We all decided we liked the archpriest at the palace dinner party. The guy is awesome!
I think they wanted him to be "Creepier than a sack full of scorpions", but they kind of missed their mark. Half of us are willing to dig up corpses for the guy if he asks for them!
Decimus really skews your axis of comparison, though. With Decimus holding down the far end of unlikable, "Creepier than a sack full of scorpions" is only a few pixels away from cuddly.
I'm thinking someone like Mark Strong would be perfect.
I think he would be a great Setorious as he could probably sneer at someone without moving his face, while asking for the salt, and still come off as a refined gentleman.
He has this odd sophisticated air to him, that would make him suited as a Bond Villain - OR - Mr. Bond himself
Yeah, but Patrick Stewart is getting really quite old.
I imagine Setorius would have that "undefined-late-middle-age" look, that some men have. And Patrick .. doesn't have it anymore. Someone like Vladimir Putin still has it (at age 65 no less), but he will loose it soon and turn REAL OLD !
I'd expect an archpriest to be much older,so Patric Stewart would certainly be on the shortlist and he does have the scifi cred, but can he pull off the acidic personality that you just want to hate but keep cheering for?
The problem with finding an actor for Setorius, is that while he is old, he looks much younger, or as the cast page says "there aren't many 80-year-olds who look no more than 30", so someone like Patrick Steward would look too old.
Heck, the image of Mark strong is from when he was 52 I think.
I think what Setorious would look like in real life, is that undefinable "early, to middle" middle age bracket, where men can be very hard to pinpoint their age.
As for Vladimir Putin, while he's not an actor and he has a weird chin, he does have that slightly haughty look that comes from wearing the mantle of power for a long time, plus he's always so damn serious !
It's not that he doesn't have a humor, it's just that he uses it so rarely - And when he does, it's so very dry.
Something I would imagine Setorius would do too.
As for Jeffrey Jones, I love him as an actor, but his facial features may be too strong for a role as Setorius, who's actually has fairly delicate facial features, but I'm sure he could get his attitude right.
Charles Dance is another actor who would have been great for the role, if it wasn't because of his advanced age.
I can see both of them being a problem in the future, HiFranc! I want to appoint Setorius Axinian to the office of Publican though... Maybe that will keep the jackals in check!
Based on the previous page, I thought it would be Calavius who would be the one to watch for, and admittedly the jury is still out on him, but I wasn't expecting Pedius to be such a putz!
Politicians... Some things will never change, I suppose...
ok.? WHO is the red head in the room (panel 2 & 3) and WHY is she there..???
an only 3 of the screens are live , the rest are avatars..
? and Pedius wodn't happen to be deaf.??
just FYI ,, my partner was a Military Comm specialist and did general comm's also,, HAD to know the general very well to do the special.!!
soo im guessing Tennyo did not git involved in the comm's so if Maxius needed her for something else..
The ones who have participated so far:
1: Senator Fabian (2nd screen on top row), who has been more of a moderator than anything in the past two pages,
2: Setorius Axinian, (4th panel top row) High Priest and Current Snark-Meister General... and also currently my hero!
3: Senator Calavius (3rd panel bottom row), a supporter of Decimus Livius' expansion policies: He is pushing for the state funeral
4: Senator Pedius, (Avatar is unidentified) an opponent to Decimus's policies and the current Chief Putz in the room... the one who denigrated Maxus.
@megados: I would expect that if Pedius had been isolated and the situation be discussed with him without Calavius around, he would probably be a lot more reasonable on the subject.
Unfortunately, this is something that is proposed by his political enemy, therefore, he's being contrarian on principle. Calavius is for it, therefore I'm against it. If Calavius says the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, I will grab my compass and confirm that before I will be willing to accept it as a fact.
Yeeeeeeeaaaaahhhh..... Politics.
Please note, @Cent and @Rose, that I tried very hard to make these points about politics without mentioning anyone in Real life or taking sides on any modern political subject, and I also appreciate how no-one else has either!
You may be entirely correct, @DLKmusic. I lost a certain amount of respect for Pedius, though, when he brought Maxus' hereditary background into the argument.
It's actually supposed to be a little confusing; conference calls often are. When I originally wrote the script, I didn't even put names on most of it, but I meant there to be at least half a dozen speakers. In real life, however, you can at least hear different voices and tell them apart that way. Doesn't work so well in text. (If it was a conference call of androids, it'd be MUCH easier to pull off, what with the different colors, but these are all meatbags.)
