Articles Of Faith

"So much for the tolerant left" play? That's close to the bottom of the list. I lived life with a couple people who have Willow's world view. One of them is beautiful. The other ruined my life for years, by the end sneaking money to buy lottery tickets. We come by our caution honestly, Jason.

Chloë Salzenberg

And suddenly that inclusiveness that makes QC Fandom a good group comes to a screeching halt. OMG, y'all, someone said something that conflicts with your *totally* analytical and science based worldview. They are stupid and ignorant and their heresy must not be presented in a positive light lest it gain a foothold among the superstitious peasants. If this continues, we will require an auto-da-fe.

Jason Rock

I really appreciate this, as someone who has recently realized that I can be a Science Enthusiast without being a Science Asshole

Yeah it's sort of tiring (and I say this as person who actively practices polyamory hahaha)

cakecake

Any time Elliot or Clinton 8nteracts with anyone.... (butterfly meme) Is this a polycule?

Julia Allen-Hesse

Poly poly poly

Clinton is really good with the screwing things up at the beginning. It's a gift.

dcy665 .

At this point, I'm just expecting a portion of the fans to start shipping Clinton/Willow/Elliot since the Poly Route with Brun didn't pan out. But who knows? Maybe Clinton will screw things up before we even reach that point.

The Secret Sponsor

...until one begins to attempt to make logical *extensions* based on those beliefs...

Kurt Larson

Maybe he's just got a different "type" like smaller tits, or shorter/taller women. Or maybe, just maybe, he's a man who doesn't think with only his dick, whom can carry on an intelligent conversation without being distracted every 5 seconds by the attractiveness of a woman near him just because she is there and attractive. Or maybe he respects women and understands that their possession of and failure to hide their feminine form like a nun doesn't mean they want you staring at their tits all day.

Mark Thomas

Okay, Willow is now my favorite - a practitioner of pragmatic woo with filled with insouciance. I am in digi-love.

Marc Kevin Hall

That *is* how they pronounced it in the Astro Boy manga.

Rob McBobson

Typo in the third panel unless she pronounces "HELP" as "HALP"

Bryce Maryott

A few decades ago, I was spending a lot of time hanging around professional psychics. When I got to the last panel, and the following dialogue: "What would a palm reader make of my robot hand?" "About $75/hour, $150 if they're really good." I confess I sprayed my drink on my keyboard. (Mostly because my best friend at the time, one of the psychics in question, would totally have had that same response.) Kudos, Jeph! Thanks for the laugh.

Alex Borders

To 'halp' is to help in a way that also causes more problems. So maybe?

Ack

He's attracted to Brun. Willow might not be his type. I suspect he doesn't have a very strong libido.

Ack

Eyebrows in this can be seen behind hair.

Ack

I once attended a lecture in which the presenter, quite persuasively, argued that each Tarot card is associated with a Jungian archetype. Still makes sense to me.

OldGoat

Maybe Clinton IS gay. He's looking at his robotic right hand instead of Willow's very human cleavage. Whatever, I'm still shipping the two of them, and Elliott if they're into Poly.

OldGoat

Does Willow have independently floating eyebrows on purpose? They seem to be detached and free floating.

Zach Elwyn

"If religion HALPS you…"?!?!

Is "halp" in the third panel a typo or an intentional speech affectation?

Oplight Froste

I think if one uses these things to help themselves make sense of life, the universe, and everything, then it's fine. It's when people want to use these tools to govern the lives of others that things go haywire. If we all accepted religion is very personal and no one single religion holds all the answers, perhaps we could start down a path to a more peaceful world. But I'm a dreamer.

Jeffrey Anderson

Thank you

Raven Razor

Fortunately, Clinton doesn't seem as angry about it as Dina was... 🦖

marcus erronius

Willow is a Chaos Muppet.

Photon

I love Willow! Her worldview is mystical and pragmatic at the same time <3

Cleo Schmitz

Reminds me very much of early Faye/Marten verbal sparring while walking around town.

Andrew

Imagine if she had two. Oh my.

Andrew

Small detail, but I really like Willow's tendency to raise her arms above her head when she is happy, smug or happy & smug. Cool point of characterization

