Carpe, you phrased the whole "OH NO!" dilemma perfectly. There's a been a knee jerk reaction of "COOTIES!" and "ZOMG Get a room" to the liason between Cale and Benny, and regardless of whether or not this is a quick fling or something that's likely to be ongoing, it's story development, and character growth, and I think it's fantastic.

So as it stands less than 10% are against it while less than a quarter are worried but are giving their tentative support. That's hardly a fanbase split.

It should be noted of course that jumping the shark in no way relates to how successful the franchise in question is, the trope namer Happy Days lasted for a good many years after jumping the shark for example, but rather refers to the amount of suckiness.

Actually jumping the shark can only happen to a good series/franchise otherwise you won't notice the change in quality much. Hence why According to Jim has never jumped the shark: it's always sucked.

Yes, but even after jumping the shark it may still remain popular and successful, the only change is in the quality.

Actually by definition Jumping the Shark implies a steep decline in popularity as well as quality.

Remember, just because something sucks, doesn't mean it can't still be popular, case in point, McDonald's, see also anything directed by Michael Bay.

It's been like over 200 pages with no sign of love..that's pretty darn long.

I would say typically shark jumping occurs after the show begins its decline when the writers begin to burn out and can't come up with new stories. So they do something daring to try and grab viewers. Moving to a new town, winning the lottery, adding a new cute kid. Or otherwise permanently destroy the status quo without restoring.

It can also occur when a show is canceled and they write a great season finale and they renew the show. Like in one TV show, the main character is shot, he goes through this great out of body experience where they go to great lengths that he is dying, he will not survive and it is not a dream. It ends with him walking off into the light with an old friend. It is then renewed for another season and they had to bring the title character back.

Right now I'm trying to figure out the word for the moment that makes a small segment of the fanbase freak out.

I doubt it's something new, but if it is, can we call it "the Trorc Kiss" or something like that. We can spread this to the whole interwebs.

The fan base is slivered?

Jump the gun fits pretty well to how people reacted in my opinion.
There was much ado about it before people gave it a chance to see how it would turn out. Rather symptomatic behaviour for people alas, especially on the net.

Anyway, LFG has gone through a few phases over the years.
One was when it switched from being a WoW based comic to independent (2nd page as I recall ), another when it sent from being primarily gag-a-page based to having more serious storylines.

Since people are different and like different things, they might consider the comic picking up/being ruined at various points.
Some probably think it became ruined when it shifted from gags to more serious storylines (even though there's still humour woven into it on a regular basis) while for others, that was when things started picking up, the previous gag-a-page being more of a 'meh' for them.

Yet others might have disliked, to the point they stop reading the comic even, that time travel was used, or when Pella was brought into the group, or Cale becoming badass instead of remaining a wimp that exist to be the butt of Richard's 'jokes'. Or romance and sex getting introduced.

Since this is the internet, people who dislike it often stir up a storm in a teacup when something they don't like happens. This is hardly a unique event. And the defenders are usually equally prone to reply hastily and more harshly than necessary.

And since people are different and like different things, all these things/events can be summed up with:
Your mileage may vary.

I propose "Snogging the Trorc." or "Did you just make out with Cthulhu?!"

Wow, surprised me...

Anyways i agree with him.. just accept it, and go along with the story... nobody really cares what your opinions are anyway

Brilliantly put.

well, say what you want, but looking at the poll the fanbase doesn´t look divided at all. or at least not as divided as the thread´s author seemed to imply:
a whopping 50+ percent approve whole-heartedly and only about 4 percent hate it. the rest ranges from neutral to "depends how it´s handled".

I think the concerns of a quarter of the fanbase are now mostly baseless now that we've seen that Sohmer barely even references the romance in the newest strip. I mean you have to actually look for it to see it.

..46 votes isn't even 1% of the entire fanbase...

There's a possible sampling error. With statistics you have to assume that any sample you take is representative of the rest of the population. So until proven otherwise we'll say that 52% of the fanbase is for it while less than 5% are opposed outright and the remainder don't care one way or the other much.
Unless there's real bias in the posters (for instance forum members most likely love Richard more than most fans, generally speaking) and as such a poll concerning Richard's popularity would be suspect.

Well, the fact that the poll is on an LFG official forum makes the results a bit suspect to begin with, if you go into a Burger King and do a poll to see how many people like Whoppers, you're most likely going to end up with the vast majority of them saying they do, but it's an inaccurate estimate of how many of the general public feel that way, since you're only polling the people in Burger King, who by nature most probably like Burger King, otherwise they'd be at Wendy's, Checkers, or any of the other burger joints there are to pick from instead.

Well, if we were to hold this poll anywhere else, we'd have to include the option "What the f*ck is LFG?"

True, but in all probability anyone who's going to vote on a poll like this here are people like you or I who aren't going to jump ship just because Sohmer decides to do one thing we dislike, the kind who would really consider something like this to be a ruined forever moment would probably pack up and leave after they post their fill of crying. So you're pretty much left with a sample full of people who think the comic's still doing just fine, but can't really provide an impartial view on the matter.

