Comic Genesis Forums

Er, hello everyone. I'm kinda new here. Just wanted to say I just found this comic and I think it's very well done.
Okay, maybe a bit more than that.
*breathe*
Let's take this slow. First question: This is a Christian comic right? I dislike labels meself, but I'm not really sure how to ask.
Second question: er...please answer the first question first. I'll explain why I asked soon enough.

Welcome to the family, Afflicted.

Gloria and the others can probably give you a better answer to your first question....but the resident fairy diddle got to you first

The comic definitely holds to the best of the Christian ideals, though, in all honesty, those ideals are mirrored in many other faiths.


I'll leave further, and more detailed explanations to the others; I mostly wanted to say hello to a newcomer.

Oh, and maybe warn you to watch out for Rowan Bristol

Because, if you ask her a question....



Rowan will answer
In seventeen syllables
No more and no less


Sorry, Rowan Dear, the diddle made me do it.

Welcome to the board, Mr Afflicted, nice to meet you!

And how do you define "christian comic"?
I know that god has been mentioned in it, but so also have been clones and I wouldn't call it a scientific comic because of that.
I know the author is believing in god faithfully, is that the criteria for you?

Finding a "correct label" (assuming that something like that actually exists) for Untitled isn't something I feel up too, I simply enjoy it as it is. *shrugs*

Maybe I'm biased because I'm a member of the atheist minority around here.

I think the answer is up to Gloria ultimately since it's sorta her comic.

But I personally feel like people are Christians and not objects, so my response would be something like, it's a comic written by a Christian author, but not necessarily a Christian comic.

I have consistently failed to settle upon a label, or even a vague description, for this comic. Untitled, it seems, is unclassifiable.

Tek Roo: Hah, good one! I forgot the name of this comic.

Alrighty, I'll explain. I'm actually from Malaysia, South East Asia, but currently studying in London. I've just come back to London after a bout of disagreement with my mother (who is Christian, as I was) corncerning my sexual attraction to the same sex.

Geh, here we go. You ready?

Put simply, Christianity back home has given me much grief as of late(no offence), and seeing as how this comic is obviously written by a Christian author but the comic itself has Xe (he's so adorable!) and Ciaran smooching, I'm a little interested what people think around here. Everybody I'm meeting right now seems to view me as some sort of reject, and in spite of trying not to care what other people think (life motto for quite a while), I'm feeling pretty insecure right now (very good reason to be too, should I explain?) and would like to know if decent people exist. Or something like that.

Er...this is a bit much for a second post isn't it?

Hey, Welcome to the board, Afflicted!

We won't reject you based on your opinions or lifestyle or anything, so don't worry. Everybody is welcome here!

As was mentioned, yes, I am a christian, and I try to glorify God with my comic. In fact, I try to consider the comic as an offering of my talents to God, and drawing as a kind of worship. I know that sounds weird, but I often pray while I'm drawing. So, yes, the comic does tend to purvey a christian message, largely because I can't help it. :) There are some things in the comic which people can interperet however they want. In fact, I expect that. I'm not one to force my views on anybody, but if you ask me, I will tell you quite plainly what I believe. :)


Hope that helps!

God bless,

TMI, TMI!
Nah, kidding, no worries.

Let me tell you Mr Afflicted, I'll be the last one ever going to hold that against you, and I'm sure numerous other people around will agree with me.
Being gay doesn't make anyone more or less the person he or she already is, yep.
The only reason to make me not like you, would be being rude or mean and I doubt you are, at least not from what I saw of your posts at the TCM or here yet.

newbies! KILLY KILLY!!!

Can we adopt the newbies? pweeeeese!

I bagsie this one!!!

Hello Afflicted!

You're welcome here! Hello!

Um... I'm Devon, I'm Gloria's somewhat more that signifigant other. ; ) As she said, we are both Christians, and the goal of Gloria doing this comic is, above all, to glorify God.

As far as the comic being Christian? The comic is... real world.
It's a snippet of a lot of things. Many real world things have been made symbolic, and alternately, many symbolic things have been made real. Gloria attempts to foster a family friendly comic environment, however, she doesn't shirk from at the very least presenting, and eventually dealing with real world issues; just like every Christian or non Christian does. I think that some of the characters can definately be described as Christian, though I think that we are left wondering about others. Twap has made her position known, others have expressed belief one way or the other. As you will see, the characters must deal with these things as best they can, and perhaps you will see their beliefs reflected in their choices.

