Aging charecters

[tree193]

I think the characters have aged a little bit. Hopefully they won't anymore. Cartoons shouldn't age in my opinion. Although if he ever stopped writing O&M for whatever reason, it might be cool to do a spinoff cartoon where all the characters are older, just so we all get to see how they turned out.

[dnwq]

They haven't really <i>aged</i>, but the drawing style has changed.<br><br>whatoneliner?

[Foxchild]

If I may say, those of you who (or is it whom?) are conserned with the aging, I don't think you need to worry much. Simpson knows what his strengths are, or at least seems to, anyway. As many of you have pointed out, it wasn't the age that really changed, but the drawing style.<br>Simpson said, as I read in one of his comic books, that he felt he could be doing better as an artist with his strips, so he took a month off to re-work his designs. <br>When he re-drew them, the became taller, for one, and their size was more like that of a 10 year old compared to an 8, so thats how that was worked. If Simpson feels he can do better than he is doing now, although i don't really see how he could, we may see the hero and heroine get YOUNGER to reflect the newer style. I don't think that is very likely, I think he is very happy with the style as is, but never-the-less, I'm certain its possible.<br><br>And as for the infamouse Captain Locke, if the comic was to progress in time, we don't know how Simpson would work with that lovable character. I do, however, believe it may be reasonable to think that, like when we hit the age of about 40 and our physiology doesn't change much, that capt. Locke may just stay about the same, possibly looking only a little younger. In his world, it may only take 18 to 25 years to grow out of adulthood. These things have never been stated, so we can't guess that Locke would be un-born if the strip progressed.<br>Enough random bable from me, though!<br><br>p.s. One last thing, for me as a member here... I can't decide which quote I'd like to use for myself. I'm debating between "I discovered a situation in which ancient wisdom is <b>REALLY REALLY STUPID</b>",(from just before the family re-union series, when ozy used ancient wisdom to choose his haircut-style) and "You know, I really like asparagus".<br>both kinda describe how I am... I always find a way to use wise words against myself(well, when I have wise words!), and I have ADD... which actually does lead to conversations like this strip: <a href='http://www.ozyandmillie.org/2000/om20000821.html' target='_blank'>Attention Deficit Disorder</a><br>"http://www.ozyandmillie.org/2000/om20000821.html"

[norsenerd]

Having cartoons age can be a good thing. It depends on the comic. I don't think <i>Ozy and Millie</i> lends itself well to aging but a comic like <i>For Better or for Worse</i> can use it well. If an author wished to tackle real world problems it can best be done through aging. People change over time and this change as well as whom they were are a part of them. In <i>For Better or For Worse</i> two enemies in high school become best friends in college. If that history werent there it wouldn't mean as much. Also how people change can only be addressed with aging your characters. Peoples emotional states, maturity levels, and senility change all thought life. There can be good commentary on this.<br><br>A good rule of thumb I think is weather or not the comic is static or dynamic. There are advantages to both and David Craig Simpson has chosen the static comic and the freedoms that lends him. This would mean that in <i>Ozy and Millie</i> the characters would not age.<br>

[tree193]

Ya know, I never thought about the Captain Locke thing. If Ozy and Millie and the rest kept aging, then Captain Locke would be a babby before too long. And then he would just, what, disappear? Interesting. But who ever said comic strips need to be logical?

[Softpaw]

Personally, I'd hate to see O&M turn into something like For Better or Worse, mostly because I can't stand that strip. WAY too much drama for casual morning reading.

[Sigurd Volsung]

As far as aging goes there are several strip out there where aging has worked and proven essential to the strip. It allows the strip to remain fresh since the characters are forced to deal with the problems that come from maturing. Does O&M need it though I'd have to say no, since it relies on something other than family antics to stay fresh it relies, loosely, on politics (the same thing worked for Calvin and Hobbes). <br><br>On the other hand I for one would love to see some flash forwards as some many have already suggested. Like Ozy and Millie going to prom, with Millie in a tuxedo trying to stuff Ozy into a dress (the only reason I thought of this is because an old girlfriend of mine seriouly gave it some thought).<br><br>

[Omega]

I might be interested in a spin-off of sorts. Have a second, independent strip following the characters in a fashion involving more arcs, characters changing and growing, but keep the existing strip going with it's unaging characters. Of course, for that to be all that good you'd have to have a REAL good writer with the same wit as our beloved one, with even more free time, and what're the odds of that happening? <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... /smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[hdofu]

I don't know, that could get pretty complicated with character relationships

[norsenerd]

It would also get very confusing. There would be the same base and characters but two different plot lines going on simultaneously. It would be hard to keep them straight. And also they would diverge over time. Stuff happens in the current strip. What if something happens that conflicts with the developing one? I think two strips would be too difficult, if not imposable, to pull off well.

[Omega]

Well, the thing is that nothing ACTUALLY happens in the current strip. Everything that's done gets undone, so unless the second strip referenced past events it would be hard for contradictions to crop up. Llewellyn may run for president, but he never wins. In the strip I'm proposing, he MIGHT win, and have to deal with that.<br><br>Of course, another problem is that none of these characters are really that well-rounded. In fact, they're mostly one-note charactures, excepting O&M and maybe Ms. Mudd and Isolde. Not that that's BAD, of course, the strip's wonderful, and the one-note characters work perfectly. Just that that would have to change for a second story-based strip, and that would be yet another hurdle to be overcome. It's not IMPOSSIBLE, but it'd be darned hard. I suppose my reason for suggesting it is exactly that Ozy and Millie are characters whose reactions I can actually see in a given situation. They could be people, and like any good characters you never quite want to let them go.

[Foxchild]

Well, there are some things that do change in the strip. It's rare when its big, but take Greater Llewellynland, for example. Llewellyn suceded from the US and founded his own country, which is still in the strip to the last running new one. So there are things that may change, drastically altering the future in O&M.<br><br>on a though that comes from this one... does anyone know if a household could actually suceed from the united states? i know a state cannot... but is there a possible loophole? something to think about. hm...

[norsenerd]

The interesting thing is that there are compounds that claim aninimity from the U.S. that the U.S. allows. I'm not sure how this legally works out so if I household really wanted to succeed they probably could if they try hard enough. Possibly well-armed too.

[Muninn]

I was just browsing the archives yesterday and found a strip where Millie says or refers to herself being ten. I can't find it now but it's late 2002 i think.

[Omega]

I doubt a household could secceed from the US. They'd also have to secceed from their county and state to do so. While there is a constitutional provision in... Vermont, I think, for a county to seceed, it would still remain part of the US if it did so. So while it might be possible for a single unit of property to seceed from a particular county and even state, there's no legal provision for seceeding from the US of which I am aware short of a Constitutional ammendment.<br><br>Of course, some challenge might be made based on squatters rights, i.e. the government left them alone for seven years, which is tantamount to accepting their claim of independence.