#111 - Alright Then
Thursday, February 7th, 2008NOTICE
There might not be a comic today (Friday). My boyfriend is in the hospital with a bad case of bloodpoisoning. I’m worried as hell, but since I’m home alone I might just do a comic anyway. It gives me peace and there’s not much else I can do…
Also this is asked a lot so I will clarify. Björn is 23 in the flashbacks. Maria is 15.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
zomg first
zomg this comic
February 7th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I don’t like Bjorn anymore!
February 7th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
She looked pretty sure she did.
February 7th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
same, Bjorn can go to hell
February 7th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
i reserve judgement until i see what happens afterwards. the expression on maria’s face, which is just fantastic, shows a wee bit of a lack of taking advantage. and, oh yeah, she RAN to his house.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
i think maria could definitely be classed as consenting at this point, adult or no.
also, i like bjorn’s nipples.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Oh my.
I’m okay with the boning, but I suspect Bjorn may have appeared in the earlier comics courtesy a long rest and some sort of prosthetic endoskeleton.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Tom Meade, your sentence exceeds my vocabulary. What does it mean?
February 7th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I miss the swedish names on the comics, I really wonder how Björn would express that in swedish.
Or if he says it in english. I really wonder.
Last panel is gourgerous
February 7th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Well.. at least he asked if she was sure… although i wouldnt of wanted to seen what happened if she went “oh wait…”
February 7th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
En översättning: Bara för dig Stef!
“Nåja, okej då!” Fast “Alright” hade funkat bra också!
February 7th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
zomg - zombie omg?
pretty awesome, but weird in the same time
panel 3 and the last one rulez
February 7th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
haha she is absolutely consenting at this point as well as he was a gentleman for asking if she was sure. While waiting for what happens next I’m just going to enjoy this for what it is, two people enjoying life while they can
February 7th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
At least he had the decency to check with her. That lowers the creep factor a bit.
A very little bit. :^P
February 7th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
OK, things seems to be ok… yeah. If she is happy, if the sex feels good, and if this became a good memory in present days, and not something she regrets, than I guess Björn is not that creepy afterall.
[the art looks amazing, in every comic.]
February 7th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
“Well, alright then!” - Fuck off, Bjorn, you smug asshole.
That aside, how delightfully ambigious! I like how Maria never vocalled “yes” or “no”… I mean, her expression is clearly a “hell yes”, but maybe her consenting to it will come into question, as she wasn’t overt about it or whatever.
You never disappoint, Rene. Excellent job.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Vocalised, I meant, not “vocalled”. I spel guud.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
“Tom Meade, your sentence exceeds my vocabulary. What does it mean?”
I don’t know what he actually is implying, but an endoskeleton is just a skeleton inside the body (”endo-” = inside), so our human bones are naturally an endoskeleton. Specifically using that word about a human maybe implies some sort of artificial skeleton? Like maybe Bjorn looks as young in the present day comics as he does in the flashback, so he must have been altered by some sort of crazy surgery? I just don’t know.
“zomg - zombie omg?”
It was originally a spelling mistake. Then it turned into a sarcastic, ironic, intentional mis-spelling. Then it was over-used until it stopped being sarcasm, and became honestly just another way to type “omg”. The internet is a wild place!
February 7th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Also, Bjorn got his nipples back, but maybe he’s just borrowing maria’s? :p
February 7th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I think what Tom Meade actually meant was that Johan is going to kick Bjorn’s ass so hard, he’ll have to have some kind of crazy reconstructive surgery to ever look normal again.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Ali; I think you are right in what he meant! It makes perfect sense now!
February 7th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
It’s cute (in as non-condescending a way possible) how people turn their hate-beams on anybody in the comic who does anything that has a tiny chance of hurting Maria emotionally.
I mean, this event did lead to a ten-year friendship between Bjorn and Maria, didn’t it?
February 7th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Dave: Trust me, if anyone is more against defending Maria’s dumb actions with blind hatred, it’s me.
It’s just that Bjorn has really come across as smug and creepy, especially in this flashback. So, it’s not really a defense for Maria (as I “side” with Anders mostly and see a bit of him in me), more a criticism of Bjorn, who I’ve never liked.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
pretty sweet. Maria’s sense of urgency through all this is very believable.
February 7th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
It’s so easy to imagine a speech bubble saying “nigga, please!” on panel five.
February 7th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I don’t remember reading the comments for the comic in question, but did anybody have any comment on Anders and Anna fooling around? They wouldn’t have been much older than Maria is here (iirc), and certainly closer in age, but it’s still a case of minors having sex. If the fact that both were obviously consenting is what made it okay, then I think reactions here are a little overblown.
