Toonbots message board: Nobody expects the Toonbots Jihad

Michael Thu Feb 1 22:26:00 2001 Napoleon > Napoleon, I realized, I can't express yet, > especially since she's transparent. Or maybe she has a window in her belly. Like a Teletubbie... Hmm...

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 01:00:47 2001 Re: Napoleon > Or maybe she has a window in her belly. Like a Teletubbie... Hmm... That would make for interesting defenestration options.

Michael Thu Feb 1 22:38:04 2001 A word on my motivations here Yeah, OK, I started this Toonbots thing, and I write the Toon-o-Matic, and I write all the episodes, and in some way this whole Toonbots thing is my sense of humor reified -- but at the same time, this teensy-weensy community is for me an inherent part of Toonbots. Toonbots without the Jihad is ... I don't know, it's Simon without Garfunkle, Pirates without Penzance, Peter without Pan, get what I'm saying? That's part of what makes Webtoons unique, and I've always wanted to incorporate some kind of feedback into the process. Back when I was thinking about randomly generating the episodes, I wanted to take phrases from the message board and use those as a base theme to compose variants on. Since that's well beyond the language capability of anything I can write this year, I've been wanting to do something by hand. And when everybody suddenly started being in their own comics, I thought, OK, how should I be different and weird? This is the result. Toonbots *has* a Jihad, and people should just get used to it.

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 00:39:51 2001 Re: A word on my motivations here > This is the result. Toonbots *has* a Jihad, and people should just get > used to it. Or perhaps Toonbots is the Jihad and the Jihad is Toonbots? In a meta sort of way. I love the whole Jihad thing, though. As far as I know there isn't another webcomic where the fans and the actual comic-type thing are linked like this, and that means I got in on the ground floor of a New Thing, and that makes me feel special. *glee*

Chris Fri Feb 2 00:30:42 2001 Re: Nobody expects the Toonbots Jihad > (1) Does anybody have anything against my effectively usurping your online > identities for Toonbots? I did this with BoxJam without even asking, but > I'm being nice to the Jihad. I have nothing against it at all. I can't fathom why you'd WANT to, though. > I just tried doing some > sketches of Chris, but it just isn't gelling yet. I'm a JELLO BLOB?! That I might have an issue or two with. ;)

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 00:45:43 2001 Re: Nobody expects the Toonbots Jihad > I'm a JELLO BLOB?! That I might have an issue or two with. ;) *eats Chris* Mmm, lime.

gopher Fri Feb 2 00:50:33 2001 Re: Nobody expects the Toonbots Jihad > *eats Chris* Mmm, lime. So *you're* the cannibal!

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 00:58:25 2001 Re: Nobody expects the Toonbots Jihad > So *you're* the cannibal! Wha -- no! No, no, nonono, not I! It, uh... it was Emsworth! Yeah! I'm not a cannibal! Uhhh... *attempts to run away, but slips on a bit of overlooked JelloChris and winds up flying through the window instead*

Michael Fri Feb 2 01:04:29 2001 Chris's form still void > I have nothing against it at all. I can't fathom why you'd WANT to, > though. Pfft. Read "A word on my motivations here." And it's something different. > I'm a JELLO BLOB?! That I might have an issue or two with. ;) No. I'm thinking more something tall and skinny ... can't quite get it. Maybe like the stick insect in Bug's Life. No, that's not quite it.

Chris Fri Feb 2 01:06:45 2001 Re: Chris's form still void > No. I'm thinking more something tall and skinny ... can't quite get it. > Maybe like the stick insect in Bug's Life. No, that's not quite it. That would actually be a more accurate depiction than you might think, frighteningly enough.

Michael Fri Feb 2 01:11:39 2001 Re: Chris's form still void > That would actually be a more accurate depiction than you might think, > frighteningly enough. See? The metacartoonist knows all. It's just my visualization of your personality, or at least the Jihad aspect of your personality. A scribe. Yes, a scribe.

