I’ve had serious doubts about whether most of the aliens in this strip are really sentient beings, or just smart animals like the kangaroo and Coyote.
Stangor seems to be smarter than humans if anything.
Yarrun
…By that metric, we’re all just smart animals.
russell styles
Yes. If it isn’t a hideously over extended joke, some people have reportedly learned to talk to wolves, foxes, and some other animals.
M.A.
I talk to my cat all the time. All she says is “Meow”. Is that really conversation? (Although I must say I’ve had exchanges with other humans which were similarly content-free…)
Muzhik
The question isn’t “can you talk to animals”; it’s “can you LISTEN to them?”
Rex Vivat
The fact that the translator chip is able to make communication with animals possible implies that animals (or at least, coyotes and kangaroos) are actually sapient and we just couldn’t figure each other’s languages.
(And, by the way, depending on who you ask or your exact definition, animals are sentient, even in the real world. Sentience and sapience are not the same thing.)
Erhannis
But…”sentient” was always the word I USED for that concept…. (to be distinguished from “conscious” or “intelligent”.)
TB
Ah. The Doolittle Theory.
Fun fact: I’ve read the books, and Doctor Doolittle was not a vegetarian. Or at least he had no problem serving meat to other people.
Rikard
Reading the last panel, for some reason starts “Highway to the dangerzone” playing in my head.
Wonder what cast’s theme songs would be?
Mic
I think Noggs would be “sad trombone” on repeat.
Efogoto
This comment cracked me the heck up. Thank you.
C.B.VINCENT GOUDREAULT
“they taken”???
I’m pretty sure the translator chip would not make that strange a formulation…
So begins the glorious career of the infamous Dread Space Pirate Aitana.
vonBoomslang
Ohhhh I get it this was just a diversion to put the cast -on- the Spacetrawler!
Knicholas
Not just strand them. . . strand them with Mr. Zorilla.
Erhannis
Hmm…and what of the people who don’t want to be here, I wonder?
Coyoty
They’ve already been guilted to go along.
Pete Roullard
Yippee! I have been on pins and needles waiting to see if Stangor and Ruddock actually did manage to get aboard and why haven’t we seen them yet?! And here they are in a truly heroic on stage entrance!! And putting the plot suddenly into hyperdrive, too!!! —> and congrats to Christopher B for this achievement!
Pete Rogan
And the switcheroo goes through, and we’re back on the Trail of the Space Puppies! (Play the theme from “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” cut with passages from “Yakety Sax” from the Benny Hill show) Five Earthlings and a reformed criminal on a stolen starship known for its old-fashioned dishonorable name.
What could go wrong?
We’ll find out Monday, I guess. Time enough to imagine, oh, all sorts of criminal folly and errant but well-intentioned mischief along the way.
Not to mention the secret project the puppy-aliens need all these Earth people for. I can hardly wait.
Steven
And what, pray tell, could possibly go wrong? What, indeed?
Muzhik
And what, pray tell, could possibly go wrong?
AAIIEEEE! Thanks, Steven. Whatever happens now is all on you. I know mercenary captains who would be willing to kill their own crew if they EVER uttered those cursed magical words.
(Well, not “know” in a 3-dimentional sense. It’s more like having read every single strip of “Schlock Mercenary” for the past 20 years and having developed a healthy respect for Capt. Kaff Tagon. But it’s almost the same.)
But, truly, are our leeless feeders doomed to spend all that time on Earth bereft of all companionship save for Mr. Zorrilla?
Naaah.
Keith
Heh, once again it wasn’t Nogg’s fault. But, Nogg will still get blamed.
Pete Rogan
He’s good at that.
Even/Especially when he’s not around.
nightgaunt492015
I just knew we were going to go after those puppy faced aliens.
And here we are going after them, now have an electronic (?) bug.
0z79
I just let out a very small “oh, no!” on re-read.
