While coloring this comic, our daddy ham actually did escape from his cage. Unfortunately, this batch of hamsters could not give one tiny shit about peanut butter. Eventually he was located in the bathroom.
Come to think of it, imagine the average person’s reaction to the contents of a Pokemon Trainer’s Bag.
“Okay, you have a scarf made of silk, a seed, a piece of charcoal, a jewel in the shape of a raindrop, a magnet, a black belt, a prosthetic beak, a poisonous stinger, a bag of sand, a spoon with a twisted handle, a rock, a piece of ice that doesn’t melt, a bunch of silver powder that I’m not convinced ISN’T cocaine, a fang you claim is from a dragon, a piece of paper that gives me the heebie-jeebies, a pair of sunglasses, and a thing of metal.”
Sounds remarkably like the contents of the Doctor’s pockets at any given time. (I’m not counting that wierd time on the Rings of Akhaten where apparently all he had was his sonic. Eleven’s run has had so many conflicts with continuity and inexplicable retconning that I’m treating it like Eight’s and thinking of it as only partially canonical.)
I carry Charcoal it is great if you have to purify water in an emergency. But for full disclosure I also carry a tooth brush,string,swiss army knife,skeleton key,handcuffs,toilet paper,rubber ball,comb, salt and gum.
I lost my cat in much the same way this morning. Eventually she was located beneath the car, and was captured on the porch because she was starting to get heat stroke. Indoor cats have never known life without climate control.
A few months ago Amber fought a giant marshmallow monster, her coworker has super powers, she herself is a superheroine, and she works with a talking car… And she’s put off by someone carrying around charcoal?
On another note; I just realized how long I’ve been reading Shortpacked! It must be at least two years now, and I check for updates probably twice a day.
All those things are common though. She probably walks past twenty people with super powers before she gets to work. Same with talking cars, they’re common. Maybe actual heroes and heroines are less common, but it’s not exactly odd after you’ve worked with Reagon.
But carrying a piece of charcoal around. Now that is weird.
I could not find your e-mail address within two seconds, so I am posting this as a comment instead. I do not know if you are aware, but amongst the “sex-positive” community, whose attitudes your comic often supports, the diagnosis of “sex addict”, which I know you have previously labeled Jacob with, is considered to be spurious and to ignore actual underlying behavioral issues, as per this article. If you take this diagnosis too seriously, I for one will feel vaguely cheated, in the same way that I would if Ethan started going to therapy for his gayness.
Love,
Only one reader who you don’t need to pay attention to but really likes to spread sex-positive link love around the intarwebs
Anything can be abused so much as to become self-destructive. I don’t think sex is immune to that.
If Ethan were sexing dudes so much that he stopped going to work, he should probably look into that as well. (But he’s not.) Meanwhile, Ethan’s toy collection compulsions are way closer to being self-destructive than his gayness.
If you do something so much that it hurts your personal and your business life, then you should look into that. It’s an addiction, it’s an obsession, it’s whatever. Yes, Shortpacked! (and It’s Walky!) are sex-positive, and will continue to be so, but I can enjoy having lots of beers while also thinking alcoholism should be avoided.
Someone who wants to be Santa to naughty children.
…
…
…
That… was kinda disturbing actually.
Lady Sybil Vimes usually has a bit of charcoal about her person for a swamp dragon that’s eaten it’s sulfur like a good chap.
Discworld reference. Nice
It always makes me happy to know other people have read Discworld books.
Sybil Vimes née Ramkin is one of my favourite characters. But then, there’s a long list of favourite Discworld characters.
Doesn’t Amber realize that you can give Charizard Charcoal to boost its Fire-type moves?
God, I am such a nerd because that was the first thing to pop into my head.
No worries, it’s what I thought of too.
Also, avatar win.
Dear GOD. That has to be my favorite comment in the entire list.
Come to think of it, imagine the average person’s reaction to the contents of a Pokemon Trainer’s Bag.
“Okay, you have a scarf made of silk, a seed, a piece of charcoal, a jewel in the shape of a raindrop, a magnet, a black belt, a prosthetic beak, a poisonous stinger, a bag of sand, a spoon with a twisted handle, a rock, a piece of ice that doesn’t melt, a bunch of silver powder that I’m not convinced ISN’T cocaine, a fang you claim is from a dragon, a piece of paper that gives me the heebie-jeebies, a pair of sunglasses, and a thing of metal.”
“You’re a hoarder.”
