Comic Genesis Forums

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2001 4:18 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by DesignerEagleEye:
I just don't get the whole "I'm going to rip out my own hair" thing...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I have to agree, that is puzzling. At first, I though he may have hidden another weapon of some sort in that unruly mass of hair (blowgun? darts? poisoned comb?), but then it looked more like he's trying to rip off a glued-on wig or something.I guess this pretty much guarantees we'll be tuning in Friday night for the next installment, just to find out what the heck he's doing.------------------
Humbug! Humbug, I say!

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2001 5:46 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by DesignerEagleEye:
What the heck is that kid trying to do? Is he some sort of robot, about to unmask himself or something?I get the whole thing about Avariss Jr... that was probably their target anyway... either to hurt him, kill him, or make it look like HE was the one causing the trouble so his life would be miserable... something along those lines.I just don't get the whole "I'm going to rip out my own hair" thing...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
It does indeed look like he's tearing out a
portion of his hair, and that may not make
sense...
But think about what you know about these
three troublemakers so far:
(1) DarkX made a comment about one of them
"not being quite right in the head", and made it
in the context of not showing any desire
to turn the matter over to Security.
(2) This particular kid was carrying something
which would, at a distance, appear to be a
lethal weapon. If he had attempted to use it
in a more crowded situation, and if there had
been no time to ascertain whether or not the
weapon was in fact lethal, the security furs
would have had to use force to stop him...
posibly even killing him. And all three of
them are completely aware of this fact.
(3) If, then, they know that their actions
could lead to one of more of them getting
hurt or killed, then they are willing and
ready to die. Suppose that the one carrying
the bogus weapon - who might have something
wrong with his head - were not actually
trying to pull his hair out, but doing
something else...[This message has been edited by genecatlow (edited 12-12-2001).]

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2001 8:24 am**

All that might lead one to think that these boys are either insane or fanatical or both. They definitely do seem suicidal (which requires 'not quite right in the head' as a requirement) or, at the very least, laboring under the common misapprehension of the youth that death doesn't really apply to them.
However, I am going to make a guess as to what that 'not quite right in the head' might really mean. I say, there is a severe imbalance in his brain chemistry either caused by drugs (prescribed to him by a doctor, not drugs as in cocaine, heroin, etc., though they might be a possibility) or some physical damage and/or problem (as extreme as cancer or through the spectrum of physical problems to improperly functioning pituitary and pineal glands, a common cause of bullying) or some combination of the two. I can say with relative certainty that the Bad Stooge's problem is mostly physical which can then negatively effect the mental and emotional which then aggrevate the physical problem and so on in a vicious circle.
In any case, it seems the Bad Stooge isn't long for Furriston's world. Will it be he who receives a visit from Jack?------------------
Humbug! Humbug, I say!

Posted: **Wed Dec 12, 2001 8:35 am**

What the heck is that kid trying to do? Is he some sort of robot, about to unmask himself or something?I get the whole thing about Avariss Jr... that was probably their target anyway... either to hurt him, kill him, or make it look like HE was the one causing the trouble so his life would be miserable... something along those lines.I just don't get the whole "I'm going to rip out my own hair" thing...------------------
Furry Eagle in search of a Furry Bunny...

