“How Mirka Got Her Sword,” Page 40

On August 20, 2008 · 48 Comments

48 Responses to ““How Mirka Got Her Sword,” Page 40”

  1. El Conde H says:

    What a surprise!

  2. El Conde H says:

    What a surprise!

  3. Miriam says:

    Mirka is smart!
    And that ogre is pretty creepy. I’ve always noticed, the polite and refined villains scare me so much more than the ‘muahahaha’ ones.

  4. Miriam says:

    Mirka is smart!
    And that ogre is pretty creepy. I’ve always noticed, the polite and refined villains scare me so much more than the ‘muahahaha’ ones.

  5. Dianne says:

    Is Mirka’s English a literal translation of the idiomatic Yiddish?

  6. Dianne says:

    Is Mirka’s English a literal translation of the idiomatic Yiddish?

  7. Geofry says:

    Cute installment. The clever ‘play for time’ ploy, eh? Things are not looking good for our heroine! Looking forward to seeing how this plays out. 🙂

  8. Geofry says:

    Cute installment. The clever ‘play for time’ ploy, eh? Things are not looking good for our heroine! Looking forward to seeing how this plays out. 🙂

  9. Niki says:

    Hmmm… the Troll ought to understand Yiddish- with THAT nose! Poor guy looks like taken from a Stuermer cartoon.

  10. Niki says:

    Hmmm… the Troll ought to understand Yiddish- with THAT nose! Poor guy looks like taken from a Stuermer cartoon.

  11. Dell says:

    This is a great comic.

    Time for the famous yiddshe kop to Kick In.

  12. Dell says:

    This is a great comic.

    Time for the famous yiddshe kop to Kick In.

  13. Barry says:

    Thanks, everyone!

    Dianne,

    Yes, all dialog up to this page has been translated from Yiddish.

    Geofry,

    Wow, I didn’t even think of it being interpreted that way! No, I’m afraid Mirka is being sincere; she didn’t understand 90% of what the troll was saying on this page.

    Niki,

    Yes, the troll really does look like that, doesn’t he? I thought it would be interesting to design a monster preying on Jews out of anti-semitic caricature stereotypes.

  14. Barry says:

    Thanks, everyone!

    Dianne,

    Yes, all dialog up to this page has been translated from Yiddish.

    Geofry,

    Wow, I didn’t even think of it being interpreted that way! No, I’m afraid Mirka is being sincere; she didn’t understand 90% of what the troll was saying on this page.

    Niki,

    Yes, the troll really does look like that, doesn’t he? I thought it would be interesting to design a monster preying on Jews out of anti-semitic caricature stereotypes.

  15. Dianne says:

    I thought it would be interesting to design a monster preying on Jews out of anti-semitic caricature stereotypes.

    You wrote the cartoon so I’m not going to argue with you about what the characters are or are not doing, but the impression I got was that the troll was preying on whoever came to its* lair to try to fight it. If they were mostly Jews it was simply because Hereville was the nearest human settlement, not due to any particular malice on the troll’s part (although it may have settled where it did for a reason…) In any case, the troll doesn’t seem to be going out and attacking people–they come to it and fight. At least so far. Are we perhaps going to see the troll again…? I kind of hope so. The troll is one of the best “villains”** I’ve seen in a long time.

    *I’m going with “it” as the pronoun because that was what was used in the text, IIRC. And the troll seems to me to have androgynous characteristics, for all that it appears “mostly” male.

    **Villain is in quotes because, based solely on what I’ve read, the troll appears to be simply defending its lair, not attacking passing strangers. If it eats the bodies of unsuccessful challengers, well, what should it do with the bodies of people who try to rob it? Sell them for spare parts? On the other hand…I don’t want to give spoilers so I won’t mention the potential clues to the troll’s global behavior that I think I see on other pages.

  16. Dianne says:

    I thought it would be interesting to design a monster preying on Jews out of anti-semitic caricature stereotypes.

