Latest Page Discussions/Comic Update Chitchat

[Grade E cat]

And I'm strangely reassured to see that the ghost horde is stalking their group. I was worried about them going after Emil and Lalli for a while, but didn't mention it because we were all worried enough about them as it was.

[Sc0ut]

I don't think this is the reaction I'm supposed to have, but I couldn't help laughing at how the ghosts just neatly stacked themselves inside the van like people huddling at a bus stop to take cover from the rain  :'D It's the funniest thing I've seen in the comic in a long time.

[Róisín]

No, it was funny. Except they are probably hiding from the light, and Reynir's rune.

[urbicande]

So last time they had soldiers, an experience mage, and help from Onni.

Today they have Reynir and Purrito.

[JoB]

Today they have Reynir and Purrito.

And a fully loaded Mikkel.

[urbicande]

And a fully loaded Mikkel.

Not if he gets to "take care of business"

[Solokov]

WHY IS REYNIR NOT WEARING A MASK?!

[Grade E cat]

Both Tuuri and Reynir have been outside without their masks before without anyone batting an eye, like here. Each time I can think of, they were close to the tank and there were no gore-covered combatants nearby. I'm fuzzy on the exact context where masks can be done without, though. For instance, in Chapter 11, Reynir and Tuuri were mask-less when Reynir was giving out his paper runes, but they had to wear their masks in the shop, despite the fact that the place was considered safe enough to bring them along in the first place. Actually, they only got consistant about wearing their masks outside after Tuuri got bitten. My point is that they may be far away enough from trolls that he doesn't need to wear it.

[|Yucca|]

Living with a gas mask on is a real pain in the ass though, so it makes sense for Reynir to not wear it as often as it's possible. It gets real sweaty under the rubber and you can't drink or eat. Or the worst of it all: you can't blow a running nose or wipe away the sweat. The fastening bands also often press your head.

One thing is also certain, no one can hear you speak, unless you speak really loudly and even then the sound is muffled and hard to understand. We've seen both Tuuri and Reynir speak whole sentences with the mask on though, which really challenges my suspension of disbelief. Guess I just have to file it under artistic license.

[JoB]

Not if he gets to "take care of business"

WHY IS REYNIR NOT WEARING A MASK?!

... because Mikkel hasn't taken care of it yet?

[thorny]

Living with a gas mask on is a real pain in the ass though, so it makes sense for Reynir to not wear it as often as it's possible. It gets real sweaty under the rubber and you can't drink or eat. Or the worst of it all: you can't blow a running nose or wipe away the sweat. The fastening bands also often press your head.

One thing is also certain, no one can hear you speak, unless you speak really loudly and even then the sound is muffled and hard to understand. We've seen both Tuuri and Reynir speak whole sentences with the mask on though, which really challenges my suspension of disbelief. Guess I just have to file it under artistic license.

I don't think they're using gas masks, though. I think they're just dust/mist respirators. N95 particulate respirators are what's currently recommended against viruses, as near as I can tell:
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2012/04/lab-study-supports-use-n95-respirators-flu-protection

I have some experience with those, and, while they're still somewhat of a nuisance to wear, good ones aren't sweaty unless it's really hot, and it's not particularly difficult to hear people who are speaking through one.

It looks like they may be using something a bit more heavy duty than an N95, but I doubt it's a full scale gas mask.

[|Yucca|]

I don't think they're using gas masks, though. I think they're just dust/mist respirators. N95 particulate respirators are what's currently recommended against viruses, as near as I can tell:
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2012/04/lab-study-supports-use-n95-respirators-flu-protection

I have some experience with those, and, while they're still somewhat of a nuisance to wear, good ones aren't sweaty unless it's really hot, and it's not particularly difficult to hear people who are speaking through one.

It looks like they may be using something a bit more heavy duty than an N95, but I doubt it's a full scale gas mask.

It's true that the masks they're using aren't full on gas masks but they're clearly not those paper masks either. There's a piece of glass (or clear plastic) in the middle being held together by a bulky (rubber?) frame. The leather (or rubber) straps are really wide, so it would definitely get sweaty underneath.

The filters they have on the masks are probably not gas filters, normally they aren't that small. But even with just dust filters, the solid construction of the masks would make the user's voice quite hard to hear, as there seems to be just a few small openings on the sides.

I've used a lot of those paper masks too, and in my experience even they're still a big nuisance in the long run. I wouldn't want to keep one of them on unless really needed.

[thorny]

Not all N95 and N99's are all paper. And the things on the sides may be exhale valves, which let more air (and sound) through than they look like. But I take your point.

[Grade E cat]

Another thing reading these is making me think of is that in general, the technology that this world has managed to keep tends to be better than what we currently have. They would have every reason to make breathing masks less of a burden, because there would now be people wearing them almost 24/7. They probably are still inconvenient to an extent, though.

[Róisín]

They seemed not to wear masks at times when the weather was cold and bright, if they were outside, or inside the tank when it was closed. They wore them inside the tank when there was danger close by, as in escaping from Copenhagen, and I presume wearing masks in the shop was only sensible, since, while Lalli had checked the place, a small vermin beast might wander in from somewhere else, or they might unwittingly pass through a shady area where a troll had recently breathed.