First off, this is one of my favorite webcomics ever. It's creative and fresh and has very memorable characters. Richard and Cale and all the rest of them simply rock.

But I haven't found myself laughing at any of the recent comics. Maybe it's just because of the time it takes to do these strips, but I've lost track of what's happening in the story. I'm planning to set aside a few hours to read through the whole series, but it's suddenly a lot more serious than I would have expected. Nothing too humorous or satirical here.

Is this just for a part of this story, or is it to be a continual thing?

First of all: I dont share that opinion with you, i think they're still funny as hell.
But it cant be all fun and laughter all the time or it will be at cost of the story, so i think Sohmer and Lahr are just spamming some stoyline into the comic and after a while the fun will come back

Too many joke strips in a row and people get impatient for plot, too much plot in a row and people get impatient for jokes. It's a balancing act.

Pella's plot was well overdue, now it's caught up people are hungry for jokes again. The trip to Legara frustrated a lot of people because it was almost exclusively gag-strips.

This non-joke strip was very satisfying because it was what people were waiting for. Also 73 for surprise value and 86 for the sheer badass action scene.

Also when you are just starting to read through a comic with many pages to it ... it seems like the jokes are a lot closer together ... when you are slowly waiting for each new comic page each joke seems so far apart.

And as for recent funny comics ... I found this one guite amusing

As far as I can tell, everyone's anticipating the result of page 207.



Just pointing this out again: panel last

yea...they are, richard smash!! lol

Ah, yes. I remember that one, particularly because it brought in plot progression. And...

Oh, now I get it. Richard hasn't been around for a while.

But seriously, I'm not complaining here, I'm simply wondering, as I have nothing but respect and amazement at these two's skill and wit and ability to even get two up in one week.

As well as seven LICD comics!

I like good plot in a comic. Much better than a few meaningless gags in my opinion. Luckily though LFG has usually managed to do both. Recently there's been the Pella storyline which must be some of the only series of comics in LFG that don't have a lot of humour in, but hopefully we'll soon be getting back to Richard Smash - funny, and whatever the outcome it's massively important for the plot. Best of both worlds.

It's a dramedy.

You know, a story that derives its comedy largely from the drama surrounding it. And besides, I rather enjoy a healthy mixture of humor and serious storytelling--it proves that it's not all fun and games, but that it doesn't take itself too seriously.

The last comics have been lacking in humor, but I'll take a really good plot over a string of silly gags (y hello thar Legara trip) any day.

As much as I love the comic I'll also say that I haven't been enjoying it as much lately. There's a lot going on and with two pages a week answers come very slowly. So in that regard I like that the pages dedicated to jokes are missing if only because its time not spent on explaining on what's going on. But on the other hand, I started reading the comic because it was light hearted, funny, and entertaining. And it feels like its taken a different turn. Not neccessarily a bad turn, but a turn none the less.

As a secondary note, the lean on thing makes my brain spasm. Nothing drives me crazier then when mythical characters from other worlds start referencing things that are common in real life, especially when its done in a serious way. If someone says in the comic "never tell me the odds" we can all chuckle and have a haha knowing its a star wars quote. But there have been two pages where an integral component has nothing to do with world that has been created and it seriously erodes my ability to enjoy the comic.

But, having said all that negative stuff, so long as the creators are enjoying themselves that's what matters.

About the turn: They are just in-depth lore atm, if you get what I mean. Afterwards, jokes will follow without a lot of lore. It's how things go.


It's a comic. Everything is possible. Have you considered the fact that the song in their space is some kind of a ritual, that just might help Cale stay alive instead of just a song? No?

They have simply used the verses of the song to fit into the ritual, and I might add it fit good into what was needed.

I just thought of this. I wonder if it has been posted.

We haven't seen any females in the blue-skinned race except for Tah'vraay and the Matron. Where could they be? Could it be that they are like a bee colony, in that every so often a new "queen" is born? That would explain why the Matron says "my trueborn daughter". I never understood why that adjective was there... but this would explain it.

