#different stories to be told. for those willing... and tbf i do like reading characters dealing with misogyny. it's another aspect

[askaniritual]

jordannn i don't know if you've spoke on this before but on the whole what is your opinion on the differences between the book v the amc tv series re: iwtv?

oooo inchresting question! obviously the show and the books are so different as to almost defy comparison like the broad strokes of the story are the same but pretty much every character is characterized differently than their book counterpart

to me louis stands out as the character whose changes are most load-bearing specifically because the show is very deliberately concerned with his status as protagonist whereas in the books louis from his inception exists more as a shadow of and companion to lestat

louis in the books is repeatedly described as melancholy, eternally grieving and beautiful in his grief, weak, and most importantly unusually human in his mannerisms and outlook. the louis of the books exists mostly to follow lestat around telling him that his joyful exuberance and disregard for the rules is going to get him in trouble (which tbf is true) and he is described as somebody perpetually kind of out of step with the world. book louis will happily sit at home in the dark, wearing ratty old clothes and reading book after book in the light of a single candle

i think a lot of the ways his character has been changed for the show are very deliberate and ties into what the show is trying to say about race and sexuality but i also think very simply a character like book louis does not make for a very interesting tv show protagonist lol. i think it makes a lot of sense to have show louis be somebody plagued by melancholy but still willing to engage with the world, but it is also funny to see louis in the show describe his years of drugged debauchery and then smash cut to book louis who lives in a shack with no electricity because he doesn’t believe he deserves the comfort

i think a lot of the changes to lestat's character are in response to show louis having significantly more agency (atlhough of course the way he looks for people who will tell him how to live his life is an important aspect of his character) and i am excited for the new season to see more of the differences between book and show lestat now that they’re not going to be exclusively filtered through louis’ recollection. lestat in the books is definitely anne rice’s poor little meow meow who can do no wrong (although he is of course so tortured by his fundamentally evil nature no matter how many beautiful men he gathers around himself to tell him that he’s actually really a good person) and i think the show is interested in complicating that narrative. i do want to save my full evaluation of that until we can see rockstar lestat though and also get a better sense of what the framing device of the show is going to be because the books after iwtv are very specifically concerned with lestat telling his own story, without mediating it through the lens of daniel's writing

i think overall for meeeeeee (for me!) the tv show is a more compelling story although one that literally needs the vampire chronicles books to exist, not just because like, it’s based on them lol but because the show is so deliberately engaging with the concept of narrative and adaptation. like of course the show is interesting in its own right but i think what is soooo delicious to me is what it says about the original text of the books, and the way that differences between the show and the book feel deliberate both in how they cause the viewer to question the story being told and in how they are clearly making a statement about race and sexuality and the stories we tell about both of those topics, both of which are topics that i would say that the books um. struggle with

idk if this is at all coherent lol because honestly there’s too many differences to catalog one by one but my overall thought is most of the changes are for the good even though there are characters whose book counterparts i find compelling in their own way (especially armand and daniel)

[comicteaparty]

December 6th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on December 6th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PST.  The chat focused on Pin Porter Girl Detective by Robin Gee and Ethan Bartlett.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Pin Porter Girl Detective by Robin Gee and Ethan Bartlett~! (http://pinporterdetective.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

Tenor | Shinavar

1) Spense's backstory for how he came along is probably my top fav? It was short, concise, but also revealed the personality of him, King, and Queen all in one go that I feel has definitely helped develop the characters in a way to really flesh them out further and has me curious where it's all going to go now what we know whose 'stakes' lie where. /wording yay.

(Also Shadow!Pin is adorable fight me )

RebelVampire

yeah i liked how spense's backstory was executed. cause at the end it didnt just develop spense, it developed the world, other characters, and so forth. which is not usually something you get with backstory so i liked seeing backstory actually further the story in other ways without it suddenly being a story about spense.

my fave scene is the one where pin is being kidnapped for the king and then she just 180s her opinion cause of the evidence being in her face and then she kicks the fairfolk out. i not only enjoyed seeing a character who wasnt stubborn and basically went "this is my life now," but i enjoyed how many things we learn about her personality from this single instance (like the fact that for someone who didnt believe, she sure knew a lot of those fae rules).

