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Post by zylonbane on Jun 7, 2010 13:55:56 GMT
Seems pretty obvious that this "Annie" is actually Zimmy, based on her stumbling over Annie's name in the last strip ("It's me, a- annie."), and then with Zimmy's name in today's strip.
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Post by Casey on Jun 7, 2010 13:58:59 GMT
Seems pretty obvious that this "Annie" is actually Zimmy, based on her stumbling over Annie's name in the last strip ("It's me, a- annie."), and then with Zimmy's name in today's strip. To me it seems pretty obvious that it is Annie, who normally refers to herself as Antimony, but here paused and changed it to "Annie" because she realized that that was how Gamma knew her, and then, referred to herself as "Zimmy" because she accepted that that's who Gamma thought she was and got nowhere trying to make that point, whereas the real Zimmy would not have referred to herself in the third person, but would have just said "me".
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Post by Rasselas on Jun 7, 2010 14:50:45 GMT
Could go either way, really. Could be Annie was so overwhelmed by the telepathic stream that for a minute she forgot she's not Zimmy. Or could be, Annie without scar really being Zimmy.
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Post by violet on Jun 7, 2010 15:30:27 GMT
heart go squish.
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Post by wanderer on Jun 7, 2010 15:37:03 GMT
Seems pretty obvious that this "Annie" is actually Zimmy, based on her stumbling over Annie's name in the last strip ("It's me, a- annie."), and then with Zimmy's name in today's strip. To me it seems pretty obvious that it is Annie, who normally refers to herself as Antimony, but here paused and changed it to "Annie" because she realized that that was how Gamma knew her, and then, referred to herself as "Zimmy" because she accepted that that's who Gamma thought she was and got nowhere trying to make that point, whereas the real Zimmy would not have referred to herself in the third person, but would have just said "me". And so, as I said, people can use this comic to argue for either side. Remarkable, isn't it?
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Post by warrl on Jun 7, 2010 15:38:50 GMT
I believe it's Gamma speaking telepathically to Annie (thinking she is Zimmy), who shouldn't be able to hear it but does (barely) because of her medium abilities, and it's causing her a major headache. We don't even need to assume that hearing telepathically tires Annie out. She's an introvert. Being around a human constantly-talking white-noise generator is itself tiring for introverts. As for the thought that Gamma doesn't really help, I don't think it's meant that Gamma is deliberately nasty or parasitic. Just that her constantly being there removing/blocking the static means that Zimmy doesn't learn to deal with it on her own.
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Post by alexscott on Jun 7, 2010 15:47:16 GMT
After this comic, I'm starting to think if I speculate any further, my head will implode.
One more thing to bear in mind, though: it is awfully late. Annie really should be in bed right now anyway.
Also, somehow it's only just hit me: Gamma and Zimmy are, in a way, a dark reflection of Annie and Kat. Just as Annie needs Kat to open up to the world, Zimmy needs Gamma to function in any way.
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Post by mudmaniac on Jun 7, 2010 15:52:55 GMT
it is strange how annie thinks to speak in english to gamma, instead of polish. it is also strange that gamma seems to understand nonetheless.
strange strange strange....
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Post by aaroncampbell on Jun 7, 2010 16:16:20 GMT
Here is the transcription of each panel, as faithfully I can make out. Obviously some of the filler text is easy to guess, and it looks, judging from the spacing, like Tom wrapped the text naturally and cropped the edges with the word bubbles. Interesting! (I used PRE tags to try to keep the spacing about right, and underscores for where the text is hidden.) PANEL 1 sn't it are you tired we can rest do you have a headache look out for the busses remember to cross when the green man ning but not when he is dancing I'll help you across that is a funny sign don't you think can you tell me what it says I think ps here are better than the ones on the other side of the bridge right I think they look nicer do you like the colours zimm ope you do do you romder when they put all the lights up at Christmas time and everyone is busy rushing here and there a the one time of the year you don't mind all the people and that makes me so happy to see you happy like that zimmy I rea n't wait for Christmas again and everything looks so different and all the strange food they have and the different sound zzing in the air but not in a bad way in a way that makes you close your eyes and just listen to the sounds like the sound o e air vents behind the buildings when they are just humming and humming and it's almost like you're drunk but again not in PANEL 2 bout to __y I think they should get omebody to clean __hem up and put em into the ___ but it's not so bad ts kind of nice don't you think do y emember how much I like when yo __________________y we should to th _____________________find a magazin ______________________n look at th ________________________can read th PANEL 3 ack they would_________________ on't you think_________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ __________________________ and _________________________ we on _________________________ colou _______________________most lik PANEL 4-6, SPANNED metimes but th_____________________no matter what ha___ns deep inside you you w member and I k____you love me too and we should get ___ sure you're not hungry need to rest g________________________________________he iron leaning isn't too _____re almost___re and maybe your friend_________who this annie is if it is ju _____ed out of________is a perso_______________________n our lives but we can d _____y look n__________________________________________sometimes it catches you _____have to ________________________________________it's quite funny it's like
