#100 - Quite Good Actually (Faktiskt!)
Friday, January 25th, 2008Well here is post #100! Hurrah! I’m putting it up early because it’s done and I want to rest the entire Friday. Thank you everyone that has read Anders Loves Maria and been so engaged in my little characters lives.
I’ve added a little Photoblog in the links section to the right. There is little to no text, just pictures form my cell phone that get taken from time to time. Some family pics, ego pics, non flattering I’m fucking tired pics too. Stuff around my life here in Northern Sweden.
January 25th, 2008 at 2:23 am
AH! Whoa! I am totally psyched right now but I will be freaking out all day tomorrow I suspect.
January 25th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Also, things with Tina should be non-existent ANDERS. dummy
January 25th, 2008 at 2:25 am
Holy shit this was amazing
I came home from school being all, “Yay! A new Anders Loves Maria!” and then I go about my business, playin’ my guitar and shit, and I check back (’cause I wanted to re-read it) and it was like, “HOLY SHIT! ANOTHER ANDERS LOVES MARIA!”
January 25th, 2008 at 2:27 am
Wanker. Anders, you are a wank. Wanker, wanker, wanker.
This story is still just eating my heart. Rene, I am in love with your work.
January 25th, 2008 at 3:00 am
Will we get a similar look at how Maria is doing in the next comic? Can’t wait
January 25th, 2008 at 3:57 am
I hope Anders and Maria get back together. I really, really do.
But I also hope that Anders gets hurt just one more time
(preferably like he did by Maria’s brother)
January 25th, 2008 at 4:23 am
Dick move, Anders. Cultivating one woman while hoping to get back with another. Dick move.
January 25th, 2008 at 4:25 am
Wait, shoot, did this just pop up while I was getting caught up on the rest?! Yes! Yes, it did!
Wait, soooooo… he’s bragging to Lena about how good things are with a girl with whom he should by all rights have no contact? Using the same breath as the sentence about hoping he can talk to his pregnant, angry lady, no less? Yeesh… this is some deep, deep crap he’s into.
January 25th, 2008 at 4:31 am
“cultivating”?
January 25th, 2008 at 4:32 am
Settling into a domestic routine with her arch-enemy is not the way to win back a lady’s heart, Anders.
January 25th, 2008 at 6:08 am
Am I the only one who wouldn’t be heartbroken if Anders and Maria didn’t get back together? I mean, they seemed to care about each other, but they also seemed to be having kind of a rough relationship. Sometimes those things happen. Weren’t they going to break up near the beginning of the comic, before the baby? (off to re-read…)
January 25th, 2008 at 6:38 am
I’m not all that fond of the idea of Anders staying at Tina’s either, but if you think about it, he kind of doesn’t have too many other options. He obviously can’t go home because it’s Maria’s, too; can’t go to mom’s because he’s conflicted about her relationship with his old girlfriend; and the only other people he knows in Norrland (sp?) are just going to beat the crap out of him again. As for Lena, doesn’t she have a family to look after or something? I don’t blame him for deciding to stay with someone who’s been nothing but a friend to him lately.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Also, I love how Lena refers to Tina as “that other girl” as any good best friend should in this sort of situation.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:33 am
‘Quite good’ could just be implying that they’re getting along without complications/romantic entanglement/hurt feelings.
Am I the only reader who DOESN’T think Anders is a dick? I dunno. I think Maria’s just a big brat through alot of this, and I’ve been mad at her more than Anders through most the comic.
Maybe I’m just weird or broken and put back together wrong. But my sympathy goes out to Anders most of the time.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:50 am
why is every female in this strip attracted to Anders when he’s such a cockbite?
January 25th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Pregnant women do crazy things (their brains actually shrink 12% during pregnancy). Anders is not pregnant. He has no excuse. I mean sure he was raised a spoiled brat and was never taught to take responsibility for his actions… but that’s what growing up is for. He just seems so detached from everyone. He’s not very empathetic, though he loves to pretend to be.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Anders, why you gotta do a thing?
January 25th, 2008 at 8:47 am
So Maria is excused from being an ass because she’s pregnant?
January 25th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Aghh, they’re both wrong.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:08 am
I don’t think Anders and Tina are doin’ it. I think that they’re friends, though.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Well. Just discovered this at random on the net, Decided to read it from oldest to most recent.
