hmmmm… interesting developments…. Its interesting that everyone is so concerned with “winning” that no one seems to notice that Raf is going through a tough time. Should be very interesting how this develops…
just a heads up: clicking on the link requires flickr registration. This was no problem (at least for me because I already have a Yahoo account). But maybe you did not know this. Thanks
great comic, Alison. it’s sad to see Raffi drifting away from his parents in public. thank you for setting us on-line fans up on Flikr! the comic looks beautiful, and it’s nice and big.
The link to the larger version goes to a login page, which the links from your old blog
didn’t used to do that. I don’t know if flikr changed or if it’s another bug!
It’s amazing that a talented and prolific creator like Alison is so little known in the comic geek community. I hope my humble effort will help change that.
I’m Gahlord, who is helping Alison get the new site rolling. Consider the Flickr login a minor speedbump. I know how to resolve it and will have it handled shortly. It’s on my list of things to handle.
I already had a Yahoo account, so I had no troubles. Don’t you folks know that the NSA already has all our info? 😛
I think it’s quite normal for Raffi to be getting a lot of flack over his moms. This is par for the course, and I hope he will learn to handle it. Of course, we ALL were mortified by our parents at some point in our lives…
I’m glad I found your site! Boo hiss to Planet Out for dropping the strip.
Yeah, PlanetOUT was different, I had to fight the damn formatting and multiple pages in order to read the strip, and as for Bay Windows, the local glbt paper, well, let’s say that DTWOF was the only reason I would pick it up.
Seeing the strip as it should be seen, and so large and easy to read, here on her website, well, it just seems wrong to get it for free like this.
I was glad to see Cheryl appear again in the strip. maybe I’m the only one?? as I recall, she’s the angel bear type (or maybe the stuffed animal type; they’re much the same) and much as they can give me the creeps . . . especially when they forward inspirational/sentimental e-mails . . . Cheryl helped Sydney through a tough time. some angel bear types have hearts of gold! how clever that Cheryl got a self absorbed cynic like Sydney to do something with/for others. no, not clever AB — brilliant!
Wonderful, heartbreaking portrait of Janis. Compared to the older drawings when the character was younger, her brow is heavier and her jaw is longer. You can see how she’s in danger of going through the wrong puberty. I wouldn’t presume to say “do this” or “do that” with the storyline, you’re doing a great job. I like how you portray the kids as self-aware, participating in their own destiny (deciding to take it lying down is a form of participation, Raf).
I object to the idea that the “angel bear type” is the same as the “stuffed animal type.” As an atheist whose plush collection includes all of the animals in the They Might Be Giant’s song “Mammal,” I don’t much see the resemblance.
More to the point, I object to the idea of lumping strangers into “types.”
*screams in frustration* That nonsense about most gender variant kids just turning out gay is from Zucker in Toronto, who’s made it his life’s work to take kids claiming to be trans and convince them to just be gay. I’ve run into some of the kids who made up his research restarting transition at a later age.
For one, I give thanks for keeping the cartoon access for free, since I live abroad and have severe restrictions to access to dollars (there is exchange control, and I basically can’t afford it). That being said, I can see the point of Chris… I’d be willing to have a time delay for those of us unable to pay (ughh… I hate being noble).
BTW, I click on the image and it just opens another window with the image…. neither bigger nor smaller. No flicker, no nuthin. Is it because I’m using Firefox?
About the story lines, the three of ’em rock! I really hope Jasmine reconsiders….
Re comment no. 9: I was aleady a member of Flickr (and Yahoo). Flickr hasn’t spammed me in the two years or so that I’ve been a member. (Yahoo hasn’t spammed me either.)
The size of the strip is a problem. When clicking on it at first the size is readable, but then it shinks down to almost unreadable. Nothing I have tried has prevented this. Since there can be a lot of dialogue and nonverbal information in this rich strip it needs to be larger. Flickr does not seem to be the best selection.
BB, try hovering your cursor in the bottom right hand corner of the strip. With any luck, a little box will appear – clicking on it makes the strip appear normal size.
Alison, I can’t tell you how much I love the Relay For Life storyline with Sydney. Granted, it’s a connection felt because I run a half-dozen of the events for ACS, but seeing stiff-it-out Syd coping with “such inspiration!” is a hoot. Although she would have quite the experience with some of the tough old broads participating in New York – whose sense of the inspiring is less touchy-feely and more “shut up and work it through”.
Thanks for putting the acerbic professor in yet another uncomfortable situation — can’t wait to see how it pans out!
I’m glad you put the PayPal button on the site. I will periodically send more since I truly value what you do!
About the strip, I don’t think Janis is the type to wind up non-transgendered. A friend of mine that used to publish a journal on Transsexual feminisim now believes that the treatment for gender dysphoria by medical means is the wrong way to go about it. I think she would say hormone treatment is wrong for anyone. If there’s ever a link to her thoughts I’d post that.
