Shortpacked! by David Willis

Discussion (70) ¬

1. 
   Jeffrey

   February 22, 2011 at 12:02 am | # | Reply

   Classic Joe… awesome story I see coming…
2. 
   KRW

   February 22, 2011 at 12:03 am | # | Reply

   They dont?! Well.. that explains things.

   • 
     Jarekk

     September 10, 2011 at 6:25 am | # | Reply

     Well… to be honest, some do. But you should avoid them.
   • 
     SotiCoto

     June 20, 2012 at 9:03 am | # | Reply

     Is true. I developed my trolling skills in order to get out of unwanted sex.
3. 
   Shift

   February 22, 2011 at 12:04 am | # | Reply

   Behold the Wisdom of Joe: The sexually unsettling Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Walky-verse
4. 
   The Sound Defense

   February 22, 2011 at 12:05 am | # | Reply

   So wait, Congress managed to successfully repeal world peace?

   • 
     T Campbell

     February 22, 2011 at 12:11 am | # | Reply

     Yeah, the ending of “This Is SO Babies” implied that it wouldn’t survive for long.
   • 
     LC

     February 22, 2011 at 2:03 am | # | Reply

     They didn’t outright repeal it, but you’ll now be forced to view a sonogram and hear the heartbeat of your conflict before seeking a peaceful solution
   • 
     Darkflame

     February 22, 2011 at 8:56 am | # | Reply

     yup, peace is bad for the job market.
   • 
     Plasma Mongoose

     May 10, 2011 at 6:30 pm | # | Reply

     That mnakes sense, the Weapons Manufacturing Lobby Groups have a great deal of influence after all and World Peace is bad for business.
5. 
   Joebo

   February 22, 2011 at 12:10 am | # | Reply

   So… is the patch of blue you managed to tag that you mentioned a few weeks ago?

   • 
     David Willis

     February 22, 2011 at 12:19 am | # | Reply

     That was probably referring to Amber’s shirt tucked between/behind background characters in an old DoA strip. I don’t have that kind of buffer on SP!.
6. 
   T Campbell

   February 22, 2011 at 12:12 am | # | Reply

   Joe is reliving SO many memories in panel 6.
7. 
   Ragnal

   February 22, 2011 at 12:12 am | # | Reply

   And THAT is why Joe broke up with…freckle face.

   …the name escapes me, sorry.

   • 
     Jen Aside

     February 22, 2011 at 12:24 am | # | Reply

     Rachel? Same name as the tubby Rachel from SEMME?
8. 
   Brendan

   February 22, 2011 at 12:14 am | # | Reply

   …it passed?!

   They couldn’t even repeal Romneycare-for-all, but this passed?

   • 
     peaceinourtime

     February 22, 2011 at 12:45 am | # | Reply

     Considering what would actually involve “legislating world peace” among the numerous squabbling cultures of earth, the radiation poisoned survivors scraping out a living among the decimated ruins of everywhere else on Earth were probably more than happy to see the disappearance of “World Peace Keepers”.

     Literally “Job killing” you see. Why the tech sector alone practically collapsed once India went up in an escalating series of mushroom clouds….

     • 
       Darkflame

       February 22, 2011 at 8:59 am | # | Reply

       You not thinking out the box enough – maybe Robin ran around renaming all the countries so no one knew who they were declaring war on.
       Or she swapped whole populations around when no one was looking (ok, entering flash-level stupidly fast terrority here).

       Bit hard to declare war against “them” when suddenly your populations are mixed together.

       • 
         PeaceInOurTime

         February 22, 2011 at 11:51 pm | # | Reply

         nah, when the ethnic and cultural groups are all mixed together, that’s when you go from war to ethnic cleansing.

         People are dicks.

         • 
           Darkflame

           February 23, 2011 at 7:44 am | # | Reply

           nah, because she mixed the people in charge too (as well as any soldiers/police etc).
           People are dicks, but fortunately all dicks about different things. Just gota make sure you can’t get a big group of one dicks demonising another group.
9. 
   Alechsa

   February 22, 2011 at 12:34 am | # | Reply

   Yes Joe… you cannot fix a girl being upset with your penis.

