Sleepless In Northampton
skating while crying
Comments (67)
Rereading (from 2024) and had to comment that this page is so beautiful. Thank you Jeph for writing something that can be read & reread again & again!
Just catching up now, and as a former roller derby referee I can confirm that derby is plenty of an emotional mess as is, and people do pay to watch it. More people really should.
Elfin Claire; Door Bustin' Bubbles; Big Sloppy Emotions for Everyone!
Skate on wheelies to escape the feelies!
Is this a nod to another trans redhead with glasses in a nearby webcomic?
Naked pillow fight time!
Platonic pyjama-clad pillow fight time first!
Big lady
I swear, Claire has never looked as cute as she does in the fifth panel of this comic.
I find the full frontal nose faces always a bit surprising, I guess we just don't see them that often and the side views of the character's noses are quite defining.
This just popped up in my email; I am still smiling at Claire's upturned face, and the "big sloppy emotional roller derby"
The grace, respect and care shown in accepting things at face value should not be underestimated.
OK, but does either of them have pants?
Bubs has a visible waste band in P2 & P3, anyway.
Major design flaw that AI can get anxiety too, WTF
We've seen that before with Roko and some of the others. Anxiety is part and parcel with sentience; any brain capable of both higher thought processes and complex emotion is capable of hyperfixating on 'what-if' scenarios to the point where it creates a feedback loop. The AI in this world are capable of everything from love and hate to body dysphoria and sexual attraction, anxiety is just another card in the deck.
So was Bubbles pacing and saw the light from Claire's phone?
Has anyone ventured a guess on Bubbles height? Most door frames are 6' 8". She appears slightly taller than that in this shot. So 6' 9" - 6'10"???
6’ 9” for the “nice” factor.
Excellent time to play with perspective. Love it.
Roller Derby? How about Rollerball?
I hope *your* emotions aren't a corporate bloodsport…
I'm loving the new ponytail on Bubbles. It's awesome
Also, Jeph: I love the detail of how Bubbles is just about 7mm too tall for that doorway.
*floof*
Somehow I am envisioning the entire cast of QC participating in a roller derby together, all while eating sloppy joes.
They said "sloppy" They said "sloppy" They said "sloppy" "We're eating sloppy joes, laaa, joes, laaa..."
#smolfriend
If I ever decide to get into roller derby as a 46-year-old dude with bad knees, I’m calling “Big Sloppy Emotional” as my derby name
Tomorrow: the four are really tired and go out to a diner for breakfast. Bubbles’s tea smells of oranges and chocolate. Next booth over, Marigold, May, Momo, and Dale discuss which of the crazy Zillow properties should they buy.
Bubbles’ Tea is much better than Bubble Tea
Now I have to ask if Claire is wearing pants.
Jeph continues to find ways to draw Clair more and more cute.
I *am* paying to watch 👀
"people would pay to watch" I see no lie. TAKE MY GODDAMN MONEY
See Morgan Byrd's comment.
I wish I, and those in my life, had this level of understanding from the jump. Unfortunately, it has taken a lot of time and tough conversations to get half of what’s shown here. It’s what I love about this comic. Looking past the wacky, high concept sci-fi, there’s very realistic interactions between the cast with emotional intelligence that I strive to achieve.
It's taken the cast, and us, twenty years to mellow out this far...
Big sloppy emotional roller derby? Hell YA I'd pay to watch!
We are paying to watch right now, in fact. 😜
^ came here to say this.
Claire looks so cute in the second-to-last panel!
SMOL
mmm sloppy roller derby... (lots of wipeouts)
My sister does play roller derby and it does get really sloppy.
A big, sloppy, emotional roller derby would be better than a big, sloppy, emotional demolition derby.
Been there. Do not recommend
"Sloppy Emotional Roller Derby" Would be a great album name.
That second frame initially struck me as being....ominous? But thinking back Claire's first and only relationship has been with Marten, she shows remarkable emotional insight and maturity in this, her own anxiety about the job offer notwithstanding.
Bubbles is a very big intimidating sweetheart
Claire is good. Bubs is good. Marten and Faye... are smart enough to know they're lucky.
Claire is so little and Bubs is so big and they're both so nice!!!!!
Great lighting. Great POV. Great emotions 😭
17 out of 5 stars on yelp
Have skated while crying. 0/10 do not recommend, especially if you wear contacts that pop out when the tears do.
Next we need a Bubbles/Marten heart-to-heart
Hearts colliding everywhere!
Sometimes you need a big sloppy emotional roller derby.
Roller Derby is second only to Demolition Derby.
Wait, are they both not wearing pants? I've got a bad feeling about this...
Bubbles is wearing pants. I would assume Claire is wearing whatever she normally wears in bed.
How is Claire even cuter from above?
Bubbles is so lucky to ALWAYS see her from her cutest angle
Awwwww, smol friend 😭
To Bubbles almost any human is "smol person"
Bubbles' hair is longer!!!
This has been quite the journey.