Tenor | Shinavar

I'd like to blame her grandfather for that one a little? But yeah, her survival skills and adaptability and good to see - she'd have been royally screwed if she hadn't been willing to.

(Except, y'know, throwing your only weapon you have )

Han

I just started on this comic and I just wanna say I really love the noir style of writing its going for its really enjoyable

RebelVampire

tbf to pin, shes still a kid. so still gotta make those kid mistakes of throwing the weapon and hoping for the best.

welcome Han~!

i enjoyed the noir style writing as well, though i enjoyed that it took a comedic turn. like the opening scene was not where i expected it to go at all with them commenting on the line quality

Tenor | Shinavar

On Pin being a kid: True! I suppose all her detective work she hasn't had to deal with violence too much.

Hullo Han~ :D

Han

yea!! Im really enjoying it

Tenor | Shinavar

The speech patterns threw me off initially honestly - I thought everyone was much older than they were because it was stuff I've only heard from old detective movies wheeze

Han

the comedic and weird creepy vibes scattered throughout are really nice, definitely stuff thats right up my alley

I assumed a lot of it is Pin is kinda playing it up as kid tend to do, but then everyone started talking the same and I was like oh!!! its a reference, but it seems to be set in a sort of alternate reality to ours

I like how theres no explaining really it just hops in and allows the story to make the world-building as it goes

Tenor | Shinavar

Yes, I did enjoy that too~

Like Spense's introduction just made me go "wat" and need to keep going because "Can't believe in people disappearing but we have a talking bird a'ight what's going on"

RebelVampire

i feel some of it is kind of playing it up. i mean tbf most of the characters are kids or the fae. the only adults have been i think a ghost and pin's mom for 5 seconds? so in a sense it could be like a group thing of playing it up. cause kids do that too. play pretend in large groups.

not to say i think it is pretend. just the noir thing i could see still as the kids just hamming up their weirdo lives

although wait prudence had that whole backstory

although that seemed less noir to me too

more wild west

Tenor | Shinavar

-Nod- That was the impression I had. But yeah could be kids playing it up - considering the fae did it too maybe it's a weird influential thing - - What if it's because they picked it up from the local fae trying to be under cover over the years?

I just have this amazing image in my head of them watching old human films to get an idea how to emulate humans wheeze

RebelVampire

that could be. although i think the kids at least have some sense of difference given that iola corrected that one fae for saying thy(edited)

mathtans

I'm now here, for the moment. ^^ I got as far as about page 150.

Yeah, I really liked the opening as far as setting the mood, the detective and noir style.

I rather liked that flashback scene with Penelope "Pin" (I wonder where the nickname is from) going off on the town history, being very suspicious of the founder. Thought it rang true to her character.

Superjustinbros

Hey there!

Just felt like dropping in and saying ello

gonna be a bit busy tonight but I'll see if I can return later

Tenor | Shinavar

Math: I agree~ also showed she seems to have always had a history or knack for looking at odd things and picking things out that weren't quite right

mathtans

Right. I wonder when she decided to go into the detective business.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. Pineburg is not just filled with the supernatural, but numerous human characters up to their own things. Do you believe that Iola is truly on Pin’s side now? Alternatively, do you think Iola might betray Pin in the future (and if so, what for)? Do you believe that Riley will overcome his addiction, or might he find some other way to get Fruit? Besides withdrawal, what long term consequences do you think Riley might suffer from his past usage of Fruit? Will Iola and Riley be a boon to Pin’s detective work, or are they going to end up becoming burdens? Also, do you think it’s significant Pin doesn’t know what her mother does for a living? What role might her mother play in regards to events going on in the town?

