#185: PUNCHOUT!

[Strawberrycocoa]

So, when reading today's strip, my first thought was "What in the HELL did Jamie say to make "Do grey things have an afterimage" sound like a racial insult?

I eventually remembered that the guy who mugged Jamie turned out to be a black MINOR. Wallace's brother or other relation I am guessing, seeing as he appears to have heard a version of the story along the lines of "Jamie started the fight for no reason". If I recall, that was the authorities conclusion more or less, that they had no evidence to show Jamie was the victim not the aggressor?

I tend to withdraw a bit when the word "nigger" comes in to play (hate the word), but it's useage here is effective in conveying that Wallace seems to have the idea the attack was racially motivated...

[Packbat]

Permalink (for convenience).

I think your conclusion is probably correct - I had had some inchoate conceptions of some not-very-reliable newsfeed that Wallace might have read, but a personal connection makes infinitely more sense. Wallace would have to be pretty close to Richard to have actually heard Jamie's name in the context of the whole thing.

Unless Wallace already knows that Richard is a punk and a thief, though, I think any possibility of them getting along has been summarily torpedoed.

[Packbat]

In other news, love Max's eyebrows.

[Tailsteak]

I tend to withdraw a bit when the word "nigger" comes in to play (hate the word), but it's useage here is effective

That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I agonized over whether or not to have Wallace drop the n-bomb, but, in the end, it just didn't read right without it.

Plus, y'know, he's black, so popular culture says he can get away with it.

[Raptorian]

Actually, I think a distinction is made between "nigger", which is almost always an insult, and "nigga", which can be used affectionately or simply as shorthand for 'my fellow black person'.

Unrelated: What does Jamie mean by "Contour! Contour!"

[Tailsteak]

Unrelated: What does Jamie mean by "Contour! Contour!"

Read yesterday's strip.

[Strawberrycocoa]

Actually, I think a distinction is made between "nigger", which is almost always an insult, and "nigga", which can be used affectionately or simply as shorthand for 'my fellow black person'.

Unrelated: What does Jamie mean by "Contour! Contour!"

That's the safe word to distract Wallace if he got too emphatic about critiquing Jamie's clothing.

Now being used to mean "OH GOD MY FACE HURTS"

[Volcano_god]

I did not see that comming!... and neither did Jamie *Ba-dump-thssss* ..................

[Tailsteak]

Now being used to mean "OH GOD MY FACE HURTS"

No, no, it still means "distract him with 1d3 orifices". Jamie's just abandoned the subtlety.

[Nerdboy]

...I want so badly for that to work.

Wallace: Racist motherfucker! I'll beat you so hard your-

Max: Vagina!

Wallace: Your...your...hm, vagina indeed.

Jamie: Flee!