You could change the fonts or speech bubble shapes and borders between speakers, or just indicate which speaker is which by prefacing their name in the bubble.
*Pedius*- "Should the Head of the Church be here for these discussions?"
*Snark-Meister*- "I have no intent on leaving this conversation unfinished, Senators."
My character memory is so bad Rose could take a tertiary character, put them in different clothes, and reintroduce them as a different character and I wouldn't notice they were someone else the previous day.
Knowing people somewhat like Setorious... The two senators are Nova Roma citizens, therefore church patients. I'd be willing to bet he knows their names just fine - he remembers them by their medical ailments. But he really does not want to acknowledge that knowledge. Basically, it's a statement of, "You've not shown yourself sufficiently worthy for me to admit I know you."
Setorious is without a doubt the somewhat mad genius sort (ala Tesla). He is quite confident he is much smarter than anyone he is dealing with, but is inclined to be polite and interested in the opinions of those he finds intelligent and competent in their own fields. Those who are not are are beneath his notice except as tools or perhaps playthings.
FWIW, I agree. A person has to he respectable to gain respect. Here, it seems to be a discussion about respect for the man versus respect for the office. Calavius is making the point that the funeral is out of respect for the position, (head of state), rather than the man (Decimus), even though he appears to be a Decimus supporter.
@Megados: you entirely missed my point; I do not accept the notion of respect being 'owed' for a position rather than the merits of the individual holding that position.
Apologies, @Fafhred, I did miss your point. I believe it boils down to what one defines the respect for a position to be. Certainly, it cannot be the same as it is for a person. Respect for a position, is more like an acknowledgement of the importance of that position. Head of state is an important position, whether or not the person holding it is a respectable person. Because of that, there are certain traditions that would follow, such as the funeral, which (IMO) should be held, regardless of one's opinion of Decimus. I don't think (at least in my case), that regard for a position automatically translates to regard for the person holding it. It would be misguided to assume that a person deserves respect by simply being the holder of a particular position.
In a broader sense, Decimus did not deserve the respect of the people of New Rome, but the position of Head of State does not change in importance. If it did, then when the holder of that position changes, their role would be diluted, even as someone like Acantha takes the throne.
*edit: It seems as though most people, whether consciously, or unconsciously separate the two: When one says "Decimus is unfit to be head of state", a comparison is made, saying Decimus does not live up to the high standards and expectations of someone who should hold that office; it is automatically inferred that the position is held in a higher regard than the man.
This reminds me of something I've seen mentioned on message boards.
"Respecting" someone can mean "treating them like a person". "Respecting" someone can also mean "treating them like an authority".
Sometimes people say "if you won't respect me, I won't respect you" and what they actually mean is "if you won't treat me like an authority, I won't treat you like a person", and these people are generally assholes.
Erg, I once got into a bad neighbourhood, where some black dudes told me that I should show them respect.
So I told them that they had to earn my respect first.
That didn't go well with them at all.
Luckily, I had brought friends, of the veteran kind, and they knew all sorts of stuff about respect. :)
That always bothers me, and is probably one of the biggest problems with today's society, because it's backwards. You should be free to give respect, until someone gives you a reason not to.
@Rose: You are, unfortunately, correct on the "respect me"/"respect you" thing. Insisting on "respect" has too ambiguous a definition in modern English. What most people really should offer to everyone (& moderators should be demanding) is courtesy.
@Gilrandir: That's a very interesting perspective. It also reinforces my prior statement.
@Fafhred: While I do agree that most of those making demands for respect are often the least deserving, I think having respect for a position, regardless of who currently holds it, is a good & proper thing. That way, we work harder to make sure that the person who holds the position is worthy of the respect we have for the office itself. When they don't, it hurts both the position and everything & everyone associated with it.
I think 'courtesy', as you use the term @Ebonbolt, is synonymous with @Tokyo Rose's 'respect' in the sense of 'treat like a person'. I am not, therefore, disagreeing with you in any way and I concur that a careful and consistent use of the terms in that way could provide a useful disambiguation. But some people will inevitably resist adjustments to their personal lexicons, while others find the ambiguity, and the resultant drama and chaos attending thereon, to be too useful and desirable to easily surrender. ^_^
("Please insert twenty-five cents to receive another multi-syllabic, obscure, and complicated-sounding word. Thank you.")
