Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire

[Mewtarthio]

No... The song got to Miranda, too! Miranda never sings! What's happening?!

I will not listen to the Water Wolf Song.
The Water Wolf Song is the mind-killer.
The Water Wolf Song is the little-death that brings total annihilation...

[Gez]

No... The song got to Miranda, too! Miranda never sings! What's happening?!

As I've found out, she's been replaced by a Doppelghitler.

[Tekraen]

As I've found out, she's been replaced by a Doppelghitler.

Jawhol, jawhol.

[Kurald Galain]

Oooh, nice rescue, Dominic. Did yo momma perform it for you?

[Hood]

You all must read Dominic Durgan. Now.

[Turcano]

You all must read Dominic Durgan. Now.

Why, did John Solomon start updating again?

[Winterwind]

No... The song got to Miranda, too! Miranda never sings! What's happening?!

I will not listen to the Water Wolf Song.
The Water Wolf Song is the mind-killer.
The Water Wolf Song is the little-death that brings total annihilation...

I disagree.

It's at least medium sized.

You all must read Dominic Durgan. Now.

Thanks, no. At least regular Dominic Deegan is funny-bad most of the time. Dominic Durgan is disgustingly bad-bad. And since that's the kindest thing I can say about it without descending to its niveau*1, I'll stop here.

*1 I'm using "niveau" in a very loose definition of the word here.

Or, in other words, I read a few dozens of the first strips, and found it is not my kind of humour at all.

[averagejoe]

Agreed. Which is a shame, because so much could have been done with that strip.

[High-Chancellor]

Thus Dominic calls for mommy yet again.

I am underwhelmed.

[Mewtarthio]

Now that I think about it, she's in a disturbingly good mood for someone who's about to peer into Hell and spy on the former lover whom she believes was unjustly damned to become the ultimate evil by a cold and arbitrary universe.

[averagejoe]

Now that I think about it, she's in a disturbingly good mood for someone who's about to peer into Hell and spy on the former lover whom she believes was unjustly damned to become the ultimate evil by a cold and arbitrary universe.

It's probably because she built up a tolerance for hell when she was stuck on that ship listening to that song over and over again. At this point she's glad to be peering into hell, as long as it gets the song out of her head, even for a little while.

[AmberVael]

Wait.
Waaaaaiiit.
So this spell draws on your fondest memories of someone to help drive said person back.
...soooo... how did it work against Karnak when Dominic was a kid?

[Oracle_Hunter]

Wait.
Waaaaaiiit.
So this spell draws on your fondest memories of someone to help drive said person back.
...soooo... how did it work against Karnak when Dominic was a kid?

Shhhh you're getting logic in Mookie's Angst. Only bad can come from that.

MookieLogic (tm)

Spoiler

Show

Well, probably the "Love Battery" could be drawn from any of the participants. Thus, Miranda used her own fond memories of Karnak to protect Dom, but as she has no fond memories of Siegfried, she had to use somebody else's.

In other news: Look who gave into the Dark Side! Apparently Jayden is going to be our latest Sith - the cutest Sith evar!

[Winterwind]

In other news: Look who gave into the Dark Side! Apparently Jayden is going to be our latest Sith - the cutest Sith evar!

Good point. When did Jayden ever wear black before?
Oh, Jayden, Jayden... you really have to learn to hide it better.

I was kinda annoyed by that "Later"-box. Show, not tell, Mookie.

I discovered something interesting: Take a look at this strip.

So, what do you think - did Mookie have this course of events in mind all the time, or was the picture actually originally intended to depict his father, and Mookie merely discovered it could actually serve as a picture of Siegfried just as well, and decided to re-use it?

[averagejoe]

They all seem to be of the elder sadistic knight, but perhaps there was some retconning because they both look the same from behind?

[colonelslime]

My guess is the former Winterwind.
You see it would explain why Siggy's hair changed so much
It was really supposed to be his father

[Oracle_Hunter]

I discovered something interesting: Take a look at this strip.