Yeah, I been that guy too. Never feels good, especially when you lose what means the most because of yer own stupid stupid actions. Its a heartbreak that just don’t go away.
:(
January 25th, 2008 at 10:00 am
That pregnancy fact sounds a bit like propaganda to me, but I really have no idea.
Congratulations on 100 comics Rene, it’s been amazing. Please feel better soon!
January 25th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Congratulations Rene! Keep up the good work I love it!
January 25th, 2008 at 10:51 am
100 comics! congratulations xxxxxx
Yeah, re pregnancy, I work with statistical analysis in the biosciences a lot, so having one stat popped into a sentence with no reference to trials, or how they’re conducted, or any proof…highly dubious… 79% of people agree!
January 25th, 2008 at 10:56 am
(got here through overcompensating but saw the link first at octopus pie)
love the comic and am heartbroken that anders is living with tina, but agree with other posters about his lack of options. he can’t go to his mom’s and not bc of his ex who’s now his mom’s gf, but bc there was some legal problem with him returning before his court date, i think.
no, they weren’t going to break up before the baby news, it was just that maria got freaked out about being old - and trapped!, disappeared for a day and then anders went off with jenny and the tv show bit, though apparently he didn’t cheat that time, since rene says so! this, to me, is the kind of thing that can be resolved and doesn’t speak to bigger relationship issues - just a freak out and crazy few days. anders wanted to have a baby with her bc he was in love with her, not just bc he wanted a baby. they have much more between them than he does with tina or she with her band mate. i think they’ll get back together! but i just love how bad things always happen to anders, even when they’re not all his fault. the court case is going to be hilarious!
January 25th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Awesome comic - why is everyone hating Anders though? In every decision that didn’t involve sex he’s been moral and chivalrous. Arrogance isn’t attractive but surely it’s not a fatal flaw?
January 25th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Hey, I’m pregnant, and I think Maria’s been an unmanageable brat.
Although obviously I think Anders should have maybe discussed this with Maria instead of fucking her arch-enemy. So Anders is a dick too.
I think I would prefer them to get back together, but not if Maria is going to use this incident as a stick to beat Anders with for the rest of his life - that’s no good for anyone. I suppose I could understand if Anders decided to stick with Tina.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I’d like to know more about what’s going on Maria’s side. I…I just can’t stand the site of Anders right now…
Oh, hi! Christi-Maria here and yes that is my real name.
I hail from the not-so-highly-looked-upon-state of Mississippi, USA. Please don’t think so badly of us just because the idiots get all of the media attention. Most of us are quite sane…
So you can say that I have a personal attachment to Maria in name alone.
And that we are both currently 26 (unless that has changed since the time-skip…)
I love your comic very much Ms. Rene and your artwork. So much so that your style was inspiration for an illustration I did for the newspaper I work for!
Oh and congratulations on 100 comics! I can’t wait for the next 100+!
Oh and um also I found your comic 7 months ago by the way of Girly!
January 25th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
heee! more alm! woot! now i don’t have to hit refresh every ten minutes until midday. And they’re both fools and brats.
January 25th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Late to the party! Congrats Rene! Here’s to the next 100!
January 25th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
lol rene if your goal was for your entire fanbase to hate anders with a seething passion, congratulations!
January 25th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I think Anders lost part of his brain while in the hospital after his first fight … all went to hell after that.
He and tina NOT doing it? rrrright. The last two strips, Tina has have those big eyes of “please dont go away”… even if Anders still loves María, he might have realized that María is a spoiled brat and being with a more mature girl is “quite good, actually”.
Still a shit-head, would kick his butt at sigth.
January 25th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
“79% of people agree!”
high five!
January 25th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Congratulations on 100 comics and all the attention you are getting from the webcomics nation! You deserve it! I saw that Sam and Fuzzy linked to you today, so it appears to be the thing to do now. :^) You’ll be getting more and more fans over the next few days.
I hope you’re feeling better!
January 25th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
katie said: “lol rene if your goal was for your entire fanbase to hate anders with a seething passion, congratulations!”
—————————
Her entire fanbase does not hate Anders with a seething passion… Speak for yourself.
There have been quite a few comments of sympathy for Anders in reply to this comic and every one before it.
I think Rene’s “goal” (consciously or not) was for us to realize that just like each of us, these characters are HUMAN. They are not perfect, they make mistakes, they are sometimes shortsighted, and they can make some poor decisions in the heat of passion (anger and sexual passion).