@Gilrandir: To a point, courtesy & "respect as a person" are somewhat synonymous, but only to a point. I am often rude as hell to my friends, but only because I know they won't take it badly. This isn't disrespect, it's familiarity. That said, it is harder to be disrespectful while maintaining proper courtesy, and harder to be (or sound) respectful while ignoring courtesy. I much prefer precision in language (for a number of reasons), but you are undoubtedly correct that a number of people prefer ambiguous definitions & language in order to promote their own agenda. That's one of the reasons for my opinion on the use of courtesy in communication.
Informality and banter aren't necessarily discourteous. Etiquette tells us the rules change in different settings and among different company. I suspect you may be establishing a false equivalency to suggest that 'formal manners' are the only form of 'courtesy' there is. However, English is a language full of nuance and shades of meaning. I believe I take yours and that we are in, as they say 'violent agreement'. ^_^
My take on respect is rather different, and it applies no matter which of @Tokyo Rose's interpretations apply. (By the way, a very perspicacious observation there, @Tokyo Rose. Thank you for sharing it.)
Respect is never owed, and can never be earned. It is only ever given. The best one can do is strive to be worthy of respect. If one is worthy of respect, and someone else chooses to withhold it anyway, that is their choice and their responsibility, and no failing of yours.
But respect is all about the actions of another person towards yourself, and if you believe you can earn their respect, that suggests you believe that, under certain circumstances, you can earn the right to control their actions. And, for me, that's the first step down a slippery slope I prefer to avoid.
Sadly, I missed this discussion when it was first had. There is a term in the military, "salute the bars", "the oak leaf", "the eagle", or "the stars". If you are brave, you can be really obnoxious about it.
The point is that certain courtesies of rank and position cannot be omitted without endangering the respect for the institution as a whole. But just like saluting the stars, there are a number of things that can be done in the context of a state funeral that would indicate that his conduct is not approved.
"Is it? How nice for you." :D
I think they wanted him to be "Creepier than a sack full of scorpions", but they kind of missed their mark. Half of us are willing to dig up corpses for the guy if he asks for them!
*paw wave*
This is not the doggy you're looking for!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Hare_murders
and ends with Kyle getting shot 3 times in the chest, about 12 strips later
I agree with the alt text. His dialog is great!
Strictly by looks, there's a varying degree of cuddly-ness there! :D (but probably not much overall)
That said though, Peter Cushing would have probably made a great Setorius.
I think he would be a great Setorious as he could probably sneer at someone without moving his face, while asking for the salt, and still come off as a refined gentleman.
He has this odd sophisticated air to him, that would make him suited as a Bond Villain - OR - Mr. Bond himself
I imagine Setorius would have that "undefined-late-middle-age" look, that some men have. And Patrick .. doesn't have it anymore. Someone like Vladimir Putin still has it (at age 65 no less), but he will loose it soon and turn REAL OLD !
The funny thing is, Putin does look a little like Setorius! :D
He has the right amount of aloofness to do the role properly
Jeffery Jones also might work but he looks young.
This is what he looks like now, and he would need to shave his head and beard, but he has definitely aged:
Heck, the image of Mark strong is from when he was 52 I think.
I think what Setorious would look like in real life, is that undefinable "early, to middle" middle age bracket, where men can be very hard to pinpoint their age.
As for Vladimir Putin, while he's not an actor and he has a weird chin, he does have that slightly haughty look that comes from wearing the mantle of power for a long time, plus he's always so damn serious !
It's not that he doesn't have a humor, it's just that he uses it so rarely - And when he does, it's so very dry.
Something I would imagine Setorius would do too.
As for Jeffrey Jones, I love him as an actor, but his facial features may be too strong for a role as Setorius, who's actually has fairly delicate facial features, but I'm sure he could get his attitude right.
Charles Dance is another actor who would have been great for the role, if it wasn't because of his advanced age.
I knew he'd be up there on my favorites list.
Maxus, Setorius, and Athena are my top three at the moment.
Is it something yummy ?
Is it something interesting ?
Like, those politicians would make great test subjects ? :D
They say that you can tell when a politician is lying when you see his lips move...
They say that the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and an honest politician all have something in common... None of them actually exist...
They say that the difference between a dead snake on the road and a dead politician on the road is that there are skid marks by the snake...
They say a lot of other stuff, but I'm trying to keep my posts family friendly.
They got Skittles in return. :D
Setorius is Bestorius
Setorius phasers to "burn!"
Setorius in their place
Yep. Those were terrible. While you're all busy groaning, I will make my exit before the torches and pitchforks start rightfully coming out.
