New storyline starting today! That means updates every weekday until the story concludes. Hooray!
Shortpacked! by David Willis
Toys are serious business.
Convention appearances:
Calgary Expo Calgary, AB: April 26-28
Phoenix Comicon Phoenix, AZ: May 23-26, 2013
BotCon San Diego, CA: June 28-30
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego, CA: July 18-21
SPX Bethesda, MD: September 14-15
Phoenix Comicon Phoenix, AZ: May 23-26, 2013
BotCon San Diego, CA: June 28-30
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego, CA: July 18-21
SPX Bethesda, MD: September 14-15
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Frumph.NET
Sorcery 101
Templar, AZ
The Transformers Wiki
Hail to the Slash
80 page GIANT
Axe Cop
The Book of Biff
Butt-Taco
Comics Curmudgeon
College Roomies from Hell!!!
Diesel Sweeties
Dinosaur Comics
Dr. McNinja
Dresden Codak
Fans!
Fleen
Gastrophobia
Girl Genius
Girls with Slingshots
Goats
Hark, a vagrant
Hijinks Ensue
Intrepid Girlbot
Legend of Bill
Medium Large
Not Invented Here
Octopus Pie
Overcompensating
Penny Arcade
PhDcomics
Power Nap
Questionable Content
Real Life
Rob and Elliot
Bad Machinery
Schlock Mercenary
Sheldon
So Far Apart
Something Positive
Two Lumps
Wapsi Square
Wonderella
Wondermark
Frumph.NET
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Those toys are going to be the end of this relationship… =(
I’m not the only one seeing doom here? Good. I think.
Well some of us have more faith. Not much more, but a little bit.
Yeah, Drew’s looking a bit burned out XD I thought that too.
yeah, the girls should have gone with the batman looking gay dude instead.
Yeah… I smell doom in the air. >_> <_<
Doom doesn’t smell to good.
Sorry that was me.
yeah, if this is the first comic of a new storyline… doesn’t look good.
Non-geeks never understand.
True that.
The like button. IT’S NEEDED.
But I’m a geek and I think Ethan is crazypants.
Non-geeks never understand does not correspondingly imply that geeks always understand.
Yeah, it depends on the type of geek you are.
That’s practically zen right there.
I’m a geek, but it’s not my genre.
I sometimes wonder if people who collect licence plates and people who collect toys are pretty much the same…
Nah, toy collectors attend conventions. I don’t know if license plates collectors have a convention, I think.
Weak example sure but I’m grasping straws here.
But none the less, don’t most toy collecter treat toys like nick-nacks?
IIRC, a buddy of mine said that toys are an investment or something to that effect.
Didn’t comic collecters back in the 1990s believe the same thing? now a number of those same comics are worth less than they originally paid for them.
Yes, that’s right. All those people who put away multiple copies of the original Death of Superman issue thinking they’d use them to put their kids through college have been disappointed.
Not being a toy collector, I don’t know if the same applies to collectors putting away modern toys “Mint in box” in the hopes that they can sell them to fund a comfortable retirement. Me, I just open the ones I buy (some anime figures and a single Clone trooper).
Weird tangent. Did it bother anyone else that Stormtroopers in Episode 4 did not have some sort of squad-based heavy support weapon? Even as a boy, it bothered me that they did not have a futuristic equivalent of a heavy machine gun or rocket propelled grenade launcher. So when I saw the Clone Trooper with the huge autocannon-like weapon, it was a must-buy.
They did have a heavy support weapon. The squad of stormies that goes to stop the Millennium Falcon from taking off has a trooper with a huge gun.
Well, Stormtroopers are well known for their lack of accuracy even without a rapid fire weapon. Imagine a Stormtrooper with a machinegun, bullets fly everywhere but not a single one hit a target.
Something that should be accounted for when asking where their heavy weapons are at is: When would they have had a chance to use them? Perhaps when they captured Princess Leia, but it looked like they didn’t need any thing more than what they already had(rebel soldiers doubled as wallpaper & rugs in that scene). The next possible chance could be in Mos Eisley, although they were there after a pair of droids, that “randomly” crashed landed on a desert planet, not really knowing where the droids would end up, it would be a waste of time & effort to have set up heavy weapons.
