[1862] Don't worry, I will be qualifying that statement!

[Nepycros]

Bomb defused, the beans have cooled.

Looks like she picked up some dramatic habits from Doctor Disaster.

[The Anarch]

Surely Kat and Annie are old enough now to have been taught all about dramatic pauses.

[arf]

Annie's look says: "Cool beans. Must heat!"

[ctso74]

I imagine, that one of their neighbors was merely sitting, reading, and just heard dramatic music.
"What the deuce was that... Bridgette. I believe some drama is happening at the neighbors. Maybe some warm beans business..."

[Fishy]

Really it was simple. All Tony had to do was wear his Cool Beans shirt and Surma was like puddy in his hands. Not quite mind control but not far from it.

[crater]

Jul 26, 2017 7:36:18 GMT ctso74 said:

I imagine, that one of their neighbors was merely sitting, reading, and just heard dramatic music.
"What the deuce was that... Bridgette. I believe some drama is happening at the neighbors. Maybe some warm beans business..."

"I will be qualifying that statement... after I call everyone I know, and get the livestream going"

[noone3]

Is "Cool beans" name of a band? Sounds lika a band.

You think Zimmy can play mean bass?

[saardvark]

Jul 26, 2017 7:13:31 GMT The Anarch said:

Surely Kat and Annie are old enough now to have been taught all about dramatic pauses.

and how to chill legumes...

[TBeholder]

Cool beans are cool.

Jul 26, 2017 7:13:31 GMT The Anarch said:

Surely Kat and Annie are old enough now to have been taught all about dramatic pauses.

Indeed.

However, it's likely to leave the matter of sudden change of attitude hanging in the air - unless Anja means she's going to sort out this part first.

[todd]

I hope that Tom's not using Kat's changed feelings about Anthony as just a plot device to bring in the backstory information. We will get more about how and why she softened towards him, right?

[gpvos]

I totally missed that the previous page was the last of the chapter...

[pyradonis]

Anja looks even older than in the previous page. Is that even the real Anja?

[jda]

Wha?

[Trillium]

Jul 26, 2017 13:16:58 GMT pyradonis said:

Anja looks even older than in the previous page. Is that even the real Anja?

I think this whole business is making her sad and looking back to when she was Annie and Kat's age makes her feel old hence the look. Her best friend from the old days dies before letting Anja even know she's sick. The dead best friend's daughter shows up at the school Anja teaches at and becomes her daughter's best friend. Annie's father shows up out of nowhere after no communication for years. Massive drama ensues. Now the Annie needs all the background her parents never told her. It would make me feel old sad and very tired. 

[faiiry]

The last time we saw Anja was here (http://gunnerkrigg.com/?p=1529). It's been what, five or six months at the most since then? Unless it's been WAY longer and we just aren't getting it, Anja has aged decades in half a year. Either she gave up her skincare regimen or she's just not having a good time.

[The Anarch]

Jeez, guys, can't a lady have one little no-makeup day without everyone thinking she's dying or something?

[atteSmythe]

Yeah. Her smile lines might be a bit more defined, but I think the only thing that's really "aging" her is that her hair is out of place, compared with how done up she was for hosting dinner.

Loss of nose definition probably doesn't help either, somehow.

[Runningflame]

So... um... I'm confused. Is Anja trying to make a joke? Which statement is she qualifying--"They fell in love," or "[Falling in love] was much worse than [brainwashing]"? And Annie saying "Cool beans" at this moment seems really odd & out of character--I would've expected "Okaaaayy..." or "Let's hear it, then." Is this page supposed to be canon, or a joke? (If it's a joke, I don't get it...)

In short: Huh?

[pyradonis]

Jul 26, 2017 16:47:56 GMT The Anarch said:

Jeez, guys, can't a lady have one little no-makeup day without everyone thinking she's dying or something?

Well, actually, I grew up with a mother who never wears makeup except for going out, so if I saw my mother supposedly "age" like that I would be very worried.

[The Anarch]

Jul 26, 2017 20:58:41 GMT Runningflame said:

In short: Huh?

Since this is the extra after-the-chapter page, it's most likely not supposed to be taken 100% literally or seriously. The statement that Anjya will be qualifying will be the one about falling in love being worse than brainwashing, and the "cool beans" thing is a continuation of Tom's "cool beans" mock-obsession that has been going on in his artist's comments under the comics since Annie first appeared wearing the room-temperature legumes shirt.

Systery molved!

[todd]

Anja seeming older might just be another case of Tom's art style changing, like the infamous case of Eglamore's character design altered enough in Chapter Seventeen that most of the readers wouldn't believe it was him until Tom explained about the art shift. (Not the best time for it to happen, when we're about to get some important character/backstory revelations and don't need distractions, but I doubt Tom had realized that much of the audience would notice the difference in Anja's look.)

[Per]

Jul 26, 2017 15:57:04 GMT Trillium said:

I think this whole business is making her sad and looking back to when she was Annie and Kat's age makes her feel old hence the look.

I think this whole business is making her sad and looking back to when she could use her dark gypsy magicks to leech youth out of Surma like every day.

Jul 26, 2017 20:58:41 GMT Runningflame said:

In short: Huh?

I think the basic joke is the deflation of the conventional end-of-chapter drawn-out, dramatic half-reveal that wouldn't really have the same effect in real life. It then mixes things up with a counterpoint of Annie's continued incredulity, exaggerated to the hyperpoint of bean-based acerbity.

Also, the correct phrase is "neat-o beans".

Also also, evil balloon confirmed as comic end boss.

[zbeeblebrox]

In retrospect, "cool" is pretty much the least appetizing temperature to eat beans at.

[atteSmythe]

Jul 27, 2017 8:42:33 GMT zbeeblebrox said:

In retrospect, "cool" is pretty much the least appetizing temperature to eat beans at.

Except in three bean salad. Yum!

[Jelly Jellybean]

I resisted this for as long as I could...

Who loves beans!?

[faiiry]

I had a prescient dream last night wherein the name of the forthcoming chapter was Ties 2: The Madness Continues, and the illustration was That Photo, only with everyone but Jimmy Jims, Surma and Tony blacked out. Also someone had drawn a mustache on Surma.

[torontoregonian]

Jul 27, 2017 17:30:51 GMT Jelly Jellybean said:

I resisted this for as long as I could...

Who loves beans!?

AHAHAHA at last, someone else who loves Brak as much as I do

[TBeholder]

Jul 26, 2017 20:58:41 GMT Runningflame said:

So... um... I'm confused. Is Anja trying to make a joke? Which statement is she qualifying--"They fell in love," or "[Falling in love] was much worse than [brainwashing]"? And Annie saying "Cool beans" at this moment seems really odd & out of character--I would've expected "Okaaaayy..." or "Let's hear it, then." Is this page supposed to be canon, or a joke? (If it's a joke, I don't get it...)

In short: Huh?

The statement will be qualified.
Rather than, for example, quantified.

[faiiry]

I fully expect the next chapter to supply me with decades' worth of Surma avatars. She is little-seen, but somehow manages to be one of my favorite characters. Even though I kinda think she is a jerk and not the best mom.

[mturtle7]

Jul 30, 2017 0:26:46 GMT faiiry said:

I fully expect the next chapter to supply me with decades' worth of Surma avatars. She is little-seen, but somehow manages to be one of my favorite characters. Even though I kinda think she is a jerk and not the best mom.

Same here. I keep trying to put together headcanons about her, but always flounder for lack of canon material.