I’m actually trying to figure out how old the kids are at this point. I’d have guessed early teens from how they look, but do they have star quarterbacks then?
This is coming from someone who didn’t grow up with football at all.
I was wondering if they’re older in this strip than previous flashback strips. Mike, at least, looks a little older to me, but mostly it’s the “star quarterback” thing.
“Serious” football started in seventh grade where I grew up, though at that age someone being called a star player by other kids had less to do with their showing any special talent and more with their being the most popular person playing that position
My assumption is that this guy is known to them as the town’s star quarterback, but that’s assuming a pretty small town with only one high school. This makes the situation creepy because he’s a 17-year-old getting it on with an apparent middle schooler.
From what I remember of the US school system, they’ve got to be in middle school, since they’ve got a home room and separate classes for different subjects, which generally starts then.
This also seems to be before the traumatic robbery, since it hasn’t been mentioned and also led up to the divorce. (I’m assuming the Patreon flashback with Amber babysitting Faz is also in this time, but that only makes it clearer.)
Amber was 13 then, her birthday is this weekend. Thus I conclude she must be 12 now. Mike and Ethan somewhere around the same. Probably 7th grade.
I dunno, looking at Mike’s face in panel five, he looks bothered by telling Ethan- and that face isn’t for Ethan’s benefit since he’s turned away. I don’t think he’s manipulative jackass yet- not always nice, but definitely not full Mike yet.
He MIGHT be trying to provoke a reaction from Ethan with regards to sexuality, but he doesn’t seem to be trying to upset him for the sake of it.
I thought it was incredulous and reluctantly impressed. New kid, who Ethan is trying to include in their plans, is already hanging-out with school’s Numero Uno.
Mikes definitely onto Ethan, probably knew he was gay for a long time before he came out. That ‘Amber does look disappointed’ line is pretty pointed. Amber doesn’t care, Ethan is inviting Mike for his own benefit and Mike knows it.
thejeff
Well, Amber’s also crippling shy and withdrawn at this point. Ethan would naturally be the prime mover in any attempt to expand her social circle and even if she might actually want that, it’s scary enough she wouldn’t be disappointed it didn’t happen.
It doesn’t all have to be unrecognized sexual tension, especially at this age.
Abusers tend to be able to put on a charming show in front of outsiders, so I doubt anything’d happen. Not during the party, anyways.
It’s also possible this is further along in the timeline and Amber’s parents are divorced now, unsure…
honestly that’s almost scarier. the charming show can be just as harmful (in different ways) imo
Havtorn
The main thing it does is isolate the victim. People who hear of the abuse go “No, Kind Steve couldn’t possibly be a wife-beater, she must be crazy or she’s lying to get full custody of the kids.” and stuff like that. People WANT abusers to just be monsters like Blaine, but your average abusive spouse comes off as an entirely normal person.
It’s sometimes easy to forget Ethan wasn’t always built like a superhero.
I’m curious where this is going. Mike’s not necessarily the easiest guy to read at the best of times, but I’m finding flashback Mike actually more difficult to get a read on. He doesn’t have the visible mean streak yet, but there’s still some cynicism.
I’m wondering how Ethan got built. I don’t think it’s completely genetics (neither of his parents looked that jacked). Amber mentioned she was in track and field, so there was presumably some stage in their life where they both did athletics?
“Fruth” is a German name, so Brent Fruth is probably the descendent of German immigrants. Lots of those in the Midwest. Certainly lots of those in southern Indiana.
108 thoughts on “Rhetorical”
Ana Chronistic
maybe talk about this guy?
Nomothehomo
ya sure
cbwroses
I vaguely remember this…
Doctor_Who
What good are friends who aren’t into transforming robots?
Felix
Everything but transforming rowboats. And robots.
Marsh Maryrose
I read this as “What good are friends who aren’t transforming robots?”
Fogel
Answer: not much?
William Leonard Reese Jr.
. . .Interesting. I wonder how much time has passed since we last saw Flashback Mike.
Nono
I’m actually trying to figure out how old the kids are at this point. I’d have guessed early teens from how they look, but do they have star quarterbacks then?
This is coming from someone who didn’t grow up with football at all.
MM
Star quarterbacks were a high school thing (ninth grade, so 14ish) where I came from, but they might start earlier in Indiana.
Yumi
I was wondering if they’re older in this strip than previous flashback strips. Mike, at least, looks a little older to me, but mostly it’s the “star quarterback” thing.
Haven
These seem to be the same designs Ethan and Amber had in the convenience store flashback, so I’m thinking early high school.
SpookyFox
it’s the same classroom and seats though
Jed!
They seem to still be getting to know each other, so I don’t think it could be that long.
Khno
Ethan was a late bloomer
Cass
“Serious” football started in seventh grade where I grew up, though at that age someone being called a star player by other kids had less to do with their showing any special talent and more with their being the most popular person playing that position
Tom T.
My assumption is that this guy is known to them as the town’s star quarterback, but that’s assuming a pretty small town with only one high school. This makes the situation creepy because he’s a 17-year-old getting it on with an apparent middle schooler.
thejeff
From what I remember of the US school system, they’ve got to be in middle school, since they’ve got a home room and separate classes for different subjects, which generally starts then.
This also seems to be before the traumatic robbery, since it hasn’t been mentioned and also led up to the divorce. (I’m assuming the Patreon flashback with Amber babysitting Faz is also in this time, but that only makes it clearer.)
Amber was 13 then, her birthday is this weekend. Thus I conclude she must be 12 now. Mike and Ethan somewhere around the same. Probably 7th grade.
geno
That was how it worked in my highschool. Though homeroom was pretty lax. Wasn’t hard to get out of
BBCC
The robbery didn’t CAUSE the divorce, it just finalized around then, after Blaine got her self defence classes instead of therapy.
thejeff
True, but I’m mostly just thinking of the timing.