After that everything takes place inside the Death Star during a surprise attack/jail break. In the case of hand held heavy support weapons, they were inside their own base, the collateral damage alone would probably get them killed/billed by their superiors.
Something I think worthy of note: In Episode 5 during the ‘Battle of Hoth’ the Snow Troopers did have heavy support weapons, I guess when it’s not their base, they are willing to bring in the big guns.
Supply and Demand at work. The first superman comic is so expensive because there are so few of them in comparison to how many people want them. So when someone sold the first superman for a huge chunk of cash($.10 for $350,000), people went, oh, these things are valuable. So instead of throwing them out when they finished reading them, they held on to them. But the very act of investing in a comic book is hoping that the guy next to you in line loses his while continuing to buy the title for several years. The supply is not as low and the demand is not as high.
At Mos Eisley, the squad leader (orange shoulder pads) had a grenade launcher. That’s about all the squad support weaponry they should need on “patrol.” It might have been a hive of “scum and villainy” but not apparently a base of rebel operations needing a good smack down.
I do know someone who lists his comic books as his source of income. He doesn’t actually really make a whole lot of money, and spends way more on new comic books and toys. If he were being honest he’d say he lives by charming women and crashing at their place until they realize he’s a deadbeat and grow sick of him, but there are obvious difficulties with saying that in front of the current girlfriend.
I’ll never understand how he of all people is the guy who’s always set up in the ladies department. How he convinces them to empty their basements to house his collection is itself just puzzling, let alone the fact that he keeps finding these single women who own homes of that size. He’s an enigma.
All in all it’s a pretty dramatically different picture from what was envisioned in the nineties. Not sure if that’s a bad thing in his case or not. All in all I think his life would pretty awesome by his own measure if he’d just use a freaking condom.
I attented one in Lancaster Ohio when I was six years old. *shrug*
‘Attended’, I meant to say. Insufficient caffeine levels in my system, I fear.
I know the feeling.
Is he really worth $60? He’s a bit small, and he doesn’t seem to be as slick as some of them other Masterpiece figures.
He’s the exact same size as the other $60 Masterpieces: Grimlock, Starscream, and Skywarp.
$60 is £36, so why oh why were the Masterpiece Grimlock & Rodimus that I saw in TrU this weekend £60 ($98)? Grrrr!
DREW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hehe, he’s so cute. : D
Aw, if Drew loves Ethan, he’ll put up with the Transformers craze. We all have our hobbies, right? Right?
Man, poor Ethan.
He clearly does love Ethan, but i really do think there’s DOOM! in the air. Drew is not pleased at the end. Personally, i would be really bummed if Drew broke up with Ethan. Hmm … maybe Ethan can cycle some of his collections to display. Put one away, and then put another one up.
It’s still a financial drain, which would matter to Drew if he’s thinking about eventual marriage*.
* or whatever substitute they work out if the legal environment isn’t fixed
Oh boy…a strip like this and a new story arc comin’ on. This is worrisome…
You *must* know my friends Ron and Paul. Paul is an inveterate toy collector, with display shelves all over the living room, while Ron insists that the moment they invade *his* kitchen, it’s over, period, end of story. LOL Paul’s weekend isnt complete without at least two runs to every WalMart and ToysRUs within 50 miles of their home.
Somehow, they manage to make it work. Hopefully these guys can as well.
I know an old school couple M/F and he is THEE Game collector / war-gamer / etc. [ HI Wally] They are still in a Brownstone walk-up AFAIK and every free wall is floor to ceiling IKEA IVAR shelving system. The only places without games being stored is the kitchen (grease/humidity) and the bathroom (humidity). Oh and a big HI to the rest of “The General Staff”
Hey, random question. I’m not up for an archive crawl this late at night, but has any strip mentioned what it is Drew does for a living?
