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The Comics: Same, Yet Different


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You know that I was quoting broken remote post, right?

 

Of course,and my post was supporting both of your opinions.

 

I SERIOUSLY doubt TPTB will alter the show one bit in reaction to the vocal minority's self righteous indignation at Rick's 'pursuit' of Jessie. They are following the general storyline of the comic with the sexual aspects toned WAY down. Puritanical America would object to all the hookups and sexual story lines in the comic. But the general story will remain intact, so the Rick/Jessie/Pete story will play out and Rick and Jessie will end up together, I am confident of that. 

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People think Rick has been completely tarnished and transformed into someone creepy and disgusting...over being drunk and only kissing a woman on the cheek.

SMH

 

People think Rick has been tarnished and transformed into someone creepy and disgusting for staring at Jessie like he's going to take her into his basement and then nearly pulling out his gun just because he saw her walking down the street with her husband. It's not about kissing a woman on the cheek. 

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I was just thinking, looking back through some of the stories, that there's much more cheating in relationships going on in the comics than on TV: Tyrese cheating with Michonne, Abe cheating on Rosita. for example.  I wonder if, given the fan reaction to even the whiff of Jessie cheating with Rick and how many people feel that Rick has been completely tarnished and transformed into someone creepy and disgusting over it, if they'll just leave that stuff out of the TV show.   It would be a shame, in my opinion, because I think that the comic characters become more layered and realistic when they have flaws like real people, and I think when the world ends that maybe people would see things through different eyes.  I also think that the US has a weird morality where we don't mind seeing a man bite another man's throat out or a bunch of cannibals eat someone alive, but we have a real problem with anything that offends our puritan moral roots.

 

I can't even imagine the backlash we'd see if Michonne were to have a fling with a character in a relationship.    But I don't think people hate comic book Michonne because she did--she's still pretty damned amazing.

 

It would depend on the characters. It also doesn't work on TV because TV isn't as hypersexualized as many comics have become in recent years. 

 

I used to read Teen Titans, and they had a character named Starfire, who loved sex, and didn't really understand why sex and love were supposed to be separated. She had a long-term relationship with Dick Grayson, and the comic was happy to show extensive amounts of skin on both of them, to let us see that they had a healthy sex life in tandem with their strong emotional bond. 

 

30 years later, DC Comics is rebooted for the millionth time, and yet another Teen Titans comic is coughed up. New writers see Starfire, and what do they do with her?

 

She's an emotionless bikini babe who offers sexual services to a man on the team, in spite of being in a relationship, because "love has nothing to do with it," even though the entire core of her character was about wanting and finding love. The new writers saw her, saw her body, and assumed she was just there to help hot men get some ass. 

 

There seems to be an expectation in modern comics that women are there for this purpose. 

 

On the show, if, let's say, Carol and Daryl (the Tyreese figure on the show) had been dating when Michonne arrived at the prison, and Daryl cheated on Carol with Michonne, and Michonne mocked Carol and belittled her, and Carol forced herself to perform a sex act on Daryl that she didn't really want to do because she wanted to try to keep her man, then viewers would have been disgusted and Michonne never would have been accepted by fans. (Daryl likely would have been forgiven as he's a woobie figure)

 

I don't really know if it's the same with Abraham. I'm not sure how many fans are invested in Abraham's relationship with Rosita. If he cheats, it may get more of a shrug than anything else. I would hope they wouldn't blame Rosita (I'm not sure if the comics did) - that's all I'd really care about. I actually think he and Francine are much more suited as a couple, although I guess in the comics it wasn't really about being a couple, more about sex.

Edited by Pete Martell
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I've seen it on other forums, on Twitter and heard it from a couple people. I do think you're right that it's a vocal minority, something several of us went back and forth about on one of these threads, (this one or the one about women, I think).

 the American viewing public is pretty hung up on sex compared to its feelings on violence, when you contrast our media with, say European media. (A quick google finds a lot of articles talking about that very contrast.)

 

The favorite cliche is that Americans are puritans, usually in lots of articles from European papers .

Some UK papers make a living on this because it pleases their readers; forgetting of course the protests there about a UK newslady wearing a dress with (shock) cleavage, or the way American TV screened the documentary series of a sex surrogate with explicit scenes but UK TV banned it. Now some vocal minority there is mad because a show had a painting of a naked lady in the background of one shot or something.

