hot-lava
Original: hot-lava on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
Child: LOOK OUT! DAD! THE FLOOR IS HOT LAVA!
Father (thinking, off to the side): I'D BETTER USE MY SUPERPOWER!
Label across the comic: DIMINISHING ABILITY TO LEND CREDENCE TO OWN IMAGINATION!
Panel 2 (large):
The father stands on the couch in a dramatic, strained action pose, eyes shut and teeth gritted, surrounded by a bright yellow energy burst as he forces himself to imagine the lava.
Panel 3:
Father (now standing calmly on the floor, deflated): OK HEY LOOK IT'S JUST CARPET.
The child stands on the couch, arms raised.
Votey:
A loosely drawn close-up face of the child with a speech bubble.
Child: you were way off, dummy.
Child: LOOK OUT! DAD! THE FLOOR IS HOT LAVA!
Father (thinking, off to the side): I'D BETTER USE MY SUPERPOWER!
Label across the comic: DIMINISHING ABILITY TO LEND CREDENCE TO OWN IMAGINATION!
Panel 2 (large):
The father stands on the couch in a dramatic, strained action pose, eyes shut and teeth gritted, surrounded by a bright yellow energy burst as he forces himself to imagine the lava.
Panel 3:
Father (now standing calmly on the floor, deflated): OK HEY LOOK IT'S JUST CARPET.
The child stands on the couch, arms raised.
Votey:
A loosely drawn close-up face of the child with a speech bubble.
Child: you were way off, dummy.
Alt text
A three-panel SMBC comic. Panel 1: a small child on a couch yells "Look out! Dad! The floor is hot lava!" while the father, standing nearby, thinks "I'd better use my superpower!" A caption across the comic reads "Diminishing ability to lend credence to own imagination!" Panel 2 (large): the father strains atop the couch in a dramatic superhero pose, eyes clenched and teeth gritted, wrapped in a yellow energy burst as he tries hard to believe in the imaginary lava. Panel 3: the father stands flatly on the floor and admits, "OK hey look it's just carpet," the magic gone, while the kid still plays on the couch. The joke is that as an adult he can no longer make himself buy into the pretend game. Votey (aftercomic): a sketchy close-up of the child's face saying, "you were way off, dummy."
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.