May 22nd, 2018
22 May 2018 · page 797 of 1306
Gonna be at MCM London this weekend, look out for me there :O
Also! The fairytale anthology I co-edit is up on Kickstarter again, with a new book, go check it out!
Cast: Harriet Barber
Comments (83)
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This is a far more entertaining wedding than the one on Saturday.
That one only involved lizard people, this one involves a shape shifting deadly sin. No contest!
I thought they were werewolves...
Only the Duchess of Kent.
HEY-O!
I am so confused lol
You don't watch Dr. Who. Don't feel bad. I watch it under protest. (Not that it's bad, but it's really not my thing.)
Ah ok I see XD... Yeah my siblings used to force me to watch Dr Who with them, but it's been a while...
The episode in question involved Queen Victoria, a werewolf, a bunch of psychotic Christian monks, and a very large diamond.
Keeping their tradition of extreme randomness going strong I see...
Mmm. I prefer more coherent fiction, or else balls-out psychosis like Bobobo or Jojo ^_^
Yay Harry! You're the best!
Yes Harry, your Sidney Malik, and don't try to deny it!
It reminded me of earlier in the chapter when Nicola kept insisting Mal was not HER witch. Even with the differing contexts, it's fun to see the parallel between the sisters.
Slightly different situation since IIRC Nicola prefers the fairer sex, but it is definitely true-to-life in that many family members exhibit common behavior patterns. Often to the amusement of those outside the family. :)
Slightly different situation since IIRC Nicola prefers the fairer sex,
That's what I meant by differing contexts. Harry is trying to deny romantic context, Nicola knows her family doesn't mean it that way but would prefer her family stop referring to Mal as hers in any context.
Which also makes me wish we could see Henry and Izzy's reaction to Nicola and Verity, since it seems that while they and Victor stayed close their descendants did not.
What in heaven's name makes you think women are fairer than men? And I ask that as a women myself.
The fairer sex is a 17th century term for women. Looking at the etymology it appears to have been a judgement about physical attractiveness, I found disagreement about whether it was supposed to be general attractiveness or if it was a specific reference to women being less tanned and weathered due to having a larger percentage of indoor tasks than men had. (It was only when indoor factory and office work became so prevalent that tanning was primarily associated with leisure rather than with outdoor work that tanning began to be considered an attractiveness enhancer as opposed to being seen as a flaw in ones appearance.)
It is an archaic term that I would not use personally, although I understand the meaning when I hear it. It feels like it fits the 1830's (at least in real life England) better than it fits the 21st century.
"... that tanning began to be considered an attractiveness enhancer as opposed to being seen as a flaw in ones appearance" -- And in fact, there are still many areas of the world where being paler-skinned is seen as a desirable trait that women strive to have! You should see the skin-whitening products that young women use in the area where I live XD . Some people think this idea goes back as far as the ancient Egyptians, where woman were routinely depicted as lighter in color than men.
wow I bet SilverShadow had no idea about any of that
I don't, I was merely quoting the person above me.
I was admiring the physical similarity between the sisters in this page, myself.
Indeed - really shows how much respect she's built for him over time.
I'm not sure that respect is the full spectrum of things that she's developed towards him over time.
heh true. But the 'not even close' indicates that her feelings for him are based on more than just attraction, but for an appreciation of who he is. His positive outlook and general enthusiasm for doing the right thing despite obstacles.
Called it, about an attempt of physical contact from Lux!Sid and Harry's response!
Well done, Harry!
I like the puppy dog pout in the last panel, as if that's going to work.
Also the flowing dress looks great
I love the height differentials in this! Sidney's always been taller than Harry, but usually maintains a comfortable distance. On the rare occasions when he gets up close, like [https://www.widdershinscomi...](https://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/may-13th-2016/ "https://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/may-13th-2016/") , he hunches -- well, he often hunches, but he hunches more then, so their faces are closer to level. He's engaging with her. (No matrimonial pun intended.)
Even when Lust!Sidney isn't physically dragging Harry close so she has to crane up, the art always had him notably above her. Even in panel 2 of the previous comic, although they're objectively fairly close in height, everything about him (the angle of his arms, the column behind him) gives the impression of "up", whereas the angle of Harry's arm and the staircase behind her are more...confining, I guess? Limiting her height? Plus when he talks to her he is very definitely either looking down at her or not bothering to look at her at all.
Then in panel 2 of today's comic she's having to strike up to hit him, but at the same time our viewing angle makes the top of her head very slightly higher than his. And then, of course, in the last panel it's her turn to be tall, and everything in his posture emphasizes that he's now below her.
I don't know if Kate meticulously planned this out or just just has amazing instincts, but I'm impressed either way!
Fabulous analysis of the drawings (which are, of course, fabulous also).
This is why I love listening to knowledgeable people discuss their subjects--you learn things you never would have figured out for yourself. :)
Also Lust!Sidney isn't talking NEARLY enough :P
And yet, still managing to say the wrong thing every time.
It's often a powerplay tactic to use height against another person. In some more positive cases it can be used to display self-confidence but in Negative aspects the Taller person can use height to assert Dominance and Authority. Syd by hunching over to Harry's height is showing respect on a subconcious level by showing to her He sees her as an equal.
Like I said Lust!Sidney is using a lot of 18/19th century Romance Novel Tropes. Which while facinating to anaylze... Is dead on arrival for Harriet Barber. (and any sensible human in the 21st century I should think)
> and any sensible human in the 21st century
Well, I don't see anything inherent wrong in sitting under a tree, dancing, a dinner in restaurant, horse-riding... even marriage. :) With the "right" person, of course, with someone you love. Lust!Sidney isn't the one for Harry, "he" isn't a person at all, I think, just a hollow cliche.