I love how even in 2006, transsexuality and transgender are still the favorite dogs to kick in much of the lesbian community. Every Tg/Ts person seems to have at least one former friend or family member of supposed liberal bent who turns out to be a transphobic bigot. I know we’re supposed to smile and grovel before those parents who even deign to entertain helping gender variant children, and have patience with their ambivalence, but Janice in this strip had me tooth-nashing a pencil in consternation. I’ll never understand that impulse which drives certain people to oppress their children in hope of “protecting” them. Such condescending paternalism is amazingly still on display in the wider discourse in lesbian culture, directed at Tg/Ts people.
(And anyone who _proscribes_ HRT and SRS treatment for _everyone_ obviously is both ignoring patent fact and engaging in the worst form of blanket paternalism. HRT is LIFE for some of us; it’s not a medicalization of a social problem, but an empowering catalyst for an improved bio-psychic health. Yes, it works, and yes, millions of us _need and like it_. This is from a first-person experience, the horse’s mouth as it were. No amount of moral-blame, Orwellian social reconditioning, political guilt tripping, nor pshrinky witchdoctory will change that. How much longer do we have to keep shouting before our voices are heard? When will certain lesbian separtist oppressors and their reactionary theocratic allies stop trying to dismantle/disembody our very lives?)
Kudos to Bechdel for massaging such tensions into the open through her humane portrait of Janis (and, yes, her mother). Ts/Tg people are just that, people, not abstract signifiers for politico-scholars nor “Frankenstein’s monsters”. Art such as this has the real potential to sow empathy and consideration. Bless you, Ms. Bechdel.
Yeah, I’m wondering if Janis is going to go around her mother to get the hormones – and if she’s going to ask Lois to help, perhaps… that would be quite a quandry for our resident genderqueer role model!
34 Responses to “Episode 488”
Good Grief. Bush holding A Perch.
How real-time can you get.
(Have a good time in Washington.)
hmmmm… interesting developments…. Its interesting that everyone is so concerned with “winning” that no one seems to notice that Raf is going through a tough time. Should be very interesting how this develops…
Hey,
just a heads up: clicking on the link requires flickr registration. This was no problem (at least for me because I already have a Yahoo account). But maybe you did not know this. Thanks
great comic, Alison. it’s sad to see Raffi drifting away from his parents in public. thank you for setting us on-line fans up on Flikr! the comic looks beautiful, and it’s nice and big.
OK. Why do I have to create a Flickr account just to be able to see the strip?
Raffi just has the most beautiful hair now.
The link to the larger version goes to a login page, which the links from your old blog
didn’t used to do that. I don’t know if flikr changed or if it’s another bug!
Feh! Flicker now wants a login with personal info. Why can’t you store the strips someplace where they won’t collect info for spam?
I have to sign up for Flickr to see the big version?
Flickr seems to demand Yahoo account registration
VL
are comments working? just checking.
Hi Folks,
I was lucky enough to score a review copy of Fun Home for my little pop culture site. Ny review is up at http://www.popthought.com/display_column.asp?DAID=1120
It’s amazing that a talented and prolific creator like Alison is so little known in the comic geek community. I hope my humble effort will help change that.
Rich
I think you just made people shy with the new format that requires identification.
The conversation between Jasmine and Lois, and the expression on Janis’s face in the last panel, are heartbreaking. This is a wonderful strip.
Hey everyone,
I’m Gahlord, who is helping Alison get the new site rolling. Consider the Flickr login a minor speedbump. I know how to resolve it and will have it handled shortly. It’s on my list of things to handle.
I already had a Yahoo account, so I had no troubles. Don’t you folks know that the NSA already has all our info? 😛
I think it’s quite normal for Raffi to be getting a lot of flack over his moms. This is par for the course, and I hope he will learn to handle it. Of course, we ALL were mortified by our parents at some point in our lives…
I’m glad I found your site! Boo hiss to Planet Out for dropping the strip.
So when does the subscription program go live?
I feel bad seeing this for free.
Yeah, PlanetOUT was different, I had to fight the damn formatting and multiple pages in order to read the strip, and as for Bay Windows, the local glbt paper, well, let’s say that DTWOF was the only reason I would pick it up.
Seeing the strip as it should be seen, and so large and easy to read, here on her website, well, it just seems wrong to get it for free like this.
If Raffi was a lesbian I’d SO fancy him/her. Even in cartoon form.
*sighs and goes back to reading Hana Kimi*
I was glad to see Cheryl appear again in the strip. maybe I’m the only one?? as I recall, she’s the angel bear type (or maybe the stuffed animal type; they’re much the same) and much as they can give me the creeps . . . especially when they forward inspirational/sentimental e-mails . . . Cheryl helped Sydney through a tough time. some angel bear types have hearts of gold! how clever that Cheryl got a self absorbed cynic like Sydney to do something with/for others. no, not clever AB — brilliant!
