I've been reading your comic for a very long time. This was one of the most satisfying stories you've ever done. There are no flaws. There was only fantastic art and story telling. Thank you
huh yeah storyline is great as always… something seems different though
like the characters exhibited no flaws and were sort of one note versions of themselves… Marigold is desperate, Hannah is all about the baked goods (no specific explanation why this time) but Eve seems different, from looking for a stranger while drunk at a party to referring to herself in third person at the end. Victor is almost like some sort of Deus ex machina who happens to of course do the raddest thing possible at all times. Sort of a collection of funny jokes, but somehow fundamentally different from previous Octopus Pie stories.
Not criticisms, just observations by one dude; and if I find out you're parodying something then I'll feel so stupid because I don't get the reference!
Here I am posting on a long forgotten comment thread, but the Victor arc always just gets me, you know? I think that in a lot of ways, Victor is us. Whereas the reader is usually a fly on the wall, observing but not interacting, Victor gives us a blank canvas through which we can experience the characters in a different way. We know everything about Eve and the gang as a nebulous cloud of motivations and experiences, but how many actual people do you know like that? Victor is a straight line passing through that cloud, not stopping or slowing, only coming into contact with each character for a moment. He lets us experience the characters not as characters, but as people living a particular moment of their lives. This is why Victor is so brilliant—he breaks the cartoon ridiculousness of the format and invites us to listen to what's on everyone's mind, if just for a day.
If only we could all sweet-talk cops and couch surf like pros…
I was wondering where Victor came from, and why there was no history.
Anyway, I'm curious. The last strip that appeared in my RSS for this comic was from back when Eve and Hanna were visiting Hanna's parents, then today, all of a sudden, a whole lotta Octopus Pie strips appeared. Did something go wrong with the RSS?
Shoot, my RSS feeder only lists the last 10 pages as being new, so I started a few pages in, confused as hell. Then I started over and it all came together.
Anyway, great story- it's like a season-2-opener refresher course on the characters. Plus, the art is getting better and better.
Aw shit, I got one reading of Victor, one that reaaaally gets under my skin.
He's the kind of guyfriend we wish we were/had – more consistently, in any case.
"Better angels of our nature*" comes to mind. Is this an Obama reference using a notion popularized by Lincoln? Yah, OK – a stretch, I know. Great fun.
I had a sneaky feeling he wasn't anybody's friend. Victor kinda reminds me of myself. People always make assumptions and do the talking for you when you're quiet.
wow meredith… this is one of the best storylines ever – so worth the wait. i wasn't sure at the beginning but this ending, your pacing, your art… victor… wow!
re PanzerNet: I like to think that Victor has a sense of timing, for leaving before people straighten things out, realize he's nobody's guest.
On another note, the story ends on a much lighter note with Victor "leaving the apartment in a better place", rather than stealing stuff. It reminds me of "somebody hates me / somebody loves me" theory: if someone throws an egg at your window (say), you'll figure that someone in the world is a jerk, but not know who…and get a sort of generalized resentment towards strangers. (Maybe.)
On the other hand, if you clean one of your friend's toilets while visiting their place, and never tell them – well, maybe they never notice, but at least you're happy. It's like you're keeping a secret from them, but since it's a good secret, you don't burn with shame, but…anti-shame?
Ironically, I'm assuming you have a window and your friend has "a place", when Victor pretty much does not. (Or maybe his place varies, or maybe he has an outside-place. Or maybe he's just traveling for fun – who can say, in a work of fiction?)
Meredith: am I completely on crack/overanalyzing this, or is this an allusion/homage to Being There (sorta like you did a Grey Gardens allusion a while back)? Somewhere between the 4th and 6th page of character projecting their own thoughts and desires on his "mms" and shrugs, I thought "holy sh*t, it's Chance the Gardener!" Am I totally off my rocker here?
Either way, brilliant. So happy to have a day with Octopus Pie in it.
I'm totally with you on that resemblance. Chauncey Gardiner and Victor are, at least, cut from the same cloth. That last panel of him walking into the sunlight totally parallels the last shot of Chance walking on water.
281 thoughts on “#361 – so hey”
Aviv
That was such a great storyline!
Robert
Total spin out. I hope Victor comes to my place next.
Eli Herring
Oh man, CRAZY. And, and, also AWESOME.
Lydia
Awesome. =)
V
Oh no!
And he was my new
favorite, too.
