...the heck is he doing?

[ZOMBIE USER 6611]

Oh, the woman with Maxion in the park can be seen here: http://toothandclaw.keenspace.com/d/20011025.html

I'm not sure why, but when I saw the strip in the park, I immediately remembered who she was. Odd, that, since previous to it she had only been in one strip, in two frames, without even a speaking role. I guess it's just one of those things that my mind took note of without me thinking about it.

Indeed, she has been identified as Miss Heywood, as the topic "The Return of Faceless Maxion" indicates.

I'm amused that the term "Maxion" is apparently catching on -- it was a spur-o-th'-moment thing counterpoised to "faceless minion".

I note that the slingshot, if slingshot it is, appears to have a ball loaded and is aimed directly at the camera at the time the picture was taken. Tristan wouldn't have seen this until blowing up the image that he took -- but it must have given him pause.

[ZOMBIE USER 6611]

I agree with McFrugal as to this part at least: I think we can at the very least say that our Maxion is being helped back up to his feet here:

I'd have to agree as well. She's either tugging him along when he is reluctant (as I had first thought) or, as now seems more likely, she is counterbalanced for his weight as she helped him up.

So why is Maxion's rescuer so sensitive to the photos in the first place and how in the world did she get to the photographers home so fast?

Such a facility would be precious to those that operate Where There Is No Darkroom. No, wait, that's not right...

Photographs of a person who, metaphorically speaking at least, has no face at all must cause some deep distrubances in the Plan.

Perhaps photographs of, ah, Maxion, line his own "Room 101" and are part of his most buried phobias. Something drove what appears to be a hell of a cosmetic job.

What was Maxion's purpose in the park? He certainly doesn't seem much the out doorsy pidgeon feeding type to me.

Agreed -- unless you are familiar with the Tom Lehrer concept of pigeons in the park.

Is there any relationship to the evil !%&*s that lopped of Sybil's tail?

I do not think so. Maxion is into the big picture; someone else handled that de-tail. There was no connection, I think -- but the doctor managed to rectify that. Hrosvitha's grown attached to it again it seems.

More is to be revealed next Friday, Yay!

Indeed. I see that my post Friday evaporated -- I was having many problems with KeenStop at the time. Ah, well.

[ZOMBIE USER 6611]

Today's dialog then seems to be a deliberate attempt by our delightfully cunning artist to cast suspicion on Sybil and draw attention away from the true perpetrator.

Curious indeed.

We have elsewhere taken apart the 2,000 kilogram engine sitting on the spindly little cart -- that was impressive, but that cart is likely to leave dents in the carpet like you wouldn't believe! -- and now we need to turn out attention to today's intriguing people elements.

It's not clear who placed the phone call -- the words indicate that Tristan wanted to tell someone, and Frances is the one he chose to tell. At the same time, the magazine on the back of the couch suggests a recent interruption, as if Tristan had just set it down.

I'd say that he originated this call. He is obviously troubled by events. As others here have noted, Frances is well aware of "Maxion", and during the description seems to have dropped the phone and bounded off. Or something... and the reason for the "something" has to do with a clue that the artist provides:

Note the clever use of Tristan's tail as a barometer of his agitation.

In the first panel, he is fairly agitated, but relaxes a bit as he concentrates for a moment on reciting the description.

But in the third panel, he is genuinely alarmed, and his caudal fur and muscles are at nearly full attention.

Tristan heard something during the phone call that alarmed him. Note that Tristan cuts himself off in mid-description to ask about her. His tale in "I'm seriously alarmed here" mode, and his interruption, indicate that Fran didn't just not answer him.

At minimum, she dropped the phone. But at Maxion...

[Gloria]

You know, I wish MY fans would discuss my comic this intellectually.... the most I can hope for is at least 2 or 3 sappy haikus per strip... *rolls eyes*

[LAGtheNoggin]

At least you even have a forum...


Then again they've got some kinda' comic content to talk about.


And actually I think I might prefer two or three sappy- Errr, thingies- per strip... All this text just makes my head boggle o.@

Hummm, and now I have a strange urge to bulk up my word count. I'm sure this isn't good...

[W.M.Y.L.G. Joe]

You know, I wish MY fans would discuss my comic this intellectually.... the most I can hope for is at least 2 or 3 sappy haikus per strip... *rolls eyes*

Yes, and they've become VERY annoying. I have thoughts on it, like you've heard me tell you at times, but I just prefer not to be verbal about it on the MB. Sorry :-/

[Tek Roo]

You know, I wish MY fans would discuss my comic this intellectually.... the most I can hope for is at least 2 or 3 sappy haikus per strip... *rolls eyes*

I kinda like the haikus! I think Jim needs some too!

