![[0035] Reliable Sources](/comics/2009-02-19-[0035]-reliable-sources.png "[0035] Reliable Sources")
The current story arc started with this strip: Woo Jumps to a Conclusion.
You probably wouldn’t have guessed but this is actually a quite good representation of the behavior of real raccoons. Raccoons are generally not very territorial, but males are often living together in small, loose groups to stand their ground against invaders, such as our poor Woo, during the mating season. Sole male yearlings which are already sexually mature (rather uncommon) are therefore usually unsuccessful in their first mating period.
- Woo: …I’m shocked that I haven’t heard anything about you yet. One would think it’d be all over town when a lady with such delicate paws is visiting this part of the forest.
- Tibor: Get lost, sweet talker! You can snack on the nuts, swim in the lake, and sleep in the tree hollows, but stay away from the ladies!
- Woo: Oh yeah? Says who?!?
- Tibor: My buddies[1][2] and I.
- References: Gus: “Pretty tail you’ve got there. It would be a pity if I had to tear it off.” (in Raccoonish) Silvery Forest, 19 February 2009
Rocco: “Shove off! Or I’ll eat your eyeballs for lunch!” (in Raccoonish) Silvery Forest, 19 February 2009
- Woo: I hate it when my opponent cites noted experts to back up his claims.
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Could that tag in the raccoon’s ear be a Ratatouille reference?
Excellent comic too! Poor Woo…
I think mating season might explain the behavior I’ve witnessed recently with a group of three young raccoons that come around my house each night. I’ve watched the three grow over the past year and last night I saw a lot more aggressiveness than normal between them.
“Could that tag in the raccoon’s ear be a Ratatouille reference?”
I have watched the film two times, but I don’t have any idea what you mean with that.
Ha! I love the Wikipedia reference – that’s great! I’m not sure about the Ratatouille reference – I’ve seen it, but I don’t remember any of them with a tag on their ear…
It’s definitely raccoon mating season – I haven’t noticed any aggression here lately, but there were some pretty intense fights during late December (and even starting in late November) here, I’m guessing that the courting has already taken place and the raccoons that are going to be mated pairs have already figured out their matches. *Here* anyway – seasons vary by location, depending on the weather, but it’s usually about this time of year (at least initial courtship is this time of year).
I hope it’s not inappropriate to do so – I linked a video I shot about 2 weeks ago of a mated pair (not *mating* pair, but a couple) courting each other to my name above. Kind of the raccoonish equivalent of a shaky first date – 🙂
Maybe Woo should get her to sneak to Sandra’s house and have a date there? 😀
why do bullies in cartoons always come in backs of threes?
It’s kind of like looking at a Batman ‘toon. Those “masks” make such strange impressions.
But, yea…Woo’s connection with Humans may be his only advantage.
“Why do bullies in cartoons always come in backs of threes?”
So? There were only two in “Major mistake”. There was only one in Calvin and Hobbes, Moe, and in Ozy and Millie, Jeremy. Four would look a bit excessive and there wouldn’t even be enough space in most panels for five persons.
“Poor little guy, there’s always next year…”
Yep. The concepts for the strips of next year’s mating season are already existent.
Cool tidbit of info about raccoons, I never knew that…
Mating season… When hormones override all intelligent thought processes! =^^=
Sad part is that a lot of the adolescent males around here get displaced and wind up flat on the road.
Poor little guy, there’s always next year…
I wonder if Woo’s going to realize he’s got backup too? And a fox at that.
Nice layout.
Next year? He’s already given up on finding anyone else this year?
I just learned that male raccoons are polygamous but females are monogamous. Huh.
bullywise Tom and Jerry get packs of three, the exception being the bull dog, since both Tom and Jerry are part of his pack…but other bullies, even ones that act alone have two friends to back them up. Tom is no exception to this.
Someone tell Woo that Wikipedia can be edited… 😛
I personally think a book on art history would be a good source for names, what with the interesting nicknames. If you don’t want names that ring too many bells, get a book on Italian history and use the names of the various condotteri, many of whom had wonderful names.
Chandler, Ross and Joey, too.
Reliable sources. Oxymoron?
Names
Bibity, Bobity, and Lou…
Life. It happens. 🙁
OMG …. rutting, Wiki style!
(I thought those were references to dialogue in a different comic and the characters were cameos until I noticed the date… and the tag suggests one of them’s only a buddy for hire 🙂 )
Also, cools on the size increase, I’ll have to try it on an XGA screen and see if it still fits alright. I seem to remember 980 being the absolute max that would fit in a maximised XGA broswer without the scroll bars coming into play, so that could be a good choice. (If i’d realised – aka bothered to check 😉 that it was already 960 I might not have said anything before)
Just out of curiosity, did you intend having Woo break the “fourth wall?” In frame three, he looks out of his “reality” to read the text above the last frame. Not sure that was a good idea. Think the punch line works just as well without destroying the reality perception.
I kind of feel sorry for poor Woo. Makes me wish I was there to back him up, would have made a fur coat out those three ;D
I love Woo! He’s adorably drawn, and he’s got a great personality to match!
And yeah, I don’t care who they are, they’ll get what’s coming to them…
Just what I want in a “furry” strip. An anthropomorphic raccoon who acts just the way a “real” talking raccoon would.
Cairn … I think that sort of the whole, Wikipedia-parodying point. Without him looking up to see the citation superscripts, then down to the actual citations, it wouldn’t make so much sense, and would be just a dude who’s turned up with a couple of goons, who’d say those lines in person (taking up a lot of panel space with the speech bubbles) and not being at all clever about it. Plus poor Woo would probably have gotten a pasting.
Oh, “that’s” what Woo is doing in the double head take. I kept reading it as one of those Charlie Brown head moving deals, rather then peeking at the below text. Now, I just noticed the little paws going over the border line. (Hint, hint.)
“Why do bullies in cartoons always come in backs of threes?”
“So? There were only two in “Major mistake”. There was only one in Calvin and Hobbes, Moe, and in Ozy and Millie, Jeremy. Four would look a bit excessive and there wouldn’t even be enough space in most panels for five persons.”
Not true. In Ozy and Millie, Jeremy once beats up Ozy while his two buddies watch.
I don’t think raccoonish is right- shouldn’t it be raccoonian?
This is a very common practice among many species, including early humans, for pinpointing infertility. It doesn’t work the other way around.
Whoops. My above comment was supposed to be in response to Tom. It helps to remember to mention that in the post, doesn’t it.
huh. come back here after being linked from “today’s” strip and… yes… it does work on XGA 😀
(i’ve turned my secondary work monitor to portrait mode! so 1024 across… and 1280 down. Just right for reading PDF technical manuals and the like)
did we ever find out what the tag’s in relation to though?
OMG! When I saw the superscripts in his speech bubble, I thought, “OMG, does he insert Wikipedia citations into his speech?”
Love the Wikipedia humour
Novil wrote:
The character’s name is “Git” http://pixar.wikia.com/Git
Just posted about the cadre of young raccoons who shared a bachelor pad (oak, I believe) in my front yard!
Hey, I just met you
And this is crazy
Oh, competition! This comic just got FAR more interesting!
@ gabrielsthoughts:
A great many things in fiction come in packs of threes. Seems to be a recurring “significant number” for most people.
Lunera wrote:
I would say “Raccoon” myself. After all, the English speak English, the French speak French, and the Germans speak German. Thus, the Raccoons speak Raccoon.
@ David Allen:
His dopey tongue-lolling expression could also be a nod to Ed in THE LION KING. Another trio of bullies, hm….
I wish there were more tigers around where I am.