   @Brendan: It was a ‘jobkilling law’… Yus was a bitch and pulled every string she could.
10. 
    Dierna

    February 22, 2011 at 12:53 am | # | Reply

    Well uh at least they gave peace a chance….for a couple weeks…
11. 
    Kamino Neko

    February 22, 2011 at 1:13 am | # | Reply

    Y’know, given that he’s on record as having no interest in Joeing Robin, I have to wonder why his mind went there…

    • 
      Tinfoil Underwear

      February 22, 2011 at 1:31 am | # | Reply

      People change. Maybe Robin’s a bit more Joeable now?
    • 
      Rognik

      February 22, 2011 at 1:54 am | # | Reply

      It’s Joe. His mind ALWAYS goes there…
    • 
      Zakrael

      February 22, 2011 at 9:03 am | # | Reply

      Joe did have some interest in joeing Robin, back in the day. Before he met Rachel. They had a couple of moments together, I seem to recall.

      • 
        Madock345

        February 22, 2011 at 3:51 pm | # | Reply

        Robin Really wanted Joe to Joe her, and Joe was going to Joe her but then Joe Joe’d Rachael who also wanted to be Joe’d by Joe.
    • 
      begbert2

      February 22, 2011 at 10:51 am | # | Reply

      It’s not about his mind going there; it never comes *back* from there.
    • 
      Pat

      February 22, 2011 at 1:58 pm | # | Reply

      I think he’s just explaining why he bothered to learn how to tell when someone’s upset–but by apparent coincidence it actually happens to be relevant to Robin’s situation.
12. 
    King Godzilla

    February 22, 2011 at 1:20 am | # | Reply

    Robin is totally doing the Venture Bros face in panel 6

    • 
      David Willis

      February 22, 2011 at 1:56 am | # | Reply

      …the Venture Bros face is the face Mike’s been making since 1987?

      • 
        Malph

        February 22, 2011 at 3:55 am | # | Reply

        Face it, Willis, Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick are more famous than you.

        • 
          Ristar

          February 22, 2011 at 9:53 am | # | Reply

          Who are Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick?
        • 
          Madock345

          February 22, 2011 at 6:01 pm | # | Reply

          I’ve never heard of them. so, guess not.
        • 
          PedanticJerkass

          February 22, 2011 at 11:33 pm | # | Reply

          Who are Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick?

          • 
            Malph

            February 23, 2011 at 3:32 am | # | Reply

            Good question.
          • 
            Pagannerd

            February 23, 2011 at 9:10 pm | # | Reply

            They’re the creators of the Venture Brothers, an Adult Swim cartoon which reduces both me, my boyfriend, and, I suspect, a large proprtion of the population, to tears of laughter.
13. 
    Tinfoil Underwear

    February 22, 2011 at 1:30 am | # | Reply

    Thanks, Joe, but Robin already learned that one the hard way.
14. 
    XLR

    February 22, 2011 at 2:26 am | # | Reply

    Hey does Joe even know Robin was dating Leslie?

    Also Joe’s beard is ace.

    • 
      T Campbell

      February 22, 2011 at 8:18 am | # | Reply

      Insufficient data. They might have met at Joyce and Walky’s wedding. He seems to focus on a few key facts he does know about his old friends to pretend he’s not as self-involved on a day-to-day basis as he is.
15. 
    Shift

    February 22, 2011 at 2:26 am | # | Reply

    You know, this is a question that may or may not have been asked way back when the story was introduced, but since I’m too lazy to look, I have to ask: How exactly does the United States Congress invoke and repeal World Peace of all the other nations, without somehow taking control of them? Or do they not get a say in the matter?

    • 
      KHNO

      February 22, 2011 at 6:43 am | # | Reply

      World peace doesn’t involcev other nations, as WWF doesn’t involve any relations with other national wrestling federations, or more seriously, as World Series are just north-american baseball teams. Face it, in the media America is the world, just like Africa is a country!

      • 
        Shift

        February 22, 2011 at 7:57 pm | # | Reply

        Yeah, but here’s the thing: World Peace in this case involved THE WORLD. They stated this plan of Robin affected the ENTIRE WORLD, not just the United States.
    • 
      T Campbell

      February 22, 2011 at 8:24 am | # | Reply

      Robin and Jake Manley wrestled with that aspect of the question. They solved it… somehow.
    • 
      Doom Shepherd

      February 22, 2011 at 9:33 am | # | Reply

      I’m under the impression that it somehow involved Dennis “If we just create the Department of Peace, then everything will be butterflies and unicorn farts… oh, and ban chemtrails and mind-control space weapons” Kucinich.
16. 
    C.

    February 22, 2011 at 3:07 am | # | Reply

    Ultra Car has a tag for the strip, but his only appearance in it is a part of his windshield in the second panel.

    • 
      Ruri

      February 22, 2011 at 4:24 am | # | Reply

      And yet,had he not been tagged,someone would have pointed out that he has a part of his windshield in the second panel and should be tagged =p
17. 
    randiron

    February 22, 2011 at 3:11 am | # | Reply

    It was actually misspelled in the legislation as “Whirled Peas” and so it was easy to repeal.