Keer and Xe? I think that Gloria is dealing with this specific issue in the most realistic way I've ever seen it portrayed. Whether or not you agree with the positions of the characters is negligible, because she's not preaching, she's... telling. The following is my opinion and has no official basis in the comic:

Keer is gay. Perhaps not in practice, but in attraction. He took pity on Xe all those years ago, and I believe that Keer has always respected Xe's innocense, despite falling deeper and deeper in love with him. He's attempted to... approach the idea with Xe (recall the secret admirer card) and was... rebuffed or unsure. Either way, he's certain he's in love with Xe, even if Xe didn't know it (or didn't show he knew it).

Xe. Xe, I believe is quite confused. I think he loves Keer very much. I think Xe has a physical attraction to Keer too, though perhaps he never allowed himself to fall in love with Keer as much as he wanted to. I think he's always had his sights set on Twap, and ALLOWED himself to fall in love with her. He believes (perhaps by Christian convictions) that loving Twap is right, and no matter how much he may want to be in love with Keer, and how much he IS in love with Keer, that it's not right, and not meant to be.

That fateful night, I think that Xe, his heart breaking for the love of Keer, allowed himself to feel what he always wanted to feel, and he fell into that passionate embrace with Keer. This, of course, was Keer's one and only dream. The one thing on earth he ever wanted. Then Twap shows up and it all comes crashing down. Xe is reminded that it's not right for him to be in that sort of relationship with Keer, and that he has a commitment... THE commitment to Twap. This causes guilt and anst and drives him into the night. Keer, on the other hand, having the ONE thing he EVER wanted in his arms for minutes at the longest, and then having it VIOLENTLY ripped from him by Twap, the one Xe would LET himself love. I'm sure he feels betrayed by both Xe, Twap, and (as he sees it) the God that won't let Xe love him. In his mind, who brought Xe out of his madness? Who loved and bled and cried for him so many long days and weeks, striving and sacrificing just to make Xe happy... to give the poor, lost weasel a home? Who gave up untold opportunities, just so Xe could have the things he needed... a home, a friend. Who deserved Xe's love ENDLESSLY more than anyone else on earth? Keer! Keer! Who loved him more than life itself. Who was obsessed to the point of worship. Perhaps he convinced himself that Xe was too injured to ever "love" in the traditional sense. Perhaps he thought that Xe would always be his, if not "his" the way he wanted. Perhaps he even came to terms with the thought that Xe was straight and that couldn't be changed any more than he could change himself. But all of the sudden... all of the sudden EVERYTHING he ever dreamed of was there... and it WAS true, Xe COULD love him... Xe DID. But BAM! He's not good enough. Why? Because Ciaran Kangaroorat is a guy, and Xe won't let himself love a guy. Keer being the best and most loving that keer can be... Keer doing MORE selfless things than he had ever done before could not make up for that one anatomical difference. And that's where we're at now. Perhaps he tried to get himself to hate Xe. Perhaps he thought he succeeded for a short time. But now everything has gone to Helena Handbasket (whoever she is) and he's going along for Xe's sake. Perhaps to win him back (or try) perhaps to confront Twap. Perhaps to... perhaps to vindicate himself in his own mind. Who knows? We'll see in the future.


Just my 2 and 11 pence, 3 farthings to the International Bank of Untitled! (member FDIC)


-Devon

I'm with the wuff on this one. (That's Devon, by the way.)

Because I usually do the musical thing, here's another musical thing to go with the topic under discussion... namely, Xe/Keer/Twap, the <i>triangle that never dies, bwahaha!</i> I think this sort of encapsulates the whole situation all at the same time, at least from the perspectives of Xe and Keer. Up until Idria's arrival, at least.

<a href="http://winds.org/~macro/mp3/Unfinished.mp3">X-Japan - Unfinished</A>
(warning: This song weighs in at over fourty ANGSTroms. Get your dose of angst here. However, the song is BEAUTIFUL.)

<i>Oh, I'm looking at you
Can't control myself
Nothing but pain for me

Wipe your tears from your eyes
Just leave and forget me
No need to be hurt anymore

Go away from me now
I don't know "what is love"
No need to be hurt anymore

You said, 'I miss you so much
every night, thinking of you and facing lonliness'
But when you feel sadness
Never can I stay with you

I don't have what you need
Close your eyes and forget me
There's nothing I can do anymore...

I lost my way

*bridge
I've been walking through the night of tears
There I found that someone was holding you
As the night came all falling down
With my love also vanished my vision of you

My heart is cold now

Wipe your tears from your eyes
Just leave and forget me
No need to be hurt anymore

You said 'I need you always
Every day thinking of you and living in lonliness'
But when you feel sadness
Never can I stay with you

Go away from me now
I don't know "what is love"
No need to be hurt anymore

Can't find my way...</I>

*looks through Devon's post, gets turned around a couple times, then reads through it again...*


whew!

