122 The Battle for Gobwin Knob, Page 110

[fendrin]

At first I thought that we were seeing more evidence of in-hex tactical maneuvering, but the more I looked at the strip, the more I became convinced that Jack was Fooling Stanley. The evidence is fuzzy at best (in one case, literally), though.

Panel 9 is the key panel. That is where Jack casts his spell.

1. Notice how unlike any of the other panels, the background is blurred. While this could be to cause the reader to focus on Jack and the Tool, the lack of blurring in other panels indicates to me that it is significant.
2. The body language is highly suggestive. Jack has his hand on the Tool's shoulder, leaning around the other side and speaking into his ear. It is a classic pose indicating manipulation. Think 'used car salesman', being all 'buddy buddy' while telling you that he's going to make you a special deal ("That car right there is the one for you. I'd normal sell this car for ten thousand, but since I like you, I'm gonna make you a deal..."). This is also the first time I recall Jack touching Stanley (intentionally, I mean... being choked doesn't count). That lends credence to the idea that something new happening in their relationship.
3. Last but not least, in panel 9 we see blurry yellow blobs that can only be gwiffons. Most importantly, they are behind the dwagons. Then, the very next panel, we see tiny yellow blobs than can only be gwiffons in front of the dwagons. Whether or not Jack cast a spell, Stanley turned around.

[DigoDragon]

Jack could be casting an illusion to steer Stanley... or maybe Jack isn't doing anything but letting Stanley get himself killed in vengence of Faq's dawnfall. Could go either way I think. I do like how Stanley seems to have a little feeling deep down inside. I forget who mentioned it earlier, but I also like that little bit of redeeming humanity in him.

[SteveMB]

Panel 9 is the key panel. That is where Jack casts his spell.

1. Notice how unlike any of the other panels, the background is blurred. While this could be to cause the reader to focus on Jack and the Tool, the lack of blurring in other panels indicates to me that it is significant.
2. The body language is highly suggestive. Jack has his hand on the Tool's shoulder, leaning around the other side and speaking into his ear. It is a classic pose indicating manipulation. Think 'used car salesman', being all 'buddy buddy' while telling you that he's going to make you a special deal ("That car right there is the one for you. I'd normal sell this car for ten thousand, but since I like you, I'm gonna make you a deal..."). This is also the first time I recall Jack touching Stanley (intentionally, I mean... being choked doesn't count). That lends credence to the idea that something new happening in their relationship.
3. Last but not least, in panel 9 we see blurry yellow blobs that can only be gwiffons. Most importantly, they are behind the dwagons. Then, the very next panel, we see tiny yellow blobs than can only be gwiffons in front of the dwagons. Whether or not Jack cast a spell, Stanley turned around.

I hadn't noticed the units in the background of Panel 9 before, but now that I do I'm inclined to agree with that interpretation.

[Clamps]

Look at panels 10 and 11. It's not a camera change, it's one panel split into two (note the red dragon on the bottom of them). It's all curved

The dwagons just made a U-turn.

[Earendill]

I stick to my original interpretation since the last strip. Jack did woke up when called by his name by Parsons. He hates Stanley (has reasons to) but is bound by the rules to obey him - so he keeps avoinding answering by using riddles. Notice how Stanley asked two precise questions and Jack gave answers that were correct yet Stanley could not understand them:

1. "Did you get a Thinkagram ?"

"I think that I think, therefore I think I am" - that is a yes - he was compelled to answer the truth yet he disguised it.

2. "Are you still broken ?"

"The medium is broken" - My interpretation is that "the body", as in the medium between the spirit and the rest of the world, is broken but not the mind. However Stanley understands the opposite.

Then Stanley tells him that tehy are returning to Faq - and Jack maybe knows it's a bad idea (since Parsons, his warlord ordered him to tell Stanley to return) - so he indirectly tells Stanley that he should return - but in a manner that Stanley cannot understand. "Fools rush in where fools have been before".

Just like with Parsons, his madness is his only defense against being forced to serve Stanley again - so he keeps the "illusion of madness" while still giving the correct answers - just that noone understands them.

He is a master Foolamancer after all

Then look at Jack's eyes when Stanley decides to push through....

[Wort]

2. "Are you still broken ?"

