44 thoughts on “Chapter 5: Lit, page 103.”

  1. I have to wonder how dense a person has to be to mistake a magazine for a copybook. Aren’t copybooks by definition made with a photocopier? How many people can afford a Xerox machine that does full color and gloss? Says a lot about the King Street mentality…

  2. I totally wish copybooks were a for-real scene. I might feel like I’m doing something with my silly doodling and bad writing =p

    1. The only way to begin a scene is to begin forcing it on other people. Now start saturating the streets with some subway litter so you can inspire and hopefully later on never tell anyone it was because of Spike.

        1. There aren’t any zine stores here. There’s barely a comic store that, for its credit, has a copybook! But a comic copybook.

    2. They do exist, they’re called zines. Harder to find then our friendly neighbourhood copybook store in lucky lil’ Templar, but they do exist. And yes, you shoyuld make one! They’re fun and easy.

      1. I suppose the problem is there isn’t a punk scene here, or that I’m not in college anymore. I found a couple in my day, but I have no idea where to look now.

  3. I have no idea what a pullbox is. Hopefully enlightenment will come with updates or comments from superior internet experience. And now onto a real comment, ah the incredible power of partial anonymity. It is wondrous to feel free to be awful when there are almost no real life consequences for your actions, the fact that it is taking vengeance against the idiots you had to deal with in a clerical position and you have something truly delicious.

    1. I imagine that the shop “pulls” particular titles and sets them aside for repeat customers–the customer is assured that the book is not sold out by the time they come to buy it. I think it’s pretty common at comic shops.

  4. You know, maybe more customer services should let non-employees take the really stupid calls, since insulting the customer-wannabe wouldn’t cost them anything? I’d volunteer for such a “job” immediately. :-P

    1. Much as I’d love to do that some days, the actual person somebody talks to doesn’t generally affect how pissed off a customer is at “the company” – if you’re going to lose business or gain an enemy, doesn’t matter who’s on the line.

      That said, as someone with 10 years’ CS experience I can definitely say most people answering the phone are way too timid. Customer entitlement can be pretty easily sidestepped by engaging someone like a real person. Even more satisfying than passing the phone to someone who says what you’d like to is surprising a customer in mid-rant by saying it yourself – and having a supervisor congratulate you afterward for “defusing an escalated situation.”

  5. Oh, man, she is just my favorite person ever. I wish I could have ranted like that at idiot customers back in my retail jobs… <3

    1. Don’t we all…I’d just like to be able to do it without putting my job in jeopardy.

      “The customer was being a hateful moron!”
      “Yes, but unfortunately, we can’t deny them services just because we don’t like them.”
      “……..I don’t understand what it is you’re trying to tell me, here.”

  6. Victory Motors. I don’t know if they’re related, but thanks for the Chicago flashback, Spike. “That old car is worth money!”

  7. This is unrelated to the story, but hooray for a character with a highly visibly birth mark–I have a big cafe au lait spot on my neck and shoulder and smaller ones over my body; I love them and it’s cool to see a fictional character with one.

    1. Speaking of which, I dunno if it’s been covered before, and maybe my research is off, but it looks like her ‘wine-stain’ like birthmark is intruding on her eye somehow…like into the sclera…does that happen with natural birthmarks, or is this some Templar-specific trait?

      1. I think that’s just a shadow, not the birthmark. (Although some birthmarks in real life do WEIRD things.)

  8. Wow, by Hypatia’s standards Factsheet 5 was straight up corporate bullshit and Tim Yohannon’s commitment to DIY was worthless and weak. That is the most hipster I have ever seen anyone be in a comic before. Brava, Spike.

    RIP Tim Yo

    1. Tim Yo was such a spectacular asshole that it overshadowed his “commitment” to DIY, whatever that would even mean. And he was more than happy to use corprorate distribution for his own ends; demanding DIY purity for just something he could bonk other people over the head with.

      1. Sorry, but if it had corporate sponsors and ads and a tv show as TDR has. it -was- corporate. Not gonna say bullshit, but definitely not a “real” ‘zine/copybook.

        1. Whoops. Opened my mouth before my eyes again. Yum, crow for breakfast! In other words, disregard the above post, please. ;p

      2. I never knew him personally, so my perception was based a lot around Book Your Own Fucking Life being a major thing for me in my teen years.

  9. Probably this has been brought up before, but, I always thought copybooks were supposed to be closer to Commonplace books rather than Zines.

      1. Definitely less necessarily subversive, if only because it seems like it would be really, really, REALLY hard to be truly subversive in Templar for some reason… xD;;

        1. I seriously love this comic for many-many-many reasons, but this is the core…y’all make me -think- about things! Just looked up Commonplace books, which makes 4 wiki searches before breakfast. My brain hurts…but it’s a good hurt. ;p

          As for the relation between them and copybooks, I’m not sure. It seems to me that Commonplace books were more of a one-time thing, not a serial as most Copybooks seem to be. :)

  10. LOVES IT. Makes me miss certain former jobs where phones were routinely handed to the *off-clock* coworker with expectations of exactly the above.

    But why only dream of this? Just keep a sharp ear and a sharper tongue ready for idiot drama-queen PITA customers where you Don’t work but Do patronize: It shouldn’t be such a surprise how quickly one can become an establishment’s Guest Of Honor simply by saying what the staff dare not but desperately want to.

    Dunno much about ‘zines but some of the best original short fiction I’ve encountered in my life had been stapled into 3″ square booklets and literally scattered on the streets by some group calling themselves the “Seattle Writers Guild”. Wish I still had those…

  11. Guys if you want copybooks or zines or whatever make em! I can (and do) get a3 b&w copies for 6p a side in my city (.. about 4 cents?)..

    don’t dream it, be it!

  12. I just noticed that Valentine is wearing a jersey for the Knights, who I presume are a local team. Templar Knights. Well played, Spike.

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