Based on all that, it sounds like Keer isn't so much 'in love' with Xe as he is obsessed with him. While love is a wonderful, amazing thing, it can all too easily get lost in the maelstrom of 'love-like' emotions.

Filia

Agape

Eros


Love is a complicated and oft-times confusing solution of many things; some quite different from others in the same solution. Loving your family isn't the same love you feel for someone you "love" and isn't the same as the compassion and charity that you feel when you give aid to those who are in need.

But most people can and do feel all those forms of love at the same time without confusion over them.

However, the lines can become blurred between them. Keer may have started loving Xe the way a 'big brother' loves and cares for his siblings. And that has changed over the years, growing away from filia and closer to eros. But, with the entrance of Twap in the equation and Xe's reaction and choices in regards to her, jealousy is added and the solution is becoming a mixture.

In a solution, the individual items become blended into a new, single item.

In a mixture, the items remain individual items.

If Keer 'loves' Xe but can't see past Xe's own choices, can he truly love Xe?

It's a complicated and confusing thing.

It drives us and compells us.

It can make us greater than we can ever be on our own.

It can make us into the basest of beings.

Love.

Two Different Sox: Eh, somebody actually noticed me posting on the TCM forums? Was I that noticable?

Starpaw:....erm, sure...bagsie...(eek! What does this fur want to do to me?)

Oooook...angsty angsty. But I think Ciaran's a pretty nice chap actually. He took in two total strangers and provided for them AND Xe for a while. And one of those two total strangers was Twap. Oh yes, that deserves a lot of Brownie points on my scale.
And about Xe; all the way Ciaran was more or less willing to give up Xe for 'his own good' although it tore his heart out. (lookit the conversation before the kiss, and the one with twap and Xe alone around Christmas) Intellectually at least, but matters of the heart are like that. Ain't really fair to say he's obsessed.

I don't think he's all the way up the Kinsey scale though (describing Twap as beautiful and the kiss and all).

Maybe it's because Xe is just so lovable. And sexy too, that helps a lot, yes indeedy. Watch this space.

Reminds me of a love triangle I got into myself. Or is that a love cirlce? Think of a dog chasing it's tail round and round and you got a good picture of that. I hope Xe, Ciaran and Twap have better luck; I ended up being the only one still on talking terms with both. (The gay man is the most level-headed here?)

Devon: Nice take, by the way.

ah well that would be telling wouldnt it!

Nah I just like winding newbies up and scaring them, they assume I'll do all sort of unimaginables to them lol

but yeah I'm harmless, mostly *purr*

Enigma: "Return to Innocence"

That's not the beginning of the end
That's the return to yourself
The return to innocence.

* Love - Devotion
* Feeling - Emotion

Love - Devotion
Feeling - Emotion

Don't be afraid to be weak
Don't be too proud to be strong
Just look into your heart my friend
That will be the return to yourself
The return to innocence.

If you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself don't hide
Just believe in destiny.

Don't care what people say
Just follow your own way
Don't give up and use the chance
To return to innocence.

That's not the beginning of the end
That's the return to yourself
The return to innocence.

* Don't care what people say
* Follow just your own way
* Follow just your own way
* Don't give up, don't give up
* To return, to return to innocence.

* If you want then laugh
* If you must then cry
* Be yourself don't hide
* Just believe in destiny.

Aside from people breaking into song I'm sorry I missed this topic.

Welcome to the board Afflicted. I am Rico. The loud mouthed, sarcastic Ciaran fan, and Gloria's arch-nemisis.




Devon's post mirrors my own theory on the 'love-triangle' as its come to be called *laugh*. However the idea of Keer being obsessed with Xe is too hard to swallow for me. Obsession tends to form on the spur of moment, not over years. It'd be more likely that Twapa's interest in Xe is just some hormonal urge than it is likely Keer is obsessed with him. I've seen and been in this same situation twice now, in Keer's position and seeing a friend in it. I KNOW how it turns out. I'm just waiting to see if Gloria plays it out like I remember it.


Oh and Afflicted, I am NOT evil. No matter what Crash and Ironpaw say. :p

I had a huge thing about the love triangle written out and I deleted it all.

Howdy Afflicted

I'm new here too so I really don't know what's doing on

Just wanted to say Hi! 8)

I KNOW how it turns out. I'm just waiting to see if Gloria plays it out like I remember it.

Ah, so life follows an exact formula every time? NOW it all makes sense.

*waves* Hyas,uh...fergotyernameapersonofnewishness....yeh..Monny...tha's me I've crawled out of the pit of untalkive-ness, muahahah...lookit my sock, you fear it,no?

don't mind me...I have nothing useful to add to this mini-disscussion, other than that I sppppiiiiiinnnn....wee...*falls out of the swivel chair*