9chickweedlane | (no subject) (Reply)

02-01-2023

I know that "being a little oblivious" is one of Amos' THINGS but when your wife says "look who's here" that means that she knows that a person is there, knows who the person is, and is directing your attention to the person so you can greet the person.

Recoiling from the person so indicated and stating that the person who has been explicitly pointed out is "beckoning" to your wife is just... that moves beyond "wacky hi-jinks" to "dude what the fuck." It's "have you suffered some form of brain injury" territory and I don't mean that in a lazy insult way, I mean that this behavior is so utterly weird that something very wrong is going on with his thinking. This isn't "absent minded musician," this is "person who does not know how human beings act." It's not even a social nicety, like someone being uncomfortable with small talk or not knowing how to respond to "how are you" from a coworker. It's "look, there's someone you know, she's standing right there, look at her" "OH MY GOD A PERSON! DO YOU KNOW THIS PERSON? SHE'S EXISTING AT ME."

When Isabel Florin came on to him at her apartment and suggested it would be nice to change into comfortable clothing and slipped away to change into silk pajamas and he went home and changed into his own pajamas and got into bed... that made sense for his character and was kind of funny. He is, again, a little oblivious and also can be extremely literal. But this isn't that.

Amos was obsessed with Mary, and I mean obsessed. He followed her around, sometimes with binoculars. She told him repeatedly to stop, to leave her alone, that his attentions weren't wanted. Edda, who was Amos' best friend, knew this was going on because she and Mary were best friends. Edda knew this distressed Mary and never told Amos to stop.

As an adult, Amos has had encounters with Mary, including one where he called her up to discuss how much he'd loved her only to projectile vomit at the idea of actually having a relationship with her. Later, Mary visits New York and stays with them in their apartment. Edda worries that Amos will see Mary and become obsessed with her. That doesn't happen.

So not only did Amos have at least 3 years of obsessively stalking Mary he's encountered her at least twice as an adult and... doesn't recognize her?

Again, this feels like McEldowney needing to give Edda some kind of "win" over a romantic/sexual rival and dredging up Mary yet again, a character we haven't seen in a decade, to show off the fact that Amos "chose" Edda and they got married. And part of this win is trashing Mary's character while also showing how insignificant she is.

Art wise, there's far too much room between them in the second panel for Mary to be going in for a hug that expansive. It looks like she's advancing upon him, arms spread wide, ready to hoist him up like a barrel. And why is she standing so far away from the two of them in the first panel? Amos walked up to them, unless Edda was already walking away from Mary and bumped into Amos. That's not how far apart you stand when you're catching up with someone unless you're following Covid protocol.

It's also not great that they're in a white void. People rag on voidcomics all the time, call them lazy, etc. But if you've got talking heads you don't always need an ornate background. I spend an awful lot of my life against a flat colored wall of some kind or another. But this strip needs at the very least an establishing shot. Are they outside? Has Amos just come home and hasn't removed his overcoat? Was Amos meeting Edda someplace and Mary just happened upon Edda randomly? They're unmoored in time and place.

Also Mary is wearing a v-neck sweater (sweatshirt?) over a turtleneck sweater paired with a miniskirt and low-heeled pumps and I am BEGGING this man to look at the kind of clothing women actually wear. PLEASE.

(In another strip his recoil and boggled face would indicate that he and Mary have been seeing each other and he's trying to hide it while feeling guilty. Nope.)