    Vegitarians sing: “AAaallll we are say-aying… is give Peas a chaaaance!”

    • 
      Roborat

      February 28, 2011 at 6:26 pm | # | Reply

      That is a line from an Arrogant Worms song.

      • 
        Animaniac

        March 6, 2011 at 1:42 am | # | Reply

        Since I first heard that joke 35 years ago, I can safely say it likely predates The Arrogant Worms.
18. 
    Björn

    February 22, 2011 at 3:51 am | # | Reply

    If Robin keeps up with this “Yeah. Really. Great. Uh-hm.” attitude, she will revert to Spider-man 3 Emo Robin!

    • 
      Malph

      February 22, 2011 at 3:59 am | # | Reply

      <- And we wouldn't want that, would we?

      • 
        Shift

        February 22, 2011 at 7:58 pm | # | Reply

        Actually no. It’s a good occasional bit, but if she does it all the time, then it’s not going to be that entertaining anymore.
    • 
      T Campbell

      February 22, 2011 at 8:19 am | # | Reply

      Everything Robin’s said so far is just dripping with bitterness, but especially “Yeah, it was totally worth it.”
    • 
      T Campbell

      February 22, 2011 at 8:31 am | # | Reply

      Oh, and hey, Emo Robin’s theory was pretty much validated in her case. The only thing she got wrong was her guess about what “the most emo thing that could happen” would actually be.

      The theory’s more flawed when you try to apply it to Ethan and Amber, who are actually doing BETTER than they were before Robin pulled the drama tag. But Robin’s never been that comfortable with personal change. Too bad, because she’s pretty much got no other option now.
19. 
    Darth garrosh

    February 22, 2011 at 4:28 am | # | Reply

    I’m fairly new to the comic, I discovered it about 2 months ago, read all of the older strips, and I’ve just started Its Walky but I gotta ask, didn’t Joe have a darker tan back in Its Walky?
20. 
    Scarred Four Life

    February 22, 2011 at 5:09 am | # | Reply

    So, she’s upset… and goes to see… JOE??

    • 
      Someone

      February 22, 2011 at 10:41 am | # | Reply

      Well, the first thing she did before leaving the family was toss on her SEMME shirt. This is Robin, she’s clearly so mindshocked by all the change in her life that she’s tracing back to what she knows she is, or was.
    • 
      Lokitsu

      February 22, 2011 at 5:31 pm | # | Reply

      I was going to ask why she didn’t visit her friends in Squad 82. Then it occurred to me that maybe they didn’t survive the martian invasion.
21. 
    Doctor Who

    February 22, 2011 at 7:44 am | # | Reply

    Joe has much to teach us. I must take notes!

    • 
      Shift

      February 22, 2011 at 7:59 pm | # | Reply

      All that Joe has to teach us can be narrowed down to three words:

      BOOBIES. ARE. AWESOME.
22. 
    NF

    February 22, 2011 at 8:02 am | # | Reply

    Stay classy, Joe. Stay classy.
23. 
    ADHadh

    February 22, 2011 at 8:06 am | # | Reply

    Joe’s gonna fix her up. With his penis.
24. 
    ziggy78eog

    February 22, 2011 at 8:57 am | # | Reply

    Wait, was Joe offering to Joe Robin? I thought he said he was never going to do that.

    • 
      Cassidy

      February 22, 2011 at 5:20 pm | # | Reply

      NOT EVEN UP THE ASS
25. 
    izzatrix

    February 22, 2011 at 9:04 am | # | Reply

    Maybe if Mike would stop beating up the giant monsters and just let them eat everyone peace would last.
26. 
    Richie9999

    February 22, 2011 at 1:09 pm | # | Reply

    Oh older bearded Joe, how I’ve missed you.
27. 
    Gianni

    February 22, 2011 at 5:59 pm | # | Reply

    It’s amazing how much of the sensitivity Joe gained by the end of It’s Walky! has regressed by this point. It will turn out all right, but the results should be hilarious for us
28. 
    Wackd

    September 20, 2011 at 7:53 pm | # | Reply

    I guess I was still irritated and puzzled by Joe’s regression at this point to notice, but as an All in the Family fan I am obligated by law to be amused by the word meathead.
29. 
    Bam_Kapowski

    April 17, 2013 at 3:28 am | # | Reply

    And suddenly I remember Rachel. Is their breakup something that happened in-strip? If so, which one?