Loved that it had 2 stories woven together – the relationship and the philosophical musing. That was sublime.
Love the idea that we are disappointed in humanity because we have such hopes for them.
The question would be: where do you get the idea of how good a human can be? I suspect it is from the self, seeing the good that we can do/have done. I’m disappointed when others are not like me. (Though that sounds very egotistical. Maybe I’m biased towards myself?).
In the 2nd part, it got me thinking about the question of what is good and bad in people – and how do we determine what is what. It seems to me that the comic has a black and white morality – there is a “good” and “bad” in people. For example “We see the bad in ourselves reflected in them”, “We want them to be good.”
If you used that model, good is just a social construct, so what does it matter if we see good or evil in people. It’s just a shared illusion which means nothing outside the current society.
And if the speaker did this, he would not be so reviled by the failings of others, as he would not see them as “bad”. Only human.
Yay, another Comic! I really like your comics because they give me the option to illustrate certain thoughts to people who get interested in the ideas presented in the comic but probably wouldn’t pick up the books that discussed them in the first place. 🙂
Very cool. In some of your comics this sort of conversation can come across as abstract and airy. Spreading it across the arc of a relationship like this – from flirtation to intimacy to souring to abandonment – really, really works. One of your best, I think. Thanks.
I’m not sure Trent’s right about the nature of seduction but I’ve certainly felt that way about it myself.
And yeah, the interweaving is really effective. In a way an intimate relationship is an extended conversation – I don’t think I’d ever thought that before, but it makes so much sense now that I see it.
Jesus, Trent, lighten up! Just a little. For your own mental health. You need to find a way to cut everyone a little slack without turning a blind eye to it all. Just being insightful about hypocrisy is not enough.
I love trent as a character, because there’s a little Trent in all of us – some more than others, mind you. And I’m willing to bet that out of the people that love your comics, there’s more than just a little. There’s a LOT of Trent going on in me right now – he’s so snarky, cynical and bitter. Absolutely Self-confident in the way he thinks and talks, that he almost NEEDS someone like her, the complete opposite of him to challenge the way he thinks, to change his way of thinking and make him believe that there really is possibly good in the world. But in the end, he always manages to fuck up all the good things around him and you can’t really blame her for leaving him when she realises that he’s a lost cause.
It’s actually such a human side of Trent that we rarely get to see – the side that WANTS to change, who KNOWS that his cynicism and self-loathing bring only sadness to his life. And to find someone that challenges your way of thinking is so SO hard.
Really, really good!
Loved that it had 2 stories woven together – the relationship and the philosophical musing. That was sublime.
Love the idea that we are disappointed in humanity because we have such hopes for them.
The question would be: where do you get the idea of how good a human can be? I suspect it is from the self, seeing the good that we can do/have done. I’m disappointed when others are not like me. (Though that sounds very egotistical. Maybe I’m biased towards myself?).
In the 2nd part, it got me thinking about the question of what is good and bad in people – and how do we determine what is what. It seems to me that the comic has a black and white morality – there is a “good” and “bad” in people. For example “We see the bad in ourselves reflected in them”, “We want them to be good.”
A more flexible ethical model would remove some of the rigidity. Like the one you used here: http://www.akimbocomics.com/?p=970
If you used that model, good is just a social construct, so what does it matter if we see good or evil in people. It’s just a shared illusion which means nothing outside the current society.
And if the speaker did this, he would not be so reviled by the failings of others, as he would not see them as “bad”. Only human.
Thanks for the great comic – as always.
Yay, another Comic! I really like your comics because they give me the option to illustrate certain thoughts to people who get interested in the ideas presented in the comic but probably wouldn’t pick up the books that discussed them in the first place. 🙂
Very cool. In some of your comics this sort of conversation can come across as abstract and airy. Spreading it across the arc of a relationship like this – from flirtation to intimacy to souring to abandonment – really, really works. One of your best, I think. Thanks.
Thank you
Fantastic. Thanks!
“Smile-stricken” is such a good word.
I’m not sure Trent’s right about the nature of seduction but I’ve certainly felt that way about it myself.
And yeah, the interweaving is really effective. In a way an intimate relationship is an extended conversation – I don’t think I’d ever thought that before, but it makes so much sense now that I see it.
Jesus, Trent, lighten up! Just a little. For your own mental health. You need to find a way to cut everyone a little slack without turning a blind eye to it all. Just being insightful about hypocrisy is not enough.
I love trent as a character, because there’s a little Trent in all of us – some more than others, mind you. And I’m willing to bet that out of the people that love your comics, there’s more than just a little. There’s a LOT of Trent going on in me right now – he’s so snarky, cynical and bitter. Absolutely Self-confident in the way he thinks and talks, that he almost NEEDS someone like her, the complete opposite of him to challenge the way he thinks, to change his way of thinking and make him believe that there really is possibly good in the world. But in the end, he always manages to fuck up all the good things around him and you can’t really blame her for leaving him when she realises that he’s a lost cause.
It’s actually such a human side of Trent that we rarely get to see – the side that WANTS to change, who KNOWS that his cynicism and self-loathing bring only sadness to his life. And to find someone that challenges your way of thinking is so SO hard.