A literal crazed squirrel-alien is saving the day. The crew is screwed.
salamurai
a couple weeks ago I kinda wondered when Mr. Zorilla was gonna make an appearance in this edition.
And awaaayyy we go!
I’ve had serious doubts about whether most of the aliens in this strip are really sentient beings, or just smart animals like the kangaroo and Coyote.
Stangor seems to be smarter than humans if anything.
…By that metric, we’re all just smart animals.
Yes. If it isn’t a hideously over extended joke, some people have reportedly learned to talk to wolves, foxes, and some other animals.
I talk to my cat all the time. All she says is “Meow”. Is that really conversation? (Although I must say I’ve had exchanges with other humans which were similarly content-free…)
The question isn’t “can you talk to animals”; it’s “can you LISTEN to them?”
The fact that the translator chip is able to make communication with animals possible implies that animals (or at least, coyotes and kangaroos) are actually sapient and we just couldn’t figure each other’s languages.
(And, by the way, depending on who you ask or your exact definition, animals are sentient, even in the real world. Sentience and sapience are not the same thing.)
But…”sentient” was always the word I USED for that concept…. (to be distinguished from “conscious” or “intelligent”.)
Ah. The Doolittle Theory.
Fun fact: I’ve read the books, and Doctor Doolittle was not a vegetarian. Or at least he had no problem serving meat to other people.
Reading the last panel, for some reason starts “Highway to the dangerzone” playing in my head.
Wonder what cast’s theme songs would be?
I think Noggs would be “sad trombone” on repeat.
This comment cracked me the heck up. Thank you.
“they taken”???
I’m pretty sure the translator chip would not make that strange a formulation…
@C.B., Ha! True. Fixed. 🙂
So begins the glorious career of the infamous Dread Space Pirate Aitana.
Ohhhh I get it this was just a diversion to put the cast -on- the Spacetrawler!
Not just strand them. . . strand them with Mr. Zorilla.
Hmm…and what of the people who don’t want to be here, I wonder?
They’ve already been guilted to go along.
Yippee! I have been on pins and needles waiting to see if Stangor and Ruddock actually did manage to get aboard and why haven’t we seen them yet?! And here they are in a truly heroic on stage entrance!! And putting the plot suddenly into hyperdrive, too!!! —> and congrats to Christopher B for this achievement!
And the switcheroo goes through, and we’re back on the Trail of the Space Puppies! (Play the theme from “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” cut with passages from “Yakety Sax” from the Benny Hill show) Five Earthlings and a reformed criminal on a stolen starship known for its old-fashioned dishonorable name.
What could go wrong?
We’ll find out Monday, I guess. Time enough to imagine, oh, all sorts of criminal folly and errant but well-intentioned mischief along the way.
Not to mention the secret project the puppy-aliens need all these Earth people for. I can hardly wait.
And what, pray tell, could possibly go wrong? What, indeed?
And what, pray tell, could possibly go wrong?
AAIIEEEE! Thanks, Steven. Whatever happens now is all on you. I know mercenary captains who would be willing to kill their own crew if they EVER uttered those cursed magical words.
(Well, not “know” in a 3-dimentional sense. It’s more like having read every single strip of “Schlock Mercenary” for the past 20 years and having developed a healthy respect for Capt. Kaff Tagon. But it’s almost the same.)
But, truly, are our leeless feeders doomed to spend all that time on Earth bereft of all companionship save for Mr. Zorrilla?
Naaah.
Heh, once again it wasn’t Nogg’s fault. But, Nogg will still get blamed.
He’s good at that.
Even/Especially when he’s not around.
I just knew we were going to go after those puppy faced aliens.
And here we are going after them, now have an electronic (?) bug.
I just let out a very small “oh, no!” on re-read.
A literal crazed squirrel-alien is saving the day. The crew is screwed.
a couple weeks ago I kinda wondered when Mr. Zorilla was gonna make an appearance in this edition.
guess I’m still wondering! 😀