that before trying to figure out the name thing.

[The Mormegil]

The purple hair really puzzles me. I guess it will be explained.

Also I find the two dunderheads pretty damn accurate. I'd say 90% of the people I know would react like that or even worse than that in the same situation. And of the remaining 10% I don't know what they'd actually think. Heck, I don't know what I'd think in that situation either.

[Qwertystop]

Shive is right - that dialogue would fit quite well in a sitcom.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Are we (guys) really that stupid?

One would hope not, but this is not a commentary on guys in general, but on a loud segment of the geek culture that was on the news a while back (the key is the whole "fake geek girl" language, which was key to the controversy). From what I gather, there was an outcry against girls in certain comic conventions that were being accused of just "pretending" to be geeks, and instead accused of harbouring nefarious purposes. I only learnt of the brouhaha from here, so if you want to learn more, it might be a good place to start - but just google "fake geek girls" to see plenty on the subject.

Grey Wolf

[Silva Stormrage]

To be honest I can't help but think that Tedd's hair color change is an artist error somehow. I just can't see Tedd changing his hair at this point. Plus wouldn't it be noticeable that his hair spontaneously changed color? Even with all his stupidity you would think that Rich would react to that before trying to figure out the name thing.

Guessing from this: http://danshive.tumblr.com/post/9215...ed-it-you-guys

It looks like that it wasn't accidental. Also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_blindness is a thing. I wouldn't be surprised if no one noticed it RIGHT away.

[Randomguy]

It occurs to me that it's possible that the hair enchantment would have worn off not only if he unintentionally disenchanted himself, but also if he discreetly turned into a girl and then changed back, like what happened with Sarah's hair.

[Silva Stormrage]

It occurs to me that it's possible that the hair enchantment would have worn off not only if he unintentionally disenchanted himself, but also if he discreetly turned into a girl and then changed back, like what happened with Sarah's hair.

Good point, he may of brought one of those watches with him but it does seem like kinda an odd thing to bring to a card game. That said I could see Tedd doing that.

[Lissou]

Tedd may also have changed to a girl and not turned back. Isn't their chest a bit curvier than usual in that last panel?

[The Mormegil]

Tedd may also have changed to a girl and not turned back. Isn't their chest a bit curvier than usual in that last panel?

You made me check. But no, I don't think so.

[Silva Stormrage]

Tedd may also have changed to a girl and not turned back. Isn't their chest a bit curvier than usual in that last panel?

Maybe… but I really don't think so that looks like male Tedd.

[Qwertystop]

Guessing from this: http://danshive.tumblr.com/post/9215...ed-it-you-guys

It looks like that it wasn't accidental. Also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_blindness is a thing. I wouldn't be surprised if no one noticed it RIGHT away.

My favorite part is how there is actually a difference there - the top one is darker purple.

[Silva Stormrage]

My favorite part is how there is actually a difference there - the top one is darker purple.

No I am well aware of that. I meant if it WAS an actual mistake he wouldn't sarcastically post something where he "Fixed" the color of his hair rather than change it from purple to pink.

And the change blindness was in response to the other people in EGS not noticing Tedd's hair change right away.

[Lissou]

Someone on the egs forums (they're back!) posted a comparison using Tedd from when we know he was a guy and Tedd from the last panel we've seen so far:



Also, remember when Tedd realised they were genderfluid? There as a picture on that page of male Tedd turning into Female Tedd. They were extremely close.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Someone on the egs forums (they're back!) posted a comparison using Tedd from when we know he was a guy and Tedd from the last panel we've seen so far:

Interesting. The breast curve looks like it might be there, certainly, and if I'm not mistaken, the face is slightly rounder, as well. While roundness of face is not a secondary sexual characteristic like breasts, it does suggest some kind of transformation might have taken place.

Grey Wolf

[Lizard Lord]

Looking back a few pages I remembered something that I wanted to say earlier but never got around to it, so I might as well say it now.


If Sarah has never written any slash fan-fiction I will be very shocked.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

If Sarah has never written any slash fan-fiction I will be very shocked.

I'd expect her to have drawn slash fan-fiction rather than written it actually, given her known hobbies. She probably has a deviantart account.

GW

[Lizard Lord]

Spoiler

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I feel compelled to get this out of the way: I am putting this in spoiler tags just because it is the first comment on this thread to talk about today's comic. I don't expect a wave of spoiled comments to follow this one. Nor do I really care. (It is technically in the forum rules, I believe, but I don't recall anyone in the EGS threads having a problem with it, mostly likely due to Dan's punctuality in delivering the updates.)

Anyways I am now very strongly believing that Pandora was giving Ted a mark in the last panel here. It is the only way to explain why Pandora would consider Tedd's transformation to be an error on her part.

[Lissou]

Spoiler

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I feel compelled to get this out of the way: I am putting this in spoiler tags just because it is the first comment on this thread to talk about today's comic. I don't expect a wave of spoiled comments to follow this one. Nor do I really care. (It is technically in the forum rules, I believe, but I don't recall anyone in the EGS threads having a problem with it, mostly likely due to Dan's punctuality in delivering the updates.)