Jonny Aleksey

I read from 100 to the current page so I probably missed a lot. I did get confused. Best part I saw would be that whole backstory to Penn's ancestor. Most interesting character stuff.

mathtans

Yeah, that fruit thing really threw me when it first came up. Oh, which reminds me, another scene I liked visually was when Pin got sucked into the other place and there were just all these street signs floating in the air. Great callback, how things made sense later (like the fruit).

RebelVampire

yeah i totally forgot about the street signs thing until they were in that place and i was like "gasp it all makes sense now"

but yeah i agree the fruit thing made me what

Han

oooooohhh the twist with the founder of the town is really cool

RebelVampire

pin has a super interesting family line going on

so many threads

Tenor | Shinavar

2. I believe Iola is on Pin's side as long as her revenge is being sated by the Queen, and the Queen seems interested in Pin if just a little bit. I'm waiting for Riley to drip back into addiction, sadly. I don't believe this will be something he can 100% beat without something to literaly cure it <_<; Magic n' all that. On Pin's mom: With what's all been hinted with the family I wouldn't be surprised if she tries to keep away from Pin fo rher safety due to what all they're wrapped up in. Sure her father might have been the link but who's to say she wasn't aware/told some shit?

mathtans

Seems like the only way to cure a fruit addiction is to have another fae do it, like what happened with Spence.

Tenor | Shinavar

Maybe! I wouldn't be surprised, at least

mathtans

Pin's mom doesn't play a role... but her Shadow does! Gasp!

Tenor | Shinavar

Her shadow wants to be Johnny Badass, I love it

RebelVampire

spense might of been a special case though being a bird and all. and tbf it seemed everything with spense happened in one day? and while magic is involved, you dont usually get addicted in one day. at least in a way that comes with withdrawal

i...actually also think riley is gonna fall back in with fruit if he can get some

cause his withdrawal seems pretty long term atm

without signs of getting better

and that sounds like hell on earth

i feel like her mom has to know something given the fam she married into. but then again pin's mom was kind of oblivious to pin dying

Tenor | Shinavar

IDK man - magical addiction might just wreck the body - though usually depending on lore Fae magic is pervasive but slow, often with intent to make permanent damage. But, that is kinda hinted too with how Riley describes how the fruit tastes and what it's like, and how eventually that goes away and what you're left with. I'd say that at least has shown a long term addiction.

TO BE FAIR - did anyone notice all the street signs were gone too? <_< How much do we know can be seen by others? Her sickness might be seen as lesser and just like, exhaustion. Though at least a doctor's visit c'mon. If my kid can't walk for a few days she's goin LOL

(I'd also want to know wtf my kid is doing to being so exhausted but it seems like Mom is pretty... not on the ball about her kid)

mathtans

The Spense thing on one day? I thought it took a bit of time to get hooked, then he was with the Queen for a little bit too. Though he was unhooked in a day, I grant. Riley needs to find a fruit substitute.

Well, the whole town was exhausted for a while, what with passing out while walking their dogs and things.

Incidentally, I didn't immediately clue in that the King was the graffiti artist, and that's how he was doing his thing. Only dawned on me when the shadow thing came back up.

Not sure if that's a me thing.

RebelVampire

but i guess it depends all about what mom is going. like what if shes fighting the forces of evil and if she stops everyone in the town dies? i could understand just kind of hoping pin is fine for the sake of the multitude of other ppl to save.

i realized it was him when he was revealed as the king

just cause the graffiti artist stuck in my mind

cause he was creepy

complimenting shadows and all that

who does that king

nobody

thats how you give yourself away as a fae

mathtans

He kind of stuck for me what with Pin pointing him out near the start, but I'd kind of forgotten later on, reading in batches. ^^;

Tenor | Shinavar

Shhh he was hiding, so good at hiding

mathtans

That and speaking weird.

He was fae-king it all along.

RebelVampire

brave math, bravo

but tenor brought up a good point. who all saw the missing signs. cause we are walking the borderline between whether this is real or whether this is pretend.

like i think some adult would go "wtf is going on? im gonna catch the punk kids who did this"

cause its an adult's perogative to assume it was punk kids

mathtans

Probably more like, "About time the mayor took those in for cleaning".