    You wrote the cartoon so I’m not going to argue with you about what the characters are or are not doing, but the impression I got was that the troll was preying on whoever came to its* lair to try to fight it. If they were mostly Jews it was simply because Hereville was the nearest human settlement, not due to any particular malice on the troll’s part (although it may have settled where it did for a reason…) In any case, the troll doesn’t seem to be going out and attacking people–they come to it and fight. At least so far. Are we perhaps going to see the troll again…? I kind of hope so. The troll is one of the best “villains”** I’ve seen in a long time.

    *I’m going with “it” as the pronoun because that was what was used in the text, IIRC. And the troll seems to me to have androgynous characteristics, for all that it appears “mostly” male.

    **Villain is in quotes because, based solely on what I’ve read, the troll appears to be simply defending its lair, not attacking passing strangers. If it eats the bodies of unsuccessful challengers, well, what should it do with the bodies of people who try to rob it? Sell them for spare parts? On the other hand…I don’t want to give spoilers so I won’t mention the potential clues to the troll’s global behavior that I think I see on other pages.

  17. Daran says:

    **Villain is in quotes because, based solely on what I’ve read, the troll appears to be simply defending its lair, not attacking passing strangers. If it eats the bodies of unsuccessful challengers, well, what should it do with the bodies of people who try to rob it? Sell them for spare parts?

    For that matter, you eat beef and chicken all the time, but you don’t suggest killing yourself in revenge! why not hold yourself to the standards you judge trolls by?

    If trolls are man-eating monsters, didn’t God create them that way?

    Isn’t killing a troll attacking a symptom…?

  18. Daran says:

    **Villain is in quotes because, based solely on what I’ve read, the troll appears to be simply defending its lair, not attacking passing strangers. If it eats the bodies of unsuccessful challengers, well, what should it do with the bodies of people who try to rob it? Sell them for spare parts?

    For that matter, you eat beef and chicken all the time, but you don’t suggest killing yourself in revenge! why not hold yourself to the standards you judge trolls by?

    If trolls are man-eating monsters, didn’t God create them that way?

    Isn’t killing a troll attacking a symptom…?

  19. Daran says:

    I must admit, at this point, I’m rooting for the troll.

    Especially as it’s a no win scenario for him. (I’ll go with him, thank you.) Even if he kills her, there’s not much meat on her.

  20. Daran says:

    I must admit, at this point, I’m rooting for the troll.

    Especially as it’s a no win scenario for him. (I’ll go with him, thank you.) Even if he kills her, there’s not much meat on her.

  21. Falstaff says:

    Wow. That wasn’t what I was expecting at all.

    I’ve been reading pretty faithfully, though I’m terrible at commenting. I actually feel kind of bad for Mirka right now. Bad enough that she had to get up the courage to do this, sneak out of the house, be waylaid by her stupid brother (I mean, *I* don’t think Zindel is stupid, but then I’m not his older sister) and confront the thing, but now it’s jabbering away at her in an Outlandish Foreign Tongue. This is not how the story’s supposed to go!

    And I’m loving every page. This is really wonderful stuff.

  22. Falstaff says:

    Wow. That wasn’t what I was expecting at all.

    I’ve been reading pretty faithfully, though I’m terrible at commenting. I actually feel kind of bad for Mirka right now. Bad enough that she had to get up the courage to do this, sneak out of the house, be waylaid by her stupid brother (I mean, *I* don’t think Zindel is stupid, but then I’m not his older sister) and confront the thing, but now it’s jabbering away at her in an Outlandish Foreign Tongue. This is not how the story’s supposed to go!

    And I’m loving every page. This is really wonderful stuff.

  23. Dianne says:

    For that matter, you eat beef and chicken all the time, but you don’t suggest killing yourself in revenge!

    Actually, I don’t (eat mammals that is), but yeah, I had this page in mind too.

  24. Dianne says:

    For that matter, you eat beef and chicken all the time, but you don’t suggest killing yourself in revenge!

