NEW TWC VOTING INCENTIVE! MARCH MADNESS!!!
This month (starting March 1st), a vote for Puck on TWC gets you a glimpse at some fantastic Puck art by fantastic artists that are not me! This week we’ve got a vaguely St. Patrick’s Day-themed entry from my brother (aka Fat Bassist. Like me, he has a thing for cereal-based humor.
VOTE TO TASTE THE RAINBOW! (It tastes like chicken!)
As for the comic…
The right side of the bars really is all a matter of perspective, really.
Upon seeing the line art for this comic, my wife asked “Who’s that? Is she a social worker? She looks like a social worker. She has that undeniable ‘social worker’ look about her.”
I’m not really sure what the defining elements of the ‘social worker look’ are, but I’m glad I somehow hit them.
Great strip, but I have a response to your alt text….
If you DIDN’T catch the Neverending Story” reference, SHAME ON YOU!!!! (hands down, the single best line in the movie!)
Well, some people live 80’s movies. Other people are normal. I’m firmly in the former group.
I did get the reference, but I didn’t realize it had been intentional until I read the alt-text. I suppose I underestimated you; my apologies for thinking such a thing could be mere coincidence!
Well, I’m glad I have like-minded folks out there.
Ah, the stone eater talking about his “good, strong hands” and how they could not protect his friends.
Needed that extra nudge to make that connection.
I knew you’d get it!
While Colin doesn’t know it, this will add to his defence as the henpecked (and possibly beaten) husband/partner. Particularly as one of the first impressions someone will have of Pucks shiner will be “beaten wife”. This will, however, be quickly disproven by observing Puck and the cowering Colin, and Puck will be real led as the “Pysco chick who probably got punched in the face during a brawl she started”.
I wonder if the “mama bear” reaction would make Puck be seen in the social workers eyes as unsuitable to be raising a child, despite the fact the the mama bear reaction is brought about by protecting said child?
Your wonderings are all valid, valid wonderings…
Just to add the point BEFORE the screaming starts: What are the odds that Puck might have misplaced her wallet, in the course of being vomited on, changing cloths, going on a ride, and punched repeatedly. Just sayin’.
Dude they will give her the child so they can survive. (they= theme park staff)
They do have a highly developed sense of self-preservation.
The ‘social worker look’ is similar to the ’40 year old retail worker look’ except with more confusion and dread but less anger and hopelessness
Less anger and hopelessness or more? I think it depends on how long they’ve been doing the social worker grind.
Yeah I can see your point. but it would be a different kind of hopelessness. Mostly stemming from failed cases or uncooperative clients, and less from little old ladies who don’t understand the difference between ‘this weeks sale’ and ‘last weeks sale’
Just a few questions.
1)Which child is the social worker there for?
2)Why is there a social worker at a theme park? The timing is by far way off for the guard to have called CWP, because Puck would have gotten there before the public princess here. So I gotta say that she has an office on site. Is it the country or the context of the comic that is prevailing here?
I think the social worker is there to address this whole nightmare. And no, there isn’t a park social worker. Let’s just assume time lapses occurred between comics that allow for outside authorities to be called.
I’m going out on a limb and saying that, because it’s puck, they had called them when they entered the park and said to wait about an hour till something happened. i’m pretty sure she has a rep as the ‘monster red head’ so…when she comes, they prepare.
I’ll go with that too.
Ouch, almost as bad as the “do not accept checks from” sign with the picture of Juniper Buckingham.
But if Puck had that type of ‘pre-ordained’ presence, shouldn’t she have an armed escort, or at least one for Phoebe for being a famous Howlers’ waitress, eh?
Haven’t you noticed the armed escort, waiting just outside each and every frame? Dude, you’re watching very closely.
While the author is of course the expert on what’s going on in the comic, I had sorta assumed that misbehaving families would be common enough at a park of this nature that freelance social workers just hang around, hoping to snag clients in the way that lawyers hang around ERs.
(Well, ok, they don’t in reality … but they do in comics.)
Either that or management put out a distress call over the P.A. system, “Emergency! Is there a social worker in the house?”
My final theory is that this isn’t a social worker at all, but a sweet old demented lady. Not a serial killer.
You, sir, are full of theories.
Full of something anyway
truthfully, I suspect mislaid children are quite common in amusement parts
It’s just that mislaid infants aren’t quite so common… especially without the mother in evidence.
Yeah, I think this is more a special ‘perfect storm’ of idiocy that warranted some escalation.