Though it could be one of those things you simply can't believe. Like, all of them gone? Must be a problem with me or my eyes. I won't let on, I'm acting normal, yup.

Han

tbh I feel like if it was spread out over time eventually people wouldn't notice they're gone anymore

Tenor | Shinavar

Some fae lore falls into a veil-like magic - which I htink may be applied here. It's hinted Prudence had the ability to "notice things" and this system has been used a lot - basically, you see what should be there because you know it should be there, you can't see the magical reality because your brain either wouldn't handle it, or you haven't been brought into the magical influence yet.

Han

an adult whos busy with jobs etc would become unobservant, and also Im assuming a lot of them could be fruit addicted

yea thats also very true tenor

RebelVampire

yeah i do feel like we are going by veil logic if everything is reality.

mathtans

Ohhh, good point, about the noticing. (A handy skill for a detective, incidentally.)

Tenor | Shinavar

So how much do we the audience get to see?

Han

oh man yea...

and the tree and overgrowth signifying the queens rise of power now that the king is gone is a nice touch

aw man Im all caught up now and I want more

I've most definitely have saved this comic to my bookmarks for sure, its too interesting to pass up

Tenor | Shinavar

Yeah I have def enjoyed this and am keeping it on my read list :D

Han

I honestly just feel bad for poor riley at this point, this kid didn't ask for this magic addiction...hopefully he's cured of it eventually

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Much of the comic’s conflicts are driven by the supernatural Faeries around Pineburg. Do you believe we’ve seen the last of the King, or do you think he’s planning some sort of comeback to once again take the town? What do you make of the King’s ominous warning before he left? Do you believe that the Queen is relatively benign, or is she up to something considering the sudden overgrowth of nature? Could it have something to do with the boon Iola asked the Queen for in order to get rid of the King? If the Queen is up to something, what might her goals be? What other rules of the Faeries might trip Pin and other characters up in the future? Have we seen the last of the Fruit with the King’s departure, or will it come back somehow? Lastly, what do you think the Faeries’ interest with Pineburg is specifically?

Han

hmmmmmm well I have a feeling that Pineburg has some sort of easier connection with the faerie world

like, maybe its easier to journey there and live among humans

either that or because its something they've owned for what I assume almost 100 years they're attached to it like a stuffed animal

Tenor | Shinavar

3) THe Queen clearly has a temper, but I'm not sure what she's up to be. I imagine they're eventually going to be in a territory spat - the Queen understands she can't control the area yet due to the deal, but they could influence things, persay, to garuantee this generation is the last generation <_<

Han

yea I agree, I don't trust the Queen one bit

mathtans

Heh, a lot of that is after where I've read to. As to their interest though, didn't the humans kind of come along and settle there? Technically the fae were there first.

Han

The Queen has clear motivations for sticking it to the King most definitely

mathtans

Makes me wonder about their marriage.

Han

im assuming the overgrowth is the queen claiming what is originally hers---maybe shes upset the king gave away the area that the town now overtakes and is trying to claim it back?

like I know the deal with the founder was kinda like an yea sure u can have the town for a while but its an iou situation eventually, he would've had his way if pin didn't outsmart him

RebelVampire

if they are married

im really confused on that

Han

yea I am too?? I feel like they arent actually married and are in actuality two seperate factions of fae

thats how I interpreted it anyway

RebelVampire

yeah thats how it feels

although the queen kind of acts the jealous wife to a degree

so idk

i could make arguments on both side

Han

mmm yea, maybe they had a fling and it dropped out

its a battle of bitter exes and the town is smack dab in the middle of it

RebelVampire

tho i think at this point they are representing two diff factions. so it might be a political marriage

Han

true!

tbh i would be kinda funny if it just wound up to be like a very long winded version of some sort of divorced couple custody battle over the whole town

mathtans

The liberals and conservatives thought a marriage would unite the fae politically.

