BONUS OPTIONAL FINAL LINE: ”What’s a budget cut?”
Once I’d settled on turning this delightful classroom setting into a hostage situation by way of in-story art mockery, I had a hell of a time with the elephant. I struggled with a handful of different ways of drawing direct lines to the tied-up teacher as the “elephant in the room” and throwing some back story behind the kidnapper’s relationship with her, but ultimately it was too wordy or didn’t let me end the strip in the right place, so I left the “elephant in the room” thing as – at best – implied, figuring I could over-explain it in the commentary.
MRS. SHOEBOX’S ASSESSMENT OF TODAY’S STRIP (after a snort at panel two and a laugh at panel three.): It’s amusing!
-=ShoEboX=-
What if you want an elephant? Do you have to give up love and happiness, or can you mortgage your house?
… now that’s more like it
The art mockery thing is played. I pondered the strip as many seconds as I was willing and didn’t come up with the “elephant in the room” even though I use that expression.
Sadly, this one sailed over my head. Not everything can be a home run, though.
Movie Guy…if your out in left field and it sails over your head…isn’t it a homerun? This is only my second partially clips read…but I’ll have to think harder next time myself as well.
A few more indications that this is an impostor:
1. She can’t read. I mean, they’re all sitting in a library and she’s reduced to explaining pictograms.
2. She’s using a pamphlet on the dangers of bad posture as a pointer.
3. She’s using an American flag as a backrest. Terrorist! Burn her!!
Is that… is that a papoose on the wall under the chart!?
This is good, but to me (a parent with 2 kids in public school) the bonus optional final line is better.
Looks like a friendly anthropomorphic lion to me, Lenny.
“Okay children, if a man in a lion suit asks us whether we want a life of love and happiness, what do we say? Remember, the alternative is the elephant!”
“Okay children, if a man in a lion suit asks us whether we want a life of love and happiness, what do we do?”
“Walk briskly away while dialing 9-1-1!”
Yeah, BLAND, that was exactly what I was implying. Either that, or the kids should be dialing 911 *right now*. 8-D
I’m kinda seeing a puzzle piece there, either way.. that’s the hilairs.
Partially Clips: Bashing “give-up” clip artwork since 2001.
Shoebox, that was genius! The only other way to do that comic is to construct something even more incredibly dark and, honestly, you can’t go to the well on that option too many times and still keep it fresh.
I laughed aloud. No higher plaudit necessary, I think.
The only other direction I could see this going is the teacher chocking on something, with her words in thought bubbles while the children just stare at her and ramble about alphabet soup or some shit.
OR you could have titled the strip “The Elephant in the Room” and made no further mention of elephants in the commentary. Eh? Eh? It’s a good one, Shoe, but not your best.
The bonus line works better than the actual punchline.
Or if the inquisitive child mentioned it was 6 pm — when will their parents be allowed inside.
I laughed. I like it.