Revenge of Ask T Questions

[TCampbell]

Not that this matters, but what blogging platform does Penny use?

Tumblr, right now.

[TCampbell]

Are there plans to publish the post-Popsicle War strips in book form?

This is shaping up. I need to take care of a couple other things first, though.

[Tamar]

Did Aggie end up reaching out to Bob, as she'd decided to do after Penny's party? (I'd understand completely if, given what happened just minutes later, it slipped her mind...hee.) If she did, what was the outcome?

[Little Swan]

Sorry to just jump in here, but I wanted to ask; how exactly did Cyndi encourage Michelle's eating disorder? I know Karen said about the "diet" salad, that at one point Cyndi was questioning Michelle about her metabolism when they were in the café, and at the start of "Interventions" Stan asked her to tell him that she "didn't make Shell's issues worse" but as far as I can see, Cyndi didn't actively do or say anything to Michelle which could have encouraged her eating disorder. I'm reading through the comic for the second time now and I still can't see anything

Although, as an aside, I don't totally understand all the High School politics as it is; we either don't have that sort of thing in schools here in England or we do and I just never noticed... At school, I ostracised myself even more from girl politics than Aggie did at the beginning of P&A

[TCampbell]

Did Aggie end up reaching out to Bob, as she'd decided to do after Penny's party? (I'd understand completely if, given what happened just minutes later, it slipped her mind...hee.) If she did, what was the outcome?

I'm still hoping to get to this in the comic.

[TCampbell]

Sorry to just jump in here, but I wanted to ask; how exactly did Cyndi encourage Michelle's eating disorder? I know Karen said about the "diet" salad, that at one point Cyndi was questioning Michelle about her metabolism when they were in the café, and at the start of "Interventions" Stan asked her to tell him that she "didn't make Shell's issues worse" but as far as I can see, Cyndi didn't actively do or say anything to Michelle which could have encouraged her eating disorder. I'm reading through the comic for the second time now and I still can't see anything

Although, as an aside, I don't totally understand all the High School politics as it is; we either don't have that sort of thing in schools here in England or we do and I just never noticed... At school, I ostracised myself even more from girl politics than Aggie did at the beginning of P&A

I wouldn't be surprised at all to learn that you just never noticed. I didn't notice a lot of things when I went through high school myself. Teenagers have the persistent idea that everyone can see their social "status" as if it's tattooed on their forehead, when a lot of us are wrapped up in our own problems or just a few relationships. On the other hand, enough people can see the status to justify the games.

Cyndi just kept making little references to weight like the one that we saw, implying that she considered Michelle to be heavier than an attractive girl should be. Michelle has been insecure about her attractiveness since becoming a teen, and Cyndi is, by far, the most ruthless and intelligent character in the strip. So it wasn't that hard for Cyndi to manipulate Michelle and break Michelle's belief in her "high metabolism."

In addition to the details you mentioned, there was a point where Stan found a scary diet book in Michelle's backpack and wondered if it was there because of Cyndi's influence. But we used a lot of implied cause and effect with Cyndi and Michelle. We could have actually shown more of the process, at least one more scene. I opted not to, because that story was really busy, and because I thought it might be more effective for her friends and her ex to slowly realize the full extent of what was happening to her, at the same time the readers did. Cyndi was still seeming somewhat ditzy at this point to the readers, too: I didn't want them to realize just what a horror she was until the last couple of chapters of "Popsicle War."

[Mec]

What is Lucy's family like? How do they feel about her pursuing an acting career? Do they know she's bi, and how have they reacted to that?

I'm wondering how Lucy grew up so wise and mature.

[TCampbell]

What is Lucy's family like? How do they feel about her pursuing an acting career? Do they know she's bi, and how have they reacted to that?

I'm wondering how Lucy grew up so wise and mature.

Lucy does get a lot of it from mom and dad, who have a moral fiber and ability to love to rival Katy-Ann's. Some of the best things Lucy's told Sara are almost verbatim quotes from her parents. They viewed her learning disability as a test of their character, and in one way it was a blessing: they focused a lot more on fulfillment than achievement in her early years. Pushing for A's wouldn't have suited her development very well.

But when they realized her aptitude for acting ("playing pretend" as she used to call it) they did encourage her to excel in that. They were a bit desperate for her to have something to demonstrate her value to a world that was sometimes quick to judge her. When the reality show came calling, they jumped at it without really doing due diligence. You can bet they're not in a hurry to repeat that mistake, and Lucy's turned down a couple of roles as "the ditz" since then.