Chris Fri Feb 2 01:15:15 2001 Re: Chris's form still void > A scribe. Yes, a scribe. Oooooh. I like this idea. *stops posting and returns to the work he's SUPPOSED to be doing right now*

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 01:17:52 2001 Re: Chris's form still void > *stops posting and returns to the work he's SUPPOSED to be doing right > now* Don't worry... someday the rest of the world will recognize that what we were meant to do was contribute to the meandering conversations of the Jihad, not bother with such trivialities as "school" and "work".

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 01:19:43 2001 whee > Don't worry... someday the rest of the world will recognize that what we > were meant to do was contribute to the meandering conversations of the > Jihad, not bother with such trivialities as "school" and > "work". Hey, I just had a random thought... we need Jihad t-shirts! We can wear them with pride and confuse the unwashed masses around us! Or not. Just living up to that "meandering" part.

Michael Fri Feb 2 01:21:32 2001 Merchandising, franchising, atomising, > Hey, I just had a random thought... we need Jihad t-shirts! We can wear > them with pride and confuse the unwashed masses around us! Now that makes sense. Or Jihad trading cards. Heh, heh. Gotta catch'em all!

gopher Fri Feb 2 01:23:51 2001 Re: Merchandising, franchising, atomising, > Now that makes sense. Or Jihad trading cards. Heh, heh. Gotta catch'em > all! Wouldn't we need more members for that? Doesn't seem like catching 15 cards would take a really long time.

Michael Fri Feb 2 01:25:35 2001 Re: Merchandising, franchising, atomising, > Wouldn't we need more members for that? Doesn't seem like catching 15 > cards would take a really long time. Yes, well, um... OK. Maybe you've got a point there.

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 01:34:46 2001 Re: Merchandising, franchising, atomising, > Yes, well, um... OK. Maybe you've got a point there. We can let our alternate personalities be on the cards, too. The contents of my brain alone would double the roster!

gopher Fri Feb 2 01:39:25 2001 Re: Merchandising, franchising, atomising, > We can let our alternate personalities be on the cards, too. The contents > of my brain alone would double the roster! But where does one make the distinctions? How can you tell where Napoleon #1 ends and Napoleon #2 begins? Or is your card going to some sort of nebulous collection of cards that all seem attached yet separate. *looks back and wonders at which point the nonsense ate his brain* Hrm..I suppose we could increase the card count with Dot, Bot, Hick, Chick, 'speare, Bush, Gore, and the dead communists as well.

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 01:46:40 2001 Re: Merchandising, franchising, atomising, > Hrm..I suppose we could increase the card count with Dot, Bot, Hick, > Chick, 'speare, Bush, Gore, and the dead communists as well. Collect 'em all, you stinking capitalist scum, you!

Chris Fri Feb 2 02:06:46 2001 Re: Merchandising, franchising, atomising, > But where does one make the distinctions? How can you tell where Napoleon > #1 ends and Napoleon #2 begins? Or is your card going to some sort of > nebulous collection of cards that all seem attached yet separate. Or perhaps the cards could, in Toonbots fashion, be meta-cards which are there but at the same time only truly exist in potentia on our plane of existence... > *looks back and wonders at which point the nonsense ate his brain* *does so as well* > Hrm..I suppose we could increase the card count with Dot, Bot, Hick, > Chick, 'speare, Bush, Gore, and the dead communists as well. As long as there are 42 total cards. That's the important bit, y'know.

gopher Fri Feb 2 02:09:41 2001 Re: Merchandising, franchising, atomising, > As long as there are 42 total cards. That's the important bit, y'know. I suppose that if we need to increase the total I could develop a few personallity disorders for the sake of the jihad. Or perhaps there could be various action cards: Napoleon defenestrating Lee, gopher spamming the boards, Chris being eaten by wolverines, that sort of thing.

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 02:17:16 2001 Re: Merchandising, franchising, atomising, > I suppose that if we need to increase the total I could develop a few > personallity disorders for the sake of the jihad. Or perhaps there could > be various action cards: Napoleon defenestrating Lee, gopher spamming the > boards, Chris being eaten by wolverines, that sort of thing. I like it! I'd suggest one of me defenestrating the wolverines, but then again that might kinda defeat the purpose of having either weapon at our disposal.