Ross
I've been reading your comic for a very long time. This was one of the most satisfying stories you've ever done. There are no flaws. There was only fantastic art and story telling. Thank you
Nigel-63
… sweet…
EatBooks
First I was horrified.
Then I realized it was pretty rad.
Earl
Same as it ever was… same as it ever was…
JGard
Bad. Ass.
Francesco Lanza
This was one of the best stories ever 😀
Denis
Reminded me of a movie called The Brother From Another Planet [1]. Both Victor and the movie's main character really know how to listen…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brother_from_Ano…
Rissi
Just watched it, thanks for mentioning it. It was great.
Tomcat
he was some kind of magical hobo! Wonderful storyline.
Mitchel
He's some kind of Littlest Hobo.
adoplaydo
That was lovely.
Steve M
He is the worlds most awesome couch surfer… I must learn his skill.
origamibunny
Great storyline 🙂
Void
Wow…that Victor is some…somethin'….Yyyup….
Matt B.
Victor is the best.
Ashleigh
That was beautiful.
n/a
huh yeah storyline is great as always… something seems different though
like the characters exhibited no flaws and were sort of one note versions of themselves… Marigold is desperate, Hannah is all about the baked goods (no specific explanation why this time) but Eve seems different, from looking for a stranger while drunk at a party to referring to herself in third person at the end. Victor is almost like some sort of Deus ex machina who happens to of course do the raddest thing possible at all times. Sort of a collection of funny jokes, but somehow fundamentally different from previous Octopus Pie stories.
Not criticisms, just observations by one dude; and if I find out you're parodying something then I'll feel so stupid because I don't get the reference!
fishang1
Here I am posting on a long forgotten comment thread, but the Victor arc always just gets me, you know? I think that in a lot of ways, Victor is us. Whereas the reader is usually a fly on the wall, observing but not interacting, Victor gives us a blank canvas through which we can experience the characters in a different way. We know everything about Eve and the gang as a nebulous cloud of motivations and experiences, but how many actual people do you know like that? Victor is a straight line passing through that cloud, not stopping or slowing, only coming into contact with each character for a moment. He lets us experience the characters not as characters, but as people living a particular moment of their lives. This is why Victor is so brilliant—he breaks the cartoon ridiculousness of the format and invites us to listen to what's on everyone's mind, if just for a day.
If only we could all sweet-talk cops and couch surf like pros…
Macks
Alright, that was an epic fuckin’ story arc. I love the inanity of it all.
Wood
Awesome storytelling. As always.
Shez
ahahaha holy crap, this guy is so manly 😛
Mimi
Awww yeah Mer! Totally worth the wait! ( And being late to school!)
maggie
let me be the first one to say:
W T F
danineteen
I was wondering where Victor came from, and why there was no history.
Anyway, I'm curious. The last strip that appeared in my RSS for this comic was from back when Eve and Hanna were visiting Hanna's parents, then today, all of a sudden, a whole lotta Octopus Pie strips appeared. Did something go wrong with the RSS?
Louisa
Danineteen- the strip updates in storyline batches these days.
Alisa
No, she puts a bunch up all at once, so you get a complete story when it is updated.
meredith
No, the RSS is updated manually. I usually do it a half day later to save on server strain.
Simon
Shoot, my RSS feeder only lists the last 10 pages as being new, so I started a few pages in, confused as hell. Then I started over and it all came together.
Anyway, great story- it's like a season-2-opener refresher course on the characters. Plus, the art is getting better and better.
JohnD
My eyes teared up at the end, and haven't cleared up yet.
Sniff!
Kylogram
Victor was my friend once too.
Man, these long pauses between updates are KILLING ME. I don't know if I can stand it :C
(I am not being serious, I would go through hell for this comic.)
Yjanni
And so, Victor left on his way to some stuff we couldn't see. But we knew in our hearts, it'd be fuckin' rad.
funky
Farewell, Victor. I salute you.
thehat
Reading the last page as the radio started playing Free Bird was all kinds of cool.
Tiffany
Loved it!!!!!!!
Victor= my new fav!!
:DDD
CMK
Great storyline this go-around. How do they just keep getting better and better?
Ramon
Awesome! This is just awesome.
kkarlos
Awesome =D
Sarah
I think I love you. Just like I love Victor.
I miss this comic when it's not around.
Damien Walder
Aw shit, I got one reading of Victor, one that reaaaally gets under my skin.
He's the kind of guyfriend we wish we were/had – more consistently, in any case.