February 7th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I definitely agree with the “smug and creepy” statement. The fact that he asked makes him a little less creepy than I was expecting, but the earlier quick slide into her pants cancels it out a little. And that he only asked when he was practically already having sex with her.
February 7th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Sarah: Weren’t they BOTH minors in that case? On my part, I don’t have an issue with two teenagers having sex, really. I have an issue when one partner is significantly more experienced, and it seems more than slightly predatory on their part.
February 7th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
so, which characters are we supposed to actually like here?
February 7th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Hee hee hee. Go Maria. Obviously everything works out ok, but I’m so happy reading this story arch. Can’t wait to see what happens next, Rene!!
February 7th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
rj: That is entirely up to you. Me, I love them all. Except Lars. I don’t really like him so much.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Well, at least Maria doesn’t seem to be intoxicated anymore. If she was, that’d make Bjorn even worse than a pedophile. And…she…wants it? Though she probably doesn’t know what ‘it’ is. Poor Maria. Also, this art is so amazing. I’mma marry it.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
rl - I’m with you. At 15 you are easily swayed by raging hormones, Bjorn should have shown more responsibility. But I guess he asked the token “Are you sure” question.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
But Lars helps out his crippled friend… to appeal to womens’ sympathy.
To the comic of the day, it looks so tender, so unlike teenage sex where the point is to get it in. I guess that’s just Bjron’s (ack, I can’t do umlauts on this laptop) age.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
She does look pretty darn sure. Hehe.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Hey it would really be rad if Americans and the like would stop talking about “minors” as if their idiosyncratic rules about sex are universal principles of human development and moral conduct! Holy shit!
Maria’s lack of nipples looks even weirder next to Bjorn’s glorious discs
February 7th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Wow, Bjorn really is an asshole. He didn’t even go down on her first.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
I love all your characters, too, Rene! It’s their behavior that frustrates me sometimes. I find a lot of commenters very fickle, reacting to today’s comic and not to the characters as people. And yes, I’m aware they aren’t real people.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
And…she…wants it? Though she probably doesn’t know what ‘it’ is. Poor Maria.
She’s 15. I don’t think she ran from home after watching teletubbies.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I’ m with Joe…
Bahahaha @ Steven Sanders.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I can’t say I’m surprised, but I can’t say I approve, either. My (apparently stupid) ingrained American concerns about minor status aside, I consider 15-year-olds to be kids. Law doesn’t enter into that feeling for me. I remember being 15, and I remember my friends at 15. Add to that the facts that he’s way older, she JUST met him, her brother knows his habits and doesn’t want her involved, and he fucking stuck his HAND DOWN HER PANTS in front of said brother. Maria’s being dumb, like a teenager, to run back to him like this, and yes, he’s being more than a little creepy and predatory. Maybe it’ll turn out to be an awesome time for the both of them, but from adult Maria’s reaction when he expressed interest in sex, I don’t really expect smooth sailing. Oh, boy.
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
February 7th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
aww.. diana.. adorable with the sound of music reference.
I would have totally been like Maria. i was kind of a slutty teenager.
I guess it doesn’t suck when you’re there.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
“Well, at least Maria doesn’t seem to be intoxicated anymore. If she was, that’d make Bjorn even worse than a pedophile. And…she…wants it? Though she probably doesn’t know what ‘it’ is. Poor Maria. Also, this art is so amazing. I’mma marry it.”
That’s awfully presumptuous. How do you know she doesn’t know what ‘it’ is? Do you even know what ‘it’ is? She obviously wants sex with Bjorn — isn’t she getting it? Does there have to be more to it than that?
Then again, I’m one of those people who is all-for mutually casual sex. I don’t see anything wrong with having sex simply because you want to. (As long as its mutual, no fun screwing with the emotions of someone who thinks it’s the consumation of a relationship.)
I also don’t see anything wrong with experimenting at a young age. There’s a chance she doesn’t know what she’s in for — but that’s why its called ‘experimenting.’ You’ll never really know what sex is like untill you actually do it, whether your first time is at 15 or 25. She may hate the experience, she may love it, or even feel indifferent — but its her right to find out for herself.
Also I’m not so creeped out by this page. I still think the age difference makes having a relationship a possible issue (ala “Hills like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway), and Bjorn is a jerk-face (probably because the only scenes I’ve seen of him have involved him weaseling in alone-time with Maria on the train, making sexually suggestions or feeling-her up in front of her brother. I’m sure there’s alot more to him than that, but its hard to know when you only see one side), but I’m generally cool with the progression. And eager to see how things unfold :O
“How do you solve a problem like Maria?” — Let her make mistakes and figure things out on her own.
Also is it odd that I think the contrast of their skin tones really makes the page for me? (And I still am jealous for the lovely way its all drawn — it doesn’t look dirty at all. Rene is officially on both my list of people i want to hump, and people I want to push off a ledge — though she’d be the only one on the last list out of jealousy. The rest are morons.)
