Monday, June 26, 2006

The Lost Skeleton of Cat-avra


Yes Garfield, not "I hope I don't die", but "I hope you brought a snack."

Panel One: We already know what Dr. Wilson's receptionist, Nel, looks like, so why not show her? A) her appearance was just a punchline sight gag about how ugly she is, and seeing her in this context might be distracting. B) the panel's a little crowded for Garfield as it is. C) it's easier not to deal with people's reactions to seeing a cat walk on its hind legs.

Panel Two: It's an unfair complaint to criticize comics reality which I always allow to warp reality to best tell a joke. The zoom-in reveal places the skeleton closer to Garfield than it could have been in panel one, but that's totally okay. Not-okay is that the skeleton - smaller than Garfield, and without a tail - seems to be that of a baby hippo.

Panel Three: I'd like to think Garfield doesn't think a mere snack can save him, and has just accepted that the waiting room shall be his death chamber. He would've asked for a snack anyway.

2 comments:

ableebleebloo said...

I find it difficult to believe that said hippo has been sitting there long enough to turn into a skeleton.

Possible explanations:

-The hippo's owner (off-panel) is so out of it as to have only recently figured out that there is something wrong, and yet remains unsure of what it is. Bonus points depending on how long the mystery owner has been waiting.

-Someone at the vet's office, either Nel or Dr. Wilson, places skeletons in the waiting room chairs as a sick, twisted joke.

Either one works in the Garfield context.

Flu-Bird said...

Thats not a good sign