She's plotting something...

Gplover · Post by **Gplover** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 1:20 am

Okay, I won't care if you all laugh at me if I'm not getting it - but, what's the big deal with the blue eyes? Aren't they identical twins? Both should have "blue" eyes, or brown eyes or whatever, right? Are Melissa's eyes not just drawn the way they are for "effect"; just so that we "know" she is blind? I perceived that Brandy was drawn that way so that we would know she wasn't "looking" at anything - that she was "blind" (we just didn't know she was acting blind.)
I understood that Melissa had an illness, not a disfiguring accident, so her eyes probably didn't change, just the way she "uses" (or doesn't use) them. Therefore, Melissa still looks identical to Brandy, but is drawn with sightless eyes. You would have to draw Brandy this way too if she were pretending, right?
Am I thinking in the way a cartoonist/artist would? Comments?

Gplover · Post by **Gplover** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 1:34 am

Okay, I won't care if you all laugh at me if I'm not getting it - but, what's the big deal with the blue eyes? Aren't they identical twins? Both should have "blue" eyes, or brown eyes or whatever, right? Are Melissa's eyes not just drawn the way they are for "effect"; just so that we "know" she is blind? I perceived that Brandy was drawn that way so that we would know she wasn't "looking" at anything - that she was "blind" (we just didn't know she was acting blind.)
I understood that Melissa had an illness, not a disfiguring accident, so her eyes probably didn't change, just the way she "uses" (or doesn't use) them. Therefore, Melissa still looks identical to Brandy, but is drawn with sightless eyes. You would have to draw Brandy this way too if she were pretending, right?
Am I thinking in the way a cartoonist/artist would? Comments? Am I way off?
Thanks,
Cat

Aleoi · Post by **Aleoi** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 2:45 am

Really..that look...its just...evil.

Jackiesfridge · Post by **Jackiesfridge** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 2:51 am

HA! I say! HA!I knew it was Brandy. HA! This is gonna get eeeeeeeeenteresting...-Shannon

Zodo · Post by **Zodo** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 3:53 am

Well, it's the result of a little conundrum caused by BJ's coloring that he started doing for the strip. He has portrayed Brandy's eyes as being a darker blue than Melissa's.Melissa's eyes could be lighter for a number of reasons:-The eyes could have been visibly damaged from the disease.
-They may have been damaged as a result of an attempt to surgically correct them.
-She may have developed cataracts.
-She may have been born with slightly different eyes than Brandy.Another possibility for the difference that I just thought of, is that it could be that Brandy wears darker blue contacts, and wasn't wearing them when she was tricking Shannon.By the way, BJ, you should be greatly commended, to have such subtle detail in this week's strips, that you have caused us to speculate so much on them. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> You may not have even intended the subtleties we all have discovered, but you have your characters so exquisitely developed that the subtleties show up anyway.Bravo!-Zodo
aka BUNNY!
Consummate Troublemaker

Peterh · Post by **Peterh** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 5:18 am

I had my doubts. I *knew* something was wrong, but today, the coin dropped.peter

Aleoi · Post by **Aleoi** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 5:27 am

I have a problem with the thought that its Brandy... If it is, Melissa wouldn't know anything about this conversation, which would cause major problems if brought up at at later date...

Joshnickerson · Post by **Joshnickerson** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 6:34 am

Cue omnious music!
Ba da BAH DAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!------------------
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Sertrel · Post by **Sertrel** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 7:23 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by jackiesfridge:
HA! I say! HA!I knew it was Brandy. HA! This is gonna get eeeeeeeeenteresting...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>But unless she got blue contact lenses, that theory just seems odd to me... And how do you rely upon bursting a pajama top like that as part of a plan?Sertrel

Jackiesfridge · Post by **Jackiesfridge** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 8:01 am

Well, here were my thoughts as I had them:<img src="http://jackiesfridge.keenspace.com/comi ... ookay...if both Shannon and Melissa wound up in the emergency room after the last time he made her a casserole...wouldn't she remember that? Would she be so eager to ask him for another one? We all know Melissa is nice, but she's never struck me as masochistic. So, call that warning sign #1 - I thought something was up, but wasn't sure just what, 'cept it prolly involved Brandy.<img src="http://jackiesfridge.keenspace.com/comi ... .jpg">I can't take credit for this one - I think Zodo pointed it out (correct me if I'm wrong, please!). "If only I could have seen his face!" - doesn't seem like a phrase that someone who's been blind as long as Melissa would use. Thin, I know, but it's there. Also, she DOES seem to be sitting awfully close to him...this made me a little more certain that that WASN'T Melissa.<img src="http://jackiesfridge.keenspace.com/comi ... >"POING!" Here, I knew. Number one, Melissa should have realized that the button popped off. While blind people don't have superhuman senses, in a tight shirt like that, ANYONE would have felt the sudden release of pressure. She would have noticed SOMETHING different. As for how she got that specific button to pop at that specific time...well, I think an old too-small shirt, and some deliberate prework with a scissors or threadripper, would have made it easy enough to plan. Or don't you think Brandy's that devious? <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"><img src="http://jackiesfridge.keenspace.com/comi ... pg">The clincher. As far as where she got the idea or why she thinks she can get away with it? Well, they ARE identical twins...I'm sure there were plenty of times before Melissa's illness when they'd switch identities for fun and to confuse people - you hear about young twins doing this kind of thing all the time. And after the illness? Brandy probably practiced being 'blind' so that they could still play the game...tho that would have been kind of hard on Melissa. Blue contacts? Entirely possible - maybe Brandy still goes out as Melissa sometimes, to get away from Chet. And colored contacts are only about $99 a pair, these days.Anyway, that's the thought process that got me there. Now, to wait and see where it goes...DAMN YOU, BJ! You just HAD to spring this on a weekend, and get that extra day of suspense, didn't ya!

