7-31-13 The Way They Used To Be.

Ricia · Joined: 19 Feb 2013 Posts: 76

I feel very sorry for Slick. I think Tat's been cruel to him. He made him the wannabe feminist doing it for rewards, and he gave him an evil side that nobody but the audience can see. He lost one of his best friends in a way he can't understand. If he can't be given the ability to see the Patriarchy I hope Tat will give him some moments of non-patronizing happiness. I hope he can hang out with his friends without talking about feminism. If he has to move on away from Nique, I want him to do so peacefully. I want him to rid himself of his demon side and come to terms with things.

Valerie · Joined: 02 Apr 2013 Posts: 263

Boing Fwip · Joined: 21 Jul 2013 Posts: 19

I don't necessarily want things back to the way they were. Just 'Nique (well, I also wouldn't mind seeing some neglected characters too). I know I'll catch flack for that, but before the Sisterhood I thought 'Nique was already a strong woman and better developed as a character. There's nothing wrong with being who you are. Monique went from oblivious to the Patriarchy yet still fighting authority to being bombarded by it and getting worn down. Keep the Sisterhood, just let 'Nique be 'Nique. Fun-loving, authority-defying, mostly happy 'Nique trumps unhappy Partiarchy-delivery-vehicle 'Nique. Only thing I'd keep about new 'Nique is her refusal to be merely an object on the poetry stage.

Monkey Mcdermott · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 3271

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Rune · Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 1043

enchantedsleeper · Joined: 16 Jun 2013 Posts: 202 Location: United Kingdom

What I miss about "the way things used to be" is how Slick and Monique used to work together. Not often mind you, but it was awesome when it happened. That's why this comic is one of my favourite single pages of Sinfest and why I have a panel from it as my avatar. I miss when they were only sometimes at odds instead of constantly.

Unlike some though, I don't think Monique should revert back to the way she was in earlier comics just so she and Slick can be friends again. Instead, I really wish Slick would just get with the program and progress already instead of constantly falling back into his old self-centred, misogynistic rut. Like Arkhron said, narrative wise, his constant failures and refusal to learn from his mistakes are getting pretty repetitive. Also, the comic seems to imply that Slick is somehow a better person than his bedevilled "evil side" (at least that's what I assume, otherwise there wouldn't be a separation between them), but most of the time? I'm not seeing much difference. Maybe Evil Slick is less inhibited than Regular Slick, that's all. Other than that, well, I wish the comic would give us a bit more reason to root for Slick as a redeemable character.

Rune · Joined: 08 Oct 2011 Posts: 1043

I wonder what that path of growth would look like. I don't think Slick has any clue how to even begin to grow.

What does he like? (besides porn)
What makes him feel good? (besides visualizing himself as a pimp)
What matters to him? (ooh, progress here, he does actually care about 'Nique, so that's something)
What is he good at? (there has to be something, and maybe he'll figure it out when he stops looking in all the wrong places)

tricksterson · Joined: 18 Aug 2012 Posts: 434

There's no doubt that Slick has a long way to go and barely a clue how to get there, but then again I haven't seen any signs of Monique or anyone in the Sisterhood (except Nana, who did give hima cookie for trying) being willing to give him any pointers. Monique IIRC did try before her pre-Sisterhood days but at the time he was the one unwilling to try. Rather than Xanthe or Lil Sis I'd like to see him interacting with Curly who at least talks to Squig or maybe the apparently kinder Mercy.
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stripeypants · Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:18 pm Post subject:

Monkey Mcdermott · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 3271

It just echoes how boring people like that (and they exist) are.
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Thenadathor · Joined: 17 Jul 2012 Posts: 63

slick as a character exists, I think lately, to show us the perspective of people who are simultaneously part of the problem and humanized people who genuinely want to love and be loved, deep down. If slick wasn't humanized, this comic wouldn't be a story, it would be a polemic.
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stripeypants · Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 3:33 am Post subject:

No, it would be a comic about the other characters who are humanized. The story really doesn't need Slick at all, because there are a lot of stories that Tat could follow and still make this comic.
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Thenadathor · Joined: 17 Jul 2012 Posts: 63

you didn't address my point. what i''m saying is that slick as an antagonist serves the story better by being ambivalent. My claim is that a story benefits from antagonists who are conflicted compared with ones who are cartoonishly one-dimensional. Thats why the arc where the devil quits his job was so compelling. Or, are you claiming not having an antagonizing force would be preferred? I dunno, would that just be a bunch of people being passive aggressive towards an unseen enemy?
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ShadowCell · Joined: 03 Aug 2008 Posts: 6020 Location: California

i'm not sure what comic you're reading but in the one i'm reading, Slick is not an antagonistic force at all.

once upon a time there was a lengthy arc in which Slick went around in a gray hoodie and tried to live on the straight and narrow. that was about as complicated as his character ever got; as i recall, it just sort of faded away and Slick slowly turned back into a filed-down version of his old self.

i guess if you look at the grand sweep of Sinfest's fourteen years, Slick failing to live on the straight and narrow and eventually regressing back to boring slob shows that when you dig deep down, Slick has his redeeming features, but they are grafted onto the core of a boring slob. so if he's ever going to get out of this rut, he'll have to stop being a boring slob. unlike Nique, that means he'd have to fundamentally change who he is.

which isn't necessary bad. current Slick is the boring slob, after all. but if it happens anytime soon, it would be even more jarring than anything the sisterhood arc has thrown out there so far. add to that Tat's glacial writing pace and it looks to me like Slick is going to be in boring slob mode for a looooooong time.

and i'm cool with that, because Slick is a boring slob, which means there's more interesting characters to turn to anyways.

stripeypants · Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 2:13 pm Post subject:

The Devil is a much bigger antagonist, so Slick isn't needed for that job.

Slick is not the center of the story anymore in any way. He doesn't need to be.
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