February 7th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
haha, you people are so protective. Sex with a mature (older), cool guy she’s just met? This would’ve been my dream scenario at 15. :p
February 7th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Mandiiv: “Let her make mistakes and figure things out on her own.”
I was referencing The Sound of Music. It’s, like, the second song in the whole movie. But I do consider the title pretty appropriate for this Maria, in general. Now I just need to think of a clever song title for Anders. Too bad his name isn’t nearly as common.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
There is a song by Cornelis Vreeswijk called Mördar-Anders (Murder Anders), but it is really hard to apply to our Anders in this comic.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
When I was a 15 year old girl, I was all about the older guys. It wasn’t that they were pedophiles, I wanted to date them or have sex with them or whatevers. I don’t think I’m worser for having a fairly healthy attitude towards sex, as long as things are safe and good.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Maria pretty much initiated every move in today’s comic. And Bjorn asked her if everything was okay (which it clearly was).
Eh, if she’s ready, she’s ready!
I agree with the previously stated comment that they still seem to be great friends today. Plus, Maria doesn’t seem to have any emotional scars regarding sex. So what’s the big deal?
February 7th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
@Voortman
got it
February 7th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Hm… Björn… I think my earlier criticism against him diminished somewhat when reading this page.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
I guess you’ve just got to ask yourself “How old is 15 really?”
February 8th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Well, I’m American AND fifteen AND not particularly interested in sex but:
I think it doesn’t matter what age you are. it’s kinda creepy to ME PERSONALLY to think of people I know having sex, but eh. If you’re gonna do it, you’re gonna do it.
Maria I think is totally ready for this. she’s kinda unpredictable, so who knows, maybe she’ll have a meltdown about it later on, but I kinda doubt it. I think that it’s interesting that Bjorn, being so much older, is interested; but then, my great-uncle and great-aunt met at about the same ages as these two, so once again, eh.
I agree that some Americans may be conservative, but I think that there are people with those kind of “traditional” beliefs in ever country, so not quite so happy with the jab, but hey, what do I know.
About Bjorn being creepy: maybe it seems that way more because it happened so fast; but Maria seemed familiar with him, so I wonder if they had met and hit it off before, or something, and also it’s possible that he’s matured since then and is not as ‘creepy’.
ANNNYWAY, love comic!
and I think the characters have been consistent, too, which is nice to see.
February 8th, 2008 at 12:37 am
by the by: I really actually DON’T want to make this into a nationality thing. nationality shouldn’t matter.
and I wonder if maybe this is also Maria’s way of asserting herself, her individuality, and her strength.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:33 am
I’m pleasantly surprised to find - judging by some of the comments - a number of fellow /b/tards on this page.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:40 am
? @ fnord
February 8th, 2008 at 2:26 am
I think fnord is giving a strange presentation of the word “bastards”. i couldn’t say why.
It might just be me but I’m completely baffled by this need for judgment - they’re people; they’re having consensual sex. Björn noticed (or created) a mutual attraction with a girl younger than him and then acted on it. Maria was asked twice, once with help readily available, if his advances were welcome: she said yes rather clearly (3 times!).
Superimposing your own ethical code (which, lets face it, you got from the laws in your country) onto other people’s behavior doesn’t really make sense. To me. Since it’s her world and Rene hasn’t addressed any sort of moral strictures, it seems like it can just be taken as a story..
I enjoy your comic Mrs. Engström. it’s nice. It makes me feel like I’m listening to the decemberists in a park on a nice day.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:08 am
I knew this guy was a creep the first time he said “little Maria.”
Come to think of it, that’s not the best evidence of being a creep… but still. I totally knew.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:17 am
/b/tards refer to people who browses /b/ at 4chan. I’m not one of them, but I do know a lot of memes. X)
I still dislike Johan, but at least he asked.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:18 am
Also, Maria is very pale.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:44 am
Caramel, do you mean Bjorn?
Daniel- you remind me of a dude I once knew
February 8th, 2008 at 5:04 am
February 8th, 2008 at 5:31 am
Swing it Daniel. Better a good argument then a plastic sword!
February 8th, 2008 at 5:44 am
I think the reason that I think bjorn is so creepy is because I’m older than 15. When i was 15 I might not have seen aything wrong with it, because I might have been consenting or whatever, but now, looking back on what I knew at that age, I think it is NOT ok that B is so much older than her.
It’s predatory. It’s not that she’s too young to have sex, it’s that she’s too young to have sex with someone so much more experienced and more than a little creepy.
But hey, she’s consenting, he’s consenting, I’ll hold my final opinion until we see the outcome
February 8th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Everybody sexes! Do it guys!
