DISCLAIMER: No adorable 6 legged things were harmed in the making of this comic.
Poor Stephanie. I’m sure every new pet owner goes through the same thing. I know I have.
In retrospect, I probably should’ve gone with a Bigfoot, since they live in the Pacific Northwest, but I couldn’t resist the chance to draw a Green Demon.
Coming up-Reade Turner’s back, and she’s got an opinion! Plus, a cameo from one of the fine comics from that list of fine comics to your right!
UPDATE: Since there was some confusion on this strip, I’m gonna post the alternate take:
I liked this one, but it didn’t have the “I’m just going to run home at lightning speed to check on my baby” joke.
What do you think? Which one do you like better?
Okay, how about this one?
R…R… R…RobBWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! *Crying*
NO no no no NO-Stephanie’s just imagining it! Robspierre’s okay!
Yikes! I’m sorry! No, she’ was just imagining what could happen! Green Demons don’t exist in this reality! Only in the Pirate world where Lyssa is!
Charlie, that was naughty, I nearly believed the wee fella was a gonna.
BUT I love the hugging a teddy bear in the first panel, now that would make a great accessory, T-shirt, pin badge, whatever.
Yes! Do this Charlie!!! Here:
1- Use this here affiliate link: http://www.zazzle.com/?rf=238128655226682564
2- Open a free account.
3- Make the goodies (at no cost to you) and sell them to us.
Vas needs this badge! 😀
Vas, You Little Beauty!
Go Charlie, Go Charlie, Go Charlie!
I got paid Yesterday, Smiles!
The bear alternate take cracked me up. Loki makes fun of me because I once something said similar when Azrael went on a three day kitty vacation to parts unknown. PHEW! I am so relieved.
And thanks for clarifying that, because I DID read Lyssa and the Pirates, so it was scary.
What is a Green Demon? I’ve never heard of that before.
Did Robie…get eaten? Gosh, I hope he’s the type of creature that can survive being digested! Poor little guy! Save him, Stephanie!
Robie’s okay. Really. The first four panels are just Stephanie’s overactive imagination.
Wow, I really goofed this one up.
You know, I was working on the dialogue for the last panel, and I almost sent it to you to see what you would’ve thought.
And Green Demons are very strong, fairly intelligent mythical creatures in this world. They’re real in the world of “Lyssa and the Pirates.”
One of them, Caliban, is a main character. You caught a glimpse of him here.
Well… this is certainly a twist! I doubt anyone saw this coming. I was just starting to like the little fella, too. 🙁
Not as much as I love him. He’s okay, really.
Maybe I should take this strip down and put up another one.
Funny thing is: After your clarification of what’s actually going on, I find the whole situation hilarious. 😀
Wow. Like the others, I read it literally, but after Charlie’s clarification, it also totally reads like it’s all in Stephanie’s imagination. I think the confusion could be avoided if Stephanie’s line on the last panel had been different.
Well, WorthLe-I mean, WordPress won’t let me put a link to another image in a reply. I assume the “img” feature is just a joke or something.
I’ll try and post the alternate strip somewhere else.
Good grief! Am I the only one out here who caught on in rhe first readthrough? Although simple honesty forces me to admit that I originally thought she was reacting to a dream she’d had, not “Mommy fears”.
A dreaming woman is a dangerous thing, and the most terrifying nine words a husband can hear are, “Honey, I had a dream about you last night.” It’s never good, you’re always a monster, and she WILL hold it against you. A friend of mine carried a bruise on his back for a week where his wife had kicked him because she’d, “had a dream”.
THREE BLEEDING WEEKS! Three weeks of cold shoulder after a dream, and another for the shouting match about it!
Just one question? It was green?
well, at least it has/had good taste.
What, it was only a dream! ! ! !
NEVERMIND.
I was in the “oh, it’s a dream / imagination” group, but that raises the question of Stephanie and imagination. I think this is a new talent for her? She’s demonstrated curiosity and several other traits, but I’m not sure she’s dreamed or imagined something before.
She did imagine some alternate futures here.
Library cards will do that to people.
So will a properly run bookstore. 😉
There’s always the stock panel-frames-that-look-different-because-it’s-a-fantasy trope… 🙂
But that gives everything away too early!
Yes, actually.
I do think the version with Stephanie asking about bears breaking into houses makes it much clearer that this is her imagination and not actually happening.
I agree.
That brings up a question: is Robespierre usually cool and moist, like ordinary squid? Or is he warm and dry for clean hugs?
