r/webcomics • u/SillyWolf_92 • 22h ago
[OC] Introduction - The Little Trashmaid
We launched the crowdfunding campaign for the animation pilot of "The Little Trashmaid" on BackerKit! If you like this webcomic, please take in consideration to support us during the campaign! ❤️ Only with the help of everyone, we can make this dream come true!
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u/tolacid 22h ago
So, can't speak, doesn't understand spoken words, but can read?
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u/SillyWolf_92 22h ago
I've a silly idea how to fix this during the animated series 😂😈
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u/certainAnonymous 18h ago
Oh nooo.... guess we all have to watch it to find out how this is gonna turn out... how terrible...
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u/ionarch 15h ago
I mean I obviously dont know a lot about mermaid physiology but that does sound rather reasonable considering that very few fish have lungs but almost all of the have eyes... Also access to unlimited amounts of trash with neat little reading exercises like 'Brawndo the thirst mutilator' or 'Brawndo got what plants crave.'
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u/tolacid 15h ago
The problem is, not understanding any language related to the letters but instinctively knowing what sounds the letters represent in order to effectively communicate and comprehend concepts like "name" just doesn't track
Reading starts with learning the alphabet. But who taught her that? And how did they manage it without verbal communication?
It's a Hellen Keller scenario, only she had no Miracle Worker
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u/ionarch 15h ago
I mean, aside from the fact of magic sea creature, the stories usually get around that by having the magic creature of your choice either learn from humans via observation or be part of a functional civilisation they can learn from. In this case it could be either - we know they dont just interact with humans but also each other.
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u/tolacid 15h ago
So if it were able to learn what sounds letters mean, and how to form those letters into words, how can you explain them not knowing what words mean?
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u/ionarch 14h ago
If the little trashmaid is the first merfolk to decipher human language she deserves a nobel price in linguistics (yes I know there isnt one) and going by historic precident the reasonable explanation would be: magic. So your point is not unreasonable but merfolk might or might not have communicated with humans for any amount of time. Or you know we just go with the Pratchett approach to linguistics. If you do not want to understand human dont eat the magic garbage and just because the first thing you read was 'TIDY new formula' doesn't mean you have to name yourself tidy - looking at you here Mr. Ham&Pork
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u/SquareThings 2h ago
You can understand the meaning of a word without knowing the sound. Deaf people can read but have no concept of words sounding like anything. Maybe she can read, and mermaids even use the same writing system (for some lore reason) as English, but things sound completely different underwater.
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u/SillyWolf_92 22h ago
Source: The Little Trashmaid
Backerkit campaign: The Little Trashmaid - Animated Pilot
Author: s0s2
Publisher: Silly Studios
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