Han

im also a little suspsicious of lola, seeing as how she seemed to switch sides so quickly

mathtans

Anyone think Pin might become the new ruler?

Tenor | Shinavar

I think they just need marriage counseling

Hm If Pin were offered, I don't think she'd accept it unless she has no option.

Like life or death over people levesl of accepting

RebelVampire

i think that is a good descrip of whats going on between the king and queen tho. this is just some custody battle XD and yeah im with tenor. i dont think pin would want to be the new ruler unless circumstances dictated it was to protect the town

Han

yea I agree

I feel like Pin is a protector of sorts

RebelVampire

i 100% think the queen is evil and is just more cunning to the king. i think her ultimate goal is to completely push the people out of the town and let nature reclaim it. cause that seems to be her thing. and i think theyre going to be forced to go get the king and say "hey king the queen is worse than you bro"

Han

oooo yea

and then its like the villain becomes the gruntled protagonist

which is a trope I adore

mathtans

King would probably want them to do him favours in exchange for help though.

Tenor | Shinavar

Oh god.

Personally I hope they just manage to mend whatever is allowing such a strong fae connection and just boot them all out because no fae can be trusted

mathtans

Gotta outsmart them somehow.

RebelVampire

i feel that that is more the inevitable end

they somehow get all the fae booted

decide to add to the history books that dealing with fae is the worst thing and just dont

mathtans

Gotta defeat them with iron.....y.

RebelVampire

actually ya know

maybe that is what will play a role

is the iron

cause i forgot about that

Tenor | Shinavar

Iron dome around the town

RebelVampire

but this comic is good about bringing up stuff again

in conjunction with the last question, i trust Iola as far as i can throw her. i think she knows exactly what the queen is trying to do and is just riding the train to the end

and even if she doesnt know

Iola is a side switcher

never trust

Tenor | Shinavar

Well at the ssame time, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and apparently she's taken what the King's done as one hell of a personal slight. Which if he was truly pretending to be her BF I can't blame the rage, but that's dangerous lol

RebelVampire

maybe this is the real lesson from the comic

dont scorn women

because then they go to the fae

and nobody wants that

Tenor | Shinavar

I'd believe it <_< Los of pissed off ladies. Even Pin's ancestor was a woman scorned

mathtans

Maybe Pin's mom is a fae. And Pin is part fae.

RebelVampire

the twist of a century

Tenor | Shinavar

Actually that is a question - why was it her father would have been the end of the contract, and not her? She's still alive. THey hint Iola's family is because the family line was assumed to not continue there so...

RebelVampire

QUESTION 4. Despite overcoming her trials with the King, Pin has many other problems left at her doorstep. Will Pin be able to solve the issues plaguing Prudence and free her ancestor? What do you think Pin will have to do to be able to free Prudence? Do you think she’ll have to consult the King, or might someone else have the answers? Do you think Prudence is being honest about just wanting to rest, or do you think Prudence is going to betray Pin after being set free? If the latter, what do you think Prudence’s ultimate goals are? Additionally, do you think Pin will be able to maintain a good relationship with her shadow, or will her shadow attempt to leave to be her own person? How might the split with her shadow continue to help or hurt her?

i assumed it was a generation number thing?

Tenor | Shinavar

4. Even if she has to consult the King I doubt he'd help her - it's his contract in place. Unless she gives up something good I can't imagine he'd be willing to try.

RebelVampire

cause its not iola herself who stays the fae hands

its iola's father

so once iola's father kicks the bucket

Tenor | Shinavar

Oooh, then that would make more sense.

mathtans

I feel like Prudence is sincere, because after hanging around for that long, you'd figure it's time to move on. Unless she really wants to struggle with what an iPad is.

RebelVampire

i wouldve thought prudence was sincere

but then her backstory

her backstory is not one that makes me go "ah just sincere old lady"

mathtans

Hmm, guess I only got about halfway through that. Still, centuries to reflect.