<A HREF="http://www.eeisi.com/" TARGET=_blank>http://www.eeisi.com/</A>

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 4:23 am**

Jen: I agree with your position about human special abilities from tip to tail. I'm just reporting the facts that I have purrsonally joined into a, how could I put it?, probability report.We haven't seen any human with neat powers, so, we can make a provisional rule saying that. Of course that rule can be changed, as yesterday's strip insinuates. Nobody has explicitly said "humans cannot have special abilities", so they may have. Though we haven't seen any of these, so we can't be sure about this.Also, I totally agree that "X is better than Y" is a poor mentality. But let's try to compare the strip's reality to our own.In a <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010307.html" TARGET=_blank>first moment</A>, furries were nothing but what we considers animals today. Then <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010413.html" TARGET=_blank>they got a country of their own</A>. Within a surprising tiny historic period, that I'll give the value of <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010824.html" TARGET=_blank>50 or 100 years (panel 4)</A>, they grow enough to even have <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010330.html" TARGET=_blank>financial news OF THEIR OWN</A>! (Note that it's significant enough to make Mayor Donald note he's talking about the human one.) Don't forget a country <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20000807.html" TARGET=_blank>constantly in war</A> can't have its economy grow competitively at all. Take, for instance, France during the 100 Years War.Unlesssssssssssss this country has some "sleeve card". Like Israel: they had (and still have) strong support from most UN countries. That way they conquered most of the space they wanted and also have a few famous products, like ICQ or Gooey.Who are supporting their country? Is there anything that gives them some kind of big power over humans, enough to let them survive below so wide hate and intolerance?What about neat powers? <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/cool.gif"> <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">------------------
=<A HREF="http://felin.com.br/contact-info/" TARGET=_blank>EFG</A>=

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 6:29 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Ekevu Cheetah:
In a <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010307.html" TARGET=_blank>first moment</A>, furries were nothing but what we considers animals today. Then <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010413.html" TARGET=_blank>they got a country of their own</A>. Within a surprising tiny historic period, that I'll give the value of <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010824.html" TARGET=_blank>50 or 100 years (panel 4)</A>, they grow enough to even have <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010330.html" TARGET=_blank>financial news OF THEIR OWN</A>! (Note that it's significant enough to make Mayor Donald note he's talking about the human one.) Don't forget a country <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20000807.html" TARGET=_blank>constantly in war</A> can't have its economy grow competitively at all. Take, for instance, France during the 100 Years War...Who are supporting their country? Is there anything that gives them some kind of big power over humans, enough to let them survive below so wide hate and intolerance?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>What if it is the hate and intolerance that is the recent development? Perhaps, a long time ago, furries and humans coexisted, if not peacefully, then with the future promise of such peaceful coexistance by the present day. Then, about 1,750 to 1,500 years ago, a global catastrophe occured. A massive volcano erupted or a small asteroid/comet hit the planet, throwing up tons of dust and other particles into the atmosphere. With most of the sun's light blocked, crops failed to grow; the winters became harsher; the (human/furry/human w/ furry) civilizations, some already in a state of decline of some sort, could not support themselves and fell to barbarian hordes, infighting amongst themselves, or other matters as yet undetermined. In the awful times that followed, warfare between peoples increased to extremely bloody levels, barbarism run rampant, even cannibalism was common.
This is not unlikely. It actually happened on this Earth. We call this time the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, typically, if inaccurately, ascribed to the Empire's descent into decadence. What is often overlooked is that at the same time the other two major civilizations, China and MesoAmerica (same area as the much later Aztec Empire) also collapsed. What are the odds of three empires seperated by a continent and two oceans collapsing at the same time? Scientists have theorized that only a global catastrophe could have done such a thing, such as a massive volcano erupting or a small asteroid or comet impacting the Earth. Studies of the scant records from that time (mostly from monks and the like) have revealed that sunlight was extremely scant, even at the height of summer (one monk wrote that the sun shone feebly for only three or four hours a day). Ice core samples (which are layered in a manner similar to tree rings, giving a good record of such things as volcanic eruptions and industrial pollution from as far back as ancient Crete) from Antarctica revealed that a layer of sulpheric acid, or similar material had been thrown into the atmosphere and then fell to earth at that time. I'm a bit fuzzy on the exact material, but I do know that it is indicative of there having been a massive volcanic eruption to usher in the Dark Ages, one more massive than anything modern scientists have seen.What might this have to do with Furriston's Earth? Perhaps nothing. It depends on the the Illustrious Cartoonist. But, if a Dark Age just like ours had happened, would it be any wonder that whatever fading tensions between furries and humans would suddenly explode into hatred and intolerance as these old tensions were exacerbated and new ones created? Humans would be caught in the middle as predatory furries hunted them for food while other furries would be food for the humans. The fact that humans are the primary movers and shakers in the New World, and perhaps the whole Western World as well, indicates that humans must have managed to out-nasty all the furries. Attitudes established and encouraged during the Dark Ages would be propagated down the centuries to the present day.
With such a scenario, it would stand to reason that there might be several furry nations (Canovia might have been recently founded, but the Canovian region may have seen fractured furry countries in the past until some visionary crusader unified them into one), though they would not be as prolific as the human dominated ones. It's possible that in some exotic, less-technologically advanced places, furries and humans manage to get along decently without too much trouble. Also, it's conceivable that in other parts of the world, the furry hatred and prejudice may extend, not just towards humans, but also to certain other types of furries.In any case, whether the Illustrious Cartoonist thinks that is a good way to go or if he has another, entirely different, way, its more of an academic matter where the present day inhabitants of Furriston are concerned.------------------
Humbug! Humbug, I say!