Wonderful, heartbreaking portrait of Janis. Compared to the older drawings when the character was younger, her brow is heavier and her jaw is longer. You can see how she’s in danger of going through the wrong puberty. I wouldn’t presume to say “do this” or “do that” with the storyline, you’re doing a great job. I like how you portray the kids as self-aware, participating in their own destiny (deciding to take it lying down is a form of participation, Raf).
I object to the idea that the “angel bear type” is the same as the “stuffed animal type.” As an atheist whose plush collection includes all of the animals in the They Might Be Giant’s song “Mammal,” I don’t much see the resemblance.
More to the point, I object to the idea of lumping strangers into “types.”
Nif
*screams in frustration* That nonsense about most gender variant kids just turning out gay is from Zucker in Toronto, who’s made it his life’s work to take kids claiming to be trans and convince them to just be gay. I’ve run into some of the kids who made up his research restarting transition at a later age.
Wonderful strip that can make me this passionate!
For one, I give thanks for keeping the cartoon access for free, since I live abroad and have severe restrictions to access to dollars (there is exchange control, and I basically can’t afford it). That being said, I can see the point of Chris… I’d be willing to have a time delay for those of us unable to pay (ughh… I hate being noble).
BTW, I click on the image and it just opens another window with the image…. neither bigger nor smaller. No flicker, no nuthin. Is it because I’m using Firefox?
About the story lines, the three of ’em rock! I really hope Jasmine reconsiders….
If you’re still having trouble seeing the strip properly,
try clicking
[HERE]
This should work on any browser.
N
Re comment no. 9: I was aleady a member of Flickr (and Yahoo). Flickr hasn’t spammed me in the two years or so that I’ve been a member. (Yahoo hasn’t spammed me either.)
Corrections: That was re comment no. 8, not no. 9, and “aleady” = already.
Allison, once again, thank you for all that you do!
The size of the strip is a problem. When clicking on it at first the size is readable, but then it shinks down to almost unreadable. Nothing I have tried has prevented this. Since there can be a lot of dialogue and nonverbal information in this rich strip it needs to be larger. Flickr does not seem to be the best selection.
BB, try hovering your cursor in the bottom right hand corner of the strip. With any luck, a little box will appear – clicking on it makes the strip appear normal size.
It’s kind of cool that this strip appeared on May 17th. That’s the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling (1954).
Emily
Of course, it could be Taylor who is gay….
Alison, I can’t tell you how much I love the Relay For Life storyline with Sydney. Granted, it’s a connection felt because I run a half-dozen of the events for ACS, but seeing stiff-it-out Syd coping with “such inspiration!” is a hoot. Although she would have quite the experience with some of the tough old broads participating in New York – whose sense of the inspiring is less touchy-feely and more “shut up and work it through”.
Thanks for putting the acerbic professor in yet another uncomfortable situation — can’t wait to see how it pans out!
Hey thanks for the thank you Allison!
I’m glad you put the PayPal button on the site. I will periodically send more since I truly value what you do!
About the strip, I don’t think Janis is the type to wind up non-transgendered. A friend of mine that used to publish a journal on Transsexual feminisim now believes that the treatment for gender dysphoria by medical means is the wrong way to go about it. I think she would say hormone treatment is wrong for anyone. If there’s ever a link to her thoughts I’d post that.
I love how even in 2006, transsexuality and transgender are still the favorite dogs to kick in much of the lesbian community. Every Tg/Ts person seems to have at least one former friend or family member of supposed liberal bent who turns out to be a transphobic bigot. I know we’re supposed to smile and grovel before those parents who even deign to entertain helping gender variant children, and have patience with their ambivalence, but Janice in this strip had me tooth-nashing a pencil in consternation. I’ll never understand that impulse which drives certain people to oppress their children in hope of “protecting” them. Such condescending paternalism is amazingly still on display in the wider discourse in lesbian culture, directed at Tg/Ts people.
(And anyone who _proscribes_ HRT and SRS treatment for _everyone_ obviously is both ignoring patent fact and engaging in the worst form of blanket paternalism. HRT is LIFE for some of us; it’s not a medicalization of a social problem, but an empowering catalyst for an improved bio-psychic health. Yes, it works, and yes, millions of us _need and like it_. This is from a first-person experience, the horse’s mouth as it were. No amount of moral-blame, Orwellian social reconditioning, political guilt tripping, nor pshrinky witchdoctory will change that. How much longer do we have to keep shouting before our voices are heard? When will certain lesbian separtist oppressors and their reactionary theocratic allies stop trying to dismantle/disembody our very lives?)
Kudos to Bechdel for massaging such tensions into the open through her humane portrait of Janis (and, yes, her mother). Ts/Tg people are just that, people, not abstract signifiers for politico-scholars nor “Frankenstein’s monsters”. Art such as this has the real potential to sow empathy and consideration. Bless you, Ms. Bechdel.
Yeah, I’m wondering if Janis is going to go around her mother to get the hormones – and if she’s going to ask Lois to help, perhaps… that would be quite a quandry for our resident genderqueer role model!