    Actually, I don’t (eat mammals that is), but yeah, I had this page in mind too.

  25. Daran says:

    Actually, I don’t (eat mammals that is),

    Chicken?

    but yeah, I had this page in mind too.

    I was also thinking of this one. Mirka seems to be trying brute force, and it’s the troll who is showing he has his wits about him.

    I know who I’m rooting for. Go Trull!!!

  26. Daran says:

    Actually, I don’t (eat mammals that is),

    Chicken?

    but yeah, I had this page in mind too.

    I was also thinking of this one. Mirka seems to be trying brute force, and it’s the troll who is showing he has his wits about him.

    I know who I’m rooting for. Go Trull!!!

  27. Daran says:

    This also reminds me of the dialog between the Man in Black (Wesley) and Fezzik in The Princess Bride:

    Fezzik: We face each other as God intended. Sportsmanlike. No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone.
    Man in Black: You mean, you’ll put down your rock and I’ll put down my sword, and we’ll try and kill each other like civilized people?
    Fezzik: [brandishing rock] I could kill you now.
    Man in Black: I think the odds are slightly in your favor at hand fighting.
    Fezzik: It’s not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don’t even exercise.

  28. Daran says:

    This also reminds me of the dialog between the Man in Black (Wesley) and Fezzik in The Princess Bride:

    Fezzik: We face each other as God intended. Sportsmanlike. No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone.
    Man in Black: You mean, you’ll put down your rock and I’ll put down my sword, and we’ll try and kill each other like civilized people?
    Fezzik: [brandishing rock] I could kill you now.
    Man in Black: I think the odds are slightly in your favor at hand fighting.
    Fezzik: It’s not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don’t even exercise.

  29. Maedra says:

    He? That troll has a purse. And yes, I was reminded of princess bride as well.

  30. Maedra says:

    He? That troll has a purse. And yes, I was reminded of princess bride as well.

  31. Chayim says:

    [quote] I was also thinking of this one. Mirka seems to be trying brute force, and it’s the troll who is showing he has his wits about him. [/quote]

    The troll is indeed too strong physically for Mirka to beat. But he’s also being quite foolish. The smart thing to do is defeat your attacker quickly, all this formality only works to his disadvantage.

  32. Chayim says:

    [quote] I was also thinking of this one. Mirka seems to be trying brute force, and it’s the troll who is showing he has his wits about him. [/quote]

    The troll is indeed too strong physically for Mirka to beat. But he’s also being quite foolish. The smart thing to do is defeat your attacker quickly, all this formality only works to his disadvantage.

  33. Dianne says:

    The troll is indeed too strong physically for Mirka to beat. But he’s also being quite foolish. The smart thing to do is defeat your attacker quickly, all this formality only works to his disadvantage.

    Or it’s very confident. The formalities are probably there primarily to provide the troll with amusement. It can afford to be “fair” when it fights because hit knows that if everyone follows the rules that it set up then it will win. The worst that can happen is that it loses an easy breakfast. Or so it thinks now, anyway…Given that this is the story of Mirka, not the troll, there is a certain suspicion that things will not work out the way the troll expects.

  34. Dianne says:

    The troll is indeed too strong physically for Mirka to beat. But he’s also being quite foolish. The smart thing to do is defeat your attacker quickly, all this formality only works to his disadvantage.

    Or it’s very confident. The formalities are probably there primarily to provide the troll with amusement. It can afford to be “fair” when it fights because hit knows that if everyone follows the rules that it set up then it will win. The worst that can happen is that it loses an easy breakfast. Or so it thinks now, anyway…Given that this is the story of Mirka, not the troll, there is a certain suspicion that things will not work out the way the troll expects.

  35. Daran says:

    He? That troll has a purse.

    So?

    Or it’s very confident. The formalities are probably there primarily to provide the troll with amusement. It can afford to be “fair” when it fights because hit knows that if everyone follows the rules that it set up then it will win. The worst that can happen is that it loses an easy breakfast.

