I know i know it, but can’t get it. Sigh. I did find out a hog, or hogg, is a sheep young enough to not have 2 teeth yet, but all i keep thinking of for gnu is woodpeckers (thanks, terry pratchett). I guess for my brain no gnus is better gnus, said sheepishly
One theory about the origin of the name of the card game Bridge is that soldiers serving in the Crimean War named it after the Galata Bridge, which they crossed on their way to the coffeehouse where they played.
In that context, the name Bridge makes sense.
There is no way Cadugan could have guessed the name of this game based on the information he’d been given.
Yet Lucus, struck by a random flash of insight from a different world, finds the name of the card game perfectly obvious because the city is called Lifecross-Hoggs. Nicely played, t!
Which does fit in with the allusions to mysteries in that many authors (including Christie) didn’t/don’t give enough of the right clues to solve it, so the story is more of an adventure or suspense, if you want to look at it in a gnu way.
The comments the last few days. I salute you all and will be baking cookies from now until June for you. Just as soon as my sides stop hurting from laughing so much.
There are t! fingerprints all over the strip lately, and it’s beautiful. Often, the quieter I am, the more I’m simply not wanting to interrupt the music…and this is such a time.
I am relieved that you are well, as I had been a bit concerned. Nevertheless, as reluctant as I am to undermine in the slightest your enjoyment or to impinge on your quietude, please note your harmonies and counterpoint melodies are missed. 🙂
I am in complete agreement regarding t! and Rich collaborating; it changes the flavouring of the comic, and I am excited to see where it will lead!
Oh, the list is *enormous* – but I had to pick only one. And it had to be one of two: At this moment, my wife and I actually are halfway through both that and C&L at the moment. So I went with the one I haven’t mentioned thus far.
I am with Cadugan on this. He is obviously missing vital, need-to-know information that would make that an ‘of course’. *dry chuckle* He likely didn’t read the right series of books. His disc-gust might be world shattering.
OK, so it’s a Discworld reference. That just makes the joke totally incomprehensible to anyone who haven’t read those books. Am I the only one in the whole universe who hasn’t done that?
Nah, I’ve read precisely 1 Discworld book. The references are fun easter eggs, but they have nothing to do with the story. Feel free to ignore them. Heck, I’m drawing the strip, and at least 70% of the references so far have slipped right past me.
It’s OK. I’ve also noticed that there are lots of references that don’t impact the story; I was just a bit frustrated that I saw that there was a lot of word-play going on and I just didn’t get it. Sorry if I let my frustration show through in my post.
I’m going to use block caps a little bit here, not because I’m shouting, but because what I want to convey is of profound importance to me as a writer and a person.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN – AND THERE NEVER WILL BE – AN END-OF-STRIP JOKE, OR A PLOT POINT, WHICH REQUIRES ANYONE TO CATCH A REFERENCE.
Because that shit excludes people. I’m against it.
(also, it’s usually bad writing, and spectacularly unfunny)
(yeah, I feel strongly about this)
The references are a bonus. That is all. Maybe, on occasion, there might be something amusing about them, but more often than not they are simply names: Replace them with anything else, and the story – and punchline – change not at all. I used those names because (A) I needed a name there, and (B) I wanted this story to acknowledge my influences and honour titans.
In the forums, people tend to seize on those references, and that can be a lot of fun – for those familiar with the references. Conversely, it can make those unfamiliar feel excluded. I hope those of you who do feel excluded can find a way to reconcile that within yourselves, because nobody is doing it on purpose; we’re just excited about the things we love. And here’s hoping, when the next reference drops, you can catch it and enjoy it.
One of the things I love most about your writing, and about Rich’s writing — thus, about your collaboration together — is that everything one needs to understand, appreciate, and enjoy the story unfolding is right there, on the page, front and center.
I’ve enjoyed the enthusiasm of folks about the references. While I may not get the reference at first, the people in the forum will give me enough information to pick up on it, and ask or go searching for parts that I’m not getting.
What is grand is seeing the enjoyment, and that in turn gets me wanting to learn more about it, and delighted to learn something new, case in point that Agatha Christy wrote romance novels using a pseudonym.
I would still like a list of references, t!, when the story is done. It would be nice to have them all in one place. Thank you. ?
For what it’s worth, I didn’t really feel excluded any more than anytime somebody tells an in-joke which you don’t get. It was pretty obvious that the joke had no impact on the plotline.
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I finally get the Lifecross-Hoggs reference. I’m probably very slow….