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Post by wolkenser on Jun 7, 2010 16:20:54 GMT
That's a very strange interpretation to get from this. What makes you think that? Okay, I know this is quite far-fetched and probably not true, but just bear with me for a moment. We all know that Zimmy needs Gamma to "tune out the static". But what if the static was caused by Gamma in the first place? That "buzz" in Annie's head right now doesn't look much better than static to me, at least. What if Gamma was harming Zimmy covertly, and helping her openly, in order to keep close to her? Not quite unsimilar to how Zimmy helps Gamma openly by translating for her, but "harming" her covertly by translating incorrectly when she thinks it will help her keeping Gamma close to her. Or for a more crass analogy, like a drug dealer, who "helps" the addict by supplying what he needs, while being the cause of that need in the first place. What Gamma would get out of this? I don't know, maybe she's some sort of etheric leech who feeds on Zimmy's happiness? I am aware that there's at least one major flaw in this logic, but well, as I said: it's probably not true. Maybe the constant stream of thoughts is white noise. It's a constant, low noise that you don't really notice until you focus on it. Kind of like having a fan on when you sleep. You never notice the buzz of the motor until you actually focus on it, but it's always there, and it blocks out a lot of the background noise that is distracting to some people. Gammas thoughts block out all the little "noises" so Zimmy isn't overwhelmed by them. I disagree with you as to why Annie looks so exhausted now. For one thing she has been up all night. I know I can be fine at ten o'clock or eleven o'clock but by midnight or one in the morning I am ready to pass out. Plus, it's been a long night with a lot of excitement, and panic so she's probably been running off of adrenaline. She could be coming down off of that adrenaline high by now, and after using so much etheric energy to move the boat and unlock the door it's no wonder she's ready to drop.
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sz
Junior Member
Posts: 50
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Post by sz on Jun 7, 2010 16:42:51 GMT
The relationship between Gamma and Zimmy have gotten massively creepier. o____o
Also, Annie in panel 6 looks amazingly high. Somebody with photoshop skillz should make a macro out of it.
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Post by lurker on Jun 7, 2010 16:54:00 GMT
This is Bad News(tm). I think Annie might be about to get unwanted attentions from arachnidal etheric entities if this white noise keeps up and wears down her resistances.
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Post by basser on Jun 7, 2010 17:21:50 GMT
So if Gamma is like the heat sink to Zimmy's overloaded etheric processor, does that mean she's now absorbing etheric energy from Annie through the link? Oh no, Gamma, you're draining the protagonist dry!
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Post by legion on Jun 7, 2010 17:27:22 GMT
If they're in the holodeck, then this FakeGamma is clearly a Trap![TM] My thought exactly. This page is awesome. And creepy. Creepy awesome.
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Post by the bandit on Jun 7, 2010 18:12:02 GMT
If any of you ever wonder why I put up with all this nonsense, it's so that on days like this I can avoid eye strain.
I thought this page was sweet.
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Post by Ulysses on Jun 7, 2010 18:20:14 GMT
Looks to me like Zimmy is beginning to remember who she is. She nearly asks Gamma "Don't you get tired looking after me?", and her eye-gunk is returning. If we get to see 'Annie' looking normal apart from eyes entirely muck-covered I will love it but also be pretty freaked out.
Unless Tom's throwing us another curve ball. Trust no-one!
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Post by violet on Jun 7, 2010 18:34:40 GMT
So if Gamma is like the heat sink to Zimmy's overloaded etheric processor, does that mean she's now absorbing etheric energy from Annie through the link? Oh no, Gamma, you're draining the protagonist dry! That's not how heatsinks work. I'm not saying that's not what's happening (though I don't think it is), just that the analogy would break down at that point.
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Post by Fhqwhgads on Jun 7, 2010 19:06:11 GMT
FWIW, I think it's really Annie. Not sure whether it's really Gamma, and not sure whether Gamma's intentions are actually good or evil, BUT whatever Bad News(TM) is happening to Annie here is clearly amplified in panel 6 when Gamma speaks to her directly. The effect knocks Annie so hard it's causing her eyes to roll back in her head and in panel 7, Gamma has to practically drag her. I like the Silver Chair analogy myself.
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fcd
New Member
Posts: 13
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Post by fcd on Jun 7, 2010 19:20:51 GMT
Seems pretty obvious that this "Annie" is actually Zimmy, based on her stumbling over Annie's name in the last strip ("It's me, a- annie."), and then with Zimmy's name in today's strip. If this is true, then the big question it raises is this: how long has this chapter been about the Zimmy who thinks she's Annie, rather than the real Annie? Did the chapter shift from one to the other when they saw each other in Zimmingham? Or has this chapter been about Zimmy-Annie since the first page all along?