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 7:18 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by DesignerEagleEye:
Well I just went back and re-read all of the whole series, from where the "troublemakers" first appeared.First of all, you're right, he is the ringleader... he was the one that knew about the tail bandages... He had the "gun"...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Technically speaking, the true ringleader is
not even present...
 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Here's something no one has mentioned yet... Avariss Jr. has seen them and is shocked to see them. Everyone seems to have missed that, because they're more concerned with the reaction the kids have to seeing Avariss Jr... but notice how Avariss Jr. stares at them in amazement from whatever ride he's on.Conclusion? Avariss Jr. knows these kids...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes, he does. One of them has even appeared
before when Steven saw him. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Next question: Why was he physically DRAGGED to the festival by his (?)friends(?)?Possible answer: Those guys are in on it too, and were sent to make sure he was there.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
No, they just saw how wishy-washy he was
being about the whole thing, and made up
their minds to make up his mind for him.
 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
However, I'm still confused about the whole hair pulling thing...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
It will be made clear very soon...

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 7:24 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Jen Aside:
I must disagree with the "furries have all the neat powers" mentality... for one thing, that would serve to heighten the gap between human and anthro, because why would the lower-class ("mundanes") trust the upper-class ("furries with powers"), especially out of fear? Sure, there's the Superman thing, but everyone believed he was one of them, not a "foreign" threat. For another thing, I personally detest the "furries are superior to humans" mentality in the fandom, and that would only increase it.Gene! Everyone else seems to be making demands on your comic... here's mine <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Um... you needn't feel obligated. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">
 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Have at least some superpowered humans, both "good" and "evil." Can't let anthros have ALL the fun <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif"> I enjoy the human-anthro interaction too much for humans to get left in the dust out of pure inability...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
There will be!! Don't worry, that facet of
their world is on it's way to revelation. It's
all in the 'mix', so to speak. I have to show
the readers this part before I get to that
part. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 7:46 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Ekevu Cheetah:
In a first moment, furries were nothing
but what we considers animals today.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Considered by *humans*, that is. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Then they got a country of their own.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Furries on their world have, in fact, always
had territories of their own; the conflict
begins when human societies encounter them,
either accidentally or purposefully. What a
furry society calls a country isn't always
what a human society would. Many different
furry species can coexist quite well within
one area and as far as they are concerned its
all their country. Only with the influence of
human civilization did it become necessary to
draw hard and fast borders and define their
'countries'. The ancient Canovians were only
called that later in history; their actual
living area was an area between Denevia and
(latter-day) Canovia. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Within a surprising tiny historic period, that I'll give the value of <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010824.html" TARGET=_blank>50 or 100 years (panel 4)</A>, they grow enough to even have <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010330.html" TARGET=_blank>financial news OF THEIR OWN</A>! (Note that it's significant enough to make Mayor Donald note he's talking about the human one.) Don't forget a country <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20000807.html" TARGET=_blank>constantly in war</A> can't have its economy grow competitively at all. Take, for instance, France during the 100 Years War.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
True enough. But it has been, primarily, the
factors inherant to living in a civilized
world that made it necessary for them to
build an economy of their own. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Who are supporting their country? Is there anything that gives them some kind of big power over humans, enough to let them survive below so wide hate and intolerance?What about neat powers? <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/cool.gif"> <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Specifically, the description of "power" is
dependant upon a lot of things. There are a
lot of things that furries can do that humans
can't, true. But... the fact that humans can't
fly is why they built airplanes. There are
things that a completely furry society would
never come up with, that humans have out of
necessity. The "power" that furries could be
seen to have over humans (or humans over
furries, for that matter) might only be
perceived that way simply because civilization
tends to breed power struggles. If everyone
could coexist peacefully, maybe there wouldn't
be any need to regard either side as more
powerful than the other.

