2015-02-23

A vertical comic strip. A blond rock star stands on stage in front of a large, racially diverse cheering crowd. Panel 1: the performer says "Hey true fans! Shout if you believe in the music!" Panel 2: the crowd roars "YAYYYYYYYYY!" Panel 3: "Shout if you believe in me!" and the crowd answers "We believe! We believe!" Panel 4: "Shout if you would follow me!" and the crowd cheers "WOOOOOOOH! We love you!" Panel 5: the performer leans in and says "Shout if you want to go and topple the government tonight!" Panel 6: catching the slip, the performer covers it with "Woops. I mean... shout if you wanna rock this great event tonight!" and the crowd cheers again. Final small panel: alone and quiet, the performer mutters "One more album. Just one more album..." plotting to build influence before making a real move. Votey: a single panel captioned "SOON..." showing a published book or manifesto, its cover bearing a smiling portrait of the performer and the title "THE MASSES ARE NOT FIT TO RULE THEMSELVES." The joke: the adored populist pop star secretly intends to seize power and holds the crowd in contempt.