08-10-10 Best day ever! (more effort strip - revised)

[IS_Wolf]

This is my point exactly. Layla and/or Kade can go around knocking people out so that Layla can feed off of them when they are unconscious, and no one says a word. Blair causes two girls to kiss who might not otherwise do so, and suddenly we've taken the strip to a much darker and scarier place that is no longer innocent and populated by unicorns and rainbows.

It's a stupid double standard.

Here's another one.. No one of the group, who objected to the first version of Friday's comic, complained when Ace got turned into a girl.

Meanwhile Gender Identity/Transgenderism is a very sticky situation as well.
Folks have been beaten to death, just because they identify as the opposite to what they were born with.

And the idea of Ace being turned back into a guy, while wearing girl's clothes is probably going to tickle their funny bone as well.

People really need to learn not to open Pandora's Box (jug).
Otherwise everything ever written can be construed as offensive to someone.
Leaving no subject fit to be written about any more.

[Don Alexander]

I don't think this subject is fit to be written about much more either...

[WCRI]

@Don, true. But just to clarify to some people.

Two things folks. First, its done, its changed, people screamed rape and murder, and bloody mary, and they changed it. DEAL WITH IT. Second. Yeah, imagine that, someone actually found something offensive that you didn't. It's called being different, having an opinion that might not be the same as yours, BEING an individual. You don't like it, then go find somewhere that tells everyone "Yes'em." This subject has been hashed, debated, and finally devolved into arguing, back and forth such that there is very little to nothing left that hasn't been said, touched upon, or implicated. This goes for both the one's defending why the original was wrong, and those that are screaming why it was wrong to change it. The argument has nothing left to argue about that's in anyway new or revolutionary. So if everyone is done with their necrophilic tendencies with this particular dead horse... The please, DROP IT! I would dare say that 10 pages of the same arguments made from both sides is enough, wouldn't you?

Or if you need it simpler... either you can let it go... or GIz, or Don here, will lock the thread just to shut all of us up.

@Don, again, I'm not intending to step on your toes, or intrude on your moderating. But honestly, it needing saying. With any luck, people will take notice.

[MuchachoNL]

@Don, again, I'm not intending to step on your toes, or intrude on your moderating. But honestly, it needing saying. With any luck, people will take notice.

Yes you are, and don't deny it you love-to-troll son-of-a-gun ;)

[Udyr]

You really didnt have to change this but i guess it will satisfy a couple of sensitive readers, its just sad that you cant do this comic how you want without someone start throwing in an arguementsand complaints. Since they were both 'transfered' into overage and it was only a kiss i dont see the problem. Anyway, the new strip is cool. Liked the old better kind of though, even if it was disturbing, it was what made it funny The doll will get what he deserves

[Yosarian]

I just registered an account here to comment on how frustrated I am by the way the author changed the comic strip just because a few people got offended by it. This kind of retcon really makes the whole storyline of something not hold together as well, makes the whole comic less cohesive and coherent, and it's incredibly frustrating that they changed it. It's one thing if it's done to make the story better, but this clearly makes the story worse. If they're giving in to fan pressure this easily, then, fine; here is one fan who would like to pressure them to change it back, and to keep the original strip as cannon so they can make references to it in the future.

And the claims that this wasn't driven by a double standard about "girls kissing girls" are pretty absurd. I mean, the entire "bat love crazy" chapter was an entire chapter where every guy in the school was made a sex-crazed fiend that were on the verge of physically overpowering the girls. That was fine, but two girls kiss and it's rape?

Edit:

They dont need shit from the other side hitting them from reverse, so stop now.

No offense, but they clearly do need that. If they were pressured by a couple of people on the forums to change their strip, in a way that makes the strip much less entertaining for the large majority of us who read the strip but have never come to the forums, then they apparently do need to hear from us in order to understand that most of their fans don't want this kind of self-censorship.

[Power_Pachyderms]

You and Power_Pachyderms (locked thread) get a boatload of cookies!! Thanks for pointing that out!!

Daaaww, t'weren't nuthin. Cookies! Mmmm, oatmeal chocolate chip! My favourites! You shouldn't have. No, really, you should have. I would sell my soul every day of the week and twice on Sundays for some honest too goodness oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They're so damned hard to find.

And yes, I had to point that out (not to get that argument restarted) but its really one of my biggest pet peeves. Its mostly thanks to uber-douchebags like Chris Hansen that have totally perverted and twisted the word Pedophile (attraction to prepubescent's) to include the absolutely normal (yes, I'm saying that correctly, NORMAL) Hebephile and/or Ephebephile (attraction to post-pubescent 'young' teens of 13 - 17, depending upon definition source). Its an asinine appeal to emotion fallacy writ large on our society that has lead to teenagers being treated as children and generally lead to a large section of our fellow humans being turned into non-functional adults. It has also lead to thousands of otherwise normal teenagers being charged with 'crimes' for which consent was given (sexting, for example), yet they are charged as an adult for creating something that supposedly sexualizes children (wrap your head around that one if you can and tell me its not brain-pretzel logic). If you can be handed an automatic rifle at the age of 17 and sent to some 3rd World drekhole to have your head blown off, why would it be so frakking offensive if at 14 you, *gasp*, explored your newly-found sexuality as millions of other post-pubescent hominids have done for millions of years on this planet?

[Don Alexander]

Ramen.

[IS_Wolf]

Last time I checked WCRI, you're not a Moderator.

So you're in no position to tell others to deal with it, especially not when you deem it necessary to use the font equivalent to yelling at people.