I think each person’s response to the comics - which characters gets their sympathy, which characters get their hatred, which characters they are disappointed in - has more to do with the individual experiences of each person’s own real life than it does with anything Rene is “trying” to get us to feel.
January 25th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Everytime I see Tina’s face, it makes me so sad. Its weird to like a character and then see him making such a jerk of himself. Tina looks lost in every panel and she seems to like him… it makes me feel terrible for her. Plus she had a cute hat yesterday.
Rene! What is with this … this … character development?? Didn’t you know that characters in comics aren’t supposed to change and grow? Did you not get the memo?!
Keep going for another hundred!!!
January 25th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Just linked over here [from Sam & Fuzzy] To find what is quite possibly the most engaging comic to grace my tft in a long-while. Thanks for putting this out there, ” It Am Awesome “.
January 25th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Happy Hundred!
January 25th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Can you blame him for the whole tina thing? I mean, maria won’t take him any more, and tina will. It’s not so far out of the realm of reason to stay with her, it’s better than being depressed and alone.
January 25th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Boo to Tina lovers! Yes Maria was stupid but that doesn’t make her a ‘brat’ forever and ever. I admit I’ve made some pretty stupid mistakes along the Maria line before (not spray painting a house but freaking out somewhat unnecessarily) and that doesn’t mean I’m like that ALL the time.
A couple of dumb things definitely do not justify being cuddly with another girl. I don’t want Tina to be hurt though, since she looks like a lost little lamb all the time, but yea…Anders should not be hanging out with her right now (even if he really had no choice)…or at all.
Nice work as always Rene, congrats on 100!
January 25th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
So exciting! You’re way too good at this. I’m a little disgusted with the amount of talent you have. (by disgusted.. I mean jealous)
I am on team maria. boo tina!
January 25th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
i think i am a definite tina-hater. and anders is a cock. purely because i relate to the unreasonable, furious furies that maria unleashes with stupid consequences that are later regretted.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
“Cultivating”, yeah, that’s not a bad word to describe it. There he is, clinging to Tina’s aid and generosity, keeping that connection between them alive, almost as a safety net so he won’t be alone if things don’t work out with Maria. It’s a dick move. Making a relationship with someone isn’t the most common use of the word “cultivate”, but even dictionary(dot)reference(dot)com recognizes it.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Ok. I wasn’t questioning it’s use, only it’s meaning.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Congats on 100. I’m not commenting on the schism of Tina or Maria. However, I will keep note of the URL and logo.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Hello! I was scrolling through my daily routine of Web Comics and was reading the little news update on Sam and Fuzzy. The author had mentioned this site and I was curious. Went through your entire archive and already I have reached a conclusion: Bookmark it and WAIT IMPATIENTLY for an update! So here I am!
Also, don’t be too hard on Anders. How childish is Maria being over Tina? Seriously, she’s has a grudge for…26-highschoolish age = about 10 years?! Her family is 2 shakes of a tail from “Bat Country” and she is being irrational. Of course, Anders did screw up for sleeping with Tina, so that’s like two (maybe 3) strikes right there BUT being a complete and utter bitch without probable cause is 3 strikes too. So! Maybe the comic should be Anders loves Maria & Tina! Maybe not…but I really do want to see where things go from here. Thanks for the wonderful comic!
January 25th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
People who hate Anders, as I’ve stated before, have no concept of this storyline beyond “omg she’s pregnant u meany head!!”. Be more objective.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I think everyone here are being a bit hard on Anders… seriously, the one who caused all the trouble was Maria… she is the one that caused all the trouble in the story… from top to bottom… she is always a troubleseeker… and Im sorry, but if anyone in the story has been extra nice all the time… is Anders…
Anders don’t Take bulshit from Maria… seriously, everything is her fault…
.:AvaeL:.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I think Anders is lovely, if but a little misguided.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Yes, I used cultivating, because it’s not even like he’s just living in her house and paying Tina rent. They’re doing dishes together, even while he’s on the phone (an unusual arrangement, based on my roommate experiences), and we previously saw them out together taking photographs. Thus there seems to be SOME effort on his part, unless Tina’s been dragging him about and giving puppy dog eyes off-panel.
The fact that the audience is all angry and polarized is just a testament to how good this comic is. Wonderful writing tends to do that.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I think ‘rl’s’ comment of “The fact that the audience is all angry and polarized is just a testament to how good this comic is. Wonderful writing tends to do that.” hits the nail on the head. Rene, you have created a wonderful universe here! I love the fact that people are debating because we cannot wait to see what happens next.