Lucy hasn't told them about her bisexuality and doesn't plan to unless she has to. She is not worried they'll stop loving her for it. She just doesn't want to burden them with unnecessary worries on her behalf. Unconsciously, she expects to settle down with a man eventually, since her attraction to the genders is about equal, and finding a man who wants to be with her in her small town is statistically much more likely than finding a woman. (Not that she'd put it in statistical terms: it's more of a prejudicial instinct.) So why borrow trouble? Why bring down their moods over what'll probably be a non-issue?

That's the only real negative side effect of her upbringing that I'm seeing right now. Lucy's inherited her folks' sense of responsibility, and she very much needs to feel like she is not weighing down the people around her. She is acutely aware of the awkward pauses and impatient eye-rolls that sometimes accompany her conversation, so this feeling is sometimes hard to come by. That's why Hilary's abuse wounded her so much, and it's still her biggest weakness.

[Little Swan]

I wouldn't be surprised at all to learn that you just never noticed. I didn't notice a lot of things when I went through high school myself. Teenagers have the persistent idea that everyone can see their social "status" as if it's tattooed on their forehead, when a lot of us are wrapped up in our own problems or just a few relationships. On the other hand, enough people can see the status to justify the games.

You're probably right. I generally stayed out of "conventional" social circles, so to speak, as I couldn't be bothered with all the petty back-stabbing bitchiness and mind games; perhaps those petty mind games were the girl politics and I never noticed the full extent of them because of my ignoring them; that would definitely explain it

Cyndi just kept making little references to weight like the one that we saw, implying that she considered Michelle to be heavier than an attractive girl should be. Michelle has been insecure about her attractiveness since becoming a teen, and Cyndi is, by far, the most ruthless and intelligent character in the strip. So it wasn't that hard for Cyndi to manipulate Michelle and break Michelle's belief in her "high metabolism."

In addition to the details you mentioned, there was a point where Stan found a scary diet book in Michelle's backpack and wondered if it was there because of Cyndi's influence. But we used a lot of implied cause and effect with Cyndi and Michelle. We could have actually shown more of the process, at least one more scene. I opted not to, because that story was really busy, and because I thought it might be more effective for her friends and her ex to slowly realize the full extent of what was happening to her, at the same time the readers did. Cyndi was still seeming somewhat ditzy at this point to the readers, too: I didn't want them to realize just what a horror she was until the last couple of chapters of "Popsicle War."

That makes a lot of sense, thank you for clearing that up As a writer myself, I can definitely appreciate the subtlety there; that's some well-crafted symbolism. I see what you mean, explicitly showing Cyndi's manipulations would break the slow but steadily increasing extent of Michelle's problems. In that case, your efforts paid off, because the characters' realisation did correlate with our own (as readers). Thanks for clearing that up; I'm glad I didn't miss anything obvious. I respect your writing skills, sir

[Doc Harleen]

Hello, T! I was just wondering - what were the script directions regarding facial expressions for the most recent strip (#1207)?

[TCampbell]

To be honest, I think Jason diverged from the instruction just a bit in panel 2, keeping Sara quieter and less visibly upset than I expected, but it fell within the range of what I wanted so I let it stand. Sometimes I get a little flowery with the prose in the panel descriptions, just to make sure Jason has enough to work with to make his own calls. This is one of those times.

1. Lucy frowns as she reaches the most difficult part of the conversation. She is wise enough to know that Sara is forming too much of an attachment, and she needs to cut her off… but as gently and kindly as she can. The text on this page can be fit either into or between the panels, however’s convenient.

2. Sara looks pleading, desperate—not unlike Daphne looked a couple of months ago. She has clung to the idea that she and Lucy would find each other again and become lovers, and she can see that falling away from her now.

3. Lucy smiles sadly, but lovingly.

4. Sara stares sadly out into space, into the 500 miles between her and the girl she might’ve loved more than any other.

[Mec]

4. Sara stares sadly out into space, into the 500 miles between her and the girl she might’ve loved more than any other.

Quick, everybody! To the Map Cave!

[TCampbell]

Man, I just pulled "500 miles" out of thin air.

[Bo Lindbergh]

Man, I just pulled "500 miles" out of thin air.

Not out of the throats of the Reid twins?

[bokonondeemax]

Let us never speak of that song which must not be named again. (There's a lady at a pub we play at who yells to hear that song along about third set, and then the guitar player starts it, and then we're back on the pain train with no brakes. Argh)