If there could be one more huge panel for this strip, it would be awesome if Colin looked off into space and said an adapted version of Quinn’s Indianapolis speech:
“Sometimes that shark looks right into ya. Right into ya eyes. Ya know, Anita, the thing about a shark… she’s got… lifeless eyes. Black eyes… like a doll’s eyes. When she comes at ya, she don’t even seem to be livin’… ’til she PUNCHES ya, then those black eyes roll over white. Oh and then ya hear the terrible, high pitched SCREAMIN’, the ocean turns red, and despite all the poundin’ and the hollerin’, she comes in and… tears ya ta PIECES.”
My biggest issue with strip comics is the total lack of real estate for long-winded dialogue and big, fat monologues. But then I remind myself that no one READS long-winded dialogue and big, fat monologues, so it’s probably for the better.
Called it! (These bars look good)
You get the ‘called it’ trophy. It looks like a box of McDonald’s french fries. You’ll need to go to one of our 18 bazillion local offices and pick it up. A small charge of a few dollars might apply for shipping and handling. And production.
But otherwise, totally free.
Isn’t it enough that I’m trying to manage the logistics for buying a Puck T-Shirt? In fact, why aren’t you all buying Puck merchandise right now? You know you want to.
Would it help if I told you when they go on sale? They go on sale all the time (it’s how Teepublic works), but I’m usually too lazy to pass the news onto people.
Yes it would actually, I’m notoriously cheap.
OMG, that was the saddest scene in the whole movie. Forget Artax sinking, forget the kid not being brave enough to say his mother’s name, that *one* scene will take a normal, happy kid, and make him emo until his mid twenties.
Yeah, the whole movie is one big experience in emotional torment.
I have no idea what you people are talking about.
(why should today be any different ? sob….)
My personal theory on the random social worker appearing: once Miranda had gotten into the ‘jail’ (in lack of a better word), he called one and she happened to get there sometime after that Colin already ended up in jail.
Hey, not impossible, at least!
Yeah, I do think Children’s Aid might be called in with the case of a parentless baby.
I believe that social workers/child “protective” services/vultures prey on every little mis-step that they would have a fully staffed office right next door to the park.
They probably have a platform on the roof where they can all stand up there with binoculars all day – and have a slide down the side of the building to get down and over there as quickly as possible.
[I have certain feelings about CPS – and I don’t even have kids]
Not gonna lie, I laughed.
Then again, it sounds like something they’d do, so why not?
Enh, I’ve seen both sides of the beast. I’ve seen cases where they swoop in on rather innocuous cases, but then I’ve also seen cases where there’s obviously some really awful stuff going on, and they’ve said “There’s not enough evidence to warrant involvement.” Still, it’s a necessary job. And I’m glad someone’s doing it who isn’t me.
“Could someone please swallow that?” Bon appetit, Colin.
Goes down well with a nice pinot.
Or if it’s greased.
Meh, now that Alcatraz is closed, there’s not a jail Puck couldn’t break out of. Or into. Or a social worker she couldn’t flatten
True enough. Those bars don’t look very sturdy, despite what Colin says.
hey, remember what she did while giving birth?
Daphne just talked to Puck on the phone:
I had to leave my baby alone.
Some stranger turned her in to lost and found.
Without a good ID card,
I seemed some sort of retard.
I’m in the park detention cell compound.
I’m in the lockup now!
I’m in the lockup now!
I hope these bars are strong,
‘Cause Puck will shortly come along,
I’m in the lockup now!
I couldn’t prove that she was my child,
I let my temper get pretty riled.
I lost it and I went around the bend.
Now Daphne called and chatted,
Informed on me and ratted.
I’m doomed as soon as Puck comes to this pen.
I’m in the lockup now!
I’m in the lockup now!
I’m swallowing the key.
Puck won’t get in and wail on me.
I’m in the lockup now!
And Daphne isn’t clear yet,
Her share of trouble near yet,
The second-funnest place on Earth aflame.
Authorities blamed fire,
On Daphne and her Tyler,
They’re locked up in this cell to their great shame
We’re in the lockup now!
We’re in the lockup now!
We’re just the walking dead,
‘Cause Puck will slambang on our heads.
We’re in the lockup now!
—from “In the Jailhouse Now”
You keep your ‘best webcomic lyricist’ trophy with all your Grammys, don’t you?
Ah, if only I could channel my creativity into something that would sell…
Don’t feel bad – the Gecko echoes that sentiment.
Wow !
Unfortunate there is no audio.
I think Colin wants to stay locked up because he fears Puck’s wraith.
Sorry, Colin, But Hooper also thought that those bars looked like good, strong bars in that shark cage from “Jaws: as well. Too bad they did not hold up past the fifth ramming attempt by Bruce the Shark.
