[208] Story Discussion - Annie's Meddling

[Aspen d'Grey]

ShadowSpeaking++

Hmm, nice to know that Annie still cares for Robot. I don't think Kat really recognizes Robot as a person... he was just something cool that Annie did. (That said, since Annie MADE robot it must mean that she's at least somewhat technologically inclined. It seems that a times we try and divide Annie and Kat too much, but Annie wouldn't be at GC if she wasn't at least somewhat technical, neh?)

I also like seeing a lot more in the way of facial expressions on Annie & Kat.

[brice]

So this chapter might become a quest for the remains of Robot. Maybe we'll get to meet Tea? She had his other arm long ago:

www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=32

And from the flashback we now know Annie saw what happened on the bridge before she fell:

www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=119

So the questions about her mood and her attitude towards Muut might be answered now. She was probably more upset about what happened to Robot than her own fall and predicament. She was (as always) more concerned about others than about herself.

One of the things I really like about GC is that the story weaves back upon itself repeatedly. New pages illuminate new angles in old pages. It's not a linear read, but a read and re-read, just like the latin promised:

www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=121

"Pray, Read, Read Again, and You Shall Find" as translated by xux.

[Aspen d'Grey]

I think Tom said that Tea will not ever be featured as more than a bonus page.

[mrw]

Both Annie and Kat are fantastically done here.
Ok, must sleep now...

Edit:
This page is brilliant. Such a wide range of expressions, viewing angles and backgrounds (all in one room). I love the way you (Tom) can say so much without words - I can really feel Kat's sympathy and best of all, how Annie's emotions change through the panels. It's clear to see how much she's grown (or healed) since she came to the school.
Masterfully done.

[fjodor]

Tom's ability to draw subtle expressions grows with every page. Without losing his originality.

Any thoughts on that drawing on the wall behind Kat in frame 1? Second time it shows up.

[amaretto]

Poor Annie. Her mum's dead, her dad's MIA, every patient that she played with as a child died immediately thereafter... It makes sense that she should want to rebuild Robot. In addition to her being a genuinely nice person, this is one loss that she can conceivably take back.

I hope it works out for her.

[La Poire]

Robot was basically built out of spare parts, right? So it would make sense that he could be rebuilt in some form quite easily, his head (I'm assuming all the important stuff's in his head) didn't seem to get damaged at all from Eglamore's sword-throw of destruction.

And Kat, now's not the time to get logical, now's the time for building some robot-finding machine and embark on a rescue mission!

[todd]

Poor Annie's being too hard on herself. She had no way of knowing that Robot would run into that "Very Nice Man" who would give him that wooden arm - or Shadow2's "evil cousin" - get possessed, come back to Gunnerkrigg Court, and wind up getting forcibly dismantled.

As I've mentioned before, I've found myself wondering recently what it must have been like for her to hear Robot calling her "Mommy", in light of what her own mother meant to her. All the more reason why she'd be so saddened at his fate - although she calls him her friend, in another way, he was almost her son - as close to having a son as a girl that age can have within the bounds of good taste.

[Deleted]

That's a really good point, todd. I read it when you first posted, but I don't think I commented on it back then.


Also, AWWWWW for Shadow2 talking. So cute.

[mrw]

fjodor said:

Tom's ability to draw subtle expressions grows with every page. Without losing his originality.

Any thoughts on that drawing on the wall behind Kat in frame 1? Second time it shows up.

Looks kind of like a full-body MRI scanner, where the big ring is the magnet assembly and the flat portion is the patient table which glides through the magnet ring.

Or it's a toilet.

todd said:

Poor Annie's being too hard on herself. She had no way of knowing that Robot would run into that "Very Nice Man" who would give him that wooden arm - or Shadow2's "evil cousin" - get possessed, come back to Gunnerkrigg Court, and wind up getting forcibly dismantled.

As I've mentioned before, I've found myself wondering recently what it must have been like for her to hear Robot calling her "Mommy", in light of what her own mother meant to her. All the more reason why she'd be so saddened at his fate - although she calls him her friend, in another way, he was almost her son - as close to having a son as a girl that age can have within the bounds of good taste.

Yes, it must be quite hard on her. She's certainly showing a lot more vulnerability now than she has in the past - either she's getting over her mother's death (we don't know what she was like before that), or these events are overwhelming her defenses.
It's very touching.

[rastarogue]

It is interesting to hear how much Robot meant to Annie. I hope she and Kat do find and rebuild nim, he was such a cool character.

[mrw]

Seems like Robot will need a new chassis. The one on the title page would be cool.

Or Boxbot could just carry his head around.

[owl]

*channels Robot*

"Mommy, you care!"