Search Help
Archives Searchable to/Searching Episodes...
This shows the episode number of the latest strip entered into the database and possible to search (typically also the current episode.) If you wish, you may enter different lower and upper numbers to restrict your search to a particular range of episodes.
Text Search Method
- If you select Match All Words, searching for savage chicken will only match strips containing both the word savage and the word chicken, whether adjacent or not.
- Selecting Match Any Word, the same search will match all strips containing the word savage anywhere in the chosen search field, plus those strips containing the word chicken.
- Selecting Match Exact Phrase, only strips containing the entire specific phrase savage chicken would match.
Enter Search Text
Type in your desired search terms separated by spaces. Most punctuation is ignored by the search, except that the apostrophe in words like we've and isn't will match those words as expected.
Character Appearance Controls
Select up to four character names using the pop-up menus, and for each one, choose to match episodes where they appear on camera, do not appear on camera, or where they actually speak.
You may combine these with AND or OR, for example, to find episodes where Sam OR Florence speaks, AND Max Post OR Mr. Raibert appears. For that, select the special middle join that looks like ) AND ( to properly group the OR searches together. Tip: If you're not sure whether to use ) AND ( with the parentheses, or just regular AND, use ) AND (.
You may use the text search feature or the character search feature separately, or combine searches in both areas for more restrictive results.
Try It!
Enter asimov in the text box, select Florence Ambrose appears in the character area, and click Perform Search. You get a browsable set of 7 resulting strips. Links are provided to view any strip on the official Freefall site.
Now, enter asimov in the text box, and select Florence Ambrose appears on one line, Niomi appears on another line, and leave AND between them. Only the six-panel episode 710 matches all three of those criteria.
Generally speaking, of course, joining searches with OR will result in more matches, joining with AND will produce more restrictive results.
Large numbers of results are presented on several pages, 30 results at a time, and you can move through the pages using the controls (First Last Prev Next) in the blue navigation menu.
Special Character Notes
Characters who have dialogue are always tagged as both speaking and appearing, even if their lines are spoken entirely off camera.
The starship Savage Chicken is a special case, because it is an object, and a place where action occurs, but the shipboard computer also occasionally apeaks. Because of that, the Savage Chicken is tagged with a character speaking appearance when it speaks, but it is not tagged with a character appearance when it is merely seen on camera.
The Police Chief's mobility rig, Eleanor, is usually combined with and part of the Chief, so when the Chief appears normally, only the Chief is tagged as appearing. Eleanor is tagged with an appearance when she functions independently.
Winston's pet dog Beekay and Sam's pet emu Polly are tagged with appearances when they appear, but being pets, they (mostly) don't speak. (Polly does speak a few times, sometimes with electronic enhancement! Beekay is pretty quiet for a small dog, but does occasionally comment with a Whuff or Chuff.)