I… guess I missed the storyline where Julie went both ways?
Well, okay, I do remember one early cast page where it hinted that Julie had a crush on Eve. And it is a bit overly heteronormative to assume that Julie "needed" to be outed in the first place… and this comic could be Julie delicately telling Jane she's straight, or Julie just being silly beyond belief (as usual).
You know what? I was going to delete this, but I think I'll let it stand as a warning to others. Remember what "assume" stands for!
what the hell are you talking about?I would say you should have deleted it instead of rambled on. Aslo I think the "crush on Eve" thing was akin to man love.
I don't know, I like the idea of Julie being so blinded by her love for Jacob that she's unable to even think about her own sexuality. Now she's actually confronted by something that doesn't fit into the box she's put herself in for months and months, she has to actually face it.
Regardless, Jane is interested in the ladies? That makes me (and my gigantic crush on her) so happy.
Julie didn't go for Eve, despite seeing Eve as powerful (and thus attractive), because Eve said she wasn't "into that," as quoted by Julie.
Pretty sure that the confusion here isn't "oh hey, I might like a girl," but rather "is it possible that she can give me what Jacob never has and possibly never will?"
I'm actually surprised Jane is into Julie at all… also kind of hoping she takes that "so long as I think I have a chance with Jacob" as a challenge. She won't, though, because she's perfect.
I have been so confused this entire story arc. New location, new characters, new plot twists. Reading it makes me feel like I'm in an important conversation and I'm drunk and a couple of steps behind everyone else. Most recent update confirms this. Still loving it though.
Aww come on! Go for it Julie, she's perfect! Jacob is an asshole, everyone knows it, you'll never be happy with him, even if he were to suddenly stop ignoring you!
Being from Washington State and a certified barista and so on, I really enjoyed this story arc about the guild. Reminds me of a specialty coffee shop I worked for. You captured the personalities perfectly specially if you're looking at the Seattle area. I'm new to the NY area so I'm not familiar with the "types" over here. Also I don't understand how people over here can drink Dunkin Donuts…
Because there are other things that are worth sampling also 🙂 Though Puerto Rico does have some great coffee. I just have a soft spot for Costa Rican coffee.
I liked this arc too. I genuinely feel for Julie and to be honest, I hope she doesn't really get with Jacob.
Jacob's not a bad guy, he's really not. He's happy where he's at and doesn't see a need to change it. I was very much a "Julie" once with a guy, and even though we were (still are!) great friends and extremely close, he just wasn't into me like that. It was a blessing in disguise though, because I ended up finding the love of my life instead, and who felt the same about me.
But, I was Julie down to the letter, even when I met the love of my life, I wasn't sure, because I still kept hoping for a chance with the other guy. Eventually I forced myself to go on a few dates and realized I was genuinely happy around him.
I don't think Jacob could ever treat Julie how she wants to be treated. Not because he's a jerk and doesn't care about her, but because it's not in his nature, and it's not how he feels about her.
It's an ego thing. Not in the negative sense, but it hurts to really care for someone, and despite your closeness, wonder why they can't feel more for you. The truth is that you're only thinking of yourself, and not in a very positive light.
"It's an ego thing. Not in the negative sense, but it hurts to really care for someone, and despite your closeness, wonder why they can't feel more for you. The truth is that you're only thinking of yourself, and not in a very positive light."
Also the root of the classic "I'm A Nice Guy And Girls Only Like Jerks" predicament many intelligent, emotionally turbulent young men find themselves in, if you look at it again. 🙂 This was very well put, thank you for giving me something for my brain to chew on.
Wow, why does my record player have to be in for repairs TODAY, now I really want to hear this song.
Also, seriously, people have to stop making a big deal about Julie's sexuality. Maybe she's bisexual, maybe she isn't and just doesn't want to say. She's always seemed a little young and confused, so she probably still has some things to learn about herself. Or maybe as the readers, we have some things we could stand to learn about her.
Just go with the flow.
FFFFFF and here I thought I was crazy when I wondered what was going on when Jane brought her down to the vacuum factory. "Nah it doesn't necessarily mean she has a thing for Julie don't you jump to conclusions like that" I said.