Sporky
they’re good toys, bront
Yumi
Mike’s gonna play tonsil hockey with the quarterback? Good for him.
Deathjavu
Looks like “Make out with other dudes to make Ethan jealous” might have been a longer running scheme than we thought.
Or maybe not, who knows.
Jason
I dunno, looking at Mike’s face in panel five, he looks bothered by telling Ethan- and that face isn’t for Ethan’s benefit since he’s turned away. I don’t think he’s manipulative jackass yet- not always nice, but definitely not full Mike yet.
He MIGHT be trying to provoke a reaction from Ethan with regards to sexuality, but he doesn’t seem to be trying to upset him for the sake of it.
Needfuldoer
Lil’ Ethan is jealous and a bit disappointed, but can’t quite put his finger on why.
merbrat
I thought it was incredulous and reluctantly impressed. New kid, who Ethan is trying to include in their plans, is already hanging-out with school’s Numero Uno.
Unusually Angry Hippie
Mikes definitely onto Ethan, probably knew he was gay for a long time before he came out. That ‘Amber does look disappointed’ line is pretty pointed. Amber doesn’t care, Ethan is inviting Mike for his own benefit and Mike knows it.
thejeff
Well, Amber’s also crippling shy and withdrawn at this point. Ethan would naturally be the prime mover in any attempt to expand her social circle and even if she might actually want that, it’s scary enough she wouldn’t be disappointed it didn’t happen.
It doesn’t all have to be unrecognized sexual tension, especially at this age.
shadowcell
“i want the FRUTH!”
“you can’t handle the Fruth!”
abysswatcher1993
That sounds like Jack Nicolson making a gay scene.
Van Jealous
The FRUTH shall set you free!
butts
Oh that’s right I forgot this arc was about Mike
Inahc
yeah me too. and I have no idea how to interpret this comic.
ShinyNeen
Yyyyeaaah, huh. I’d been idly thinking “gee it sure has been a while since we had a Mike flashback” on and off for… um, at least four days I think.
But it’s here! It’s happening! Mike is the star again!
Keulen
I completely forgot that this arc is titled “Of Mike and Men”.
Passchendaele
Amber’s birthday at her house is a phrase that vaguely terrifies me
Stephen Bierce
And me as well.
Passchendaele
damnit if Willis brings in the ambulances, I swear
Sol Karas
Abusers tend to be able to put on a charming show in front of outsiders, so I doubt anything’d happen. Not during the party, anyways.
It’s also possible this is further along in the timeline and Amber’s parents are divorced now, unsure…
Nono
Amber’s never mentioned her mom in any of her flashbacks, I think. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
alice
honestly that’s almost scarier. the charming show can be just as harmful (in different ways) imo
Havtorn
The main thing it does is isolate the victim. People who hear of the abuse go “No, Kind Steve couldn’t possibly be a wife-beater, she must be crazy or she’s lying to get full custody of the kids.” and stuff like that. People WANT abusers to just be monsters like Blaine, but your average abusive spouse comes off as an entirely normal person.
cbwroses
Why am I reading/hearing Mike’s lines in a snooty posh tenor?
Inahc
probably the use of “quite”. and some of the other phrasing is rather stiff too.
cbwroses
Possibly. Or maybe because I’m watching Code:Realize which had some snooty jerk characters.
Or both.
cbwroses
So was it Amber leaving Mike alone after he went to talk to the teacher that suddenly has him showing his jerk side to them?
Fart Captor
He was acting like this before that too, so I doubt it
cbwroses
Didn’t come off like that to me.
What mean jerk things did he say to them in the other flashbacks?
DailyBrad
It’s sometimes easy to forget Ethan wasn’t always built like a superhero.
I’m curious where this is going. Mike’s not necessarily the easiest guy to read at the best of times, but I’m finding flashback Mike actually more difficult to get a read on. He doesn’t have the visible mean streak yet, but there’s still some cynicism.
Nono
I’m wondering how Ethan got built. I don’t think it’s completely genetics (neither of his parents looked that jacked). Amber mentioned she was in track and field, so there was presumably some stage in their life where they both did athletics?
JessWitt
His dad looks pretty sturdy so genetics is a sure bet. Wonder if we’ll see Ethan level up puberty-wise in these flashbacks.
ValdVin
Per Amber, “At sixteen he suddenly became hot…” so it’s a question of how long these flashbacks go.
JessWitt
Aw darn. Maybe not in this chapter then.
Tacos
Clearly they’ll be talking about Yugioh.
Also what kind of name is Brent Fruth?
Delavan
The kind of name for someone who really wants to be Brett Favre
JessWitt
Well that explains where the character name came from.
David M Willis
It is not.
Marsh Maryrose
“Fruth” is a German name, so Brent Fruth is probably the descendent of German immigrants. Lots of those in the Midwest. Certainly lots of those in southern Indiana.
OnyxIdol
It is? Never heard it before.
Marsh Maryrose
I didn’t say it was a common name. But the people with that name who aren’t in the US are mostly in Germany and Austria, according to Namespedia.
Ana Chronistic
Oh? I got: “fruth; (noun) a type of video photography where fruits engage in sexual intercourse”
?
Needfuldoer
It’s a good name, “Brent”.
Laladoria
Mike may not even have plans. He may be upset with Amber from when she left while he was fighting for her with that teacher.
Alternatively, Mike and Brent may have a SECRET RELATIONSHIP, OOOOOO!!
Raen
…secret?
Mr. Random
might?
Tan
“We’re Not Gonna Be Talking About Transforming Robots, I Guarantee You” would be a terrible book title, as it would get Willis sued.
Tacos
But what about as a Slipshine title?
Raen