dream
Original: dream on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1 (narration): I have this recurring dream.
Panel 2 (narration): I'm falling out of the sky.
Panel 3 (narration): I know that in a few minutes I will splatter against the hard ground.
Panel 4 (narration): As the earth looms larger, I notice that I have twenty unanswered emails.
Panel 5 (narration): And... I realize there is no chance for me to achieve spiritual transcendence in two minutes.
Panel 6 (narration): But there is some chance of clearing my inbox.
Panel 7 (narration): I go to battle. I subdue one email after another. (Shown: an email icon with a "20" unread badge.)
Panel 8 (narration): And then, with my entire being oriented around a single goal that will consume my whole remaining life, I feel my heart strangely warmed.
Panel 9 (narration): I feel perfection. (The falling figure hits the ground in a burst.)
Panel 10:
Friend (sitting): Do you consider this a dream or a nightmare?
Dreamer (lying down): I'm thinking of starting a religion.
Votey: Hand-lettered text reads "ALL HAIL THE EMPTY INBOX" above a drawing of an envelope/circle with a diagonal line through it (a "no email" / empty-inbox symbol).
Panel 2 (narration): I'm falling out of the sky.
Panel 3 (narration): I know that in a few minutes I will splatter against the hard ground.
Panel 4 (narration): As the earth looms larger, I notice that I have twenty unanswered emails.
Panel 5 (narration): And... I realize there is no chance for me to achieve spiritual transcendence in two minutes.
Panel 6 (narration): But there is some chance of clearing my inbox.
Panel 7 (narration): I go to battle. I subdue one email after another. (Shown: an email icon with a "20" unread badge.)
Panel 8 (narration): And then, with my entire being oriented around a single goal that will consume my whole remaining life, I feel my heart strangely warmed.
Panel 9 (narration): I feel perfection. (The falling figure hits the ground in a burst.)
Panel 10:
Friend (sitting): Do you consider this a dream or a nightmare?
Dreamer (lying down): I'm thinking of starting a religion.
Votey: Hand-lettered text reads "ALL HAIL THE EMPTY INBOX" above a drawing of an envelope/circle with a diagonal line through it (a "no email" / empty-inbox symbol).
Alt text
A tall SMBC comic narrated over several panels. A person describes a recurring dream of falling out of the sky toward the ground, knowing they will splatter in a few minutes. As the earth looms larger, they notice they have twenty unanswered emails and realize there's no chance to achieve spiritual transcendence in two minutes, but some chance of clearing their inbox. They go to battle, subduing one email after another (an email icon shows a badge of 20 unread). With their entire being oriented around this single goal that will consume their whole remaining life, they feel their heart strangely warmed and declare 'I feel perfection' as the falling figure smashes into the ground in a burst. In the final panel, the dreamer lies on the floor while a seated friend asks, 'Do you consider this a dream or a nightmare?' The dreamer replies, 'I'm thinking of starting a religion.' The votey is a hand-drawn panel reading 'ALL HAIL THE EMPTY INBOX' above a crossed-out envelope/circle symbol representing the empty inbox as an object of worship.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.