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 7:51 am**

Or maybe he's a furry with a human suit on and he's taking it off, maybe their objective was to cause more tension, and with steven there, if they unmask theirselves, it would show that furries are capable of such things and would still cause more tension.

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 8:02 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by CyberCorn Entropic:
 What if it is the hate and intolerance that is the recent development? Perhaps, a long time ago, furries and humans coexisted, if not peacefully, then with the future promise of such peaceful coexistance by the present day. Then, about 1,750 to 1,500 years ago, a global catastrophe occured. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
The intolerance is, indeed, something of a
recent development, though not precisely
related to a global change such as the one
you referred to. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
What might this have to do with Furriston's Earth? Perhaps nothing. It depends on the the Illustrious Cartoonist. But, if a Dark Age just like ours had happened, would it be any wonder that whatever fading tensions between furries and humans would suddenly explode into hatred and intolerance as these old tensions were exacerbated and new ones created? Humans would be caught in the middle as predatory furries hunted them for food while other furries would be food for the humans. The fact that humans are the primary movers and shakers in the New World, and perhaps the whole Western World as well, indicates that humans must have managed to out-nasty all the furries.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
More specifically, it has been the way that
humans translate the survival instinct into
action that has defined their behavior. Where
out-nastying them has been what humanity has
considered necessary, they've done that. But
humans also profited by furries by hunting
them, so they couldn't always afford to just
wipe them out wholesale. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
With such a scenario, it would stand to reason that there might be several furry nations (Canovia might have been recently founded, but the Canovian region may have seen fractured furry countries in the past until some visionary crusader unified them into one), though they would not be as prolific as the human dominated ones. It's possible that in some exotic, less-technologically advanced places, furries and humans manage to get along decently without too much trouble.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
They do indeed. It can almost be seen as a
'barometer' of how peaceful human-furry relations
can be: the more 'civilization', the more
conflict. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Also, it's conceivable that in other parts of
the world, the furry hatred and prejudice may
extend, not just towards humans, but also to
certain other types of furries.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Furries tend to get along with and/or not get
along with each other for reasons that have
less to do with species and more to do with
political or theological beliefs. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
In any case, whether the Illustrious Cartoonist thinks that is a good way to go or if he has another, entirely different, way, its more of an academic matter where the present day inhabitants of Furriston are concerned.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
*chuckle* I'm not all that illustrious,
you know. I just have my own visualization
that I'm doing my best to bring to life. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 8:22 am**

Wasn't he also the one who knew about the tail bandages? That's significant, I know it is...------------------
<A HREF="http://www.newshounds.com" TARGET=_blank>Thomas</A>

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 8:52 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Jen Aside:
Gene! Everyone else seems to be making demands on your comic... here's mine <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"> Have at least some superpowered humans, both "good" and "evil." Can't let anthros have ALL the fun <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif"> I enjoy the human-anthro interaction too much for humans to get left in the dust out of pure inability...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>That idea really does not make since, in our world, except for a few who do have some sort of supernatural ability, like extra sensory perception, humans do not have such abilities. Now I can see how that would work in Gene's world where these furries do have these extraordinary powers.Arik Fox

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 9:41 am**

Well, that only means what we already know: he's the leader among those three.He may have some kind of special ability he's trying to trigger; though I don't really believe this, because it breaks the "furries get all the neat powers" rule.He may have something creepy implanted into him... Ar at least below his hair... Which is what I believe at most.There's also the (IMHO small) possibility that he's trying to make a gesture that triggers something farther away from him. Perhaps even at Steven. Or he may trying to send a false (or not) message to him.Anyway, I think it's very likely the next 3 strips will somehow add important new concepts to the laws of the strip universe.------------------
=<A HREF="http://felin.com.br/contact-info/" TARGET=_blank>EFG</A>=