MAYBE I should stop questioning my gaydar.
i really feel like this could have used one more strip somewhere as a setup. i'm not sure why, but the romantic vibe of this strip came off as confusing – not because of the social context, but because of the timing. something's off. not sure what :C
Really? I felt like it was exceptionally well timed. Maybe I just picked up on a few small things. Jane's decisively nonchalant reply to Jacob's advance via Eve, her inviting Julie aside personally . . . it's subtle, but that's the kind of indirect characterization that I really like and appreciate in this strip.
Honestly, I feel bad for Julie and Jacob. Julie for her crush, and Jacob for having perpetually to look like heel for not responding to her.
But he probably shouldn't: he hasn't demonstrated any interest in her, but she's crushing all over him to the point of creepy. That's not a solid basis for a relationship.
I dunno, I was entirely no surprised when I read this strip. The whole "you're cool!" "no, YOU'RE" cool was reminiscent of some of my thirteen year old flirting (with the only guy who ever flirted with me at that age). Poor Julie, so confused.
Kind of surprised at the ammount of "omg gay omg straight" comments here. Meridith, I love that your characters have real depth that go beyond labels that are made up and forced onto people.
It seems to be upon being confronted with a different idea of companionship, Julie may be realizing that her quest to force a boy to love and coddle her is a false-reality, and that genuine love and affection can come in many different types of packages, but what's important is that the love is there. Not what genitalia happen to be in either person's pants.
Atleast this is what I HOPE Julie is thinking! There are many Jacobs in this world both male and female, and none of them are worth sacrificing your own happiness for.
This strip breaks my heart. I know exactly what it's like to be completely consumed with something (or someone), until it distorts your perspective on everything else, including your own heart. Fantasies can be monsters. I'm mentally hugging Julie AND my high school self.
I can definitely see Julie's "I'm not sure at the moment" as both an answer to Jane and to herself regarding her sexuality. As for those who find this situation surprising, I definitely had a feeling this would happen, especially after the "vacuum factory" comic.
I thought it was kind of obvious this was what was going on.
I can't be the only one who feels more sorry for Jane here than either Julie or Jacob. (Hey, all J's!) Here she is, finding interest in an adorable girl who finds her very cool, and this girl rejects her in favor of a hopeless, idiotic obsession with an insensitive guy who doesn't even notice her. While I do feel for Julie a little bit, I feel she's being outrageously silly in this by turning down what seems like a perfect (and very cute) romantic opportunity because she can't let go of a crush that someone she respects very much (Eve) has flat out told her is not worth it.
I thought Jane's attraction was made reasonably clear. Not obvious, sure, but there were certain touches that I felt communicated attraction.
What I wasn't entirely aware of was that Julie isn't straight. Her reaction here suggests that it's not her sexual orientation that's stopping her from considering Jane's proposition, but rather that she's in love with someone else. And that's all. Which I think is cool, but it's new information to me.
Maybe it was mentioned or hinted at in an earlier strip…I haven't actually ever started from the beginning. Time to get on that then. If this is a new reveal though, bravo for expressing that so subtly.
As an aside, I've really been enjoying this entire arc.
I think this one is perfect (and was certainly projected two strips ago) and that we’ll all be pleased soon, Julie and Jane most of all. The whole initial setup of Eve lecturing Julie will not be for naught! And finally, we’ll get some overdue progress in Julie’s character. She’s been static for far too long!
Wow there it is again: Meredith's ability to insert subtle emotions and interactions between the characters. That's why her strip stands out to me so much more than anything else. It's so well-done.
And the sad thing is, this might just have made Jane decide that Julie isn't worth it, since she can have such a big crush for a huge douchebag like Jacob. Rah! 🙁 I hope not.
I don't think it's Julie's sexuality which is the part she isn't sure about, but whether or not to pursue Jane when Jacob's still around. Either way, Jacob gets the short end of the deal. That's what you get for being kind of a douche.
… I knew my gaydar wasn't going off for nothing in the last strips. 🙂 I'm pretty happy my wishes for these two turned out to be what was actually going on!
I wish I could grab Julie by the shoulders, shake her a bit and say "Run to her."
Also, when trying to find the strip where Julie has a girl crush on Eve, I just kept running into so many great old story lines and remembered why this is such a grand comic.
Haha, yesss! My gaydar is right again! I knew Jane was playing for the hometeam. And you know, gay. I guess I'm also assuming she plays baseball, or whatever that saying means.
