an-important-distinction
Original: an-important-distinction on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Title: AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION:
Panel 1 (labeled PATRIOTISM): An orange figure holding a torch, beside a small house.
Orange figure: I'M GONNA WORK ON MY HOUSE BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST HOUSE!
Panel 2 (labeled NATIONALISM): A red angry figure.
Red figure: MY HOUSE IS THE BEST HOUSE BECAUSE IT'S MY HOUSE!
Panel 3 (labeled PATRIOTISM): The orange figure greeting a blue neighbor.
Orange figure: HI, NEIGHBOR! COULD I SEE YOUR HOUSE? I'M TRYING TO IMPROVE MY HOUSE.
Panel 4 (labeled NATIONALISM): The red angry figure pointing at the blue figure.
Red figure: GIMME YOUR HOUSE SO IT BECOMES PART OF MY HOUSE BECAUSE MY HOUSE IS THE BEST HOUSE!
Panel 5 (labeled PATRIOTISM): The orange figure welcoming the blue figure in.
Orange figure: COME INTO MY HOUSE SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WORK I'VE DONE ON IT!
Panel 6 (labeled NATIONALISM): The red angry figure.
Red figure: STAY OUT OF MY HOUSE BECAUSE THE BEST HOUSE ALREADY CONTAINS THE BEST PEOPLE!
Panel 7 (labeled PATRIOTISM): The orange figure noticing the red figure.
Orange figure: MY HOUSE IS... OH HEY, NATIONALISM. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
Panel 8: The orange figure confronts the red figure.
Orange figure: S-HEY, NOM, I DON'T LIKE THAT LOOK IN YOUR EYES--
Sound effect: CRKK!
Panel 9: The orange figure now has the red figure's angry face.
Orange figure: NOW I AM PATRIOTISM.
Votey: A hand-drawn note in a box reads: "Tomorrow, SMBC returns to butt jokes"
Panel 1 (labeled PATRIOTISM): An orange figure holding a torch, beside a small house.
Orange figure: I'M GONNA WORK ON MY HOUSE BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST HOUSE!
Panel 2 (labeled NATIONALISM): A red angry figure.
Red figure: MY HOUSE IS THE BEST HOUSE BECAUSE IT'S MY HOUSE!
Panel 3 (labeled PATRIOTISM): The orange figure greeting a blue neighbor.
Orange figure: HI, NEIGHBOR! COULD I SEE YOUR HOUSE? I'M TRYING TO IMPROVE MY HOUSE.
Panel 4 (labeled NATIONALISM): The red angry figure pointing at the blue figure.
Red figure: GIMME YOUR HOUSE SO IT BECOMES PART OF MY HOUSE BECAUSE MY HOUSE IS THE BEST HOUSE!
Panel 5 (labeled PATRIOTISM): The orange figure welcoming the blue figure in.
Orange figure: COME INTO MY HOUSE SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WORK I'VE DONE ON IT!
Panel 6 (labeled NATIONALISM): The red angry figure.
Red figure: STAY OUT OF MY HOUSE BECAUSE THE BEST HOUSE ALREADY CONTAINS THE BEST PEOPLE!
Panel 7 (labeled PATRIOTISM): The orange figure noticing the red figure.
Orange figure: MY HOUSE IS... OH HEY, NATIONALISM. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
Panel 8: The orange figure confronts the red figure.
Orange figure: S-HEY, NOM, I DON'T LIKE THAT LOOK IN YOUR EYES--
Sound effect: CRKK!
Panel 9: The orange figure now has the red figure's angry face.
Orange figure: NOW I AM PATRIOTISM.
Votey: A hand-drawn note in a box reads: "Tomorrow, SMBC returns to butt jokes"
Alt text
A tall SMBC comic titled "AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION:" alternates between two characters representing PATRIOTISM and NATIONALISM, each labeled in a colored banner. Patriotism is a calm orange figure with a small house; Nationalism is an angry red figure. They trade contrasting lines about a "house": Patriotism says it works on its house because it's the best, invites a blue neighbor over to learn and improve, and shows off its work. Nationalism counters that its house is best simply because it's its own, demands the neighbor's house be absorbed, and tells outsiders to stay out because the best house already contains the best people. In the final panels, Patriotism notices Nationalism, says it doesn't like the look in Nationalism's eyes, and with a "CRKK!" sound effect the orange Patriotism figure suddenly takes on the angry red face of Nationalism, declaring "NOW I AM PATRIOTISM" -- the joke being that patriotism can quietly transform into nationalism. The votey is a hand-drawn note in a box reading "Tomorrow, SMBC returns to butt jokes."
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.