Rich Morris' Comics - YAFGC and The ComixBlog

This is my first post, so hello all! It might also be my last, for I feel that a topic like this might get me laughed off the boards.

But, I'm stone-cold serious. Has anyone thought of what Alzaer'bith went through in Coup D' Drow? She was overthrown by her own sister (with the help of my former favorite Arachne), put up for sale at a slave auction by her sister where no one bid on her, was going to be dumped into a food processor, had the slave tattoos flayed off her living skin, was finally rescued by a cruel Arachne who was there at the auction but sneeringly told her "I just wanted you to see how much you were worth.", was locked nude in a hanging cage by Arachne like a common criminal when she could have given her a small room, was taken down and tortured for information when she could have just been asked, then tortured more by Arachne's assistants before being put back up in her hanging cage, only to be taken down to assume her new role as a court jester!

Normally, I have found YAFGC to be fresh, funny, sexy, and very entertaining, (and the nudity and bondage helps a lot, hubba, hubba), but now after reading of the treatment of Alzaer'Bith in Coup D' Drow, it has really put a bad taste in my mouth. Arachne is treated with a happy ending when in reality, had she killed Mahri at the outset when she started her shenanigans as Queen Alzaer'bith commanded, the entire coming war would have been averted and hundreds upon thousands of lives been saved. Who's the real villain here? Arachne! Ignoring the Queen's order was tantamount to treason! And if Alzaer'bith was really as dumb, dull, and an idiot as Lolth called her constantly, how did she ever become queen? And what of the so-called goddess Lolth? Surely a goddess could see through Mahri's machinations. And really folks, how could Mahri make decisions as just a visiting sister instead of the ruling Queen (strip 2006-2008) ? If Queen Elizabeth I had a sister that tried to make state policy decisions she would have ended up in the Tower of London in a flash!

I used to be really turned on by Arachne, but now she's my least favorite character. The sight of Alzaer'bith brought to tears under torture still tugs at my heart, and knowing that Arachne was duplicitous in Mahri's taking over and causing the horrible war and getting away with it really makes me wish she had never been brought back by Lolth when Lewie dumped her and Wolf in the lava pit (strip 800 ). And I have never felt this way about just an online comic! And speaking of Wolf, he was just as treasonous as Arachne, perhaps even more as he was in up to his neck in the poisoning attempt on the Bloodhands ( strip 2040 ) .

I thought Clover Firelight had been treated badly at first, but what happened to Alzaer'bith takes the cake! I can only hope that somehow, someway, Alzaer'bith is released from her lowly state as official court fool and given a title of honor as she DOES have royal blood in her veins, and Arachne suffers some penance from her part in Alzaer'bith's torture and humiliation and her part in helping cause the war. Perhaps a character will bring attention to the whole Coup D' Drow to Queen Nephilia, who seems wise and just, and she will make things right as I see it. But, I feel certain this won't happen. Arachne's one of the most popular characters if not THE most popular in the comic, and could get away with anything. It's just that Alzaer'bith has to wear a court jester's attire while the last image I saw of Arachne she was getting her feet rubbed by her adoring slave, and to me that's wrong.

Ahem. Well, at least I got that off my chest. Since everyone is in love with Arachne I have no doubt I'll be laughed down like Alzaer'bith. She and I share a common bond, for both of us have been thought of as unworthy and an idiot during our lives. I guess I just identify too much with her, but there it is. No one here may think of Alzaer'bith as anything but a fool, but I feel genuine pathos for her. Here's to you, former queen of the Drow, my Alzaer'bith. You at least have one slave that still obeys you. *grovels reverently*.

It amazes me sometimes how involved some people get with these characters and situations and I thank you for reading and getting so passionate about it.

If YAFGC cannot be said to have a 'moral' or a 'message', at least one a single one and a large part of it is cynical. Among the many concepts behind the stories is that evil people can and do get away with evil things.

Arachne is a great puzzle because she is so popular. And she is so popular because she's smart (when she isn't overcome with vanity), sneaky, sexy and kinky.

At the same time she's much reviled because she's so damned evil. Like when I GM my RPGs, I make no attempt to thrust morality into my stories, I just explore characters and motivations. The moral quandries are up to the players/readers. I don't claim to be brilliant at it, mind you. I simplify, make short cuts, sometimes make sweeping generalities.. but the long and the short of it is, these characters are all true to themselves. And whether they leave a good or bad taste in your mouth is largely your own problem and the forums are a great place for you to rant about it!

Will Azaer-bith ever return to a position of power? Seems unlikely but you can't rule it out. Is she as stupid as everyone makes her out to be? Probably not, though she has degraded over the years and she's not very popular with her own people. Or others.

Don't you think Arachne would be diminished as a character if she'd just given the ex-queen a small bedroom and asked politely about her sister? Arachne wouldn't just ask if she could torture.

Does it not make sense that Drow culture and politics are governed by treason, backstabbing, hateful policies and self promotion? It does to me.

I don't include the bondage aspect of Drow culture *just* for the sexy factor. It's a way of life for them and they're evil. EEEVIL!

Don't worry about not being welcome here - there is no groupthink on the strip, and dissenting opinions lead to frankly awesome debates around here. {{hugs mouthy forum folk oh so very tightly}} Every opinion has its place here, as long as two (three?) rules are followed -

1) Wheaton's Axiom (Don't be a dick)
1b) No slurs (gender/sexuality/kink/race/etc - we're equal opportunity loudmouths and this is as safe a space as you can get on the intartubez)

2) Don't make extra work for me - keep threads in the right forums, keep posts semi-on-topic, etc.

And that's it. Go play!