If you reeeaaallly wanted to have an unexpected plot twist the next comic would be a lesbian sex scene. And then Eve would stumble in and…well…she's drunk…
That would be the most unexpected thing right now.
64 thoughts on “#446 – with great concentration”
wykstrad
I… guess I missed the storyline where Julie went both ways?
Well, okay, I do remember one early cast page where it hinted that Julie had a crush on Eve. And it is a bit overly heteronormative to assume that Julie "needed" to be outed in the first place… and this comic could be Julie delicately telling Jane she's straight, or Julie just being silly beyond belief (as usual).
You know what? I was going to delete this, but I think I'll let it stand as a warning to others. Remember what "assume" stands for!
@DISHLIQUID
Do you know any hipster girls? They are ALL bisexual. All of them.
Gavalanche
Look at the old comic styled story line. There's a reference to Julie coming onto Eve.
Nicholas
what the hell are you talking about?I would say you should have deleted it instead of rambled on. Aslo I think the "crush on Eve" thing was akin to man love.
Lia Hansen
That must be the most down votes a comment on the internet has ever been allowed to have.
AnonyMouse
I don't know, I like the idea of Julie being so blinded by her love for Jacob that she's unable to even think about her own sexuality. Now she's actually confronted by something that doesn't fit into the box she's put herself in for months and months, she has to actually face it.
Regardless, Jane is interested in the ladies? That makes me (and my gigantic crush on her) so happy.
Anonymous
Julie didn't go for Eve, despite seeing Eve as powerful (and thus attractive), because Eve said she wasn't "into that," as quoted by Julie.
Pretty sure that the confusion here isn't "oh hey, I might like a girl," but rather "is it possible that she can give me what Jacob never has and possibly never will?"
David
I'm actually surprised Jane is into Julie at all… also kind of hoping she takes that "so long as I think I have a chance with Jacob" as a challenge. She won't, though, because she's perfect.
Branden Harris
Do you know what you want?
I'm not sure at the moment…
Excellent.
Narf
😀 Glad someone else noticed.
BrooksCracktackle
Oh wow, what a surprising twist!
I knew they kept the good coffee somewhere.
Metsäprinsessa
😀
Mayday
sob Mayday sob
Guest-face
I have been so confused this entire story arc. New location, new characters, new plot twists. Reading it makes me feel like I'm in an important conversation and I'm drunk and a couple of steps behind everyone else. Most recent update confirms this. Still loving it though.
Grey
Yeah, I agree. I'm definitely more surprised Jane is into Julie than that Julie might be bisexual.
Arkadi
Yeah, what the heck can she see in Jacob?? Go for her, Julie!! For Gawd's sake!!
BradyDale
Uhhh… I kind of don't really get this. Did I miss a strip?
Bruce the Great
Aww come on! Go for it Julie, she's perfect! Jacob is an asshole, everyone knows it, you'll never be happy with him, even if he were to suddenly stop ignoring you!
andrewsbnl
Being from Washington State and a certified barista and so on, I really enjoyed this story arc about the guild. Reminds me of a specialty coffee shop I worked for. You captured the personalities perfectly specially if you're looking at the Seattle area. I'm new to the NY area so I'm not familiar with the "types" over here. Also I don't understand how people over here can drink Dunkin Donuts…
@Intrulf
I still don understand why people drink coffee that isn't made with Puerto Rican beans.
andrewsbnl
Because there are other things that are worth sampling also 🙂 Though Puerto Rico does have some great coffee. I just have a soft spot for Costa Rican coffee.
Heidi
I liked this arc too. I genuinely feel for Julie and to be honest, I hope she doesn't really get with Jacob.
Jacob's not a bad guy, he's really not. He's happy where he's at and doesn't see a need to change it. I was very much a "Julie" once with a guy, and even though we were (still are!) great friends and extremely close, he just wasn't into me like that. It was a blessing in disguise though, because I ended up finding the love of my life instead, and who felt the same about me.
But, I was Julie down to the letter, even when I met the love of my life, I wasn't sure, because I still kept hoping for a chance with the other guy. Eventually I forced myself to go on a few dates and realized I was genuinely happy around him.