So, what do you think - did Mookie have this course of events in mind all the time, or was the picture actually originally intended to depict his father, and Mookie merely discovered it could actually serve as a picture of Siegfried just as well, and decided to re-use it?

It's ambiguous. The lower right clearly shows a Siggy with the same hairstyle punching out an orc. However, the back-shot wears the same clothing as Daddy Siggy, and they both have the same build. I'm willing to give Mookie the benefit of the doubt for this one.

But look at the image in 12 o'clock! I just found out who Huk Thak was!

EDIT: Yes, I know his picture shows him having two ears but... it got better?

[Mewtarthio]

I must admit, today's strip actually got a chuckle from me. Seriously, not only is Milov exiling his ex-girlfriend and all her people, but he's also annihilating her the place where she's lived and worked in a massive explosion? That guy sure knows how to dump a girl! I'm guessing this will be a message to all future lovers: This is what happens if you cheat on a Spellwolf!

I'm just glad Mookie put that part last to help counteract the horrible emotional torment he put me through in part one. The Power of Love has failed us, so we use the Power of Hate to exorcise demons and the Power of Grief to keep them out? When it was just the Power of Hate, it was So Bad It's Good, but now it's getting dangerouly close to So Bad It's Horrible.

[Tekraen]

Good point. When did Jayden ever wear black before?
Oh, Jayden, Jayden... you really have to learn to hide it better.

I was kinda annoyed by that "Later"-box. Show, not tell, Mookie.

I discovered something interesting: Take a look at this strip.

So, what do you think - did Mookie have this course of events in mind all the time, or was the picture actually originally intended to depict his father, and Mookie merely discovered it could actually serve as a picture of Siegfried just as well, and decided to re-use it?

A Hand Wave can only take so much space when A Wizard Did It.

[Monnock]

So, what do you think - did Mookie have this course of events in mind all the time, or was the picture actually originally intended to depict his father, and Mookie merely discovered it could actually serve as a picture of Siegfried just as well, and decided to re-use it?

Keep in mind that it appears as though Mookie plans these arcs out ridiculously in advance, hence why there are dangling plot points all over the place that come back years later (the elemental guy, for example, announced his EVIL PLOT to steal Luna like two years in advance).

Also, why would he re-use it? It's a single panel. Nobody is so lazy as to say "Meh, I drew this one panel, so to save time on drawing it I'm going to draw the other panels like it." On top of that it's not as though Siggy isn't in any of the other ones, and since his father was there he would have retained an impression of it (especially since he called it the Best Birthday Present Ever).

Why was Miranda's first thought that Milov was going to blow up the church... with people in it? And more importantly, why was that Milov's first deduction?

[sihnfahl]

Why was Miranda's first thought that Milov was going to blow up the church... with people in it? And more importantly, why was that Milov's first deduction?

[mookie]Because it's FUNNY![/mookie]

[G-Man]

I wouldn't consider it ridiculously in advance. A good writer always plans things out, and his style is something I love.

Always having an obscure event only to have it play an important role much later on.

And yes, it is funny.

[Mewtarthio]

Why was Miranda's first thought that Milov was going to blow up the church... with people in it? And more importantly, why was that Milov's first deduction?

Actually, I'd figured that her first thought was, "You're going to blow it up?! Argh! The Church is the only place on this horrid little island with decent bedding! Do you honestly expect me to rest in one of your flea-ridden, filthy Spellwolf hovels?" Milov, meanwhile, jumps to the conclusion that her anger is a reaction to the ancient Spellwolf tradition: Namely, the pride they take in killing as many innocent Callanians as possible whenever it's convenient.

[averagejoe]

I wouldn't consider it ridiculously in advance. A good writer always plans things out, and his style is something I love.

Always having an obscure event only to have it play an important role much later on.

And yes, it is funny.

