One thing creator Jeph Jacques is famous for is dropping any aspects of the story he doesn't feel like writing about any more. Like all fans, I have my own list of stuff I'd like to see again, and since blogging is all about lists of stuff I personally feel like talking about, I present The Stuff Carl Wishes Would Come Back To Questionable Content:
Deathmole
Marten formed a band with a couple of minor characters (a friend's girlfriend's roommate and her boyfriend) and later added my favorite character, Hannelore. I really wanted to see Hannelore, who has severe social anxiety, go on stage, but when Jeph wrote Natasha out of the comic, Deathmole disappeared. I impatiently await their return.Faye's Sculpture
Faye dropped out of college before getting her sculpture degree. When she was in a funk, Dora commissioned a sculpture, and Faye produced a small espresso-pooping dinosaur, and was immediately commissioned to create a replica. She was also to be paid $2000. Then the sculpture and money and commission disappeared from the comic. It has only been a few days in-comic, so I still have hopes this story will be continued. If nothing else, Jeph likes to write stories about people spending windfalls.Dr. Corinne
Faye's and Hannelore's therapist has drifted out of the strip lately, perhaps because both are acting way less crazy. I'd be curious to see her reaction to Hannelore hugging someone and not freaking out.Lydia
Sven's intern was a perfect foil for him, but she seems to have evaporated. She's a contemporary of Tai's, it would at least be entertaining for them to hook up without realizing the connection.There are also themes in the story that haven't actually disappeared, but which I like and would love to see more of.
Underpants jokes
Really. I don't know if Jeph realizes how many of his comics deal with monkey underpants, the Underwear Ninja, Dora not wearing underpants, Hanners flashing her underwear, Dora in a thong, Faye's panties with alligators, and Angus' He-Man drawers. It's kind of doubly funny for me since I noticed the trend.Emergency something at Coffee of Doom
For some reason, Dora has elaborately prepared her coffee shop for all possible contingencies, what with the emergency booze, emergency ice cream, emergency skirt, and so forth.Weirdness
I miss the over-the-top weirdness the strip used to have, like deathbots threatening the protagonists, or martial arts monks taking Marten hostage. When was the last time they even mentioned Pizza Girl?One other thing I randomly felt like writing about: there's a theme in QC of odd parents.
Marten
Mom a dominatrix and ex-fetish model, dad gay (engaged to a man) and a nightclub owner.Dora
Father is world-adventuring photographer.Faye
Father shot himself in front of her.Hannelore
Father is a mad scientist, mother an evil industrialist. (Is Hannelore related to the Green family from CRFH!?)Raven
Parents are both (non-mad) scientists.Natasha and Wil
Parents are rich. It seems like that Angus' parents are doing OK considering they sent him to a special rich kid prep school.I'm curious about Marigold's and Penelope's parents. Considering precedent, at least one will be Kim Jong-Il's mistress.
I don't normally psychoanalyze writers, but I do wonder: Jeph makes no secret of being adopted. Does this have something to do with his characters having such a wide variety of interesting parents?
I invite any other QC fans to add to the lists above.