*lights torches with phaser*
Besides, pitchforks are so outdated, phasers have better range, and you don't run very fast! *pew* *pew* :D
Politicians... Some things will never change, I suppose...
ALSO
Setorius Axinian = In Anxious Satire, except Setorius is never anxious.
an only 3 of the screens are live , the rest are avatars..
? and Pedius wodn't happen to be deaf.??
soo im guessing Tennyo did not git involved in the comm's so if Maxius needed her for something else..
1: Senator Fabian (2nd screen on top row), who has been more of a moderator than anything in the past two pages,
2: Setorius Axinian, (4th panel top row) High Priest and Current Snark-Meister General... and also currently my hero!
3: Senator Calavius (3rd panel bottom row), a supporter of Decimus Livius' expansion policies: He is pushing for the state funeral
4: Senator Pedius, (Avatar is unidentified) an opponent to Decimus's policies and the current Chief Putz in the room... the one who denigrated Maxus.
Unfortunately, this is something that is proposed by his political enemy, therefore, he's being contrarian on principle. Calavius is for it, therefore I'm against it. If Calavius says the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, I will grab my compass and confirm that before I will be willing to accept it as a fact.
Yeeeeeeeaaaaahhhh..... Politics.
Please note, @Cent and @Rose, that I tried very hard to make these points about politics without mentioning anyone in Real life or taking sides on any modern political subject, and I also appreciate how no-one else has either!
*Pedius*- "Should the Head of the Church be here for these discussions?"
*Snark-Meister*- "I have no intent on leaving this conversation unfinished, Senators."
And so on.
TV show producers would love you. :D
That said, I rather enjoyed the MASH series.
Even if it was a bit .. propagandized.
from the Greek Poly meaning meany, and Ticks meaning blood sucking vermin
:D
He's just being a bit antagonistic.
*Facepalm*
Then again, he might not, but then they might be useful as, uhm, "bodies of study".
I suspect that Setorious truly loves his job.
But then, saying "tools and playthings" becomes redundant.
Respect is EARNED on merits and actions, NEVER owed for being born with, or given, a status.
Anyone telling you that they 'deserve' respect due to their position alone, are not likely to be deserving any.
In a broader sense, Decimus did not deserve the respect of the people of New Rome, but the position of Head of State does not change in importance. If it did, then when the holder of that position changes, their role would be diluted, even as someone like Acantha takes the throne.
*edit: It seems as though most people, whether consciously, or unconsciously separate the two: When one says "Decimus is unfit to be head of state", a comparison is made, saying Decimus does not live up to the high standards and expectations of someone who should hold that office; it is automatically inferred that the position is held in a higher regard than the man.
"Respecting" someone can mean "treating them like a person". "Respecting" someone can also mean "treating them like an authority".
Sometimes people say "if you won't respect me, I won't respect you" and what they actually mean is "if you won't treat me like an authority, I won't treat you like a person", and these people are generally assholes.
So I told them that they had to earn my respect first.
That didn't go well with them at all.
Luckily, I had brought friends, of the veteran kind, and they knew all sorts of stuff about respect. :)
Though the incident happened on a trip to the United States.
@Gilrandir: That's a very interesting perspective. It also reinforces my prior statement.
@Fafhred: While I do agree that most of those making demands for respect are often the least deserving, I think having respect for a position, regardless of who currently holds it, is a good & proper thing. That way, we work harder to make sure that the person who holds the position is worthy of the respect we have for the office itself. When they don't, it hurts both the position and everything & everyone associated with it.
("Please insert twenty-five cents to receive another multi-syllabic, obscure, and complicated-sounding word. Thank you.")
gimme 8 syllables, big word machine! I KNOW you can do it!
Respect is never owed, and can never be earned. It is only ever given. The best one can do is strive to be worthy of respect. If one is worthy of respect, and someone else chooses to withhold it anyway, that is their choice and their responsibility, and no failing of yours.
But respect is all about the actions of another person towards yourself, and if you believe you can earn their respect, that suggests you believe that, under certain circumstances, you can earn the right to control their actions. And, for me, that's the first step down a slippery slope I prefer to avoid.
The point is that certain courtesies of rank and position cannot be omitted without endangering the respect for the institution as a whole. But just like saluting the stars, there are a number of things that can be done in the context of a state funeral that would indicate that his conduct is not approved.
What's your name?
Ti...
It doesn't matter what your name is!