Anders is lovely, as is Tina and Maria and the girl is the sweater who has stolen my heart. Did she ever get a name? They are refreshingly human. I’m sorry to keep gushing but I love this comic! You and John A are my must-reads.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
The girl in the lusekofta sweater is called Åsa.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
I don’t HATE Anders, it’s because he was a pretty good, honest and moral guy is why I’m so disappointed with him. Yes, Maria was being a…I wouldn’t say brat, but very, very childish and pretty much stroked the fire she was trying to quell, not to mention she wasn’t very supportive in him when it came to the relations of him and her family (the vandalism in my mind is what pulled him over the edge because it seemed like an attack on him through proxy) but that in no way made what Anders did justified.
As people have said before, even if he had broken up with her in her mind, even if she was cold in respect to his self-esteem and, should I say, male-pride, he had no right under any circumstances to take his current and fleeting dislike of Maria’s anger in that way.
I agree with what others have said before that both Anders and Maria need to grow-up a bit more, because if they can’t handle something like that (the petty vandalism and childishness not the cheating) then what good is it for them to be together right now?
January 25th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Re: Brain Shrinkage
There have been a few studies; here’s a link to one http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19970109/ai_n9648385
Not all women experience pregnancy the same. Not all women experience post-partum depression. The hormone changes can be drastic in some cases, is all I’m saying.
Yeah, Maria wasn’t thinking clearly. She definitely could have handled it better. I am not supporting vandalism.
But what REALLY bothers me about Anders is how naive he is. He was going to act like nothing ever happened between him and Tina. He was going to ask Johan for help not 24 hours after he cheated on his sister. He continued to think things could be resolved after he FINALLY got a call back from Maria, only to ask if he could call her back because Tina was upset. He seems like the kind of guy who lives in the moment. He only deals with what is in front of him at any given moment. No long term vision. Not very responsible.
I guess the reason why I’m siding with Maria more is because I tend to be jealous in relationships (though I’d never, ever stoop to spray painting someone’s house), I tend to hold grudges forever, and I’m also very close with my brother haha. I can’t really relate to Anders so he doesn’t get empathy from me.
I also hold judgement for Tina until I know more about her.
Oh yeah, one more thing. If Anders comes from a wealthy family, couldn’t he get a hotel room in the town? That would seem to make more sense.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Marissa: There are no hotels in Kukträsk. Not even a B&B. Kukträsk is very small with only a few amenities on the highway for people driving through.
January 25th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Hope you are feeling better, Rene!
January 25th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Hey Ashley,
I’m not 100% but I think I’m getting better. Or it could just be the wine talking…
January 26th, 2008 at 1:33 am
Wow! This is one really good comic! And I just discovered it! \o/
Congratulations on the 100 pages!
January 26th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Tack Rasmus!
January 26th, 2008 at 1:43 am
Wow, lots of Anders hate! Poor guy.
Rene, fantastic comic (in general, not today particularly, although today is, of course, fantastic as always). You’ve created some very real, three-dimensional characters here, and are telling a fantastic, real, painful, funny, messy, messy human story. (And the pictures are good too! Heh.) Wonderful stuff, and congratulations on 100 comics! And thanks for going daily!
January 26th, 2008 at 4:11 am
Oh shit! it IS number 100! Woot. Good for you Rene!
January 26th, 2008 at 4:14 am
tackar tackar! thank you all!
Bows and curtseys abound. 
January 26th, 2008 at 4:29 am
I think I dont hate Anders… but he must receive a kick in the brain for being so stupid, and Maria is to be blamed too.
Both are normal smart people, and failing on their relationship just shows them as humans.
Anyway, as I see it, Anders will have to fight to get María back, and right now he is not doing a good job at it.
That’s why I want to punch him in the face.
January 26th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Yeah I don’t hate anders at all, I am just pissed at him for being a clown.
January 26th, 2008 at 4:43 am
You’ve just gained a new fan who was directed your way by Sam and Fuzzy. That whole “gaining new fans from being linked” thing seems to be something of an epidemic around here.
January 28th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Am I the only one who kind of likes Tina and thinks
Maria is kind of an asshole?
January 28th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Not things are changing to “Anders loves Maria and… Tina”?