If that's the case... reproduction? Do the Sisters handle it? Maybe we shouldn't go there?

I always thought she said "my trueborn daughter." because she thought of the sisters as her daughters.

Maybe they're just protecting the women and children by putting them at a safe place?? Few races fight with the entire fullblown nation.

Um, yeah, I understood that when the bard was signing it was for bard rituals/magics/etc.

My point is that crossing real life stuff (in this case a well known song verbatim) into a completely fictional fantasy setting detracts from mystique of the comic. Had the song simply been something made up it would have been both a better fit into the fantasy world and probably funnier (depending on what the lyrics ended up being of course).

I think this is a common mistake that any number of great authors, directors, artists, etc make. Take for instance the Star Wars movies. Now, there were any number of reasons why the original trilogy was superior to the newest one. But one of the big reasons is that the original trilogy was entertainly contained in its own universe and the second trilogy borrorwed heavily from our mordern world. In the first trilogy Han Solo said "I'll see you in hell", which was the only time I ever remember anything happening in the movies where I had to stop and say "Do they even have heaven and hell in the Star Wars galaxy?" In the second trilogy there were constant references to corrupt politicians, constitutional amendments, democracy, passing bills, etc, etc, etc. The first trilogy was truly original, with every element of the universe being an original component. In contrast the second trilogy felt like our modern world in space. They even had the same political arguments as we have now.

And that's why the stand by me song annoys me. Because it kills the totally original setting.

Which isn't to say I'll stop reading the comic or buying stuff from the site. But, if it becomes a more common occurence and spreads to more then just a song here or there then eventually I won't read it anymore, just like I don't buy star wars stuff anymore.,

It doesn't bother me that much, to be fairly honest. It's not whether the work is based on something or not(most of the cases it is), it's how it's presented that makes us read it.

Star Wars was quite influenced by the REAL world at that time as well, it was simply something completely new for the world at that point of history and it was well-told.

What most people call 'original setting' is just another place but so changed, that it looks like it's new. The Wheel of Time.... that is a famous book. Do you think it's original? What about Song of Fire and Ice? They are broadly-read. Yet they have references to other things allover the place(Wheel of Time is quite like Belgariad and Song of Fire and Ice is a lot like a certain part of our history. Even LotR is based on a legend, so its' not quite original)What about the Chronicles of Amber? If you look at parts of the plot, those parts might be regarded as quite typical and common. Still one of the greatest books I've ever read, though.

Knowing how much Sohmer has to do in that little time, I couldn't be bothered less if he simply used a real song for a ritual. It's what the ritual does that interests me. It's what happens that intersts me. If he did try making himself a song, however, and if that song was full of shite(because if you think about it, anyone who can make up songs within 3 days amongst creating 2 comics, working on a movie etc, by all means is probably an android from the future... Judgement Day, ZOMG), then I would be disappointed. If he did create an amazing song that would be a part of a ritual, but the whole plot/ jokes left behind, then I wouldn't read it and would listen to music instead.

You should think also about the time and things that a person can and a person can't do. For 3 days, no man or woman can create a song when he/she is not even a musician. We don't read this comic to see original new songs. We read it to see how RIchard and company are amazing.

So who cares about a song that isn't all brand-new?

its all a matter of balancing it. I find them hillarious ... And theyre still awesome

Honestly, it's the randomly thrown in songs (and many...many...many references) that make the comic that much more interesting to me. Like Thirael said, it's all a matter of balancing it. I mean, it has originality. That much we can say for certain. But it also takes bits and pieces of so many worlds that someone is bound to find the reference. Or everyone, numerous times.

And all of a sudden you say, "HEY! I know that -insert media here-!" with a big, goofy grin, and check the forums to see how many other people recognized it-- how many people you know are related to you in that way. It's an amazing feeling to find people who dabble in not one, but two sources of your entertainment (be it comedy, drama, or superduperplots like several great series' mentioned here already). Maybe more. And you know that the writers themselves know enough about it to make a silly joke.

