Comics by Shaenon II

[SoItBegins]

Basically, in this thread I'm cataloguing the adventures of Tip in the sub-basements, just so nobody forgets anything.

Ok, here goes:

1. Silverfish steal office supplies
2. Tip tracks down silverfish
3. Silverfish turn out to be Italian, say they're having trouble with centipedes eating them
4. Tip tracks down centipedes
5. Centipedes turn out to be Amish, say they want to grow crops in UV corridor, are being hindered by 'death robots'
6. Tip tracks down robots
7. Robots turn out to be misfit toys-- they're trying to gain flight, to escape from cobras -- cobras, according to the toys, are ordinary, but they were put there to keep down the population of sentient mongooses
8. Tip tracks down cobras. Yes, they're sentient
9. Cobras turn out to be children/otherwise childish. They eat mice (which the cryo people dump down there), but they're being impeded by the talking mushrooms.
10. Tip tracks down mushrooms
11. Mushrooms would like to stop, but are being flooded out by sentient water blobs.
12. Tip tracks down water blobs
13. Water blobs turn out to be Scottish, say they can't help it-- they're constantly receiving pollution from talking legged fish
14. Tip tracks down talking legged fish
15. Talking legged fish turn out to be hippies (or something), and can't move from their current location, mainly because anywhere else they go, they're gnawed on by giant talking zombie heads
16. Tip tracks down giant talking zombie heads
17. Giant zombie heads tell tip they have a Rat problem
18. Tip tracks down the Rat
19. The Rat needs help with the crystal intelligences and the maintenance men
20. The crystal intelligences are going slowly mad because of the loud noise, which is coming from...
21. The silverfish!!

22. Tip loses his temper.


Hmmm... I wonder what's next!

[LeeshaJoy]

Hmmm... I wonder what's next!

23. Profit!

[PotatoEngineer]

My vote is that it will all end up in a circle, with some sentient species down the line eventually requiring the eviction of the silverfish. Thus, the entire chain falls down, leaving Tip to improvise a truly creative solution, which may just involve gathering up each group and chucking them into a different underground warehouse.

On the other hand, the sentient species have been growing gradually larger with each iteration. Maybe he'll end up facing down sentient tiger/elephant hybrids, who, surprisingly, can be reasonable?

[PaulNagami]

Perhaps the cobras learn that silverfish are tasty. The cobras eat all the silverfish, and the centipedes starve. Then the cobras starve, too, having eaten the last silverfish. The robots then crash into the walls and explode.

Afterwards, Gavotte commends Tip for his efficient solution.

[Channing]

That's dark, Paul.

[Tim Tylor]

The robots did make some mention of sentient mongoosoids.

This whole affair is sounding more and more like one of those folktales which send the poor protagonist on a frustrating quest from one awkward character to another.

[leslie]

and they get cuter and cuter.

[PaulNagami]

Channing: Narbonic went darker than that, I think.

Alternate solution: Go upstairs, get to the vending machines, and buy lots and lots of food for the cobras. Of course, then it will turn out that the vending machines have cockroach problems... and we all know where that goes.

[Tim Tylor]

and they get cuter and cuter.

The mushrooms kicked that trend (whether or not they have feet to kick with).

I wonder how the Zombieheads can talk without... no, forget that.
{questions about disembodied zombieheads} subset {questions you don't want to hear the answer of, ever}

[dvandom]

They learned from Dave's example, doy.

---Dave (non-hench)

[ThandraK]

Breaking news! A picture has been found of Trip and the Cobras. Sadly, I seem to be having technical difficulties posting it.

One moment whilst I find a spare hammer.



Your post has been edited to actually display the image. -SIB

[dvandom]

Link version of Than's URL.

---Dave

[SoItBegins]

Nice picture. My question is, exactly how deep do these sub-basements go, anyway?!

[dvandom]

Let's just say that Tip may well find Pellucidar.

---Dave

[Jane Narbon]

Ummmm... wasn't Pellucidar the realm deeep under the Earth's crust, in the Narnia series?

[SoItBegins]

No, sorry.

Pellucidar is a fictional Hollow Earth milieu invented by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs for a series of action adventure stories. In a notable crossover event between Burroughs' series, there is a Tarzan story in which the Ape Man finds his way into Pellucidar.

Sooo... does that mean that Tip is the Ape Man?

[dvandom]

Well, he does have pretty hairy arms....

---Dave

[Tim Tylor]

More likely the basement's a progressively inflating pocket universe. Feuding tribes could be coming into existence faster than Tip can negotiate with them.

[ThandraK]

Hm. This rat is reminding me of the Plague of Frog from Pyramids.

[Professor Zobot]

I'm still rooting that energy beings will show up somewhere along the lines.

Of course, it's looking like it might not work out that way, but a man can hope.

[Hotel Detective]

Interesting logic from Tip.
And more giant rodents. ^_^

[Hotel Detective]

My vote is that it will all end up in a circle, with some sentient species down the line eventually requiring the eviction of the silverfish.

Congrats on calling it, though I didn't quite see the specifics coming. ^_^;