I mean, we know Ethan is probably doomed to perpetual poverty because he has a crappy retail job and yet spends a fortune on toys. I suppose his stand-up career might be helping, but I’ve known a couple of comedians and musicians who practically live on Kraft products even if they do work regularly.
Just wondering if Drew’s in the same boat. Because if he is, I can imagine he won’t look kindly on his boyfriend dropping $60 on a useless toy when it could be going toward rent or groceries.
No toy is Useless if it makes you happy, even for just a few minutes.
Except, is it really worth it to buy something very expensive for a few minutes of happiness, when you could easily use the money towards something else that would make you happy for the same amount of time for less pay.
Yes. It’s really no different than the people who go out and buy video games for $60 (or more, if they get collector’s editions). As long as Ethan’s not buying super-expensive toys so often that it affects his ability to pay for necessities, there shouldn’t be a problem.
False assumption. I gotta say as long as I’m not hungry and I’m keeping a roof over my head things like that aren’t bringing me down. Videogames, a solid internet connection, a nice speaker system. These are things that make me happy. Every time I look through my shelves and gaze upon my many treasures that is happiness.
What? Should Ethan be living off steaks and in an even bigger house? The guy doesn’t seem unhappy if you ask me. I guarantee you if his bills didn’t allow him to maintain his hobby that would cease to be true. We’d be looking at a bitter man juggling his finances always griping about how tight money is. Not that there can’t be joy in a life without toys, but we all have our sources of joy. The toys are his. Removing money from the toys to another daily commodity would do him no good in the joy department.
The some of the most miserable years of my life were the best fed ones. Five years of a full refrigerator and no internet. A fantastic house with central air and I couldn’t afford all the videogames I wanted to play. Five whole pairs of pants and a tv that was often too blurry to read text on. It’s all about the priorities.
Plus, seriously, the guy lives in a mansion, eats out on a regular basis and eats well when he eats in. He’s hardly the posterboy for the impoverished nerd.
Is Ethan even paying rent? Last I remember, he was still living rent free in the house that Robin bought for Leslie. No rent means plenty of spare cash for toys.
Actually she started taking rent to keep hold of the place after Robin wasn’t reelected.
I was just thinking this morning about how its been almost two months since the last storyline, and that a new one should start soon.
Anyways, this is awesome.
Aww, I don’t like where this might go.
IKEA?
Man…I feel the death knell tolling for this relationship. And that sucks, because I really like it.
I just hope that he is at least paying his bills and not constantly throwing money away on luxuries while dodging debt collectors.
Well, I can’t help but feel that if that were the case, it would have manifested itself some time before now, and I’m pretty positive that Drew would have raised some sort of issue. As crazed as Ethan is over his hobby, I’m fairly certain that he takes care of his more important financial needs first…
…then again, we don’t see every moment of Ethan’s life, and if there was ever an opening strip for an arc centered around a problem like that, this’d be it.
It’ll be interesting to do a relationship story where none of the active participants are essentially certifiable. I mean, I like Robin and Mike, but they tend toward the extremes, you know?
Drew’s patience is about to be pushed I bet.
I sincerely wish I could put as much money into my interests as Ethan does into his.
Wouldn’t the plural of Rodimus be Rodimi?
Is Drew related to Joyce? Just wondering. Or maybe all blue eyes look like that.
New Storyline and Drew looks rather… umm… miffed. Gee… I wonder what kind of plot this is leading into. I can’t say is surprising though. Ethan’s obsession with his toys isn’t for everyone. And Drew has done his best to accept Ethan’s OCD regarding it (I’m not sure if OCD would be the appropriate term, but considering the stuff he does regarding toys…).
I mean Ethan spends hundreds of dollars a month on all the toys he buys. He travels all over the bay area to located these toys spending god only knows how much on gas for the car, the MUNI and BART.
I kinda get the feeling that he doesn’t spend nearly as much time, money or effort on making Drew feel special or taken cared of. I mean how many storylines have been Ethan doing something special for Drew?
Still, I hope they can work through this.
I agree. I wonder when the last time Ethan spent $60 on Drew was.
