2013-04-08
Original: 2013-04-08 on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1 (caption): I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE, LIKE I DID AS A BOY.
Scene: A bald father in a green shirt sits at a child's bedside reading from a book and pointing, while a smiling boy lies in bed.
Panel 2 (caption): I WANT YOU TO BE A SOUTH SEAS PIRATE.
Scene: A boy in a pirate hat and coat stands on the deck of a ship at sea.
Panel 3 (caption): AN ASTRONAUT SAVING THE WORLD.
Scene: An astronaut sits in a red rocket ship flying through space.
Panel 4 (caption): AN EXPLORER HUNTING FOR SECRETS.
Scene: An explorer in a green jacket stands in a dark cave or canyon.
Panel 5 (caption): I WANT YOU TO DO ALL OF THAT.
Scene: The bald father reads from the book and gestures while the boy lies in bed, now looking drowsy or asleep.
Panel 6 (caption): IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T RESULT IN PHONECALLS TO ME.
Scene: The father, now on the phone, listens with an annoyed expression. A speech bubble with jagged phone-line edges says: YOUR KID RE-ENACTED THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS AGAIN.
Votey:
The father stands on the phone, exasperated. His speech bubble: SO... POINTS FOR CREATIVITY?
The jagged phone-line bubble replies: YOU OWE US TWO SWINGSETS AND A WINDOW.
Scene: A bald father in a green shirt sits at a child's bedside reading from a book and pointing, while a smiling boy lies in bed.
Panel 2 (caption): I WANT YOU TO BE A SOUTH SEAS PIRATE.
Scene: A boy in a pirate hat and coat stands on the deck of a ship at sea.
Panel 3 (caption): AN ASTRONAUT SAVING THE WORLD.
Scene: An astronaut sits in a red rocket ship flying through space.
Panel 4 (caption): AN EXPLORER HUNTING FOR SECRETS.
Scene: An explorer in a green jacket stands in a dark cave or canyon.
Panel 5 (caption): I WANT YOU TO DO ALL OF THAT.
Scene: The bald father reads from the book and gestures while the boy lies in bed, now looking drowsy or asleep.
Panel 6 (caption): IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T RESULT IN PHONECALLS TO ME.
Scene: The father, now on the phone, listens with an annoyed expression. A speech bubble with jagged phone-line edges says: YOUR KID RE-ENACTED THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS AGAIN.
Votey:
The father stands on the phone, exasperated. His speech bubble: SO... POINTS FOR CREATIVITY?
The jagged phone-line bubble replies: YOU OWE US TWO SWINGSETS AND A WINDOW.
Alt text
A six-panel SMBC comic. A bald father in a green shirt reads a bedtime story to his young son, with captions narrating his wishes for the boy: 'I want you to imagine, like I did as a boy.' Panels illustrate the fantasies: 'I want you to be a south seas pirate' (a boy in pirate garb on a ship), 'an astronaut saving the world' (an astronaut in a red rocket in space), 'an explorer hunting for secrets' (an explorer in a dark cave). 'I want you to do all of that' (back at the bedside) '...in a way that doesn't result in phonecalls to me.' The final panel shows the father on the phone looking annoyed as a caller says, 'Your kid re-enacted the Battle of Hastings again.' Votey (aftercomic): Still on the phone, the father offers, 'So... points for creativity?' The caller replies flatly, 'You owe us two swingsets and a window.'
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.