I can find plenty of articles belittling Americans in papers overseas.

 

To me, the overreaction were not about being Puritanical about sex. It was about another mudsling about convicting people with accusations of guilt for something they haven't even done yet.

Rick didn't rape anyone, Daryl isn't a child molester, Scott Gimple didn't fire EK because she wouldn't do him.

 

Personally, I wish we could just watch a story without needing a TV show tasked with proving a point. Especially a show set in a Zombie Apocalypse.

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Personally, I wish we could just watch a story without needing a TV show tasked with proving a point. Especially a show set in a Zombie Apocalypse.

 

I think Walking Dead has always been about proving a point. The comics were/are. Darabont's ponderous "vision" was more about that than anything else. Gimple is not too far off. The closest to a vision-free TWD was season 3, but that went to hell at the end and Mazzarra was out.

 

You can have more sexual encounters and still have a vision and a purpose, but I don't think the show is missing much by not having a lot of sex and romance. I think the real problem for me is they don't do these things yet they still wink and nod about it, which sets up a worst of both worlds situation where these things don't happen, or when they do happen, they're handled poorly and get fan backlash.

Edited by Pete Martell
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What point are the show/comics trying to prove?

Of course,and my post was supporting both of your opinions.

I SERIOUSLY doubt TPTB will alter the show one bit in reaction to the vocal minority's self righteous indignation at Rick's 'pursuit' of Jessie. They are following the general storyline of the comic with the sexual aspects toned WAY down. Puritanical America would object to all the hookups and sexual story lines in the comic. But the general story will remain intact, so the Rick/Jessie/Pete story will play out and Rick and Jessie will end up together, I am confident of that.

If they do end up together, and it follows the comic, they won't be together long. Edited by mandolin

It would depend on the characters. It also doesn't work on TV because TV isn't as hypersexualized as many comics have become in recent years. 

 

I used to read Teen Titans, and they had a character named Starfire, who loved sex, and didn't really understand why sex and love were supposed to be separated. She had a long-term relationship with Dick Grayson, and the comic was happy to show extensive amounts of skin on both of them, to let us see that they had a healthy sex life in tandem with their strong emotional bond. 

 

30 years later, DC Comics is rebooted for the millionth time, and yet another Teen Titans comic is coughed up. New writers see Starfire, and what do they do with her?

 

She's an emotionless bikini babe who offers sexual services to a man on the team, in spite of being in a relationship, because "love has nothing to do with it," even though the entire core of her character was about wanting and finding love. The new writers saw her, saw her body, and assumed she was just there to help hot men get some ass. 

 

There seems to be an expectation in modern comics that women are there for this purpose.

 

So - DC has Teabaggers on the staff now?

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So - DC has Teabaggers on the staff now?

 

Most comics probably have for many years, but the crudity of comics in modern years and their increasing need to treat things like rape and murder as a kink or a thrill or a shock tactic - it's rotted away the core element that used to make these stories work. 

 

I haven't read much of the Walking Dead comics, but I'm not sorry that stories like Carol's weren't translated to the show. And while I don't think Michonne needs to be asexual (I think now that fans have accepted her they should take the risk of letting her have a love interest, whoever that may be), what I've read about her relationship with Tyreese isn't something I would have enjoyed watching.

But maybe then the proven point is if you try to hold onto that hope it gets you dead. ;)

(RIP Hershel)

 

That's part of why I feel like the show loses focus, because they reinforce and punish this message at the same time. But I think we still see it (Michonne being the most recent). It's just not as heavy-handed.

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On the show, if, let's say, Carol and Daryl (the Tyreese figure on the show) had been dating when Michonne arrived at the prison, and Daryl cheated on Carol with Michonne, and Michonne mocked Carol and belittled her, and Carol forced herself to perform a sex act on Daryl that she didn't really want to do because she wanted to try to keep her man, then viewers would have been disgusted and Michonne never would have been accepted by fans. (Daryl likely would have been forgiven as he's a woobie figure)

 

Mental restraints......................but WTF to the tenth power.

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IIRC, didn't Michonne attempt a sexual relationship with Gabriel at some point in Alexandria?  

 

Also, besides the physical resemblance, the Rosita character in the TV show does not remind me of the comic book character at all.  Abraham treating Rosita the way he did in the comics would not go over well on the show.  I think he wanted Holly in the comics because she was strong where he saw Rosita as weak.  If he leaves her for another woman on the show, I think it will have to be for a different reason.  