Tenor | Shinavar

I do believe she may be sincere in he "I'm done, I'm tired, I want to leave" because "immortality" can be baaad. And boring, esp if she's by herself

mathtans

It wasn't what she signed up for either.

RebelVampire

i feel like she wants rest, but that doesnt mean it doesnt come with strings. like for example, i doubt shed care if the only way to free herself was for pin to take her place in that mirror limbo whatever it is

mathtans

Mirror limbo... how low can you go.

Is it mentioned how Penelope got the nickname Pin?

Tenor | Shinavar

Rbeel: Oooh that's a good point God forbid she get tired of waiting and trying to make that deal wheeze

RebelVampire

i dont think its been mentioned yet, how she got her nickname

but it might have been said in passing and i just missed it?

but yeah i dont think prudence cares how she gets out and at whose expense

chateaugrief

hey everyone, i'm super late but I arrived! was eating fruit but am trying to stop...

RebelVampire

LOL

Tenor | Shinavar

I didn't catch it either.

FFF also hELLO

chateaugrief

I really loved this comic, writing was very good

RebelVampire

the fruit thing still makes me laugh to a degree cause at first i was like "pin why are you mad about ppl eating fruit? most kids dont eat enough fruit so this is a good thing"

glad to hear you liked it

mathtans

It's all about the veggies.

RebelVampire

maybe thats how riley will get over his addiction

hell start doing veggies

mathtans

Or birdseed. O.o

chateaugrief

haha stay away from fruit children! oh man the birdseed stuff I was dying

and before I knew it I was eating out of his hand!

also the lock picking ad that pops up in the middle

RebelVampire

im reminded of that page

http://pinporterdetective.com/index.php/comic/page-22/

now what i expected but horribly hilarious

mathtans

That reminds me, I was amused at the end of Spense's story when Pin saves him and he talks to her and she drops what she was holding.

chateaugrief

@mathtans another great moment. This comic was full of wonderful pacing and humorous beats.

the character expressions were tops too

mathtans

Yes, the pacing was really good in places. I also liked insulting the shadow ... cut to everyone in a dungeon.(edited)

chateaugrief

yes!

Hanging in chains, no less!

Tenor | Shinavar

Yes, I loved that. I am curious how much of Shadow's personality matches Pin's more basic in he sense of someone who hasn't been taught to be human. How violent can Pin be, for example? <_<

mathtans

That's a good point. Does a shadow represent our darker half? One that our soul still needs to survive?

RebelVampire

that usually is it although im not sure id describe the shadow as dark

less cunning and without the same regard for polite behavior

but not dark persay

chateaugrief

the id, in other words?

mathtans

Except shadows are kind of dark by nature. Because the light is blocked.

RebelVampire

i was really surprised that the shadow did not recombine with pin tho

and that shes still around

mathtans

I kind of suspected there'd be more to it. Maybe because of the one banner showing the shadow behind her.

Tenor | Shinavar

I think because hey've been seperated, they can basically let go and back again? Which may be contributing to Pin's health

mathtans

Which reminds me, I mentioned this a couple days ago, but interesting that there's, like, three different banners for the comic depending on what page you're on.

chateaugrief

did the shadow not rejoin Pin? I could have sworn it did, and that was why she got better?!

mathtans

One needs to be as observant as the characters.

Not permanently, I think?

Anyway, will be interesting to see what the fae get up to. When road signs aren't enough.

chateaugrief

yeah, page 124 http://pinporterdetective.com/index.php/comic/page-124/ did I misinterpret this as the shadow rejoining pin?

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Robin Gee and Ethan Bartlett, as well, for making Pin Porter Girl Detective. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Robin Gee and Ethan Bartlett’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://pinporterdetective.com/

Robin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/RlittlemissG

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about My Dad is a Magical Girl by Shinavar / Tenor. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, December 13th, from 5PM to 7PM PST for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!

Comic’s Main Site: https://mdiamg.shinavar.com/

Comic’s Tapas Mirror: https://tapas.io/series/My-Dad-Is-A-Magical-Girl