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What is What Is?
Exactly what it says The Cast Stars of the show Archive The comic strips Facts Conception and creation Injokes References to get Extra Bonus stuff Links Other comics to enjoy Contact Talk to me Show your support! Yeah, do it! What Is was published every weekday in the Badger Herald from August 1999 to May 2002. The archive was made possible by ATP Autosite, so thank you, ATP! |
Char Write-Up What Is has ended, and to commemorate this event, below is a write-up I did of the characters and the changes they've undergone over the years. For the convenience of old readers and new readers alike. :) Julie -- I'm not sure how much she's changed, or if she's changed at all. She's always been the one to comment on things -- for some reason, the term "outside looking in" comes to mind, but I don't think that's strictly correct. On a closer look, I think she has changed, if only a little. She doesn't freak out as much anymore. She's actually calmed down a bit, and while she still hasn't acquired the others' talent for looking unfazed, at least she doesn't raise her voice when she receives a pancreas. If you look at how she initially tried to escape Shay, to how she relented enough to finally let him do sweety-pie things for her, this is great progress. And something might actually be developing between those two at last! ;) October -- She's definitely one of those who've undergone change. She's not just that cute blonde in the little black dress anymore (sidenote: she's about the only char here who consistently wears the same clothing. I often deplore such a thing in comic strips, 'cause it means the chars wear the same clothes all the time. Octo, however, is an exception. I'm gonna claim she has a multitude of little black dresses in her closet. *grin*). But she's not boy-crazy now; after a little revelation when it comes to her relationship with men, boys no longer form her main priority. She may occasionally admire a cute demon or two, but it's not the main focus on her life. Instead, we find her being highly encouraging and supportive towards Julie's stalker and his sister. Adam -- His change is subtle, but definitely there if you look for it. When he was first introduced, he was known as a party boy who likes boys. Somewhere along the lines, he mellowed out, but only by a teensy little (hey, not everybody can play poker with a demon and win). He's level-headed enough to run his own club, and wacky enough to love his Borg hunter the wildest way he knows. 'Rence -- 'Course the babe's changed, and not just his hair. He used to be a stand-off-ish and untouchable Borg hunter, freaking the others out without care. But then we see he loves his mom, has issues with his li'l bro, and reluctantly allows Adam in. He's loosened up a lot since hooking up with Adam, and the once stand-up guy becomes adept at carrying out his own jokes. Shay -- Some may think he's just the same old tech-support-goth-sorcerer who stalks Julie, but that's not the case. He was ever-unflappable until he encountered 'Rence, in which case all hell broke loose (actually, the gang went to visit hell, but that's another story). 'Rence appeared to be the only one who could make Shay explode (and for a while there, slash tension abounded, much to my dismay). His status as a stalker changed when he followed the gang to New York ('cause, well, by strict dictionary definitions, he's not considered a stalker then). And we see that Tanya too can make Shay lose his cool. Then there's the part where you see it's not just a game to him, maybe he does care for Julie, and we realize, "Whoa, this guy can get get scary." And hey, the guy got the girl in the end, so there's something to be said for persistence, right? Tanya -- She only joined this last year, so it's hard to say if she's developed any (though when she was first introduced, soooo many people kept asking me, "What is up with that chick??" Heh. They can't handle tough chicks ;) ). I would've liked to have had more opportunity to show her and Julie establishing a truce. Maybe not a buddy-buddy one, granted, but at least one where Tanya acknowledges that if Shay's serious enough to send demons on Julie's behalf, then she'll at least make the grudging effort to not choke Julie at every opportunity. I would've also liked more opportunity to show what a nifty mom she could be, with her tastes in baby fashions and all. (By the way, with Tanya as the mom and Adam and 'Rence as the dads, and uncle Shay and pseudo-aunts Octo and Julie around, baby Emmy's gonna have a wonderful family, she is.) Tom -- Tom's changes were unintentional, and to this day I'm not sure if I like them all that much. He was originally the girls' platonic guy friend. Then when I started not using Joe in the strips all that much, Tom inadvertently took his place as the one making anatomy-related comments (for instance, what he says in this strip is really unlike Tom). Still, he's a remarkable friend who accepted 'Rence into his apartment and into everyone's life without second thoughts (though whether this is because of his generosity, his placid nature, or his not considering the consequences of his action, who can say?). Even when Joe's wreaking havoc on the world (or at least the apartment), Tom's still there. He doesn't complain when he gets bashed in the head by a Borg, only that he doesn't get a Pokemon-shaped ball to join in the fun. He's always liked basketball in my mind, and soon he became a jock at it (though a good kinda jock! ;) ) He eventually left to join the Atlanta Hawks, though there were some things I wished I could do with him before the strip ended (refer below). Joe -- It's hard to alter this guy, he's so Joe! (*grin*) He came about because one of my co-workers wanted to be in the strip, and though I'd say he's the only character who's based on an actual person, it's a very loose basis (the real Joe isn't half as ham sap as this Joe ;) ). He started off as the girls' neighbor across the hall, and they were unable to get rid of him since. ;) Actually, despite Joe's incorrigible nature at inappropriate moments, he's endeared himself to the gang. Joe was the first to know about 'Rence's interest in Adam, and despite his usual laidback "fun-fun-girls" attitude, this was one time and one subject in which he took things seriously. Amazingly, he never found out about 'Rence's job as a Borg hunter (well, what with everyone helping to keep the secret and all. . .). He stayed on in Madison when everyone else left for the big stars, and though it hasn't been specified in the strips, I imagine this drummin' Grateful Dead fan to have opened up his own shop selling musician instruments on State Street. Things I would've liked to have done with the chars, but the strip ended before I had time:
Y' know, while I was looking back on old strips in order to provide the links here, I have to admit I'm quite amazed at me. Sure, not all the jokes clicked, not all the strips were funny, much of the art really makes me cringe. But some strips did tickle me pink, even if they didn't anyone else. The chemistry between these peeps snapped, and some of the storylines were just ace. Part of me flinches on looking back at them; the other part of me is proud. And then there's another part of me that is just stunned: "I actually thought of that? Wow." So it has been a strange, eventful ride. Would I have had it any other way? Not a chance. ;) Thanks for reading, thanks for the feedback, and thanks for being you.
-- Lynn
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