 

In the television show, Jessie's husband is also the town doctor.  In the comics he was much more expendable at least as far as how I think the town will view him.  It will be interesting how his "position" causes him to be treated differently.  If the man who stabbed Douglas' wife might have been able to save her because he was the doctor would Douglas have been as willing to kill him?  

 

Overall, I like how the TV show has used the comics as reference material, but not been tied to them.  

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I sometimes wonder what Rosita is like in the comics, as she's barely in the show (people tend to say Abraham was better in the comics).

 

I thought they might be hinting at Eugene/Michonne when they were walking outside the church the night Daryl came back, but I can't see her going there after this betrayal.

 

Was his betrayal in the comics better built up than it was in the show?

I sometimes wonder what Rosita is like in the comics, as she's barely in the show (people tend to say Abraham was better in the comics).

 

I thought they might be hinting at Eugene/Michonne when they were walking outside the church the night Daryl came back, but I can't see her going there after this betrayal.

 

Was his betrayal in the comics better built up than it was in the show?

If I remember right Rosita used to offer herself up to men for protection, and then she met Abraham and he was different - he didn't expect her to put out to protect her.  Then when they got to ASZ he started up with someone else basically telling her "You aren't the only woman in the world anymore."  I really skimmed the comics because it wasn't my thing but I think that's the gist of it.

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Most comics probably have for many years, but the crudity of comics in modern years and their increasing need to treat things like rape and murder as a kink or a thrill or a shock tactic - it's rotted away the core element that used to make these stories work.

I haven't read much of the Walking Dead comics, but I'm not sorry that stories like Carol's weren't translated to the show. And while I don't think Michonne needs to be asexual (I think now that fans have accepted her they should take the risk of letting her have a love interest, whoever that may be), what I've read about her relationship with Tyreese isn't something I would have enjoyed watching.

That's part of why I feel like the show loses focus, because they reinforce and punish this message at the same time. But I think we still see it (Michonne being the most recent). It's just not as heavy-handed.

Thanks.

I'm...really glad they didn't do that on the show. I realize that this does happen in the real world and I realize that sanitizing this can limit some of the characters, but I would have been repulsed by some of that type of writing.

But we don't mind gory murders as a thrill or a shock tactic--your post is pretty much textbook for what I expect from American viewers. Sex as a shock tactic is bad, violence as a shock tactic isnt a problem, and we really wouldn't enjoy watching any of our favorite characters tarnished by anything less than pure, monogamous true-love sex.

Edited by BrokenRemote
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I thought they might be hinting at Eugene/Michonne when they were walking outside the church

 

I have no memory of that, but it sounds like something I shouldn't be able to forget. ??

But we don't mind gory murders as a thrill or a shock tactic--your post is pretty much textbook for what I expect from American viewers. Sex as a shock tactic is bad, violence as a shock tactic isnt a problem, and we really wouldn't enjoy watching any of our favorite characters tarnished by anything less than pure, monogamous true-love sex.

First of all why are these always described as shock tactics?

Saw that before, about people dying as a shock tactic, people hooking up as a shock tactic?

It's the end of the world, it isn't a shock tactic for lots of people to be dead. Those still alive to be likely to die at any moment. It's not shocking in an apocalypse, it's business as usual.

And who had sex as a shock tactic? People who are couples have sex. If two mutually attracted adults spend fun-time picking up Marines on Dupont Circle and painting clown faces on them for free but they get to keep their teeth---now that would be absolutely stunning.

 

Good thing our avoidance of watching our favorite characters tarnished by anything less than pure, monogamous true-love sex hasn't been noted over the years by the writers of Sex and The City, Two and a Half Men, pretty much everything on the CW network, and all soap operas for decades. At least I only mentioned a few fictional characters and not contestants on reality shows or we'd have nothing to watch at all.

 

We're also lucky that Exciting Peoples From Foreign Lands enjoy rolling their eyes at this predictable violence-good, sex-bad American Television Fact; it must be why so many American TV series are bought by overseas broadcasters and get such high ratings.Combined with overseas sales of box sets, it brings in multi-millions. From people who apparently buy American tv series to dismiss because it's such shit.