Bagge

so.. a couple of things of note, first this is fiction, it is not an explicit endorsement of this worldview, it is a fictional character who believes it, second, the final speech bubble suggests she recognizes the financial incentive of psychics, her statement does not indicate that she involves herself with these sorts of businesspeople, she may well use a tarot deck herself, or read the horoscope on a free news app, third, why would AI act as safeguarding personnel in this universe regarding human choices? AI could also be superstitious, and they hold no more significant knowledge or power when compared to humans outside of a couple specific examples,

lin sanderson

No. No no no no no... NO. "It doesn't matter if you use it constructively." No. At best, very best, you are benevolently manipulated by someone giving you the best interpretation of random phenomenon. If it has a randomly positive effect, you will be unable to attribute or build on that positive outcome because you will be unable to determine the cause of the effect and how to replicated it. That's the best... best best best... outcome. At worse, it opens you up to harmful manipulation, exploitation, and self harm. So called psychics have a vested interest in maintaining a dependant relationship with the client, because if things get too good, no reason to go back. Occultists claiming to speak to the dead have fleased millions of dollars from mourners seeking comfort or guidance while processing grief. Willow's position that astrology is harmless is not only mistaken, but reckless. I believe she is sincere in her willingness to help others, and I suspect her beliefs are a foil to his materialism, but the position she is advocating is not just flawed but dangerous, and I hope that Clinton calls her out on it. Willow's attitude has destroyed people in the past, and I hope that this world has AI safeguards against that naïve attitude.

Somber Pony

All y'all stop this complaining this instant, that acknowledgement of framed metaphors to get through life makes for ignorance. Stop it. In case no one noticed, this alternate universe seems untouched by COVID as well. STAHHHHHP.

GodsInTheCogs

The way I was taught to use astrology and things like it involves analyzing your reactions to the predictions. Like, if you read your horoscope or get a tarot answer that disappoints you, look at WHY that is. Conversely, if you’re excited by what you saw, did that validate something you already knew? I think the danger comes in using divination without question or thought - accepting it outright.

LaPrimaNerda (Sarah Davis)

a pun on of/off what next, a pun on its/it's

darklion

I suppose that’s the catch... so long as it’s used constructively.

FuryoftheStars

I like how a lot of the folks in the comments today are saying the exact same sort of stuff and coming to the same sort of conclusions Willow called Clinton a weenie for two days ago. Yes, obviously any and all believers in a faith will take it to an extreme that leads to harming themselves and those around them, without using any common sense or decency at all, you're all <i>very</i> smart.

Seth Aaron Hershman has they she pronouns

I'm just here for that barrette.

BobC

Imma be honest: When people say that "Astrology helps me make decisions, even if it's not real," it often means is that they use it to make decisions that, without astrology, would not have seemed like good decisions. Plus, if you believe in something enough to let it have an effect on your life, you can't simply decide to ignore all the negative effects. Like with astrology--people who read their horoscopes for fun have often hesitated on dating somebody because of "incompatible zodiac signs."

Rob McBobson

Jeph, you don't know how much you helped me over the past few years. THANK YOU. I needed a world where people were kind and inclusive, and you provided it. Thank you again.

Joseph Bonnar

Yep. Stock derivatives are more occult than Crowley's darkest confabulations.

Photon

Are you in my head or am I in yours?

Indeed, her introduction may have been a tad awkward, but she's growing on me.

C-Cubed

It’s fine for people to use such things constructively. Just so long as they don’t force their beliefs on other people.

Thisguy

Willow: *raises arms overhead* My horny ass: "Well that's just delighrful."

Jaron Mortimer

I get by with a little halp from my friends.

J.R. Murdock

halps

We definitely need more of Willow. I like the way she thinks.

Yonatan Zunger

The last year provides an answer for why it might be bad for people to prefer comfort, clarity, and inaction, rather than reality. Jus sayin.

Shaun

Willow will have her arc in moving the Clinton Elliot thing forward. She (and her friends) will interact with other characters and then recede into the background.

Michael Boettger

I remember someone's hot take last year was that the stock market was astrology for rich people, but it makes more sense the other way around: astrology has a higher functional reality quotient than the stock market. We take things seriously that "aren't real" all the time, William James, so on, so forth, carry on...

Grier Conley

I like to say whatever gets you through the day gets you through the day.

Gary Walker

Cannot .... disagree ... must try ... aaaaaargh booooooobs

Simon Green

It's because generous curves are associated with maternal figures.

Shaun

I'm gonna send this to the next person who makes fun of me for majoring in religious studies 😭😭 (.....once the comic goes public, of course!!)

Kurt Lewis

Willow is fun

Kyle Jenkins

She makes sense with that. Even if the particular belief system has little or no basis in reality, if it provides clarity and comfort, and doesn't require action on the part of non believers, why not?

Michael Boettger

... I think this comic is perpetuating my habit of percieving busty women as innately helpful and comforting.

Spoogle McGee

Is a palm reader some sort of newfangled palm pilot? ;)

Andrew

Halp I'm being repressed! :p

Alacrity Fitzhugh

he could hire Sam and give the palm reader something to actually read ...

LH

b00bz!

The IT Guy Eh

That's an... interesting way of looking at it.

Alacrity Fitzhugh

halp

Please make Willow a recurring character.

Will Weaver

Dina Dumbingofage and Clinton are having some synergy this week.

Seth Aaron Hershman has they she pronouns