I don't think Jacob could ever treat Julie how she wants to be treated. Not because he's a jerk and doesn't care about her, but because it's not in his nature, and it's not how he feels about her.
It's an ego thing. Not in the negative sense, but it hurts to really care for someone, and despite your closeness, wonder why they can't feel more for you. The truth is that you're only thinking of yourself, and not in a very positive light.
Narf
"It's an ego thing. Not in the negative sense, but it hurts to really care for someone, and despite your closeness, wonder why they can't feel more for you. The truth is that you're only thinking of yourself, and not in a very positive light."
Also the root of the classic "I'm A Nice Guy And Girls Only Like Jerks" predicament many intelligent, emotionally turbulent young men find themselves in, if you look at it again. 🙂 This was very well put, thank you for giving me something for my brain to chew on.
@aawilliams
Ugh, Jacob is so not worth it. 🙁
@PersonalGenius
It's not really that confusing. Y'all should just do what I do and instead of assuming everyone is straight, just assume everyone is bi or queerish. 🙂
twomey
no no non no no nononononono!!!!!!!!!!! julie just needs a second in private to get accustomed to the idea, right julie?
wpa
… make your mother sigh.
Nick
Wow, why does my record player have to be in for repairs TODAY, now I really want to hear this song.
Also, seriously, people have to stop making a big deal about Julie's sexuality. Maybe she's bisexual, maybe she isn't and just doesn't want to say. She's always seemed a little young and confused, so she probably still has some things to learn about herself. Or maybe as the readers, we have some things we could stand to learn about her.
Just go with the flow.
Keith
Wash? Is that you?
Girl
Julie! Think of the coffee tricks she could teach you!
Mark
I think the point here is just Julie’s misreading of the situation, as her interpersonal relationships are all kind of messed up.
Fady
FFFFFF and here I thought I was crazy when I wondered what was going on when Jane brought her down to the vacuum factory. "Nah it doesn't necessarily mean she has a thing for Julie don't you jump to conclusions like that" I said.
MAYBE I should stop questioning my gaydar.
Arkadi
Yep, maybe you should 😉
Tom
To those surprised at the Jane/Julie thang – swot up on your Belle and Sebastian. This was flagged up at the start…
@maxofburg
i really feel like this could have used one more strip somewhere as a setup. i'm not sure why, but the romantic vibe of this strip came off as confusing – not because of the social context, but because of the timing. something's off. not sure what :C
@nullward
Really? I felt like it was exceptionally well timed. Maybe I just picked up on a few small things. Jane's decisively nonchalant reply to Jacob's advance via Eve, her inviting Julie aside personally . . . it's subtle, but that's the kind of indirect characterization that I really like and appreciate in this strip.
qwertyx7
Maybe I'm just thick, but I totally did not see this coming o.O
jimmy
Honestly, I feel bad for Julie and Jacob. Julie for her crush, and Jacob for having perpetually to look like heel for not responding to her.
But he probably shouldn't: he hasn't demonstrated any interest in her, but she's crushing all over him to the point of creepy. That's not a solid basis for a relationship.
Damien Walder
I certainly felt Jane had more going on with anyone _but_ Jacob. He's anti-chemistry and he knows it – hence his stance of musician/ I have booze.
Catherine
I dunno, I was entirely no surprised when I read this strip. The whole "you're cool!" "no, YOU'RE" cool was reminiscent of some of my thirteen year old flirting (with the only guy who ever flirted with me at that age). Poor Julie, so confused.
J. Kyle H.
DAMMIT JULIE DON'T BUM ME OUT THIS WEEK
Mari
Kind of surprised at the ammount of "omg gay omg straight" comments here. Meridith, I love that your characters have real depth that go beyond labels that are made up and forced onto people.
It seems to be upon being confronted with a different idea of companionship, Julie may be realizing that her quest to force a boy to love and coddle her is a false-reality, and that genuine love and affection can come in many different types of packages, but what's important is that the love is there. Not what genitalia happen to be in either person's pants.
Atleast this is what I HOPE Julie is thinking! There are many Jacobs in this world both male and female, and none of them are worth sacrificing your own happiness for.
PeonyCrackers
jane was hitting on julie two pages ago (or at least that's how i interpreted it), so this didn't surprise me too much. :]
@briv
I'll be the dick here and say: Really? You didn't see this coming? Like, at all? I've been on the edge of my seat waiting for this to happen!