And for the record, this: "Since everyone is in love with Arachne"... totally not true. I can't stand the character. XD

Honestly, I think a slim majority of us are on the second half of the love-hate relationship with her. No one seems to be neutral about her.

Whoa there Tex! My own problem? That's a bit rude, don't you think? I'd say it's a matter of scruples. And if the Drow as a whole are evil, how do you explain Sittica? She seems remarkably untouched by Drow evil herself but got a pass by Arachne. And Alzaer-bith is certainly a Drow so she is not free from evil herself. It is just a matter of the depths of true evil which Arachne would stoop to keep Alzaer-bith alive for her own malignant pleasure which repelled me. Which is why I felt it necessary to express my feelings on Coup D' Drow. After having read it, a normally great example of your work, I wish I hadn't now.



It would no more diminish her than her expressing sadness at Princess Dewcup leaving her for Prince Summerheat ( strip 277 ). Up to this point she seemed to have a good rapport with Alzaer-bith. Why she turned up the hate seems to me more of a leap than treating her with the barest minimal respect.



If that is true, how do you explain Queen Nephilia? She seems to be generally loved and respected by not only her own kind but by even the orcs. She was made Queen by Lolth, who was fooled by a mere mortal into having Alzaer-bith deposed. Not much of a goddess, that one. And I repeat, had Arachne done what Alzaer-bith ordered her to do and assassinated Mahri when she began to work her evil an entire war would have been averted. Why Alzaer-bith gets such poor treatment and Arachne gets a pass is inexplicable. I suppose it was Arachne's idea to make Alzaer-bith into a court jester also. I doubt Queen Nephilia, who once was friends with her, would have stooped so low as to treat her that way.

Well, I just wanted to give my opinion on Coup D' Drow and I have done so, and with that I'll say no more. I just hope to not read any more stories like that in the future which will affect me in such a way. I really like YAFGC and hope to remain a loyal reader. But despite all, I will remain true to my Queen Alzaer-bith always.

I don't think it's rude at all. It's a web comic. It's something I write and draw in my own time and put up on the web for whoever wants to read it. I never put a gun to your head and said *READ THIS*. So if you chose to be offended by a handful of pencil strokes well... your problem. Not mine.
I don't believe I'm writing hate-literature. There's nothing specifically racist or sexist or homophobic about it (I got flack once from someone who called themselves asexual because I haven't yet written a story about someone who is asexual.) unless it's being represented in an unflattering light.

If it's a matter of scruples, I'd like to point out that Arachne has none.

Sometimes bad people get away with bad things. Arachne is especially good at it. Am I making her out to be a hero? Sometimes she seems that way. Sometimes not. I don't condone what she does, but it isn't about me.

I'm not sure if you're hoping I'll apologize for what I've written (which won't happen) or if you want me to come up with a new twist that will bring karma down on Arachne's head to satisfy your sense of literary justice. (Which, if it does happen, won't be because someone on the forum demanded it.)

Do you think Arachne shedding a tear over the loss of Dewcup was diminishing to her character?

He runs games like this, too. Just for the record. Vanessa's mistaken incineration of the lawful-good minotaur (damn you!) and the whole DON'T EAT THE WHITE MEAT incident (DAMN YOUR EYES!) are proof of that. He likes to wind things up, set them in motion, and watch the chaos.


EBIL. EEEEEEEEEBIL.

Sheesh, man, had I known you were that sensitive about your webcomic I never would have brought the subject up. I merely pointed out what I believed were incongruities and instead of having a thoughtful discourse you go all Drow on my ass and reach for the jugular. I don't believe I ever asked for an apology, and no, I never had any expectations of you doing a storyline changing your mind due to someone on the forum 'demanding' it. I never demanded anything, if you go back and read what I wrote. And an evil Drow shedding a tear for an elf? Yeah, I'd have to say that diminished Arachne, if only for a short while.

Well, it's obvious I got off on the wrong foot with my posting here. You challenge the God of the webcomic and you can expect to be banished. Don't worry, I won't bother coming back. Or reading YAFGC again. I know when I'm beat.

See ya'll in the funny papers.

Was that four-posts-to-flounce? I think that's a new record.

Don't stress yourself out, hon - spamming and serious personal attacks are the only ways to get yourself banned here. Come back when you feel ready.

As I look back over this conversation, and my comments in particular, I see that I said things in ways that were pretty harsh. If you're not completely gone yet, Drowslave, I deeply apologize. I didn't meant to attack you as I did. It was inexcusable.

I think one of the biggest problems in communicating through text is you can't hear someone's tone. There have been many times where I have written something in good nature but someone became offended after they read it. When I go back and reread my post and try to look at it from a neutral standpoint I can see how it could be taken wrong. That may very well have been the case here.

This one, I think, was destined to go off the rails. I think that Drowslave was too prepared to be attacked for what they were saying and reacted to anything that seemed vaguely directed at them.



I think this is the operative piece. I'm not going to go into an analysis here (as much as the Psychologist in me would love to do so), but while reading through this thread, this passage made me realize that there were only certain responses that were likely to go over well.

This seems to have gone the route of a "game" of Push-me Pull-you. And, just like every other example of P-M P-Y, there's no real way to win.

See now I thought that was a gazelle with a head at either end.

I see what you and Tripp are saying and I agree. It doesn't change the fact that I did speak in a more aggressive voice than I intended.

No sense beating yourself up over it now. But, as far as that goes, you are fairly protective of this whole enterprise. And sometimes, I think that there isn't enough separation between you and the comic - in the minds of any number of people. And that always leads to things taking a more personal tone than perhaps they should.

Really? I didn't think I was coming across as quite that sensitive.