Michael Fri Feb 2 11:25:14 2001 Wolverine defenestration > I'd suggest one of me defenestrating the wolverines, but then again that > might kinda defeat the purpose of having either weapon at our disposal. My sense is that this isn't really an important consideration for you, Napoleon.

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 12:56:51 2001 Re: Wolverine defenestration > My sense is that this isn't really an important consideration for you, > Napoleon. Yeah, well. Good of the many outweighing the insane urges of the few or the one, and all that.

gopher Fri Feb 2 01:22:26 2001 Re: whee > Hey, I just had a random thought... we need Jihad t-shirts! We can wear > them with pride and confuse the unwashed masses around us! Now I'm wondering what sort of design would be on such a shirt. Would it have Michael's representation of the jihad, and perhaps in the form of a toon with the XML on the book, as was pondered in the days of yore? Hmm...

Michael Fri Feb 2 01:24:27 2001 Re: whee > Now I'm wondering what sort of design would be on such a shirt. Would it > have Michael's representation of the jihad, and perhaps in the form of a > toon with the XML on the book, as was pondered in the days of yore? Hmm... Well, duh.

gopher Fri Feb 2 01:18:09 2001 Re: Chris's form still void > *stops posting and returns to the work he's SUPPOSED to be doing right > now* Work? There is life beyond the jihad? *glances over at his calculus homework taunting him* NOOO!! I refuse to believe it!

Michael Fri Feb 2 01:19:01 2001 Chris's aspect at least somewhat fixed > Oooooh. I like this idea. Good. Consider yourself coopted. Hmm... Still can't quite see Napoleon. Except she needs hands, otherwise defenestration will be difficult. See, defenestration has to turn into something inherent to the strip itself, otherwise it doesn't make sense that we keep referring to it here and there. This is almost making sense here....

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 01:21:22 2001 Re: Chris's aspect at least somewhat fixed > Hmm... Still can't quite see Napoleon. Except she needs hands, otherwise > defenestration will be difficult. I could always be a flying window-with-hands who throws people through me. Although that might be painful.

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 01:22:35 2001 oops > I could always be a flying window-with-hands who throws people through me. > Although that might be painful. Er, s/me/myself/ Would have been nice if I could have noticed that BEFORE I hit post...

Michael Fri Feb 2 01:23:31 2001 Re: Chris's aspect at least somewhat fixed > I could always be a flying window-with-hands who throws people through me. > Although that might be painful. Well, my intuition is that you need some Napoleonic aspect. Don't worry. Tomorrow it'll be obvious, I'm sure. You have to admit, gopher and Emsworth are well-rendered, right? Right? I'm not hearing any comments on my rather unusual use of hand drawing tools (OK, MS Paint). I don't do this for just anybody.

gopher Fri Feb 2 01:26:10 2001 Shadows of the jihad > Well, my intuition is that you need some Napoleonic aspect. Don't worry. > Tomorrow it'll be obvious, I'm sure. You have to admit, gopher and > Emsworth are well-rendered, right? > Right? > I'm not hearing any comments on my rather unusual use of hand drawing > tools (OK, MS Paint). I don't do this for just anybody. Emsworth looked really cool, but I'm having trouble making out the images of me. I take it that's supposed be a black shirt similar to the ones that an actual priest would wear? A little hard to tell with no outlines anywhere. The glasses were funny, though.

Michael Fri Feb 2 01:28:20 2001 Re: Shadows of the jihad > Emsworth looked really cool, but I'm having trouble making out the images > of me. I take it that's supposed be a black shirt similar to the ones that > an actual priest would wear? A little hard to tell with no outlines > anywhere. The glasses were funny, though. Well, you're iconic. Yeah. The top is too wide -- fine-tuning will have to wait for the Toon-o-Matic. The idea here is black leather vestments. High Priest's robes. I'll work on it.

gopher Fri Feb 2 01:29:57 2001 Re: Shadows of the jihad > The idea here is black leather vestments. High Priest's robes. I'll work > on it. Do I get one of those cool hat things? Seems like the whole point of joining the clergy is the nifty headgear.

Michael Fri Feb 2 01:34:58 2001 Re: Shadows of the jihad > Do I get one of those cool hat things? Seems like the whole point of > joining the clergy is the nifty headgear. I rather like that idea. Too bad I can't draw it. Well, we'll see what the facilities of the Toon-o-Matic suggest once I can even get close to what I want.