Of course there's nothing wrong with it (I'm a bit of a Trashbag for some Romantic tropes myself) but ultimately it boils down the Differences in Cliches, and tropes. A Cliche is something done to death simply because it is "The Thing to do." a Trope is used because it's a tool to enhance the story.
I dare anyone reading this comment to find the trope for Harry and Syd's relationship I DARE.
Flaran Cha'menthi. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/...](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WeaknessTurnsHerOn "http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WeaknessTurnsHerOn")
What's inherently wrong is the not the activities, but the cultural assumptions that go with them. 19th century romance expects the male to be the one who's first to take the initiative, solve the problem, grant the wish, lead the way, provide the means, and generally be the stronger, smarter, protective nurturer. It's the lady's job to appreciate being held, sheltered & protected. 21st century culture still appreciates the roles, but is more willing to accept that any gender could embody any role. Many a strong friendship begins with noticing you're finally NOT being treated the way you hate everyone treating you. I suspect a lot of what makes Sidney's company tolerable to Harry is his complete lack of (the usual) assumptions about female roles (for their time & place). Lust!Sidney is assuming 19th C. cultural norms, while Harry, for whom "mothering is smothering" would spot the sour notes of wrongness instantly.
Perhaps, although, even in the 19th c. there was an audience for a different take on things... Have you ever read Jane Eyre?
I want to jump on this bandwagon and say it's also very cool that she switched Harry's text color in panel two to signify her busting free of the nonsense.
She's a one-sidekick gal.
And a bit of a one punch gal too.
Man, that sock in the kisser is refreshing.
At long last, yeah!
:)
Remember kids. If you are ever overcome by lust, You punch it in the face!
oh mannnnnnnnn
Next page: Luxuria is trampled flat as all the supporters of the Harry x Sid ship march into the dream and bear her away on their shoulders.
Harry: Hey, when I said "my", I was just trying to indicate the real Sidney Malik that I know, as opposed to the attempt at a fake that Lux was making. And his dream-fiddling antics had me a little off balance! I certainly didn't mean-
Shippers: It's close enough! It's a start! Yaaaay! ♥
Harry: Fine. Just drop me back at the Anchor - I've work to do.
Luxuria: picks self up Uuuuugh... stares after them Massed... shippers...? turns, limps away Pick your fights, Luxuria... :-(
>:=)>
my !
..."I'm keeping the dress, though."
The way it's swirling around her in the last panel makes her look like some sort of warrior queen.
I think that's her veil. Either way, it's a beautiful bit of art.
"Just need to figure how the bloody thing comes off now..."
"Not my thing, admittedly, but Florrie would love it."
Note the color change of her speech! Lux has lost her.
To be fair, he really only had her for one page, after that, he just kept messing up.
I love the little detail that the color showing Lux's influence fades on the word "NOT" and locks in to solid black on the word "ME." -- which coincides exactly with that well-deserved punch to the jaw.
Harry is 100% back. She knows who she is. She's not dazed. She's not bemused. Now she just has to rip her way out of this damn pink bubble.
Everything's still pink,though. Lust may not run her brain, but he runs her world.
Huh. Didn’t see that coming.
On an unrelated note, her hair is amazing. Too bad Harry would never bother with that style.
Bad job, Lux.
like sidney would ever say "my love" to harry without turning rosier then these panels XD
Paging Dr. Freud. Dr. Freud, a patient just slipped quite badly. :P
I see what you did there...
I also love that her automatic response to "my love" wasn't "Sidney and I don't have that type of relationship" but "nope, you're not the real Sidney".
Although, who knows? Maybe she was actually saying "You're not my lo..I mean, THE Sidney..."
My money's on her being about to say "my Sidney," but no matter which way you cut it the bottom line is the same.
$5 says that Harry pins Sid to a wall and kisses him the next time they can get alone. That bet is predicated on how she seems to be coming to terms with her own feelings for him.
If Sid could hear that last bit:
“You think I’m the Sidney Malik? Gosh! I mean, it’s not a very common name, well, ‘Sidney’ is, but not all these names together, so maybe I’m the only one. If there’s another Sidney Malik somewhere then I really don’t think I’m important enough to be the Sidney Malik, but I suppose you never know!”
So very Sid. Also, with somebody else's speech bubble overlapping his as they actively ignore him...
WOOHOO! :D Go, Harry, GO!
WOW that was satisfying.
Question about that last panel, does this qualify as Harry admitting to having feelings for Sid...?
Is "mean right hook" a Barber family trait or does it come from their mother's side?
(For reference, see Florrie vs. Envy-Posessed-Voss.)
I'd say Barber side; I feel Izzy would do the same, but with an instrument of some kind, instead of a fist.
My inner pedant feels the need to point out that Izzy is their paternal *grand*mother. We haven't met their mother yet.
Too bad for Lux it only starts doing a halfway decent Sidney impression after Harry's turned her back on it in the last panel.
Good Job Harry! Go Rescue the Real Sydney and Kick Luxuria in his Non-Existent Nards!
If she's this mad now, wait until she sees what Lux has done to Sid...
Well I called it on the punch, almost sorry Lust's head didn't actually fall off.
Although considering he's actually wearing Sidney's head right now that's actually probably a good thing.
Awww, that wibble. XD
Offer the woman of your dreams anything she could possibly want and everything that you have to give, then get it all contemptuously thrown back in your face. I can feel, if not sympathy, at least empathy with Lux!Sid in that last panel.
the point is that it didn't learn what she actually wants, it just assumed.
Too bad it had never read 'The Wife of Bath's Tale'.
Like Sidney could ever be such a smooth talker.