As for your arguments. Reread them, they apply to you and your crowd as well. Heck, it would've been better if you lot had followed your advice and not created this situation in the first place. So acting holier than thou about all of this.. Well, hate to burst your bubble, but your halo is on crooked and it's made from tinfoil to boot.

Now if the Mods want to lock this thread.. So be it. I for one am not going to tell a Mod or an author/artist for that matter how to do their work. It's their call to make, and I'm just a guest in the end. Perhaps you need to learn that same lesson.

[Unreluctant]

Time to stick my hand in the meat shredder...
Registered and de-lurking to add my voice to those who felt that changing the strip, for the reasons given, wasn't a good idea. As has been said, you can't please everybody all the time, and I'll add the obvious: You'll just piss off everyone if you do try. Giz, Dave, write YOUR story, it's the one we're coming to see.

And to be clear, I'm not arguing the reasons for the change, just expressing an opinion about the change itself. Because I delude myself into thinking that I have a right to be heard.

Now if the Mods want to lock this thread.. So be it.

If that isn't a straight line, I don't know what is.

[evie]

I was surprised that Giz and Dave changed it, but it's their call. Like some other people, I didn't have a huge problem with the original strip, but I do think the new version of the strip is funnier than the original.

I don't think a poll about the decision would be constructive. Some people like the change, some people don't, some people don't care. Giz and Dave made their vote when they changed the strip. Since they are Goddess/God over the Eerie Cuties universe, I feel we should respect that. They shouldn't be criticized for the decision. I doubt they were weeping and cowering in a corner while revising it. They must have agreed with the change to some extent. If they could be so easily coerced by the complaints of "just a few" forumites, then I think the Ma3 strips would be changed daily. Almost each Ma3 strip comes with new complaints/complainers. As long as they're happy with their work, I'm happy.

Keep up the good work, Giz and Dave!

Edited to add: I don't know Dave's history, but Giz has worked on at least 4 different comic strips that I am aware of. I'm sure Giz has developed quite a thick skin for criticism of her work. This is the first "major" revision post-update that I know of. If she didn't deem it necessary, I doubt she would've changed it. Point being, people shouldn't assume the authors are weak and mindlessly bending to the will of forumites just to try to keep a few people happy. Most likely they thought it was a good decision too.

[Nick/Tyrong]

I find it ironic that nobody's complaining about there being a succubus. Her entire purpose is to rape men and steal their seed for her magic. Maybe they'll complain if they add an incubus?

I also love how there weren't any changes to the chapter (I don't know how many complained, but I'l guess the numbers were no more than two or three), where all the men were mind-controlled and made to do sexual, or try to do sexual, things without their consent.

If people WANT to complain, that's fine, it's their right. If you're offended, by all means share it. But for the authors to change it like that, randomly and hypocritically, is bull.

NOTE: I am NOT saying they should change the old strips! AT ALL!

[The Blade]

I also love how there weren't any changes to the chapter (I don't know how many complained, but I'l guess the numbers were no more than two or three), where all the men were mind-controlled and made to do sexual, or try to do sexual, things without their consent.

Exactly! Also the fact that Brooke - WAY out of character - is cheerleading? If that's not mind control...

Personally, I'd like to think that people would choose to reward a comic they enjoy with their reading of it - and spreading the word of it.
This is a work of art - as much as a logo, a film, a music video, a statue or a painting. The art itself is the creation of someone else... if you want to control how the comic turns out... 'patronize' it and pay Giz a ton on money! LOL
If you don't like it (the comic or how it turns out due to Giz's creative process)... don't read it. I somehow doubt that there was someone standing under Michelangelo when he painted the Sisteine Chapel saying "Y'know Mike... that one angel has WAY too much pink in his face... you might want to change it... on account that I find it offensive."
Have any of you seen the statue of David in Italy? Is anyone offended by the fact that it's disproportional to a regular human being?

[scatcat_sw]

Pisses me off, this, that some equal not being happy with the change in the strip with blowing off sexual harassment as "overreaction". I for one will never blow something like that off in real life, and I have at one time physically stood between the would be perp and victim.

Let me put this in a different light.

When we get Giz and Dave to start meddling in the story to stroke our touchy sensibilities we are meddling in their story, which demeans the creation as something that is negotiable. But this is not a f*cking committe and we're not the creators. If they want to change the story, OK it's their call. But what will happen the next time? Will someone point to this change and say: "you did it before", expecting them to do it again?

I will stand up to any sexual harassers in real life, but when I read a comic I do it for the lulz. Please don't kill that.

[Nezu Chiza]

It's sad that it takes something like this to get me to register on the forum, but I, like others, feel it's time to throw it my .02 cents.

While I can understand a FEW vocal comic fans making their displeasure with the original comic known, it astounds me that they were catered to over those who supported the original version whether by SAYING so or not saying anything at all, a tacit acceptance. And while I know the change was made and all, seeing people have to change their work to make a tiny portion of their fans happy just makes me want to cry. It's alright to try and get people to change their works if we don't like something? This sets a bad precedent whether it happens again in the future or NOT. It happened ONCE, and that's once too many. And now I'm trapped in the dilemma of wanting to support Giz and Dave, but at the same time hating that I'd be supporting them caving to a vocal minority.

At least I can take from this whole fiasco the knowledge that Brooke will get her first female kiss elsewhere. It's got to be only a matter of time before everyone's favorite closeted snakegirl comes out, right? Pretty please?