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 9:55 am**

Well I just went back and re-read all of the whole series, from where the "troublemakers" first appeared.First of all, you're right, he is the ringleader... he was the one that knew about the tail bandages... He had the "gun"... Here's something no one has mentioned yet... Avariss Jr. has seen them and is shocked to see them. Everyone seems to have missed that, because they're more concerned with the reaction the kids have to seeing Avariss Jr... but notice how Avariss Jr. stares at them in amazement from whatever ride he's on.Conclusion? Avariss Jr. knows these kids... Next question: Why was he physically DRAGGED to the festival by his (?)friends(?)?Possible answer: Those guys are in on it too, and were sent to make sure he was there.However, I'm still confused about the whole hair pulling thing...------------------
A Furry Eagle who has FOUND his Furry Bunny...

<A HREF="http://www.eeisi.com/" TARGET=_blank>http://www.eeisi.com/</A>

Posted: **Thu Dec 13, 2001 10:53 am**

I must disagree with the "furries have all the neat powers" mentality... for one thing, that would serve to heighten the gap between human and anthro, because why would the lower-class ("mundanes") trust the upper-class ("furries with powers"), especially out of fear? Sure, there's the Superman thing, but everyone believed he was one of them, not a "foreign" threat. For another thing, I personally detest the "furries are superior to humans" mentality in the fandom, and that would only increase it.Gene! Everyone else seems to be making demands on your comic... here's mine <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"> Have at least some superpowered humans, both "good" and "evil." Can't let anthros have ALL the fun <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif"> I enjoy the human-anthro interaction too much for humans to get left in the dust out of pure inability...

Posted: **Fri Dec 14, 2001 1:41 am**

*waits patiently, then* <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">

Posted: **Fri Dec 14, 2001 3:00 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Ekevu Cheetah:
> Furries on their world have, in fact, always had territories of their own
Now I didn't know that! <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> When I read <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/d/20010416.html" TARGET=_blank>4/16 strip</A>, I figured they never really had even cities of their own. And I interpreted the former strip's "peacefully side-by-side" phrase as some sort of "Let's see if you can eat with silverware like we do" thing.[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
From a human standpoint, it is. That's one of
the reasons why the city of Grandville, as
well-intentioned as it was, didn't work out.
All the aspects of "living side-by-side in
peace" were still being decided by humanity.
Well-meaning and honest humanity, true enough,
but it was still one-sided. But did you see
my image of the ancient Canovian settlement? <A HREF="http://www.genecatlow.com/images/ancient2.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.genecatlow.com/images/ancient2.jpg</A>
That could very easily qualify as a 'city' in
a modern context. But the furs who lived there
only thought of it as 'home'. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
> If everyone could coexist peacefully, maybe there wouldn't
> be any need to regard either side as more powerful than the other.
That could end in a whole new discussion on competition instincts and personalities.
BTW, I've read somewhere I don't remember that there's only two animals with actual and natural instinct for war: humans and ants. (Forgive me if I have already mentioned that. I use human/ant analogies a lot.)[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hmm.. maybe there should be more insect-type
furries somewhere in my comic? <=) <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
> They do indeed. It can almost be seen as a 'barometer' of how peaceful human-furry
> relations can be: the more 'civilization', the more conflict.
Uh... What do you mean by

Posted: **Fri Dec 14, 2001 3:05 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Patchy:
*Sigh* I guess there is no point in going to the Festival now. Looks like any chance at having fun there is gone....<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes, unfortunately that was their plan - to
ruin the fun of the Festival.

Posted: **Fri Dec 14, 2001 3:12 am**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Arik Fox:
 That idea really does not make since, in our world, except for a few who do have some sort of supernatural ability, like extra sensory perception, humans do not have such abilities. Now I can see how that would work in Gene's world where these furries do have these extraordinary powers.Arik Fox<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>The thing is, there isn't any valid technical
reason why humans wouldn't have at least a
few abilities such as have been demonstrated
(up to now) solely by furries. That will
change. (But I gotta lay the groundwork first.)

Comic Genesis Forums

I don't get it...