"The medium is broken" - My interpretation is that "the body", as in the medium between the spirit and the rest of the world, is broken but not the mind. However Stanley understands the opposite.

I assumed that Jack's phrase, "The medium ... is the mess" was a reference to Marshall McLuhan's famous "The medium is the message," which seems appropriate enough to me for a foolamancer who deals in illusions and distractions, particularly if, as seems very possible here, he is creating an illusion to steer Stanley away from the chokepoint. I could be completely wrong about this.

--

Good catch Fendrin. I wish I had noticed the background in panel 9, and it seems to me that you are likely correct.

Best,
Wort

[ReccaSquirrel]

I'm an idiot!

Ansom's forces have no foolamancers. They CANNOT veil. The only way those forces could be behind Stanley without him noticing them is if they are an illusion after all.

[K2]

Lets get this party started!
GO TOOL!

[Wort]

I'm an idiot!

Ansom's forces have no foolamancers. They CANNOT veil. The only way those forces could be behind Stanley without him noticing them is if they are an illusion after all.

I did think it was possible that Jack could have veiled them from Stanley, effectively trapping his forces in the middle of the chokepoint. I don't really believe this though.

[Cinqueda]

"See what I see!"

For anyone else, I'd think they were simply pointing at something. For a Foolamancer? That might be the moment of the casting.

[CaptC]

I hadn't noticed the units in the background of Panel 9 before, but now that I do I'm inclined to agree with that interpretation.

I missed that at first, too. The artwork is just awesome, to convey such a complex idea in a way that allows the discerning reader to figure out what's coming without totally making it obvious. And that has all the little details for the slightly less discerning reader to figure it out after the fact.

Thinking about it a touch more, I don't think Jack's done. He needs to do something to keep Jillian and the boys occupied in the chokepoint. After all, if Jack can see the forces waiting for him, there's a decent chance they could see him, too.

Master class foolamancer should easily be able to fool both stacks, right?

No wonder no one found Faq. (Which deepens the mystery about how someone did...)

[jami]

Look at panels 10 and 11. It's not a camera change, it's one panel split into two (note the red dragon on the bottom of them). It's all curved

The dwagons just made a U-turn.

It's actually my bad attempt at a fish eye perspective. They're flying in a valley with Transylvitians in front and behind.

[Richbin]

The author and artist of this strip have concentrated on delivering a detail-filled story, with references both obscure and obvious.
This is a strip that begs to be read and re-read multiple times to truly appreciate it.
At first read, I thought the fool was plunging Stanley to his doom, at second read, I thought he was just interacting along for the ride, but upn thirs and fourth reads, i see that the details pointed out on the message boards speak true - the 'See what i see', the details fore and aft, the wrap-around views, the veiled crazy-speeches.

Snif

I wuvs youse guys.

I have designed worlds with thousands of NPC's, each with their backstories, and quick paragraph write-ups, and you have reinforced that which I witnessed with my own eyes within these pages - depth of storytelling can be acheived in concise brushstrokes. Mood, coloration, pacing and detail render a story far richer than an over-abundance of background detail ever could.
I am yea verily impressed.
R

[HamsterOfTheGod]

Yes. Go Tool! I've been waiting for a long time to see Stanley in action. I hope it's spectacular.

And I have to give kudos to the authors. The comic has been really picking up of late.

As for what's happening...is it a real fight or an illusion? Well that's the theme of Erfworld isn't it...the fog of Erf.

[Ptorquemada]

I think The Tool showing signs of personal growth means something big is about to happen.

Wild and almost certainly inaccurate guess below:

Spoiler

Show

Stanley's going to get croaked, but just before he croaks, he's going to use the schmuckers he saved on the casting and support plan to designate an heir... probably Sizemore.

I don't really think that's what's going to happen, though it would change a lot of dynamics in some interesting ways.

[ReccaSquirrel]

I missed that at first, too. The artwork is just awesome, to convey such a complex idea in a way that allows the discerning reader to figure out what's coming without totally making it obvious. And that has all the little details for the slightly less discerning reader to figure it out after the fact.

Thinking about it a touch more, I don't think Jack's done. He needs to do something to keep Jillian and the boys occupied in the chokepoint. After all, if Jack can see the forces waiting for him, there's a decent chance they could see him, too.

Master class foolamancer should easily be able to fool both stacks, right?