Sounds remarkably like the contents of the Doctor’s pockets at any given time. (I’m not counting that wierd time on the Rings of Akhaten where apparently all he had was his sonic. Eleven’s run has had so many conflicts with continuity and inexplicable retconning that I’m treating it like Eight’s and thinking of it as only partially canonical.)
A real man is ready for an emergency barbeque ALL THE TIME.
Well, no wonder he tried to escape, if you were making him color the comic.
Willis’ anecdote just became more amusing thanks to this comment.
I carry Charcoal it is great if you have to purify water in an emergency. But for full disclosure I also carry a tooth brush,string,swiss army knife,skeleton key,handcuffs,toilet paper,rubber ball,comb, salt and gum.
No duck-tape? Super glue? Ball o’ twine?
No I have tape and string is my ball of twine
Ok, I gotta ask, what does the skeleton key open?
Mr Skeleton’s House?
The skeleton lock, of course.
It opens a lot of locks
No towel?
my thoughts exactly
I hope everyone participated in May 25th. Towel Day!
“Eventually he was located in the bathroom.”
Aww, Daddy Ham has a shy bladder!
I wan’t that to by epitaph.
You
B. xxxx D. 20xx
Eventually he was located in the bathroom.
I lost my cat in much the same way this morning. Eventually she was located beneath the car, and was captured on the porch because she was starting to get heat stroke. Indoor cats have never known life without climate control.
This is so unrelated to the comic and your comment, but can I just say you have THE most awesome usernamething EVER.
Oh, we’re doing this now, are we?
A few months ago Amber fought a giant marshmallow monster, her coworker has super powers, she herself is a superheroine, and she works with a talking car… And she’s put off by someone carrying around charcoal?
On another note; I just realized how long I’ve been reading Shortpacked! It must be at least two years now, and I check for updates probably twice a day.
By the way, what ever happened to Ninja Rick?
The ninja are being underrepresented!
All those things are common though. She probably walks past twenty people with super powers before she gets to work. Same with talking cars, they’re common. Maybe actual heroes and heroines are less common, but it’s not exactly odd after you’ve worked with Reagon.
But carrying a piece of charcoal around. Now that is weird.
Or http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WeirdnessCensor
You just had to link to TV Tropes, didn’t you? I was planning to go to bed three hours ago.
Haha, I’m immune to Tv Tropes. So I’ll just be going to bed now… after reading the page… oh, and that one *clicks link*.
The scary thing is that I already read this page earlier and will still stay up until 4 am reading it and the other 120 pages I end up on.
The sad thing being that everybody knows the effect if they’ve already been there and they still click the links.
Jacob’s a wizard.
No, wait, they carry chalk.
… there’s a “black wizard” joke here that doesn’t sound mildly racist, but I haven’t found it yet.
Mmmm Charcoal and Peanut Butter… It’s Last Two Items in the Kitchen Day!
You got charcoal in my peanut butter!
You got peanut butter on my charcoal!
Clearly Jacob is secretly Charcoal The Burning Man. So that’s where he went after Marvel decided to avoid using him anymore.
He was going to squeeze it into a diamond for his date. He had to run off before his identity was found out. He is Supper Sex Addict.
breakfast, supper; whenever he can get it I’d imagine.
Ba dum tish
Dear David Willis,
I could not find your e-mail address within two seconds, so I am posting this as a comment instead. I do not know if you are aware, but amongst the “sex-positive” community, whose attitudes your comic often supports, the diagnosis of “sex addict”, which I know you have previously labeled Jacob with, is considered to be spurious and to ignore actual underlying behavioral issues, as per this article. If you take this diagnosis too seriously, I for one will feel vaguely cheated, in the same way that I would if Ethan started going to therapy for his gayness.
Love,
Only one reader who you don’t need to pay attention to but really likes to spread sex-positive link love around the intarwebs
Anything can be abused so much as to become self-destructive. I don’t think sex is immune to that.
If Ethan were sexing dudes so much that he stopped going to work, he should probably look into that as well. (But he’s not.) Meanwhile, Ethan’s toy collection compulsions are way closer to being self-destructive than his gayness.
If you do something so much that it hurts your personal and your business life, then you should look into that. It’s an addiction, it’s an obsession, it’s whatever. Yes, Shortpacked! (and It’s Walky!) are sex-positive, and will continue to be so, but I can enjoy having lots of beers while also thinking alcoholism should be avoided.
Good answer.
Someone who smokes a hookah might have coal on ‘em.
…
That’s a bit of a long shot.