I know what you’re saying, but that really shouldn’t matter. If that’s the thought going through Drew’s mind, Ethan needs to get out quick.
If Ethan puts his obsession with toys above his relationship with Drew, then of course it matters. A relationship is a partnership after all. Ethan should be willing to think about Drew and not just think about the latest toys he wants to buy.
Its clear that Drew doesn’t share Ethan’s obsession with toys. But he’s done his best to accept that aspect of Ethan’s personality. So far we’ve seen Drew go with Ethan on his toy hunting adventures. He’s gone to Bot-con with Ethan. He’s put a lot of effort into the relationship.
Meanwhile, aside from Ethan putting some of his collection into storage, we’ve not exactly seen Ethan do much of what Drew likes to do. In fact, I’m not even sure WHAT Drew likes to do. Whenever they’re together its always doing something Ethan enjoys. How many times do you think they’ve been unable to go to a fancy dinner or a non-convention vacation or something, just because Ethan spent all his money on his toys.
Drew deserves to be happy in the relationship too, ya know.
Let me rephrase. I understand that Jill was saying what you said in your first sentence. However, it seemed Jill was saying that Drew should ask “But how much has Ethan done FOR ME?” This is a question that will always end badly because there is no good answer when it’s asked.
For all we know, Ethan does various everyday nice things for Drew. Things like grabbing something to eat on the way home, picking up a book Drew’s had his eye on, etc, etc. But there will be trouble once Drew starts thinking “He’s spending $60 on a toy for himself, why isn’t he spending $60 on me?” Doesn’t matter if Ethan actually spends $200+ a week on Drew, and only $60 a week on himself. Once someone starts trying to quantify what their partner does, it will only end in resentment.
But Jill wasn’t saying that Drew was asking that particular question. She was wondering it herself.
The question she and I were asking was whether or not Ethan puts the time and effort into his relationship with Drew, that he puts into his obsession with buying toys.
I mean, he’s never done any of those things you’ve mentioned on panel, which raises the question of if even does it all. I mean, would Ethan buy that book that Drew has been eyeing just to be sweet and surprise Drew, or would Ethan not notice at all because was too busy wondering which Wal-Mart or Target had the latest DC Heroes Toylines and wondering if the $300 dollar playset he bought would arrive soon?
I really don’t know if Ethan would notice the book or not, but so many people always seem to assume the worst about characters when they’re off-panel (and I don’t just mean in regards to this comic) that I like to try giving them the benefit of the doubt. So for all we know, Ethan might be going out and spending upwards of $60/day on toys (though I’d imagine he’d get broke real fast if he was), but he could just as easily be spending money on Drew daily. I prefer thinking it’s the latter, at least until the comic says otherwise.
And I know perfectly well that you weren’t saying Drew is or should be asking “What has Ethan done for me.” I was just pointing out that if he does, Ethan should run. Given the nature of this argument (i.e., “You buy too many toys, you’re supposed to be stopping”), it’s not a huge leap for Drew to jump to that question.
XD I’d like to say, I don’t like where this is going either, but I am going to point out that there are people analyzing WAAAAAY to far ahead. There’s 1 strip up people! And it didn’t even go up that long ago!
And the first strip doesn’t necessarily mean what the entire arc will be… I point at the last arc which started about the Hamsters.
For me it stems from so often seeing a gay couple being broken up in many works, and it’s just kinda depressing. I realize that Willis could go in an entirely different direction with this storyline, but there are obviously flaws in Ethan and Drew’s relationships, so this outcome isn’t really out of place and my mind is always driven to the worst possible outcome when this sort of thing appears.
You do have a point there that we might be jumping the gun, but the thing is Willis has been building up the tension of Drew versus Ethan’s Toy obsessions.
And the name of this storyline is “Remedial Adulthood” which sounds like its going to be about Ethan starting to think more like an adult, rather than like a child who’s primary interest in the collection of toys.
we never did get closure on the hamster story.
Nice angry face on Drew in the last panel there.