Brother Emsworth Fri Feb 2 08:21:10 2001 Re: Chris's aspect at least somewhat fixed > I'm not hearing any comments on my rather unusual use of hand drawing > tools (OK, MS Paint). I don't do this for just anybody. I wondered why there wasn't any source code, or how you managed some of the curves. At first I thought perhaps the Toon-O-Matic had simply been making more strides than I'd thought. Still, nice work.

Michael Fri Feb 2 02:01:15 2001 Napoleon v0.5 Something like this, maybe....

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 02:13:23 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 > Something like this, maybe.... I'm going to have nightmares about that, Michael. Thanks.

gopher Fri Feb 2 02:18:48 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 > I'm going to have nightmares about that, Michael. Thanks. The wicked live in constant fear of eternal defenestration. Though the fear doesn't make much sense in your case, regardless of wickedness levels, since auto-defenestration just doesn't seem quite as ominous, and it would be darned silly. I suppose this means that Michael's representation is a success?

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 02:22:26 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 > ...auto-defenestration just doesn't seem quite as ominous, and > it would be darned silly. Fun, though. > I suppose this means that Michael's representation is a success? I have to admit it's got a lot going for it. It's friendly, yet incredibly disturbing on a visceral level. And hey, it's got a little hat!

Michael Fri Feb 2 11:34:52 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 > I have to admit it's got a lot going for it. It's friendly, yet incredibly > disturbing on a visceral level. And hey, it's got a little hat! Hey, it's not like it's *you*. It's your Jihad personality. You know it fits. It just needs little floating gloves under it, and it's done. Resistance is futile. Consider yourself coopted.

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 13:04:02 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 > Resistance is futile. Consider yourself coopted. Yessir, Mr. Meta-Cartoonist, sir.

Michael Fri Feb 2 11:39:12 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 > I'm going to have nightmares about that, Michael. Thanks. Yeah, but doesn't the look on her face just scream "DEFENESTRATION"? I'm incredibly pleased with this sketch, actually.

Lord Emsworth Fri Feb 2 08:10:23 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 Aw!! Napoleon's pretty cute!

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 12:55:06 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 > Aw!! Napoleon's pretty cute! Not to mention visibly disturbed. *waves cheerfully to the nice men in white coats who for some reason are wielding butterfly nets*

Michael Fri Feb 2 14:50:39 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 > Not to mention visibly disturbed. See? It speaks to the Jihad Napoleon in you.

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 17:10:05 2001 Re: Napoleon v0.5 > See? It speaks to the Jihad Napoleon in you. I'm already convinced, Michael. You don't have to keep trying. :P

gopher Fri Feb 2 02:15:34 2001 Re: Nobody expects the Toonbots Jihad I wonder what Emsworth will think when he wakes up to a new 37 (and growing) post thread. hehehe.

Lord Emsworth Fri Feb 2 08:08:08 2001 Re: Nobody expects the Toonbots Jihad > I wonder what Emsworth will think when he wakes up to a new 37 (and > growing) post thread. hehehe. He'll think that, at least no one can blame him for this one. I'm also rather surprised and very gratified by this turn of events. I'm quite surprised by my representation. Does the name "Emsworth" suggest a monocle? That surprised me, especially as its oddly close. The fictional character Lord Emsworth, created by P. G. Wodehouse and from whom I borrowed the user name, generally wore pince-nez, but his brother always wore a monocle. Still, pince-nez might be slightly more difficult, and I think I prefer the monocled look myself. Agreed that the High Priest could probably use more details, but I like the teeth. I'm looking forward to the Anniversary of Prague with even greater anticipation now. You know, this is the best Jihad I've ever been in (only jihad I've ever been in.) Sniff. I love all of you people.

Napoleon Fri Feb 2 12:51:23 2001 Re: Nobody expects the Toonbots Jihad > I'm looking forward to the Anniversary of Prague with even greater > anticipation now. You know, this is the best Jihad I've ever been in (only > jihad I've ever been in.) Sniff. I love all of you people. We're the best Jihad EVER! Yay!