    Not much of a breakfast, as I already pointed it.

    But you’re right. Mirka can’t win by brute strength. She must have some secret weapon. My bet is that the top of her head will slowly sever itself from her body and start flying around firing laser beams.

    That would be cool. I’d start rooting for her, if she did that.

    For now… GO TROLL!!!

  36. Daran says:

    He? That troll has a purse.

    So?

    Or it’s very confident. The formalities are probably there primarily to provide the troll with amusement. It can afford to be “fair” when it fights because hit knows that if everyone follows the rules that it set up then it will win. The worst that can happen is that it loses an easy breakfast.

    Not much of a breakfast, as I already pointed it.

    But you’re right. Mirka can’t win by brute strength. She must have some secret weapon. My bet is that the top of her head will slowly sever itself from her body and start flying around firing laser beams.

    That would be cool. I’d start rooting for her, if she did that.

    For now… GO TROLL!!!

  37. marin says:

    Great read. One of those comics that I stumble across and fall in love with right away 🙂

  38. marin says:

    Great read. One of those comics that I stumble across and fall in love with right away 🙂

  39. Dianne says:

    Er…so where’s 27 August’s page? Also, does Yiddish have a formal and informal form of you? If so, which one is Mirka going to use for the troll if she can get it to move out of English into a civilized language?

  40. Dianne says:

    Er…so where’s 27 August’s page? Also, does Yiddish have a formal and informal form of you? If so, which one is Mirka going to use for the troll if she can get it to move out of English into a civilized language?

  41. Yochva says:

    I don’t think Yiddish has formal and informal. It has male and female, singular and plural, but not formal and informal.

    And I KNEW it wasn’t English! Barry, I’m sorry I keep forgetting about this comic. Not sorry for you, because you’ve got a huge readership, but sorry for ME, because I keep missing out!

  42. Yochva says:

    I don’t think Yiddish has formal and informal. It has male and female, singular and plural, but not formal and informal.

    And I KNEW it wasn’t English! Barry, I’m sorry I keep forgetting about this comic. Not sorry for you, because you’ve got a huge readership, but sorry for ME, because I keep missing out!

  43. Theodore says:

    Yochva! Of course, Yiddish has a formal form, it is a fairly decent languague, after all, not a primitive pidgin. It’s not much in use in the US though, according to some authors (from NYC and the like, I guess) quite a bit like English and informal as thou seest. Irtsen and dutsen, is already formal and informal and part of good Yiddish.

  44. Theodore says:

    Yochva! Of course, Yiddish has a formal form, it is a fairly decent languague, after all, not a primitive pidgin. It’s not much in use in the US though, according to some authors (from NYC and the like, I guess) quite a bit like English and informal as thou seest. Irtsen and dutsen, is already formal and informal and part of good Yiddish.

  45. Theodore says:

    Dianne, in the situation she is in the troll has to be seen as an adult stranger, not a friend, not an equal, definitely not a pet and certainly not somebody one can disrespect:

    “Ir” seems to be the basic option, but there are some other possibilities.

  46. Theodore says:

    Dianne, in the situation she is in the troll has to be seen as an adult stranger, not a friend, not an equal, definitely not a pet and certainly not somebody one can disrespect:

    “Ir” seems to be the basic option, but there are some other possibilities.

  47. Dianne says:

    Interesting. Ir sounds like Ihr, which is the informal plural/archaic formal plural in German. If I were translating Hereville into German I’d probably have Mirka use “Ihr” for the troll…it seems like someone one should be formal with, but also maybe a little traditional. (It would be clear that she is not using Ihr in the informal plural because there is only one troll.)

  48. Dianne says:

    Interesting. Ir sounds like Ihr, which is the informal plural/archaic formal plural in German. If I were translating Hereville into German I’d probably have Mirka use “Ihr” for the troll…it seems like someone one should be formal with, but also maybe a little traditional. (It would be clear that she is not using Ihr in the informal plural because there is only one troll.)

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