Very nice!
Well, you’re faster than I am. Or I am simply missing the cultural literacy.
I’m in the same boat. A quick google search of "Lifecross-Hoggs" didn’t yield any result.
I think Gnu was the tipoff.
t!
A morpork is an owl, not a pig! Reference fail! ?
Do you feel better now?
t!
Yeah, calling the twin cities "Lifecross and Owl" would have made it SO MUCH EASIER for people to figure out. Good call, Lurk. 😉
I feel like an idiot, but I haven no idea what it refers to either.
Oh for crying out loud. *slaughters the suspense though is may already have been done further down*
Lifecross = Ankh
Hoggs = Morpork (even if it really is a type of owl)
Lifecross-Hoggs = Ankh-Morpork (see Terry Pratchett)
Loved the reference, by the way. 😀
I know i know it, but can’t get it. Sigh. I did find out a hog, or hogg, is a sheep young enough to not have 2 teeth yet, but all i keep thinking of for gnu is woodpeckers (thanks, terry pratchett). I guess for my brain no gnus is better gnus, said sheepishly
*shares a cookie with P!enapple*
Hey P!enapple, are you able to contact me privately? I have a message for you.
I can…. But why am i suddenly afraid??? Lol
Yeah, i’ll message you on facebook tomorrow 🙂
*nibbles on cookie happily* delicious! Thanks, T-Chall!
Y 4 U no contac me?
You’re welcome, P!enapple. ??
Cadugan’s right. You don’t want to be off course when swimming across a river.
Nice.
t!
Very! Although in America, you don’t cross the river if you can’t swim the tide.
I’ll show myself out…
(America was a music group in the 70s, and that was one of their lyrics, just to inflict the pain on those fortunate enough to not know.)
> I’ll show myself out…
On a horse?
t!
with no name.
I bet it felt good to be out of the rain
Would be "of course" if you would have read the history book
"Snarling, vicious gnus. [They] could just eat up pumas." — Dicky Smothers
It’s ok Ashantai, it was gnus to me too
The rules of the game are open source and for everyone free to share and distribute 🙂
I should hope so. On the other hand, this doesn't seem like a world that needs copyright laws yet.
And the traditional statement at the beginning of the game? "Wildebeest player win!"
Groans. That was excellent!! I think you deserve FangFanGirl’s cookies for that one
You’re right
*gives Fnordius a cookie*
Ankh-Morpork! GNU Terry Pratchett!
:O OOooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t get it at all. Anybody care to explain the joke?
One theory about the origin of the name of the card game Bridge is that soldiers serving in the Crimean War named it after the Galata Bridge, which they crossed on their way to the coffeehouse where they played.
In that context, the name Bridge makes sense.
There is no way Cadugan could have guessed the name of this game based on the information he’d been given.
t!
Yet Lucus, struck by a random flash of insight from a different world, finds the name of the card game perfectly obvious because the city is called Lifecross-Hoggs. Nicely played, t!
Still lost
Which does fit in with the allusions to mysteries in that many authors (including Christie) didn’t/don’t give enough of the right clues to solve it, so the story is more of an adventure or suspense, if you want to look at it in a gnu way.
If this results in a "No Gnus is Good Gnus" pun, we’re revoking your webcomicking license.
I’ll pass it on to my writer. 😀
I think it’s one of the few I didn’t touch.
t!
One more of these and we’ll be saying "It’s over 9000!" about Cadugan’s blood pressure.
I’m a Gnu (courtesy of Flanders and Swann)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPgo6s1lBbw
I adore that song.
t!
Does everyone picture the veins popping out on Cadugan’s forehead?
The story is taking a backseat to spotting the hidden pop culture references.
Only on the forum.
t!
Oh no! I caught up. This was an excellent binge.
The comments the last few days. I salute you all and will be baking cookies from now until June for you. Just as soon as my sides stop hurting from laughing so much.
There are t! fingerprints all over the strip lately, and it’s beautiful. Often, the quieter I am, the more I’m simply not wanting to interrupt the music…and this is such a time.
I am relieved that you are well, as I had been a bit concerned. Nevertheless, as reluctant as I am to undermine in the slightest your enjoyment or to impinge on your quietude, please note your harmonies and counterpoint melodies are missed. 🙂
I am in complete agreement regarding t! and Rich collaborating; it changes the flavouring of the comic, and I am excited to see where it will lead!
There are Rancourt notes all over this post, and it’s a nice riff.
t!