"Better angels of our nature*" comes to mind. Is this an Obama reference using a notion popularized by Lincoln? Yah, OK – a stretch, I know. Great fun.
*oft misquoted/paraphrased
Michael M.
Victor, he slides in like the wind and disappears just as mysteriously.
EXCELLENT job Mer! Loved it!
Qwil man
He was an aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaangel!
wykstrad
If your idea of an angel is a DIRTY MUFFIN THIEF.
wykstrad
Who RECYCLES and DUSTS and you know, he's alright.
melissa
Aww, totally worth waiting for. Thank you!
Megala
Lovely update as always. I've known a lot of couch surfers in my time but none as rad as Victor. And definitely not any that dust.
Danny
nuthin' like a good old wanderin' hobo, mosying around and fixin' things.
fluffy
Greatly exceeded expectations, would read again. A++++++++
Wishcandy
I had a sneaky feeling he wasn't anybody's friend. Victor kinda reminds me of myself. People always make assumptions and do the talking for you when you're quiet.
Carl-E
I've been Victor. Not for a looooong time, though.
It's not easy, either, but it's worth it.
Kaz
Eve is SO CUTE in panel 4!
Also I want to wear a flannel shirt and do good deeds now…
superjoe37
Love it! Keep'em coming!
Aristarco
Wow! Excellent storyline!! It was totally worth the wait!!!
Paul
your such a baller
Chris
"The greatest trick that Vincent ever pulled was convincing the others that he was a longtime friend of someone else. And like that-"
*pop*
"-he's gone."
Mike Leung
Victor, why'd you have to go?
Holden Levack
Victor, you beautiful dreamboat.
Sam Kiser
What a great, cute little story! It perked my snowed in day up here in Pittsburgh!
Thank you for the great days!
Krimson
Victor is the bitchingest. That's right.
I would like an order of Victor, please. And some coleslaw on the side.
PanzerNet
but…but… he left without getting his poncho 🙁
elliott
wow meredith… this is one of the best storylines ever – so worth the wait. i wasn't sure at the beginning but this ending, your pacing, your art… victor… wow!
Petre
re PanzerNet: I like to think that Victor has a sense of timing, for leaving before people straighten things out, realize he's nobody's guest.
On another note, the story ends on a much lighter note with Victor "leaving the apartment in a better place", rather than stealing stuff. It reminds me of "somebody hates me / somebody loves me" theory: if someone throws an egg at your window (say), you'll figure that someone in the world is a jerk, but not know who…and get a sort of generalized resentment towards strangers. (Maybe.)
On the other hand, if you clean one of your friend's toilets while visiting their place, and never tell them – well, maybe they never notice, but at least you're happy. It's like you're keeping a secret from them, but since it's a good secret, you don't burn with shame, but…anti-shame?
Ironically, I'm assuming you have a window and your friend has "a place", when Victor pretty much does not. (Or maybe his place varies, or maybe he has an outside-place. Or maybe he's just traveling for fun – who can say, in a work of fiction?)
Kit MacAllister
Aw man, I really enjoyed this particular story line. Octopus pie is consistently good, you keep drawing, I'll keep reading.
V
Is his bag filled
just with muffins?
Ovidio
And Dreams!
Lentilstew
We love you, Victor! ;_;
cousinitt
Meredith: am I completely on crack/overanalyzing this, or is this an allusion/homage to Being There (sorta like you did a Grey Gardens allusion a while back)? Somewhere between the 4th and 6th page of character projecting their own thoughts and desires on his "mms" and shrugs, I thought "holy sh*t, it's Chance the Gardener!" Am I totally off my rocker here?
Either way, brilliant. So happy to have a day with Octopus Pie in it.
Emily
I'm totally with you on that resemblance. Chauncey Gardiner and Victor are, at least, cut from the same cloth. That last panel of him walking into the sunlight totally parallels the last shot of Chance walking on water.
Sweet story, Meredith.
Felipe
Octopus Pie is great. Also, most of the latest storylines seem to have an upper beat.
(But Victors are so overrated.)
Evie
@cousinitt: Totally saw the same thing. Thank you Catholic school for providing me with that cultural cache 😉
Also, Victor's awesome.
DogRobber
This was so beautiful.
Kiwi
Victor is probably not even that guy's name.
Hanna probably made it up, thinking it was his name, and he just went with it. XD
I was in a fit of giggles this entire chapter.
Wiktor
thank you, reading this was a great experience