No wonder no one found Faq. (Which deepens the mystery about how someone did...)

It seems that now-a-days, the only way you can find FAQ is by means of Sitemap. :)

[CaptC]

It's actually my bad attempt at a fish eye perspective. They're flying in a valley with Transylvitians in front and behind.

Augh! Seriously?

Then Go Tool! indeed. Or Parson's booped.

[CaptC]

And then what the heck did Jack just cast?

[Wort]

And then what the heck did Jack just cast?

Do you think it is possible that Jami is describing the perspective of the scene and not necessarily stating that this is definitely not an illusion?

Best,
Wort

[SteveMB]

Do you think it is possible that Jami is describing the perspective of the scene and not necessarily stating that this is definitely not an illusion?

Neither affirm nor deny, I expect...

[PePe QuiCoSE]

Do you think it is possible that Jami is describing the perspective of the scene and not necessarily stating that this is definitely not an illusion?

Best,
Wort

Actually, him not saying anything about the subject makes it more suspicious. I'm on the 'distraction/ilusion' bandwagon now, though i still don't make out how there could be gwiffons behind Stanley and Jack while he is casting. Maybe it's to illustrate a change of direction.

btw, rereading i have come to love panel 2. Reminds me of the Joker (Jack Nicholson's one, haven't seen the new Batman movies). I think that previously he got back a bit of himself when Parson called his name, but there it is when he puts in order his thoughts, or how to make them make some sense to the outer world. Dunno, just look how happy he looks in panel 5 .

[Subtext]

Yeah...Go Tool!

---

I wonder why you act surprised at Stanley being nice to Jack. He is hot-tempered, vain, egocentric, sometimes condescending, too straightforward and bad at government, but he has already shown that he can be very nice to people too. Especially Wanda ;)

[CaptC]

Do you think it is possible that Jami is describing the perspective of the scene and not necessarily stating that this is definitely not an illusion?

I sure hope so. But I'd hate the idea of a fight scene that ends up with us in Bobby Ewing's shower.

[archmage45]

It seems that now-a-days, the only way you can find FAQ is by means of Sitemap. :)

Oh... Oh. BAD!



I love this comic!

[Dave T]

As I read and absorb and lurk, I am inclined to believe that this is how the Foolmancer gets more use out of his enemies. He knows Stanley will react a certain way and wants to get to faq, so he has the illusion created that the attack is coming from a place it is not, effectively turning stanley around.

I dont see Jack as disobeying any orders from stanley at that point, as stanley gives no order till he tells the group that they are punching thru.

And part of loyalty or duty is to keep the leader alive... and jack believes this will do so.

[Zeku]

I told you in the last thread that Jack was fully recovered, and is now following Parson's orders to trick Stanley to return to Gobwin Knob. We even had a nice meaty foreshadowing about Jack's illusion crafting skills.

Still, I guess I'm happy that many of you think all of this is real. We'll see eventually.

Great Jack Nicholson expressions.

[Richbin]

I have no idea how the Foolamancer is going to manage Stanley to beleive he is in an illusionned battle (unless he JUST tries to punch through) while AT THE SAME TIME succesfully veiling the stack from the enemies,.
master Foolamancer indeed (scary)

[headhoncho]

OK, we've established there are forces apparently ahead and behind Stanley's moving stack.

My question is, how in the world did a stack rise up behind him without him needing to fight his way through it?

Did Stanley's group approach along the base of a T intersection, with groups on either edge of the T?

Can groups set a "contingent move" to rise up and block after something else moves past it on its own turn?

Was Stanley's stack effectively veiled by the Foolamancer, defeating the first six pairs of warlord eyes?

Or (and I think this is most likely) has the Foolamancer turned the stack around and is the group in front of them an illusion?

[ShinyBrowncoat]

Anyone else think that panel 2 looks a lot like Jack Nicholson?

ETA: ninjaed again!

[Laurentio II]

Oooo...k. I come too late to add anything to the whole thread, as all worthy opinions have been already exposed. And the page is good enough to be discussed, not much for the inner implication (it's quite simple to understand, much more after Word of God for the panel 10-11), but for consequences on the whole war.

And the soft side of Stanley is really something I was not prepared to.

Now the very very silly question: can someone explain me how Stanley manage to move the eyebrown under the eye painting?