February 8th, 2008 at 6:57 am
“Everybody sexes! Do it guys!”
Hell yeah! Procreation: do it.
February 8th, 2008 at 6:59 am
@ Ashley
YAAAY!
that’s my kind of peer pressure
February 8th, 2008 at 7:02 am
“Alright Then”
That has to be the most awsome sex line, like, EVUR!!!! And I’m so going to use next time
February 8th, 2008 at 7:19 am
She looks so…determined. I love it. I wonder if I looked like that my first time. Guess I’d have to go look up that much older guy, wouldn’t I?
February 8th, 2008 at 8:25 am
I love the “Sound of Music” reference, Diana
Very classy movie.
February 8th, 2008 at 9:48 am
oh boy .. I hope they are using a condom! (I have actually never read anything about Anders being the definite FATHER of Marias child … or soon to be child.. (I know her being fifteen is not possible to be pregnant yet for the strip taking place when she’s much older..)
also I would like to add, I’m german.. and in germany 14 is the age people are allowed to have sex (only with people under 18) (as far as I remember)
and it’s just okay to me I know many 15 and 18 year old couples.. (how old is Björn actually?)
also I would like to state that Marias gesture in panel 2 kind of implies that SHE kissed HIM! and not the other way around .. and everyone who is a full grown man knows … (it’s not that easy to resist it!)
nuf said =)
-Alex
February 8th, 2008 at 9:49 am
AND I just saw that in panel number 3 Björn isn’t wearing underwear anymore… looks to me like maria started it after all…
February 8th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Alexander: Björn is 23.
February 8th, 2008 at 10:32 am
What terible about your boyfriend Rene! I hope he is better soon!!
February 8th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Comic or no comic, I really hope your Boyfriend recovers quickly!
February 8th, 2008 at 11:36 am
I hope your boyfriend gets better soon.
And I like this scene. It’s so sweet. What I’m wondering is, we know Maria is 15, but how old is Bjorn in this flashback ? 20 ? more ?
February 8th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Wood : as Rene replied above, he is 23.
February 8th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
hot page - even if bjorn is a creepy pedophile! i pray for your boyfriend - REFUA SHLEMA - he should have a full recovery.
blessings…
February 8th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
I’m sorry about your boyfriend. Sickness is terrible.
Ashley - you didn’t grow up in saint petersburg, florida, did you? i knew an ashley once. it would be beyond bizarre if you were her.
February 8th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
John: I think the difference being that Björns actions may be frowned upon in Sweden, but he certainly would not be jailed or classified as a pedophile.
February 9th, 2008 at 12:08 am
I think pedophile would be a 35 year old guy who likes 12 year old kids!… (or even a 20 year old guy who likes 12 year old kids… that’s pedophile! 15 and 23 I think is still in the orange zone!
February 9th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
its consensual! get over it! besides, women are genetically predisposed to be attracted to older guys. doesn’t mean they all are, but at 15 the hormones are in full swing and every genetic switch that leads to your crotch is set to “on.” and i will reiterate what has been said above: she ran to his house! she at least knows, if not all the gritty details, the plot summary of what she’s getting herself into.
plus, she’s actually a character in a comic.
i’m enjoying the debate though
February 10th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
I’m American and even though we have idiosyncratic ideas about sex, evidently, I also have the mental capacity to understand that different countries and cultures have different approaches to sex. If she’s the age of consent in Sweden, she’s the age of consent. I don’t see anyone freaking out now that they’re together when they’re older.
And let’s not pretend that American teenagers don’t have sex with older people.
March 6th, 2008 at 12:57 am
Wohoo, consentual sex! Blaeh, age difference! Fifteen, such a delicate age! Will she be scarred for life? I rather doubt it. (Judging by latter days’ appearence, she’s no more dysfunctional than most people.)
Because she knows what she’s doing? Hardly. But because it’s just sex. I think, and I want to make clear it’s only my opinion, but I think that, generally speaking, Swedes, especially in the Northlands, are much, much less hung up about sex than, say, Americans. (That’s a lot of commas.) It could be described as a bodily function, unique only in that it’s a function of two separate people.
Particularly in this case. Imagine the awkward misadventures that would result if Maria had fallen for someone as inexperienced as herself. There’s much to be said for learning the basics of sex from someone older before mixing it up with romance.
(Of course I imagine Maria thinks she’s having a romance and this won’t end prettily. But I’m speaking in generalities. Ranting, in fact.)
May 11th, 2008 at 4:23 am
Yow, navel action!
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:47 am
Here in America, we have a phrase for this kind of child sexual abuse: “Fifteen will get you Twenty,” meaning you can go to prison for 20 years for initiating sexual contact with a minor.