"Slaughter Your World" was probably the best comedic, non-general video I have seen in a long time, if not ever. Seeing "Lean on Me" on TWO pages of the comic was like when I first found someone my age who watched both Sailor Moon AND DBZ; completely amazing. Like candy. Or cake/pie/generic chocolates with fruity fillings. Or bubblemint gum.

...what?! >.>

Anyways yeah. LFG takes bits and pieces from this, and that, throws its own bits and pieces into the mix, throws in Rick Astley and then stirs. Stirs so well. That is what makes me truly love it.

...that and Richard. Richard is win.

Last but not least, I has picklz. Rawr. -spins off-

Edit: Oh, and LFG forums are what got me interested in the Song of Ice and Fire series. w00t.

If Looking for Group were more traditionally "literary," or a more dramatic webcomic, I would agree that the songs would be heinously out of place.

However, the comic relies on a steady stream of crack to provide its humor and uniqueness. Richard is a homicidal maniac--yet still has friends that apparently don't sleep with one eye open when he's around, much less cast him out or try to kill him before he hurts someone else. The comic has its own internal logic from where it derives its personality and humor. If we question the songs we'd have to question all of those other things as well. "Verisimilitude" is the literary term: where a created world has its own special laws of reality that make sense in the created world. This is why Superman can fly in the DC comics even though the laws of gravity are still in effect.

On a personal note, the scene where Pella and Richard re-enact the scene from Ghost is one of my favorite pages. You could hear the music playing and see the movement in the panels. Based on the various pages with musical references, and not to mention the fact that the movie appears to be a musical itself, the creators have a great fondness for music and have fun with it, which I find cool.

Cale tried to stop Richard.

But Richard turned him to ash.

The rest of them just don't care anymore. They might find it mildly annoying at times, but otherwise, they don't care.

My point is that in a more "realistic" story, associating with a sociopathic mass-murderer would be handled far differently than it is, as the comic heavily depends on humorous situations.

the blue race = the sisters, you know those creepy people? and sooba took a leak on their precious candle not to mention the giant felbunny statue

Except that the Sisters aren't blue. Although, it's possible for males and females of a race/species to have different colored skin, but that's my point.

You're forgetting that this isn't like our world, this is the fantasy world. Compare it to a MMORPG, you'd have no fear of grouping with someone who burns all the NPCs, would you?

That was exactly my point, that the comic has it's own verisimilitude which exempts it from certain real world objections. In the real world, no one would associate with Richard (assuming the real world had warlockd like that). In their world, they do, because of the comic's internal logic.

I brought it up to defend the real-wrold songs in the comic but it sort of became its own discussion.

I'd associate with Richard.


Might not live long, but that's beside the point.

Gonna die some day anyway. May as well die from an interesting form of total combustion.

Hellz yea.

Personally, I tend to find the songs of Pella or Richard amusing more then anything else, because it usually provides a lighthearted moment in the midst of drama to prevent the comic from getting too heavy. Besides, what's wrong with a bit of plot advancement every now and then? As people have said already, a good mix of humor and drama keep everything from going stale.

...I also wonder sometimes if Richard had been a bard when he was alive. He does like to sing a lot. oO; If we go off the assumption that the latest duet of Richard and Pella was indeed a bardic power song in the LFG universe, what would Richard's knowledge of the song indicate? This might be a backwards hint. Or just coincidence. xD

Im just wondering, what is Benny, I re-read the comic the other night and it doesnt say what she is or where she comes from, heres for stuff from her past

Well, she was apparently born in that prison. I'd say she's somehow related to those man-sized bipedal dragons, sure looks dragon-ish anyway. She doesn't seem to like people wondering about her heritage, though.

But, what I'm wondering... if she was born in that prison, how did she "turn up" at the Bloodrage place? The way it's said makes it sound that that was where Krunch first found her, but he was the one who got her out of the prison... yeah, confused. ^^

mabye someone left her by Krunch in the prison, although i seem to recall Krunch saying she was left in his village :S its all very confusing, oh well we will have to wait for Soh-Lar to do the comics on it