That's the thing, I would have thought that Little Fire Dragon of all people would have a little more faith.

while that´s true, i would assume that the title of the thread (hardly neutral to begin with) would appeal to the nay-sayers who see it as a chance to voice their discontent!
oh well, as they say "don´t trust any statistic you haven´t forged yourself ..."

This is the internet, people who actually check to see if there is already a thread about whatever they want to say already instead of just posting are rare, and the title of the thread also relies on the idea that most people are tropers, but I'd be more inclined to believe the majority of people wouldn't even know what TV Tropes is, let alone what jumping the shark means.

Its not like TV Tropes invented Jumping the Shark, I knew the term years before I knew of TV Tropes.

This may be true, but I had never heard the term before going to TV Tropes, then somehow I somehow manage to dodge most memes, probably because I avoid places like 4Chan like the plague.

two ppl voted for it happening to fast?

but... it was on the forums being discussed and imagined and everything..

mhm

What you forget is the fact that much of the backlash came from an incredibly vocal (read: LOUD) minority of the fans.

I actually think that's typical of any sort of major backlash, even with real world stuff. Most people could take it or leave it, but some people just won't shut up about it. They scream and yell while others just try their best to ignore them.

As Winston Churchill said, "A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."

Guys, let's sit down and think about this, Benny's been talking about how her opinion of Cale has changed "since he gave back her father.", I too was upset when they dragged out of the inter special sex, and yes it was partly because of Benny's No physics grip on her bodacious breasts, as for the peon who thought Benny was a man. How the hell didn't you notice the giant gazongas on that GIRL!

The person you're referring to seems to believe that because she's green she must be a frog and thus not attractive.
And there's nothing wrong with interspecies sex so long as the two species are both humanoid. People seem to forget that Cale isn't human either so when people say stuff like "is this bestiality?" I just roll my eyes.

Okay, I finally voted in this and I said 'Eh. Not really happy about it, but no big deal.' Honestly, my only problem with this is I would prefer that the whole...you know thing would be left out. Still, doesn't make it any less entertaining just kinda like... ' Oh crap! Uh...what do I do?' Then I laugh.

great point.

Anyway.. I enjoy seeing ppl not being so critical of the authors or story

Myself, I'm hardly ever very critical of a story unless it commits some form of egregious error that cannot be left to stand (like that Beowolf movie ).

So far as I've seen, LFG has yet to commit such an error.

I'm just concerned about what the child would possibly look like...
Anyway, I lmao at the Richard part afterwards

Cale was bound against the tree at the time, and the entire thing was censored, UNFORTUNATELY

Yeah if anything I'm disappointed how minor a part of the story it seems to be. Oh well, status quo and all.

does that help explain things



i have visions

I wonder if richard will ever get any? LOL he usin himself
see if u can get a cale style joke from it




i have visions

Perhaps your visions aren't clear enough if you haven't seen anyone tell you not to double post. I know I've seen at least one person already tell you. There is an edit button for that sort of thing.

As for how minor the relationship seems to have come off, I say give it a little bit of time. We should get some reference to them being together in a more direct sense within the week. Heck, it might even be tonight.

no, my visions just give me recipies to actually become fantastic things. I am working on a herbal mixture that allows one to sprout WORKING wings and fly well, with few side effects
The one problem- gettin rid of the awkward beak



I am waiting for that vision

no need to be rude to newbies... I commend you, redlego, for taking ronin's harshness and catching it in air, doing an epic twirl, and launching it through the back of his skull. Wait what?

Hey, at least Benny's not referring to Cale as "she", any more.

For point 1: Sex is out of character now? Are these sexless beings in the comic?

For point 2 and 3, which are the same point: Benny has always been a cool character who is by no means a child. This is perfectly in character for her. And while Cale may seem innocent, he is an adult; if he can slaughter dozens of enemies before breakfast, he can have sex.

And I guess you are missing the fact of these people being alone in the wild, and involved in wars, for a long, long time. I am just surprised they didn't hook up much earlier.

In all the talk I have read about this, no one has thought of the fact that Benny is, so far as I can tell, evilish. Nor do they point out that Cale really didn't have a choice in the matter at first.... being wrapped up by a tree is hardly what i could call "consensual." Either way, I kinda liked the idea... Though when I first read it was like "Why the hell is benny doing that? Is she trying to corrupt him further?" then I was like' Lucky SOB..." Anyway... I still think Benny is just pushing him further towards the dark side. Although, come to think of it, there is that dude in the background pushing events a certain way and prepping Cale to be a king.... Maybe that has something to do with that particular development? Just my thoughts...

like when cale caught the crossbow bolt and hurled it back to the dwarf who fired it

Also, i believe Benn'joons's top is held up by her midriff, as you can see a crease in it, and the top Grasps at the "pillows", while the bottom sits on the crease


I have visions

Perhaps these visions would go away if you eased up on the paint thiner

but im almost at a breakthrough on the featherpine wine, ive almost gotten rid of the beak

YAY MY FIRST EGG GONNA HATCH SOON

Besides, they got me through freshman year