Wait, what was the last storyline (“Fishin’ Chicks”) about? I was waiting and waiting for that title to be explained.
it introduced malaya, a CHICK that was FISHIN’ for trouble?
that’s my only guess.
Wreckers display, huh? Good luck getting that green Ramulus. >_>
As of Wreckers #2, Ramulus looks like the version which was in stores.
I know, but I’ve always wanted mine to match that poster. Ah well, it’s fun to dream.
Someday in the future, when I can afford a bigger house, I plan to do the same thing…except with Lego’s. I want to turn my future basement into a big replica of the Lego store.
I guess ethan sold his takara first version. Seen in TNI shortpacked.
Still identify with ethans excitement over actually finding the Masterpiece Toys R Us exclusives. And the horror at piles of toys sitting around neglected.
Now why would he have sold the Takara Hot Rod? They’re two different toys – one is more cartoon accurate, the other more toy accurate.
In this day and age, people that collect toys as investments are pretty silly. When you have hundreds to thousands of others all buying the same thing to keep in package it defeats the key ingredient of value – rarity. Ethan though clearly is an opener; I think he buys toys b/c he likes them (mostly) and b/c they look awesome displayed.
In the end, most everyone collects be it toys, music, books, video games, car parts, hummels. Some things take more or less room, but what can you do?
Ah, that’s never a good question. “Don’t you already have ____?” Well yes, BUT—-
—-and also toys are no fun when they’re boxed up.
Presentiments of future doom aside, I am charmed that Drew *knows* that Ethan doesn’t have a Wreckers display at the moment. Evidently he’s been paying attention.
I’ve actually been wondering, how is Ethan’s toy collecting really any of Drew’s business? Unless he’s borrowing money from him or something it’s got nothing to do with Drew.
They live together?
I’m pretty sure Ethan brought up the issue himself. Unless there’s another first panel that we can’t see.
That said, if my boyfriend had a retail job in a struggling economy, yet spent bales of cash on more toys than he has physical room for, I’d ask the occasional probing question and raise the occasional quizzical eyebrow as well.
It is and it isn’t. Drew said fairly early on that he was unnerved by Ethan’s toy collection.
Less boyfriend drama, more erotic Batman roleplay.
Spank him, Drew! Spank him!
Wait, wait.
Masterpiece Rodimus? Where where where where where where where
Ethan’s about to have the “Why do you need ANOTHER Hal Jordan, again?” conversation that I have weekly…sorry, Ethan
Is there ever enough? *Looks at miniatures* No.
awwe come on Drew! Ethan’s just being a total geek which is part of his charm
“Todays breath of fresh air can become tomorrow’s ill wind.”
Geez, where’d Ethan find one? The local TRU has nothing. TRU Online has nothing. The only one I’ve seen was at a comic-con, marked up to $95 and blow that for a lark.
Ethan also has Animated Rodimus Minor/Prime, presumably. And I’d lay good odds on at least two retools thereof, too.
He also presumably has legends Rodimus and the Walmart exclusive legends Rodimus that was packaged with Movie Bumblebee and Soundwave.
Totally unrelated to any of this, but when you’re suffering from insomnia you have weird thoughts at 3:00AM. Like this one: In Transformers Prime I’ve seen Bulkhead kill a number of Vehicons, Wheeljack slaughter a number of Vehicons, Bulkhead kill Makeshift, and Bumblebee kill Skyquake. Not to mention Cliffjumper and Tailgate biting the big one. And Arcee trying to kill Megatron. So why, in this Transformers Universe where death is real, does Arcee decide NOT to kill Starscream? And why does Bumblebee look shocked that Arcee wanted to kill Starscream, when he himself killed Skyquake?
And, best of all, how do I explain this to my five year old son? Because when a five year old points out the gaping hole in the logic….
I have significantly more Rodimi than Ethan does. I’m not sure how I feel about that to be honest.
Huh. The first thing I noticed about this comic was Drew’s growing knowledge of Transformers. That’s one attentive non-geek boyfriend.
I just realized, Drew has THE EXACT SAME eyes as Joyce.