Warm and dry, though a little rough to the touch.
Dear Charlie and gang:
I suggest that if it is possible you should redo the comic with a running dialogue of Stephanie saying that she is worried about a green Demon getting to Robespierre and she describing what she is afraid of to run parallel with what is in the panel. That way it is certain we are only seeing what is in her imagination.I confess I thought this really was some monster that had sprung loose from the lab and was in mourning for Robespierre as well. I’m a bit sheepish now! Now Larry is going to have to set up a Robespierre cam so Stephanie will not be worried all the time! Best Regards
Karl
Look at it like this way Charlie. You have a bunch of really sweet people who are deeply involved with the comic and you should take that as a compliment!
I take that as a great compliment! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I have the best commenters ever! You’re thoughtful, smart, and you always have something positive to give to the comic. I can’t tell you how many times I check GK during my workday, hoping someone’s left a comment.
As far as having Stephanie do a running commentary, I think it would eliminate the surprise at the end. It’s tricky. I want to have the surprise, but I don’t want to mislead the reader.
Though I do think it works much better with the “bears” dialogue.
It’s funny-without giving too much away-I was already thinking of having Larry put in a Robespierre monitor, so Stephanie could listen to him while she’s at work.
Since Robespierre is silent, I have this image of Stephanie giving him a bulb horn to squeeze to let her know that he’s okay. And he’d squeeze it over, and over, and over…
Oh please yes. And put a curly blonde wig on Robespierre too.
Fun fact-it was actually pink in the beginning, and later a reddish blonde. It just looked blonde in black and white.
LOL!! I can see Larry exasperated trying to talk to Stephanie as we here a nonstop HONK-A-HONK-HONK-A-HONK-HONK!!!! emanating from the monitor screen while Stephanie half listens to Larry while waving at Robespierre cooing like a doting mother! Larry quits trying to tell her something (which could be something important to the story) realizing he’ll never win this one.
And you’ll get co-writing credit for this one.
The new version is a little clearer, but if it were me, I would have had her say something like “How do you know? It could happen!”, which would, at least to me, signal that she’s imagining it more obviously.
Then again, I’m a tad dense. I probably should have realized you wouldn’t just kill of lil’ Robie, but I had thought maybe the next time we saw him he’d be inexplicably having a spot of tea with the Green Demon or something like that. I never can predict your next move.
Good idea. Check the third strip.
You do have to admit that melaredblu has a real point in the last sentence. Along with the many other fine features of this comic is a certain …um, elasticity of reality–and we love you for it. 😀
That’s definitely much clearer now. Poor Stephanie, she’s got all these Mommy anxieties. But it’s just so adorable!
Now that I realise how dim I was in the first place, I prefer the original one, though the second is clearer. Hard to choose.
You weren’t dim-it was the storytelling.
Take a look at the latest version.
Yeah, that one’s real good.
I like the first of the two alternatives. It keeps the imaginative angle and feels like less awkward dialogue to me.
Agreed!
I think that I’ll leave the original strip up here. Otherwise the comments won’t make sense.
I’ll put all three in when I make a print book. Someday.
I like the 3d version.
Poor Stephanie, capable of deep insightful thoughts. . .
stuck on the ‘Melody’ problem.
note: see any ‘Josie and the Pussycats’ comic and one will see what I mean.
If I’m understanding the ‘Melody’ problem-a smart character whose intelligence is underestimated because she thinks differently-then my favorite example is Osaka from Azumanga Daioh.
Third revision made me laugh as it’s a refection of Larry’s comment about borrowing someone’s gun way back when Mrs Sampson died.
Can’t find the link At the Moment. Irritated by work update failures!
I believe you’re referring to this. It’s still one of my favorite strips.
“Dat De Wun!”
I do believe that this page has set the all-time record for comments. And what is the subject matter? Perhaps it’s time to update your Logo. “A FOUR CHARACTER ROMANTIC COMEDY”. Food for thought, Charlie, food for thought. 😉
I do believe it has. This comment is #48.
The subject is roses. Or, this comic. Or dreams.
Um, I meant Robespierre, and this will be #51.
When I update the banner, it should have Larry, Edison, Anya, Stephanie, and Robespierre. And Reade.
Oh, and some lettering to tell people the title of the comic. If there’s room left over.
52
Oh, that banner is long overdue for an overhaul. Right after I finish Monday’s comic, I promise.
Comment #50! Woo-hoo!