 

 

We all survive, you have to find hope in a hopeless world, you have to remember who you are, you have to change but not change everything inside you, rinse and repeat. 

 

 

I guess I view that as simply storytelling, not trying to prove a point. I doubt Kirkman or the other show runners are that altruistic.

I think there is a difference between a theme and a point.

Edited by kikismom
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 That.  Was awesome.  Not sure why they changed it do Deanna's lame response as we saw in the show.

 

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for a second conversation; one in which FPP repeats his revisionist revelation, and Deanna - still bleeding raw with grief over the loss of Aiden - tells FPP precisely what he can do with it.

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I can't see Glenn attempting suicide. I couldn't really see Maggie doing it either, not on the show anyway, so I'm kind of glad if they skip that storyline.

 

(unless they're saving it for Maggie after Glenn dies...)

 

Yet another "Who is Andrea?" article. I'm at the point where I almost hope they just go nuts and bring in another character named Andrea to truly confuse everyone.

 

http://www.thewalkingdead.com/is-sasha-the-new-andrea/

Overall, I like how the TV show has used the comics as reference material, but not been tied to them.  

Yes, for instance, a lot of people have talked about Jessie getting her hand cut off because she's she's being eaten by walkers and won't let go of Carl's hand.

Except TWD said they've done that; they talk on the BluRay disc set about using that for (Season 2) the Patricia and Beth scene the night the walkers overrun the farm. Patricia is being eaten by walkers and Beth can't get free and they tweaked the Jessie//Carl thing for that.

So they borrow from source material, re-fit it to someone else or some other circumstance.

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Yes, for instance, a lot of people have talked about Jessie getting her hand cut off because she's she's being eaten by walkers and won't let go of Carl's hand.

Except TWD said they've done that; they talk on the BluRay disc set about using that for (Season 2) the Patricia and Beth scene the night the walkers overrun the farm. Patricia is being eaten by walkers and Beth can't get free and they tweaked the Jessie//Carl thing for that.

So they borrow from source material, re-fit it to someone else or some other circumstance.

They seem to like to change things around and surprise people too I think.  Who knows, Jessie could live and turn into Andrea for all we know.

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One thing that cracks me up is that in the comic, it is Michonne who finds out that Pete is abusive and goes and tells Rick he should do something about it.  (Certainly not Carol!)

I mean it is funny in view of how the TV version of that scene is being criticized, with Carol being called Lady Macbeth.

 

What is more ironic is that some people are protesting the Rick/Jessie romance possibility and say the reason it is disliked is because it implies adultery..

(of course, that makes Rick horrible and Jessie a slut.)

But in the comic, it is when MIchonne and Morgan have sex that he feels guilty the next morning saying it is like adultery and it is Michonne who says in the ZA that is an outdated concept.

There are some storylines creating real irony.

Edited by kikismom

Well, that episode was right from page to screen pretty much. I still feel for Rick, though there seems to be lots of hating on him. He's going through something just like Sasha, just like Glenn, just like Michonne. He's had to kill everyone and everything in his past for over a year just to keep his family safe. These idiot ASZ people are going to make none of it matter. I wish that the show had gone MORE the way of the comics with one of the kids showing signs of abuse, versus all about Rick "falling" for someone. I don't like when people hate on my man Rick. :P

 

I sure thought Reg was going to bite it this episode...maybe in the finale.

 

ETA: I just looked at my trusty compendium...Rick talks to Douglas at graves like TVRick did with Deanna. One of the graves was Alexander Davidson, who Douglas exiled but made everyone believe died. I wonder if the show will go there with Deanna. Since she said she exiled people, I hope so. I want her hands dirty, too, so the town can see everything's not all roses and sunshine. Douglas confesses to Rick right after in the books, so I am hoping that's next week. Rick also relates what happened to Shane..

 

I'm guessing Pete and Reg are gone next week.

 

Other random musings: I wonder if Tara is taking Scott's place from the books (Heath's friend who dies from injuries on a run). The Pete stuff happens at Scott's burial.

 

ETA more, as I keep reading...could explain the 90 min finale. Walkers hear the shot that Pete uses to kill Rick, as do "bad guys" that want to attack ASZ. Andrea snipers a few of them, but all the gunfire draws more walkers. Douglas admits they need Rick and his people...and...end volume. Next one ("No Way Out") starts with Eric having been stabbed and he and Aaron returning.