> There are t! fingerprints all over the strip lately,
Bloody partial on the door jamb – or more likely the kitchen sink.
Barney Miller in the DVD player, Post-Carpenter in the CD machine, stack of McBains on the coffee table…
> and it’s beautiful.
Much appreciated. Thanks.
t!
No Columbo? Almost makes me think your cookies limit has been reaches t!… Almost (I really can’t resist you, like the pooka)
*quickly puts on a trench coat, as he hands a second coat to t!* “Oh, and just one more cookie…”
> No Columbo?
Oh, the list is *enormous* – but I had to pick only one. And it had to be one of two: At this moment, my wife and I actually are halfway through both that and C&L at the moment. So I went with the one I haven’t mentioned thus far.
t!
I’m sure I’m dating myself, again. But…
"All the News, with Gary Gnu!"
*puts hand up in commiseration*
It’s the only thing I remember from that show, apart from the theme song.
t!
I am with Cadugan on this. He is obviously missing vital, need-to-know information that would make that an ‘of course’. *dry chuckle* He likely didn’t read the right series of books. His disc-gust might be world shattering.
He’s just not in A’tuin with the game.
Honestly, with regards to the "of course," it never entered my mind that Lucas has read the Discworld novels.
(although I kinda like it)
He just… knows more about this kind of history.
t!
OK, so it’s a Discworld reference. That just makes the joke totally incomprehensible to anyone who haven’t read those books. Am I the only one in the whole universe who hasn’t done that?
I read all the books and I’m a huge fan, but I also didn’t get it and only the comments made me understand it. So, no worries.
btw: Now I’m hoping for a guest starring of the Lifecross-Hogg’s city watch. It’s a murder case after all! 😉
Nah, I’ve read precisely 1 Discworld book. The references are fun easter eggs, but they have nothing to do with the story. Feel free to ignore them. Heck, I’m drawing the strip, and at least 70% of the references so far have slipped right past me.
It’s OK. I’ve also noticed that there are lots of references that don’t impact the story; I was just a bit frustrated that I saw that there was a lot of word-play going on and I just didn’t get it. Sorry if I let my frustration show through in my post.
Subliminal unconscious thought flow! Yes!
Achievement Unlocked! Cheesecake level gained
I’m going to use block caps a little bit here, not because I’m shouting, but because what I want to convey is of profound importance to me as a writer and a person.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN – AND THERE NEVER WILL BE – AN END-OF-STRIP JOKE, OR A PLOT POINT, WHICH REQUIRES ANYONE TO CATCH A REFERENCE.
Because that shit excludes people. I’m against it.
(also, it’s usually bad writing, and spectacularly unfunny)
(yeah, I feel strongly about this)
The references are a bonus. That is all. Maybe, on occasion, there might be something amusing about them, but more often than not they are simply names: Replace them with anything else, and the story – and punchline – change not at all. I used those names because (A) I needed a name there, and (B) I wanted this story to acknowledge my influences and honour titans.
In the forums, people tend to seize on those references, and that can be a lot of fun – for those familiar with the references. Conversely, it can make those unfamiliar feel excluded. I hope those of you who do feel excluded can find a way to reconcile that within yourselves, because nobody is doing it on purpose; we’re just excited about the things we love. And here’s hoping, when the next reference drops, you can catch it and enjoy it.
t!
One of the things I love most about your writing, and about Rich’s writing — thus, about your collaboration together — is that everything one needs to understand, appreciate, and enjoy the story unfolding is right there, on the page, front and center.
Asides are *asides*.
I’ve enjoyed the enthusiasm of folks about the references. While I may not get the reference at first, the people in the forum will give me enough information to pick up on it, and ask or go searching for parts that I’m not getting.
What is grand is seeing the enjoyment, and that in turn gets me wanting to learn more about it, and delighted to learn something new, case in point that Agatha Christy wrote romance novels using a pseudonym.
I would still like a list of references, t!, when the story is done. It would be nice to have them all in one place. Thank you. ?
The Scavenger Hunt plan has not changed!
t!
That’s fine. It’s been great fun catching the references as the story unfolds. ?
For what it’s worth, I didn’t really feel excluded any more than anytime somebody tells an in-joke which you don’t get. It was pretty obvious that the joke had no impact on the plotline.
It’s worth a lot!
I’m really glad to hear it; I appreciate you passing it along.
t!
I appear to be culturally illiterate. I’ve not understood any of these references, with the sole exception of Reebo and Zooty.