Anyways I am now very strongly believing that Pandora was giving Ted a mark in the last panel here. It is the only way to explain why Pandora would consider Tedd's transformation to be an error on her part.

Spoiler

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One of the marks we saw at the beginning of the chapter was a female/male symbol. However I think Pandora would probably have marked Tedd either after, or before. My guess is after, when Tedd realised they were genderfluid. Then the mark would make perfect sense. I think Pandora was just being protective of Tedd in the panel you linked to.

[choken1]

Spoiler: I wanna spoiler tag too.

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At first I was thinking that Tedd was super happy about being a girl but then I realized the obvious.

He's happy because he realized that he just cast a spell, without the help of a wand/device. He can now officially call himself a magician.

[The Mormegil]

Wow. I mean... bwuh? I just... just... wow. But... but then... but... but! No way. Wow.

[Mando Knight]

Spoiler: I wanna spoiler tag too.

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At first I was thinking that Tedd was super happy about being a girl but then I realized the obvious.

He's happy because he realized that he just cast a spell, without the help of a wand/device. He can now officially call himself a magician.

That's not a happy smile. That's a "I just realized something completely awkward, but I don't want you to think anything's wrong" smile. The difference is in the eyes.

Why? She (Tedd, that is...) didn't control the transformation... something else induced it, and it wasn't related to any of the known magic in the area. It's something dangerous (someone covertly enchanting someone without their consent or knowledge is really bad!), potentially personally embarrassing (since she was intending to be a he throughout the tournament), and it's not something she can let slip at the moment (since only Grace and Justin are really privy to the relevant information: that magic exists, and Tedd changes sex at a whim).

[choken1]

That's not a happy smile. That's a "I just realized something completely awkward, but I don't want you to think anything's wrong" smile. The difference is in the eyes.

Hmm... True. That does look more like a trying-not-to-panic-in-front-of-people smile, now that I think of it. It struck me more as an excited smile, first.

Why? She (Tedd, that is...) didn't control the transformation... something else induced it, and it wasn't related to any of the known magic in the area. It's something dangerous (someone covertly enchanting someone without their consent or knowledge is really bad!)...

Ah, but that's probably not the case. Usually, when people are waking up, they do not intentionally cast their first spell. At least, that was the case with Elliot and Ellen. They were doing tons of stuff that was allowing magical energy to build up within them, until the body needed to discharge and involuntarily cast a spell.

Like their dad explains it: "Awakening can be triggered in many ways, but only a few of them won't result in energy buildups."

Now, we don't know the deal with Tedd but his potential is apparently to become a ridiculously overpowered mage, based on Evil Tedd counterpart and other oh so subtle hints dropped before, like the blinding aura we saw few updates ago. It was just very hard for him to get started, for some reason. Now that he's awakened, I guess we'll see what that will result in.

[Mando Knight]

His natural magical potential is actually zero. Tedd is a "far more dangerous rarity," whatever it means.

"Lord Tedd" is apparently like "our Tedd" in that he's more of an artificer than a spellcaster. He might also have completely different potential than "our" Tedd.

[Randomguy]

Pandora probably didn't directly turn Tedd into a girl, since that would be against the non-interference rules of being an immortal.

Tedd probably doesn't have the male/female mark, because he has zero magical potential, so he probably didn't change his own gender.

I think the most likely option is that someone else in the comic book store has the male/female magic mark, and they accidentally transformed Tedd. But who? Richard? Larry? Sam? Grace? Sarah? George? Probably not George.

[Qwertystop]

Betting it's Sam.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Betting it's Sam.

Yes, Sam does seem to be the thematic choice - he probably wants sex change with as much intensity as the hobo guy wanted friends.

GW

[The Mormegil]

Aaaaand I'm shocked again. What the hell is happening Shive why do you mess up with my thinking so much I won't ever know. It's like I never can predict anything in this comic damn.

[Silva Stormrage]

Aaaaand I'm shocked again. What the hell is happening Shive why do you mess up with my thinking so much I won't ever know. It's like I never can predict anything in this comic damn.

Agreed. That is what makes it so good at times though

Also Pandora's face in panel 3. That is all

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Aaaaand I'm shocked again. What the hell is happening Shive why do you mess up with my thinking so much I won't ever know. It's like I never can predict anything in this comic damn.

I am probably completely off-base, but I think Pandora marked Tedd with some non-sex-change-related mark, and when magic spontaneously happened, it hit his resistance, and changed his sex instead of whatever the mark was supposed to do.

I think that fits her expositionary language.

Grey Wolf

[Hytheter]

I am probably completely off-base, but I think Pandora marked Tedd with some non-sex-change-related mark, and when magic spontaneously happened, it hit his resistance, and changed his sex instead of whatever the mark was supposed to do.

I think that fits her expositionary language.

Grey Wolf

I don't know how you got that impression, it seems pretty obvious to me that she intentionally gave him gender swapping powers as a nice gesture to help with his new discovery. She just didn't expect that he'd accidentally use it straight away, but admits that she should have seen it coming.