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Post by atteSmythe on Jun 7, 2010 19:30:53 GMT
If this is true, then the big question it raises is this: how long has this chapter been about the Zimmy who thinks she's Annie, rather than the real Annie? Did the chapter shift from one to the other when they saw each other in Zimmingham? Or has this chapter been about Zimmy-Annie since the first page all along? IMO, if the "Annie" we're following is actually Zimmy, then the point-of-view changeover can't have been any earlier than Annie and Zimmy seeing each other. I don't think it makes sense to have all that interaction with Rey, and especially Jones, if that wasn't real-Annie. This much interaction/interplay with Gamma, again IMO, makes sense regardless of whether we're really following Antimony or Zimmy has lost her identity.
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Post by enigmaron on Jun 7, 2010 20:01:13 GMT
I have some memory of Tom saying that Annie is a reliable narrator at some point (maybe on formspring?) so I'm thinking it's probably actually Annie.
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Post by atteSmythe on Jun 7, 2010 20:02:07 GMT
Ah, but is the narrator reliably Annie?
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four
New Member
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Post by four on Jun 7, 2010 20:30:17 GMT
Worst case scenario: "Gamma" is really Jack. Possible support: Do you see any Polish or <translated speech> marks? Also, it makes sense that Jack would want to pose as Gamma if he wants to get at Zimmy. ... It also makes the "I do it because I love you, Zimmy." bit really really creepy... I'm not sure that I like my own idea. EDIT: The support is kicked out from under the idea when I realized that Gamma only talked telepathically. Still not sure why Annie's speaking English at her, though. Remember that Gamma can't understand it. Unless Jack has more powers than flying or looking spooky in the ether, this isn't him.
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Post by judgedeadd on Jun 7, 2010 20:44:40 GMT
1st line, panel 1:
"look that shop has changing(??) booth(??) do you like the flowers zimmy do they make you happy can you please(?) ____ __ ______s _oo"
1st line, panel 5-7:
"__ of you __ __" (...) "_ _ all th[e ti]me Zimmy(?) and I know that you can't(?) leave(?) me _" (...) "___ though(?) you for the(?) _"
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Post by Casey on Jun 7, 2010 20:47:36 GMT
I think it's "look that shop", not "look that stop"... referring to the flowers in the flower shop.
I've wanted to work on the first lines too, but haven't had time, so more power to you judgedeadd!
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Post by judgedeadd on Jun 7, 2010 21:26:28 GMT
We're almost there, and maybe your friend .... who this Annie is, if it is just... is a person...
Hmm, does Gamma even remember Annie? Methinks she would do, seeing as Annie was (probably) the first person in the Court she could talk to in her language. But maybe she forgot Annie because she doesn't care much about the classmates (especially if she thinks they all hate her.) In that case, Gamma might wonder if Annie is a real person or some personality Zimmy made up on the spot, and speculates whether Zimmy's "friend" could shed some light on the issue.
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Post by strangebloke on Jun 7, 2010 21:30:21 GMT
If this "Annie" is Zimmy, she's behaving very oddly. Zimmy doesn't get tired around Gamma, Gamma gets tired around Zimmy. If this "Annie" is Annie, then she looks like she's slowly loosing it... she does seem to be starting to believe/remember that she IS Zimmy. I'm tempted to go with the explanation above... that Gamma's "heat-sink" ability is draining Annie.
None of this makes much sense. Annie's scar isn't there, so either they're not in the etherium, or that's not Annie. Gamma is suddenly understanding English, so this is not Gamma either. Is it the spider? But she seems to know a lot that only Gamma would.
Actually that's weird. Both Annie and Zimmy know that Gamma only speaks Polish. So why is this "Annie" speaking English? Annie speaks polish and Zimmy communicates telepathically. I can't imagine Annie is Jack. Maybe Gamma speaks English in Zimmingham?
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Post by judgedeadd on Jun 7, 2010 21:39:38 GMT
I finally made out the first line:
"look that shop has changed again do you like the flowers zimmy do they make you happy can you smell that it smells good"
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Post by warrl on Jun 7, 2010 21:40:55 GMT
Both Annie and Zimmy know that Gamma only speaks Polish. So why is this "Annie" speaking English? Well, that's an easy one. The more difficult question is, why is Annie hearing Gamma's telepathic speech - and, further, why in English? I fairly strongly agree with that. I'm less confident in asserting that Gamma is not Jack. (But she probably isn't.) Previously, we have never seen Gamma speak at all while (definitely) in Zimmingham. Zimmy translated some telepathy and that was it. We never even saw the telepathy speech-bubbles (which is okay because they would be redundant with the translation). www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=468 and next
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Post by cannedbreadmaker on Jun 7, 2010 21:43:58 GMT
Cut wound explanations:
1) Annie's cut wound has healed. 2) The trigger that triggers the appearance of the cut wound is not present or has been nullified. 3) This is not truly Annie. This is an imperfect doppelgänger.
"don't you get tired looking after m~ looking after zimmy all the time?" [sic]
I like the idea of this being Annie who has almost forgot that she is Annie and not Zimmy because that is very creepy. Pseudo-Gamma, why are you doing this to Annie??
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