Puck will be able to go though those bars like a hot knife though butter…
All we need now is a “CITY” reporter that looks like the late Peter Benchley to report and comment on the carnage that will occur.
So that random shark character in the previous comic background now becomes a bit of plot-driven forewarning ?
See that visual foreshadowing? See how clever that was? Even though it was totally, completely accidental? I’m a happenstance genius.
I still expect to see Puck cast magical spells ala the play & story “Midsummer’s Night Dream”.
I now wonder if Puck can ‘Force’ choke someone … in which case the bars won’t protect anyone….
Maybe not force choke, but forcibly choke? Yes!
Still, I can see Daphne choking herself and blaming it on Puck!
Yeah, that’s plausible.
How about Puck and company as the Doom Patrol in a Puck guest or vote comic.Colin already has the beard so he could be Niles Caulder.
I had to read the alt text to notice the reference, although the actual wording did stand out to me when I first saw it. I guess that’s what happens when you haven’t watched a movie in close to 20 years.
I wouldn’t recommend a re-watch. It’s a movie best left to nostalgia.
I’ve tried watching it a couple times on TV, but the edited for TV version is absolutely horrible. And somehow I always switch to it just as he’s trying to go between those two statues with the laser eyes. Which further proves how awful the TV version is, because it always blurs the statues’ chests drawing attention to something most people would ignore if it was left alone.
It could also be that the non-edited-for-TV version is also horrible. I like it, but it was one of those movies I saw at a formative time in my life so it looms large in my psyche. (As opposed to the sequel, which I saw at a less formative time, and I knew was garbage even as I was watching it.)
On the other hand, I got to see the original Predator at the cinema again after almost 30 years with a new pristine print and it was fantastic. All those memories of intervening viewings on subpar TV screenings and video recordings disappeared just like that. Presentation definitely matters (something that applies to life in general, not just movies).
Perhaps someone should request a Domestic Abuse counselor while they’re at it? For Colin’s sake of course.
Just in case the bars aren’t enough, this needs to be documented 😀
I think the documenting will certainly happen.
-shakes head at Daphne- ballsy comment. Colin is an idiot – Puck knows that – Daphne isn’t. Killing Colin is all well and good but Daphne is WAY less worried than she should be lol
Well, here’s a case of Daphne badly miscalculating. She never really entertained the possibility that she could either be swept up in the coming explosion or even be the focal point of it.
Well, historically, Puck has never really attacked Daphne in any way. Colin can’t claim the same thing. Colin’s fear is real and conditioned through many deadly run-ins with Puck. For Daphne, it’s still largely a theoretical construct.
Well, theoretical physics did ultimately lead to Trinity happening at Alamogordo, New Mexico. For those not in the know, Trinity was the first ever detonation of a nuclear device.
atomic, not nuclear.
there is a difference.
The first nuke was detonated elsewhere.
Love the Neverending Story reference! 😀
I think the “undeniable social worker look” is defined by wearing plain-looking civilian clothes and a clipboard outside the cage. 😉
You got it, man.
I love the NeverEnding Story reference! Not bad! I also realized that after reading it that I have a fondness for Canadians. Originally I intended to put a snarky comment such as “not bad for a Canadian” but I realized that some of my favorite people are from Canada such as William Shatner, WWE Hall of Famer Edge, and now you as well! Keep up the good worker my northern brother!
Well, we have our dark side. Our Justin Biebers. Our Nickelbacks. But I’m glad you’re grouping me in the better category.
Canadians were toeing the line with Bieber, and Nickelback. Then one of you decided to make a web-comic. And said web-comic introduced the single most atrocious lower-lip having, non-upper-lip having, kangaroo/dog creature from The Island of Dr. Moreau. The creation of the Daphne, THAT was the sin for which there is no forgiveness. THAT was the evidence that proved Canadians inability to self-government. For if you were then “the Daphne,” would have been stomped out of it’s hideous existence when it first appeared so long ago in a Canadian “Universities” student paper. Also Justin Bieber. the bieber is likewise intolerable. Nickelback sucks too. Mostly daphne and the bieber though. For shame Canada. FOR SHAME!!!!
What do you know, auto-correct once again totally fv¢@$# over a perfectly good rant. Sigh…. I bet a Canadian is probably responsible for that too!
Actually it’s so insidious that I’m betting us Americans are responsible. That kind of thing is so our bailiwick.
Sorry, rest of the world. Our bad.
This, THIS is the kind of Daphne-Bashing Karen will pay good money for.
You’ve found your calling, my friend.