This is true, and I'll give Mookie props for trying. (Well, I'd give him someone elses props. My props are too valuable to waste for any but the most important occasions.) However, there's a fine line between "planning ahead to interconnect events," and, "Scanning through the archives for something, anything, that could produce a random story that I can say I was planning all along," and Mookie is toeing it. In some cases, even if he did plan ahead for it the whole time, it reads like he didn't, and in the end that's what matters.

[Elhana]

I...um...I hate to admit it, but...I smiled at the last two panels. It wasn't a laugh, but...I think I liked it. It was sorta almost funny.

However, if I spend enough time rereading the comic I'm sure I'll grow into the proper attitude of horror and revulsion. So, I think I won't read it again.

The first part of the comic...eh, blah, talking heads saying stuff.

[Turcano]

Agreed. Which is a shame, because so much could have been done with that strip.

To his credit, the author agrees with you. This part is particularly interesting:

Secondly, if you haven't read Dominic Deegan, it just reads like a ****ing terrible animu-art webcomic with a ****ing abysmal storyline and an overdose of gay jokes. I really can't explain the attraction with that. It's almost like an primal urge. Erase the text of a webcomic and start putting in new stuff - you will be inexorably drawn to making them talk about something filthy or crude.

As a veteran strip slayer, I can personally attest to this phenomenon.

[Hood]

I agree that the comic is terrible- if you read it as a webcomic. But I read it as a collection of strip slays and mocking, and found it funny as hell.

Do I have bad taste? Yep. Still, I found it as funny as many of the strip slays here. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

[Monnock]

I would like to clarify. When I modified 'advance' with 'ridiculously,' what I had in mind was the fact that seemingly boring and insignificant plot points that are so minor that they do not warrant being brought up two years later is not really that good planning.

Behold, such Epic Foreshadowing. This comic was from 6-23-2005.

And then Epic... finally getting to that plot.. This comic was from 2-06-2007... That's a freaking year and a half before that sub-plot actually came up. Who the heck plans such a minor plot point that far in advance? Seriously?

My point is, there is a 'good' kind of advanced planning, and a 'bad' kind of advanced planning. Yes he makes plans in advance, yet he can't seem to keep his continuity strait... That suggest to me that he doesn't actually have a real 'road map,' but instead has a whole ton of random ideas that he pulls out from a magical hat. That is what makes the planning ridiculous, because it isn't really planning when there is no plan.

Also: Note how both arcs are tied together. Look at them. Look at that dialog. Seriously. Be sure to note the fact that both of them stress how immediate this will be.

I would also like to point out how Dominic is depressed over exposing his students to such horrific visions and yet later on he lets Nimmel do it? I guess he didn't learn his lesson the first time, good thing Nimmel isn't suicidal/depressed any more after looking in a bizzaro mirror.

More editing: As further clarification, I know I've said this in the past but I feel as though it needs to be repeated from time to time, I think that Mookie's ideas are fine, but the execution needs work. Every time I see his strips I think "god, how could he have done that?" followed almost immediately by "I can see why he did that." Ironically, after all that about planning, I feel that is what the comic lacks is appropriate planning in general. All the information is there, Mookie has it all in his head, he just needs to sort it out so he can make it more coherent.

[Anteros]

Maybe I'm alone in this, but this entire arc seems kinda silly to me. I mean essentially he has taken one of his (very few) characters that actually has more than one personality trait and potential for growth and turned him into "hey look, it's evil guy." I mean before, Siggy was a jerk, but at least his character was'nt completely stagnant like almost every other character in the comic.

Note: I say almost, but honestly I don't see any character development in any of the characters at all besides him. You could argue Bumber and Stunt somewhat I guess, although I would personally disagree.

[Turcano]

I didn't know that werewolves lived in thatched huts.

Oh wait, those are trees. Never mind.

I agree that the comic is terrible- if you read it as a webcomic. But I read it as a collection of strip slays and mocking, and found it funny as hell.

Do I have bad taste? Yep. Still, I found it as funny as many of the strip slays here. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

That's not to say that I don't enjoy Dominic Durgan; it's at least an order of magnitude funnier than Dominic Deegan. For some reason, I find Mongo absolutely hilarious.