Edited by mandolin
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. Next one ("No Way Out") starts with Eric having been stabbed and he and Eric returning.

Two Erics! Cool!

(so sorry, just being a wiseass) But the sentence, if I understand you, would be Aaron and Daryl returning and one of them is stabbed? Or not?

 

I want an episode to end with someone inside hearing a voice on the other side of the gate:

Little piggy, little piggy, let me in....

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Yes, comic book Eric is still up and about; I guess the stabbing is BookEric's injury versus the broken ankle. No Daryl as you know. I don't know if either will be stabbed since Eric is already down on the show. Hard to call stuff where Daryl's involved and not clearly taking someone else's role.

 

Yeah, that'd be freaky. Oh, wait. Piggies...big bad WOLVES... Hmm.

Edited by mandolin
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Yes, comic book Eric is still up and about; I guess the stabbing is BookEric's injury versus the broken ankle. No Daryl as you know. I don't know if either will be stabbed since Eric is already down on the show. Hard to call stuff where Daryl's involved and not clearly taking someone else's role.

 

Yeah, that'd be freaky. Oh, wait. Piggies...big bad WOLVES... Hmm.

 

 

Do you think Aaron might be the one who is stabbed? And Eric is back at Alexandria getting killed? Or is it too early for Eric to be killed?

I think that the first time Aaron and Daryl were outside he said Eric was still down with the ankle injury; but I also thought he said he didn't want Eric going outside again so that could be a reason he is getting Daryl to do it.

I think Daryl gets stabbed?

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I meant to say Eric is still up and about in the books...at this point. Not up to current book date. (in case there was confusion there)

 

I would venture a guess that if Daryl is stabbed, it's not a life-ending injury. He's actually had very little to do in ASZ, and I think his death would be pointless now (yes, some say Noah's was as well, but he's not Daryl).

Edited by mandolin

Yes - he's killed by one of the Saviors.

 

And I finally fixed my two Erics above. ;)

 

One more random thought, and I wonder if fellow readers had the same issue. When the comics starting getting to this point, ASZ and all the new characters and new personalities, I struggled a bit. It didn't feel like "my people" anymore. It was a very different type of product. I hope I don't feel that way with the show. I don't like to lose focus on CDB too much.

Edited by mandolin

I have no memory of that, but it sounds like something I shouldn't be able to forget. ??

First of all why are these always described as shock tactics?

Saw that before, about people dying as a shock tactic, people hooking up as a shock tactic?

It's the end of the world, it isn't a shock tactic for lots of people to be dead. Those still alive to be likely to die at any moment. It's not shocking in an apocalypse, it's business as usual.

And who had sex as a shock tactic? People who are couples have sex. If two mutually attracted adults spend fun-time picking up Marines on Dupont Circle and painting clown faces on them for free but they get to keep their teeth---now that would be absolutely stunning.

 

Good thing our avoidance of watching our favorite characters tarnished by anything less than pure, monogamous true-love sex hasn't been noted over the years by the writers of Sex and The City, Two and a Half Men, pretty much everything on the CW network, and all soap operas for decades. At least I only mentioned a few fictional characters and not contestants on reality shows or we'd have nothing to watch at all.

 

We're also lucky that Exciting Peoples From Foreign Lands enjoy rolling their eyes at this predictable violence-good, sex-bad American Television Fact; it must be why so many American TV series are bought by overseas broadcasters and get such high ratings.Combined with overseas sales of box sets, it brings in multi-millions. From people who apparently buy American tv series to dismiss because it's such shit.

 

 

 

 

I think there is a difference between a theme and a point.

I saw Kevin Bacon's penis in an R rated movie because I have such good freeze framing reflexes.      There's plenty of raunchy stuff in the mainstream in the US, but most of it's on cable, and  every day can't be A Serbian Film, you know.   

If their goal was to follow the comic for the fight, they did a great job. With it, and with Rick's rant. I loved seeing it "come to life" though I didn't necessarily love it happening. I had the compendium showing my (non-caring) husband while we watched. "See! I knew it would happen!"

 

I still like how the Jessie story developed in the comic more (to this point). :-\

 

Another comic comment: I saw spec online that the recent upcoming cover with Rick and the boats is Michonne and Ezekiel coming back from a trip. I've been missing her!

http://www.thewalkingdead.com/the-walking-dead-139-preview/

Edited by mandolin
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