Caster13 · Post by **Caster13** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 8:50 am

All hail BJ!King of the evil/mischiveous grin!-Caster------------------
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Zodo · Post by **Zodo** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 8:58 am

Yeah, I was the one who pointed out the bit about "If I could only have seen his face."And you can get colored contacts at Wal-mart for about $25-30. I was really tempted this past halloween... but I'd spent too much money on my leather jacket and boots.-Zodo
aka BUNNY!
Consummate Troublemaker

Aleoi · Post by **Aleoi** » Fri Jul 06, 2001 11:18 am

Maybe...

BJ · Post by BJ » Sat Jul 07, 2001 1:23 am

My dad and my uncle would always switch places with each other at school, and their teachers never could tell.....and my dad's a pretty low-key guy! Think what Brandy would pull!

Peterh · Post by **Peterh** » Sat Jul 07, 2001 2:41 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by jackiesfridge:
I can't take credit for this one - I think Zodo pointed it out (correct me if I'm wrong, please!). "If only I could have seen his face!" - doesn't seem like a phrase that someone who's been blind as long as Melissa would use. [/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>You caught two more clues than I got... but of those two, this particular one seems a bit far-fetched to me.
To me, it seems as if Melissa (being very intelligent, as well as fairly conscious of what she's missing out on) actually COULD have said.If it would have been Brandy, she'd probably have said something like "you should've seen his face!" (although Brandy is also quite bright, and would probably have regretted that at the very moment she realised she just said that).JMHO,peterps: My guess is that Shannon *knows* it too. He should. Or else it will have dawned on him by now.
It (sloooowly) dawned on me as I saw that button pop, and didn't figure that Melissa would NOT notice... and then in the next panel "Melissa" acted like she hadn't realised it. I then paged back and forth to the old strips a couple times... and picked up one or two of the other clues that you mentioned.
[This message has been edited by peterh (edited 07-07-2001).]

DracMonster · Post by **DracMonster** » Sat Jul 07, 2001 4:53 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Aleoi:
I have a problem with the thought that its Brandy... If it is, Melissa wouldn't know anything about this conversation, which would cause major problems if brought up at at later date...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Well there can be no doubt it's brandy after that evil grin... As for problems, I think that's her entire intent in this whole thing.

BJ · Post by BJ » Sat Jul 07, 2001 5:44 am

Wow, you guys! I figured these strips were pretty cut-and-dried.Melissa has indeed developed minor cataracts in the 20 or so years she's been sightless. I'm sure her eyes aren't quite as blue as I colour them, but there is a definite difference between hers and Brandy's.Thanks for reading into the strip all sorts of things I didn't even think of (Brandy sitting too close to Shannon, etc). But none of you mentioned the fact that Brandy wore her hair up in a clip to conceal the fact that her hair is shorter than Melissa's. That was the only intentional clue, and it SUCKED to draw.I suppose it would've been more effective if you all knew that Melissa slept with her hair in a loose ponytail...And Cat's right, historically. When I started drawing JF, Melissa's had the Orphan Annie eyes solely to indicate that she couldn't see. Over the years I decided to change it to a physical difference that Brandy could exploit like this.Aleoi: Brandy wouldn't care about possible repercussions. A little more of her intentions will be revealed in the next couple weeks.Thank you, everybody, for assuming I know what I'm doing!------------------
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JIM · Post by **JIM** » Sun Jul 08, 2001 2:08 am

She's looking at zodo. I'm sure of it. JIM------------------
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Aleoi · Post by **Aleoi** » Sun Jul 08, 2001 2:16 am

And just when I thought I liked Brandy...

Zodo · Post by **Zodo** » Sun Jul 08, 2001 9:59 am

Originally posted by JIM:
She's looking at zodo. I'm sure of it. JIMWhat? I didn't do it! Nobody saw me do it! You can't prove a thing!Oh. Brandy is looking at me? Evilly. Um. Gee. Would you like a slice of cheese?yikes.-Zodo
aka BUNNY!
Consummate Troublemaker