Erfworld 30 The Shark Has Been Jumped

[nihil8r]

Turn-based sapphic domination, catch it now at giantitp.com!

[ajkkjjk52]

How could you say something like that?

It jumped at 28, when half the strip was devoted to Wanda's outfit.

[jami]

It jumped at 28, when half the strip was devoted to Wanda's outfit.

By that logic, the entire comic book industry jumped the shark in the 90's.

Oh wait...

[Rocheforte]

I love the sheer hubris of people whose first ever post in a forum (all nihil8r's other posts are in OotS territory, and ajkkjjk52 has also never been spotted in Erf) is some great declaration like "this strip has jumped the shark". Fiat.

We will know that the strip has lost its entertainment value when people stop reading it. Nothing short of that can possibly be used as evidence for such an inane statement.

I suppose, since you're both done with this strip, there's no need to bother with ignore-listing you?

[Mutiemoe]

Bah!
What exactly is so bad turn-based sapphic domination, I mean if the fans are cheering?

I wonder what kind of bile-spewing outrage would there be if there ever would be a certain sort hypothetical strip about why exactly Lord Stanley chooses to pick most handsome and dashing prettyboys as generals. *wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more*

[Om]

I was going to do a humorous superimposition of Wanda on the Fonze jumping the shark but unfortunately I only have MS Paint to work with

[Caractacus]

Yeah, there's been 30 comic strips, and it's jumped the shark. Yup. Ho yuss.

[Silver]

Shark-jumping is only if it goes downhill afterward. Shows, and strips, can stumble once in awhile; declaring a shark-jump requires the perspective of time.

#30 certainly does have the potential, though. But I'll reserve judgment on the shark part. Maybe Jami and Rob will pull out some frickin' lasers.

They'll have to be pretty good lasers, though. But I'm not ready to say it can't be done.

[Ave]

Bah!
why exactly Lord Stanley chooses to pick most handsome and dashing prettyboys as generals. *wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more*

How the singing fat lady fits in that picture?

[kialos]

I don't see how its POSSIBLE for this comic to jump the shark, it hasn't had enough story established for some changes to MEAN anything yet, we don't have enough understanding of the world to know were things aren't consistant. I completely disagree with that idea.

[Minchandre]

I definitely think that Rob is going somewhere with this aside from "ZOMG Lesbian S&M! As a fanboy who is both misogynistic and scared of girls, I find this highly arousing!!!111oneoneeleven"

I think, did I think that it was a little gratuitous? Yes. Do I find cartoon boobies hot? No. Do I honestly think something is going to come out of this, and that it was done for a reason? Yes.

[Luvlein]

did I think that it was a little gratuitous? Yes.

Do I honestly think something is going to come out of this, and that it was done for a reason? Yes.

This is somewhat contradictory, no?

[SteveMB]

This is somewhat contradictory, no?

Not really; my interpretation is that Minchandre was describing the lesbian-BSDM overtones of the scenes as "gratuitous" while acknowledging that there was some plot and character development behind them.

Of course, those overtones could be serving the purpose of the cute assistant distracting the audience while the magician does his prestidigitation....

[Minchandre]

^
|

He explained it better (than my original explanation; thus the edit)

[Luvlein]

Too late, I have already read your post

[Caractacus]

I don't see how its POSSIBLE for this comic to jump the shark, it hasn't had enough story established for some changes to MEAN anything yet, we don't have enough understanding of the world to know were things aren't consistant. I completely disagree with that idea.

Quite. My point exactly. Thoroughly agree.

[archon_huskie]

So you are saying, "now that something people have been predicting for a while has happened, it's changed."

[agentx42]

Hmmm, untill we see W & J get busy like a late-night Cinemax movie, I wouldn't say the shark has jumped. But that sucker's certainly limbering up...

[Geoff]

I'm thinking the phrase "Jumping the Shark" has prettymuch 'Jumped the Shark' by now.

[Fronko]

So, for us stupid non-native speakers:

"Jumping the shark" obviously does mean "it is going down", probably strongly connected to "it´s going lezbo to catch what is left of the readers interest" ... am I right with that assumption?

If yes:
Well, screw me, but I think it is
a) developing in a direction that is way to cool for you to grasp or
b) being a sarcastic persiflage on recent trends

Choose whatever you like.

Oh, and if gay/lesbian issues are too out-there for you: I am a European. We cope with these things, sue me.

If no: Nevermind, I just had too much beer tonight.

[averagejoe]

The phrase comes from the show Happy Days, referring to the episode where The Fonz jumped over a shark on water skis. There are people who believe this is the point at which the show started going downhill.

