Hmm, however much I try, I can't see the fact that Torg had a relationship with Alt-Zoe as cheating on Zoe. Torg and Zoe weren't together. They've never been together. Zoe was dating someone else. Zoe didn't even seem to realize that Torg was interested. Torg never saw any evidence that she was. How could it possibly be cheating on Zoe? Yes, maybe it's like Torg dating Zoe's sister, which is certainly awkward, but Torg didn't wrong Zoe in any way. Who is she to say what Torg's motivation was? I'm not sure Torg really knows.

Nah our predictability is our ability to be unpredictable. :p

Regarding working thru the block, that works for some, doesn't for others. I know every time ive tried to force something creative... I can't. Just the way I am wired.

How petes wired I dunno. In fact, don wanna know. :)

wavies

I think they look like "driving gloves."

But that's just it. You have to put yourself into the character's shoes, into their mind and soul, and look at it from their point of view. It's not easy. It's how Pete does such a spectacular storyline (usually). It's the gift and the curse of the writer to be able to do this (curse because sometimes (more often than not really) the character will say "hey, I'm not doing that, I want to do this instead" which can really screw up on plot - it's not always a good thing when the characters start to do the writing themselves. I've thrown away 3,000 words of novel due to the fact it didn't work... despite the fact the characters insisted on that bit being written, on things working that specific path).

Zoe cares for Torg. She cares a lot for him. She cares enough for him that it appears in past comics that she is willing to let him go for his own happiness (and has done so, thinking Torg would be happier with Angela, for instance). Now, let's take the character of Zoe, and consider a scenario where she finds out Torg went and was having a sexual relationship with another Zoe while "trapped" there. Mind you, consider only, don't state what happens because that is true Speculation and not allowed.

What does Zoe want? For Torg to confide in her, let her know what he went through in the Dimension of Lame. But if Torg does so... it will likely cause a lot of pain. It could very well destroy a friendship, depending on what type of person Zoe is. And we never truly know what type of person any of our friends are. An otherwise reasonable and intelligent person may take one thing as an utter betrayal. And a cad of a friend who can normally be trusted to nothing... may end up standing with you and backing you because they too can understand why you did something.

How ironic. The one character I hate the most is the one that Torg could most easily talk to about the DoL and what happened there. (That being BunBun.) Riff would talk. He would blab, he's done so in the past, he'll do so in the future, he's a gossip and he doesn't even realize it. Kiki either would blab to everyone or forget instantly. Aylee... isn't around. Even if she was... she doesn't understand human emotions or qualities very well. So there's no knowing what she'd do. Zoe is right out because of what was involved with the DoL. Gwynn... would normally be a good choice, but her close close friendship with Zoe risks her being the type to tell her friend, "for Torg's good," and end up screwing up everything. Only BunBun has the amorality and the sense of selfishness to keep it to himself. And yet I absolutely detest him. *sigh*

Of course, since the foreshadowing is very strongly hinting that a certain lop-eared rabbit will be returning... *shrug*

Robert A. Howard

Ah... Then we're arguing two different things here. You're arguing that Zoe would feel betrayed; I'm arguing that Zoe has no right to feel betrayed. I think they're both true. My focus was on defending Torg, while yours was on showing Zoe's point of view. Again, it's not that either of us is wrong, just that we're arguing different things.

My only advice on the writer's block thing would be "don't force it"

If the story needs to go somewhere where funny isn't happening, it needs to go there. While funny is generally expected in Sluggy comics, forcing funny on the story isn't necessary. Do what the story needs to have done, get it out of the way, and get back to funny when it fits and feels right.

It's like eating your lima beans, kinda. Personally, I like lima beans, done well. (And Pete cooks up some darn *fine* lima beans IMO) I don't think I'm the only person in the world that likes lima beans. Most people like, say, chocolate, and there is a standard of high levels of good goofy chocolatyness to the comic. But plot doesn't live on chocolate alone. Sometimes you *need* a big old dose of lima beans. (Some would say that TWR was largely lima beans in that case, but stuff like that is friggin' steak, plot wise.) TWR is still processing and needs a good dose of lima beans to get characters back to funny/normal. And because of the chocolate rep of the strip, you are understandably feeling like putting in chocolate as soon as possible after the dense steaky goodness of TWR. But try to coat a lima bean in chocolate, it just feels *wrong* and both the lima bean fans and the chocolate fans get grossed out. (well, except maybe the really weird ones...)

D'ya see what I mean though? Or maybe I just need to go have dinner....

-CK

No right, sure. But that doesn't stop someone from feeling betrayed. And Torg also feels like he's betrayed Zoe, his Zoe, by having been with Zoe2. He undoubtedly also feels like he's betrayed Zoe2 by having "led her on" and by failing to protect her and betraying Zoe2's memory by having feelings for Zoe. The human heart's an odd and quirky thing.

Robert A. Howard

I think I failed to make myself clear. The reactions thread is for... reactions, rather than in-depth discussion. Take it to Sluggy Related Chat.