[Laura]

ok, so I thought the gag of having a serious stanza, each of which is then capped with a "punchline" would get old, but it totally didn't!

Heee. Thanks.

Although, to be fair, "My love is like a red red red red rose" isn't the seriousest of starting lines. Also, it's unclear whether Lance is referring to the soda with the phrase "Mountain Dew," but I think he is.

[J m HofMarN]

Wow. I never invisioned pirates wearing cute nighties. I wont be able to watch Black Pearl the same again for a long time. Will there be a pillow fight on the high seas anytime soon? Also, what do these two drink grog out of, like, hollowed out bunnies?

[Lefty]

Dude, it's foolish to compare your work to "For Better or Worse" - you don't feature "the mouth of death" exp​ression even once, whereas the average "For Better or Worse" strip is required to have it appear between 1 and 6 (1d6) times.

[Laura]

Ha. I have never heard of "The Mouth of Death." Now that you point it out it is everywhere in FBOFW! But I guess that is the "*gasp*" mouth and they are having lots of "*gasp*" news there.

I guess I probably use it sometimes... hm, the 2nd to last panel of yesterday's strip features a downward-triangle on Lance (it's not colored in, but I just don't really color in my mouths ever; though it's prossible those are his teeth you're seeing.)

[Lefty]

Yeah, I wasn't sure what wooden referred to either. I assumed it was some sort of disrespect of Lance.

When it comes to dirty misreadings, though, "suffice it to say that not all losses are as visible as a missing limb", is a little awkwardly worded as the segue that it is supposed to be -- to the point where it almost sounds like Peg's first husband died of an injury that made him not a whole man!

[Lefty]

Damn youse! I'm hooked...& at a time when I'm letting my own comic trail off for lack of energy!

The other thing about silhouettes is that, if they appear as the first images of different characters, it takes you a second to realize that the scene has changed! Though Peg's ponytail gave it away after a few minutes reflection, I thought the Cutest Pirates' Duel had gone all Red Sonja on us ("Why does she fight so hard when she wants to lose?").

In my role as perpetual misinterpretation nag, I have to say that it sounds like Krys is both bragging about her videogame awesomeness AND saying "Yes.", since the bubble is coming out of her head. It works roughly equally as well with ChefElf ignoring her as it does with him saying "Yes", as far as the audience thinking, no, he's not really telling his e-pen-friend about Krys's combo (I imagine she's playing a Streetfighter II type game, but maybe that's just in my head....IGER! IGER UPPERCUT!).

[Lefty]

While I have an instant dislike for the burley goth guy, it's becoming increasingly clear that the other ship's crew is but a dark reflection of Eskimo Jones's ship!

I shutter in terror at the thought of ChefElf's evil doppelganger!

[Laura]

Hmmm... interesting theory...

Captain: Cute pirate!
First mate: Someone pretty who likes to have a romance!
Crew...guy: Someone kind of mean!

Unfortunately [SPOILER!!] as written now I have no chefelf doppelganger.

[Lefty]

Dude, I hope recent directions don't recurse too far towards immitating reality, or else ChefElf will start documenting his move to the city on the internet & his Redcloud sister will show up in the comic & start posting a webcomic, & pretty soon everyone will be like, "Malkovich malkovich malkovich!"

[J m HofMarN]

Oh wow! I hope we get to the mandatory rowing in the galley scene. Even if there aren't oars I'm sure the rowing would turn Jean's Hello Kitty display turnstyle somehow.

[Laura]

That's a good idea. Too bad it won't happen.

AU, maybe!

[Lefty]

Do we know that Eskimo loves the lovely ladies yet, were we to take only this comic as canon? If not, it's hard to tell if she's jelous of Leggy Peggy (for bagging Lance), or of Lance (for being bagged by Leggy Peggy).

[Laura]

Do we know that Eskimo loves the lovely ladies yet, were we to take only this comic as canon? If not, it's hard to tell if she's jelous of Leggy Peggy (for bagging Lance), or of Lance (for being bagged by Leggy Peggy).

True enough. I'm not intentionally trying to be ambiguous--for the record, I only had the "Eskimo is jealous of Lance" meaning in mind when I wrote it--but I'm not especially concerned about the existence of ambiguity, especially since it'll become retroactively clear in the future . Sometime. Eventually.

[Lefty]

Krys has gotten a lot less badass lately! What with her uncomfortablility at being read as dykey, combined with her doing a Highlander reference?

Though less toughness does makes her fit in with the general uselessness of Eskimo's crew; originally she seemed so competant, tuggin' on them ropes & whatnot.

PS: I'll give long-time pirate afficianado Laura Redcloud the benefit of the doubt on her keel-hauling description, & not see "Basically a death sentence" as a rewording of Wikipedia's "effectively a death sentence" - while we mortal readers had to wiki the specifics of heavy-duty haulin' of the keel, surely the author didn't!

[WalrusOfPlastic]

I have to say that I withdraw my recent comment on the "Played Out" list concerning pirates. I am now convinced that Pirates as a device as opposed to a subject is still perfectly valid and side-steps the played-outness of Piracy in popular culture.

Well done Laura.

I also second your recent thoughts on Krys, Lefty. I was certainly surprised at her Highlander remark. Someone, of course, had to say it, but Krys? I was shocked. And yet in Churl Interrupted, panel four, Krys makes a point of loudly declaring her strength and bad-assness to everyone which may be telling of some shameful inner softness. A geeky, pop-culture referencing lesbian?