Edit: So, yes, you are correct on that.

[Tharj TreeSmiter]

So, for us stupid non-native speakers:

"Jumping the shark" obviously does mean "it is going down", probably strongly connected to "it´s going lezbo to catch what is left of the readers interest" ... am I right with that assumption?

If yes:
Well, screw me, but I think it is
a) developing in a direction that is way to cool for you to grasp or
b) being a sarcastic persiflage on recent trends

Choose whatever you like.

Oh, and if gay/lesbian issues are too out-there for you: I am a European. We cope with these things, sue me.

If no: Nevermind, I just had too much beer tonight.

"jumping the shark" is a specific reference to an old american TV show called "Happy days" with a character "The Fonz" who actually jumped a tank of water with a shark in it with his motorcycle in one episode. It's generally seen as the low point of the show which ended soon after.

That episode and event has now become a catch phrase for something that's hit a low point and will or should be cancelled.

I don't agree with it being used for erfworld. I didn't like it for the first few weeks but it's finally starting to have a plot and I actually am somewhat interested in what happens. I don't think there is anything wrong with the last couple of strips (no pun intended), maybe because this forum has a lot of kids and teenagers but for adults it shouldn't be an issue. If Erf World turns into a web-porno rather than a web-comic then I'll change my mind but I highly doubt that happening.

[averagejoe]

See, that's pretty much it. I don't know about the kid thing, but sex or sex-themed stuff in the strip is not, in and of itself, a bad thing, and in this case I think it actually adds something. If it was sexual in the Laura Croft/God of War/The Scorpion King/The Sword of Truth or any of those other books/movies/games who use sex as a simple "wow" factor, then I would most likely agree that the latest strip should have been done differently. However, in this case it isn't simply to shock and wow people; it adds an interesting tension to the strip and helps develop Wanda and Jillian as characters. As with a lot of Erfworld, it is unconventional and downright strange, and somewhat new (or, at least mostly unexplored) territory as far as comics go.

[Indon]

I don't see how there could be any shark-jumping this early in the strip.

I mean, we haven't seen any naval units yet!

...unless there were some kind of land shark. But it'd have to spring out of the ground to attack...

I guess maybe in Erfworld, sharks jump you?

[Wallyz]

"jumping the shark" is a specific reference to an old american TV show called "Happy days" with a character "The Fonz" who actually jumped a tank of water with a shark in it with his motorcycle in one episode. It's generally seen as the low point of the show which ended soon after.

Nit pick-

He was waterskiing on a lake that had a shark in it while the soundtrack played the song "Personality"

[RecklessFable]

Nit pick-

He was waterskiing on a lake that had a shark in it while the soundtrack played the song "Personality"

Even nitpickier! He was at a California beach (the shark being an ocean dweller)

The phrase is now used to refer to "The Moment" when a series has gone in a direction that takes it downhill. I guess it can be called "The beginning of the end" (Usually a TV show, but nowadays pretty much anything)

Other moments include:
Cheers: Sam and Diane finally kiss
Married with Children: Ed Bagley Junior joins the cast.
M.A.S.H.: Ceases to be a comedy and becomes all about Alan Alda anti-war speeches.
The Star Wars Movies: Ewoks...

[Flame_Drake]

I don't see how there could be any shark-jumping this early in the strip.

I mean, we haven't seen any naval units yet!

...unless there were some kind of land shark. But it'd have to spring out of the ground to attack...

I guess maybe in Erfworld, sharks jump you?

So a Bulette then?


Drake

[Tharj TreeSmiter]

Even nitpickier! He was at a California beach (the shark being an ocean dweller)

The phrase is now used to refer to "The Moment" when a series has gone in a direction that takes it downhill. I guess it can be called "The beginning of the end" (Usually a TV show, but nowadays pretty much anything)

Other moments include:
Cheers: Sam and Diane finally kiss
Married with Children: Ed Bagley Junior joins the cast.
M.A.S.H.: Ceases to be a comedy and becomes all about Alan Alda anti-war speeches.
The Star Wars Movies: Ewoks...

Thanks, I hadn't actually seen that episode. But I'd seen parady's of it which had him jumping a shark in a tank with his motorcycle.

Now I know and knowing is half the battle!... :)

[Bilgore]

I guess maybe in Erfworld, sharks jump you?

Well, at least we know what kind of porn people will say this is headed towards becoming...

[Machiara]

Even nitpickier . . . the shark jumping occurred during a special "Cunninghams and Hangers-on Go to Hawaii" episode of the show. So it happened in Hawaii. ;D