An aircraft turbine
Resting on a spindly cart
Aviation's past

I am a published poet y'know, but the company that published my poem about a Lion Bar in a vending machine I lacked the appropriate change for (actually set to the tune of Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun) only included it in the off chance that I would want to buy their extremely overpriced book of rubbish poetry. I'm not paying good money to buy a book published by a company whose standards are low enough to include my blather!

[ZOMBIE USER 6611]

You know, I wish MY fans would discuss my comic this intellectually.... the most I can hope for is at least 2 or 3 sappy haikus per strip... *rolls eyes*

I have been most careful to keep further poetic dalliances out of my own responses; I thought I could get away with it one time only. I'd hate to chase Mr. Roberts' fans away.

But now it seems that thoughtful responses may have the same effect -- I would not want to be responsible for bulking up anybody's word count...

[Gloria]

Tee hee. :)

[ZOMBIE USER 6611]

Tee hee.

Now I'm a little hesitant. But...

Tristan describes this event as a "murder". But I don't know that we've seen an actual body, have we? Even Maxion got up and walked away.

And the fact that Maxion was (apparently) being helped to his feet -- or dragged away from the scene -- suggests that an element of self-defense might somehow be involved. But Tristan seems to have decided against this.

He also believed for a moment, somewhat foolishly, that Miss Heywood (he does not know her name but we do) would not be able to contact her allies if picked up by the police.

So the "incriminating prints" have disappeared. We don't supposed that they were sucked off the wall by that jet engine, do we?

And they were torn down, which would have been faster -- and made more noise -- than if they were taken down carefully. Whoever did this
(1) was not afraid of being heard at that moment
(2) was operating under an extreme time limitation
(3) was likely unable to be meticulous about getting every copy and negative!
(4) knew in advance that the opportunity was coming
(5) was in place when the opportunity arose
(6) is possibly still there!

This was probably done when Tristan was called to the door -- which means that the print-nabber was in cahoots with the delivery person, or had advance knowledge of that person -- and had managed to get into Tristan's home before that time.

And in fact, is likely exiting at the time we see these frames.

Clearly, Tristan is in deeper than he wants to be. Clearly, Frances is as well -- although what exactly is happening to her is not clear yet.

The threads entangle us, but at least we can grab them...

[JimRob]

Tristan describes this event as a "murder". But I don't know that we've seen an actual body, have we? Even Maxion got up and walked away.

And the fact that Maxion was (apparently) being helped to his feet -- or dragged away from the scene -- suggests that an element of self-defense might somehow be involved. But Tristan seems to have decided against this.

A minor suggestion:

Think about the order in which the photographs seen in the October 4 strip were taken. Bear in mind that the group on the left wall, and the group along the central beam, are both progressive enlargements of single photos, not several photos at different zooms. (And disregard the way details suddenly 'appear' in the enlargements - it's just that in the less enlarged photos they were too small to draw.)

[Tek Roo]

Oh yeah. Check out 20 September and review the order of the photos. Whatever happened occurred while Heywood was distracted by Tristan. The photos on the left happen after the ones on the right in the 4 October strip.

Good eyes JimRob! Oh, wait...

[Dkinged]

And they were torn down, which would have been faster -- and made more noise -- than if they were taken down carefully. Whoever did this
(1) was not afraid of being heard at that moment
(2) was operating under an extreme time limitation
(3) was likely unable to be meticulous about getting every copy and negative!

3A Was interested in leaving behind evidence that would show the prints were stolen if the scene were reproduced in, say, a comic strip.

David

[ZOMBIE USER 6611]

3A Was interested in leaving behind evidence that would show the prints were stolen if the scene were reproduced in, say, a comic strip.

Oh, well, yes -- but we aren't supposed to even be aware of such motivations.

[ScottE]

I liiiiiike Friday's installment. Good. Very good.


Something I don't think anyone else has mentioned yet:

I think we can safely rule out Hrosvitha as a suspect, on motive grounds.

The-rabbit-with-a-face-but-who-lacks-eyes-but-wears-glasses-anyways is a sympathizer with whatever cause he had associated Sybil with; she knows this, because of the interview with her in his office. There is, therefore, no reason for Sybil to smack him with a slingshot, unless James has deliberately withheld something from us (and I see no reason to think that he did).

It's also possible Tristan is overreacting. All he knows is that he saw a body on the ground, not that it was dead and unable to recover.