No touching!
This week’s page was a little late, got knocked down with a cold and some other stuff. I’m going to be wrapping up the end of the current chapter of The Meek, there should be 3 posts there by the weekend (woo). If you haven’t read it yet and want to binge 4 complete chapters, Sunday would probably be a good time to do it. Because of that, I’m going to be taking a little break on TM updates to ramp up for Chapter 5, which means about 2 weeks of nothing but MI updates :D About 7+ in a row if my calcs are right so that will start in March~ yay. I’ll try to pace them but as usual my life is crazy and I’m moving again, which means maybe some schedule weirdness. But we’re at 12x guaranteed updates in March according to the Patreon, so they will be up, though the schedule may be a little wonky as I lose and gain my internet and work time, haha. I can’t wait to just breathe again, literally and figuratively…
Thanks as usual for reading~
51 Comments
Have we gone from thighfriend the thripfriend now? Because I like thrip friend.
We need a Mars equivalent of the Get Along Shirt.
I’m trying to imagine Armshark in clothes and it’s very confusing.
It’s like the dog + pants meme
Martians apparently have no sense of personal space.
They probably do (all species do, if for nothing else than to not accidentally bump into each other all the time) but considering its comment about curiosity, I think it has forgotten about them because its curious.
“Friend, it is not a violation of your space and body! I am only touching your mobility limb to remove your parasite. Now if I was to brush you with my ovipositor, we would have a possible breach of space.”
Armshark may not consider Mike to be a full “person”. Us humans have a history of treating other species without much regard for their comfort and well-being.
Not just other species. Humans also have a history of treating each other without much regard for their comfort and well-being.
omg Mike baby… As much of an ass as he is sometimes, I wanna give him a hug hardcore right now
At least we have a diagnosis now!
That *RRIIIIP* has me cringing.
I have to agree, every time I read that panel my stomach flip-flops.
“Amicable silence” or “awkward silence”? Oh, Armshark…
At least armshark knows there are two different kinds, haha. Very well informed.
“Is this ‘an amicable silence’ or ‘an awkward silence?'”
If Armshark was human, we might diagnose her with Asperger’s. Brilliant, analytical, adorable, and socially awkward.
I wonder if Armshark would like to borrow my copy of An Anthropologist on Mars…
Haha, I just found my bf’s copy of that book, started reading it a few days ago.
Armshark needs to learn about consent. No means no!
And as I was typing this, I realized it had much worse implications, considering Mike’s history of abuse…
Yeah, I was also wondering if Mike was having some flashback during all this…..
I’m past “wondering” to “almost certain”.
Armshark: Does it hurt when I do this?” *Poke*
I like how even Armschilla’s Thrip is like, “Dude, that’s cold. I’m going Mike-side now.”
I like how both Mike and Armshark just kind of let Thripfriend do whatever it wants.
“Oh, there’s an alien crab thing clinging to my leg. That’s cool.”
Actually, he doesn’t even acknowledge it hahaha
Well… at least armshark looks somewhat chastised in that last panel?
And poor Mike! That’s got to be hella traumatizing, considering everything he’s been through D:
I’m glad Rule 34 isn’t actually true for this case
why did you have to bring up rule 34
Because of Rule 35.
How the heck would that even work
Yeah, I can imagine the intrusiveness getting to Mike here a bit.
this comic is just progressively getting more creepy like im expecting some crazy psychological horror or something comic up
Oh, OW. OW OW OW OW OW. That was seriously my first thought when Armshark grabbed Mike’s leg. The ripping sound effect is giving me the worst atavistic shivers you have no idea.
…Second thought was, “You go, Mike! Be assertive!” because look at him being assertive.
That thing in Mike’s leg has continually freaked me out since it’s appearance. Mike’s reactions to everything involving it and what my instinctive reactions to it have been conflicting.
It’s really weird to me how someone could get attached to a parasitic, mobile mushroom growing from inside one’s body – especially after finding out that it’s drawing blood, and it’s attached to the bone.
Then again, perhaps it delivers chemicals to it’s host to encourage attachment, so as to increase it’s chances of survival?
Either way, there’s lots to be worried about, but I’m definitely wondering why Mike’s not more concerned about the growing bulge of the thing in his leg. Just..ghat damn.
I think that is because most people are afraid of pain more than they are afraid of other symptoms. I know a lot of folks who are postponing seeing a doctor until their problem is unbearable.
My own first reaction, when someone would tell me that something is attached to my bone and it should be removed, would be: Oh fuck no, that’s gonna hurt like hell.
He’s probably more attached to his leg than anything XD, but I was thinking that the parasite might be filtering the atmosphere for him, so it could be a symbiotic relationship – he provides it with some kind of sustenance and it gives him oxygen directly through the femoral artery, like some kind of external lung. Mike might not know that, but I imagine if it were the case, he started feeling healthier as soon as it got some water.
I think he’d probably be a lot more open to the possibility of removal if it was going to be done via surgery rather than “okay, hold still” RRIIP
*rip*
*thrip*
Is it just me, or does Armshark’s neck/head look just the tiniest bit phallic?
Totes amicable.
Thripfriend is a tracking device.
First contact between human and alien, and Mike tells her not to talk to him.
Come on, Mike.
Ok, so…first time reader. This is wonderful! The writing and art are seriously weighing on my Metal Hurlant nostalgia. Keep it up! I can’t wait to see what comes next!
Mike why won’t you let me look at your femur Mike
I’ve taken a dislike to Mike. Looking back at the character’s actions I’m surprised its taken me this long.
Why’s that? Mike does act weird, and not exactly in a way that makes him an easy character to identify or deal with, since he has some serious mental issues. I also feel like he should stop running and do some talking now, but that’s hard for him, up to impossible in this situation. People with serious mental disorders can be hard to get along with, yet that’s the challenge. :)
I’m surprised too… he’s intentionally designed to be difficult to like.
One of my favorite things about your characters is that most of them are hard to like and yet easy to be sympathetic to.
They are characters you can love without liking very much.
I definitely liked Phe from The Meek. I’m a sucker for sensible ones. AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO HER. >:(
I think its because he’s made no progress with his childhood problems, continuing through that teenage episode. I’ve plenty of experience with mental health issues and people with seriously damaged childhoods, and I know how difficult it can be. But this guy remains largely obnoxious, and having a painful past is not a dickhead licence. I mean I’ve got sympathy for his plight, but hell I wouldnt want to know him given a choice. (The kind of guy when discovering new sentient life seems to require ‘Me time’ and ‘his own space’! Painfully self absorbed.)
Considering what he had gone through before discovering new life, he might think he’s hallucinating. That would explain his attitude, I guess…
Or what if he’s dying under a rock somewhere having a vivid dream?
That could be his thoughts.
I seriously hope we’re getting close to the point where questions actually get answered, at least some of them! Because each passing page since the awakening has been new question after new question piling on top of each other with no end in sight, specially after fluffy here got introduced, which pretty much became a mindfudge of its own.
Seriously, the comic has been enjoyable so far, but also frustrating to no end.
I really like how kindly Mike thinks of his many parasites. My first thought would be to remove any parasites attached to me, but he’s actually worried about his. Which makes sense considering Thighfriend seems to have helped him a lot?
Anyway Mike has no reason to trust the talking Martian more than he trusts thighfriend and I love that.