SarahMary
This strip breaks my heart. I know exactly what it's like to be completely consumed with something (or someone), until it distorts your perspective on everything else, including your own heart. Fantasies can be monsters. I'm mentally hugging Julie AND my high school self.
Louis
Awww, now I REALLY want Julie and Jane to be together!!!
Sebastian
I can definitely see Julie's "I'm not sure at the moment" as both an answer to Jane and to herself regarding her sexuality. As for those who find this situation surprising, I definitely had a feeling this would happen, especially after the "vacuum factory" comic.
caffeinecritter
Gah!!! Julie, forget Jacob and go for it! Jane's a hottie.
Trae
I thought it was kind of obvious this was what was going on.
I can't be the only one who feels more sorry for Jane here than either Julie or Jacob. (Hey, all J's!) Here she is, finding interest in an adorable girl who finds her very cool, and this girl rejects her in favor of a hopeless, idiotic obsession with an insensitive guy who doesn't even notice her. While I do feel for Julie a little bit, I feel she's being outrageously silly in this by turning down what seems like a perfect (and very cute) romantic opportunity because she can't let go of a crush that someone she respects very much (Eve) has flat out told her is not worth it.
@meekgrr
I'm skydivin' to conclusions
Alex
I thought Jane's attraction was made reasonably clear. Not obvious, sure, but there were certain touches that I felt communicated attraction.
What I wasn't entirely aware of was that Julie isn't straight. Her reaction here suggests that it's not her sexual orientation that's stopping her from considering Jane's proposition, but rather that she's in love with someone else. And that's all. Which I think is cool, but it's new information to me.
Maybe it was mentioned or hinted at in an earlier strip…I haven't actually ever started from the beginning. Time to get on that then. If this is a new reveal though, bravo for expressing that so subtly.
As an aside, I've really been enjoying this entire arc.
Thorne
I think this one is perfect (and was certainly projected two strips ago) and that we’ll all be pleased soon, Julie and Jane most of all. The whole initial setup of Eve lecturing Julie will not be for naught! And finally, we’ll get some overdue progress in Julie’s character. She’s been static for far too long!
orbert
jenga was foreshadowing. julie is the block from the middle.
iAmMortos
Wow there it is again: Meredith's ability to insert subtle emotions and interactions between the characters. That's why her strip stands out to me so much more than anything else. It's so well-done.
Love it.
SPR1T3
Wow, hahaha, I’m so dense romantically. I just went back to read the arc and it was obvious from the beginning.
Arkadi
And the sad thing is, this might just have made Jane decide that Julie isn't worth it, since she can have such a big crush for a huge douchebag like Jacob. Rah! 🙁 I hope not.
AlmostLiterally
Aww…Julie's growing up…
I don't think it's Julie's sexuality which is the part she isn't sure about, but whether or not to pursue Jane when Jacob's still around. Either way, Jacob gets the short end of the deal. That's what you get for being kind of a douche.
Justin
To hell with Jacob! TEAM JANE FOR THE WIN!!!!
amc
Jane is waaay cuter than Jacob, Julie! Also, it's a J party here
I really love how you draw Jane; I'm really enjoying this storyline
Stasia
… I knew my gaydar wasn't going off for nothing in the last strips. 🙂 I'm pretty happy my wishes for these two turned out to be what was actually going on!
lil
I wish I could grab Julie by the shoulders, shake her a bit and say "Run to her."
Also, when trying to find the strip where Julie has a girl crush on Eve, I just kept running into so many great old story lines and remembered why this is such a grand comic.
tastyjustice
Haha, yesss! My gaydar is right again! I knew Jane was playing for the hometeam. And you know, gay. I guess I'm also assuming she plays baseball, or whatever that saying means.
If you reeeaaallly wanted to have an unexpected plot twist the next comic would be a lesbian sex scene. And then Eve would stumble in and…well…she's drunk…
That would be the most unexpected thing right now.
Kyle Landry
Damnit Julie, why aren't you making sweet sweet lesbian love right now!
Funny, I actually suspected this to happen, but I have no idea why. Too bad it was cut short by Julie's stupid love for stupid Jacob.
Lola
Oh come on! Please let them get together!! This would go from favorite comic to super favorite comic!