laws-and-sausages
Original: laws-and-sausages on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1 (Zach, a man with reddish hair and a beard): Hey geeks, it's Zach. I'm launching a new comic today. If you don't care, press "Z" to go to today's regular update. If you're curious, read on or just click this comic to check it out.
Panel 2 (Zach): It's called "Laws and Sausages." The idea is to explain how American government works via short comics.
Panel 3 (Zach): Why? Well, if you're like me, you've recently had this experience more than once.
[A three-panel sequence showing a bald stick figure at a computer:]
STEP 1: ANGER
Stick figure (thought): A thing has happened in politics and I am angry.
STEP 2: UNCERTAINTY.
Stick figure: Wait... did people always do this or is it new? And is it legal? And if so... why?
STEP 3: FRUSTRATION
Stick figure (shouting): I want to be angry but I have to do some reading first!
Panel (Zach): So, I had an idea: a comic that explains American government, but (to the extent possible) doesn't inject partisanship or personal views.*
[Footnote:] *Or, when we do, we identify it and make a case.
Panel (Zach): Our goal is to make a comic that improves your ability to think and argue about politics, regardless of your fundamental views.
Panel (Zach): I'm teaming up with my older brother, Greg Weiner, who is a professor of political science and is super old and wears tweed jackets for real in actual real life.
Panel (Greg Weiner, an older man in a tweed jacket): It feels good, okay?
Panel (Zach): Our artist is Dennis Culver, who's worked for Marvel, Image, and more!
Panel (a man with glasses, brown beard, green shirt, waving): [no dialogue]
Panel (Zach): Every two weeks, we will update with a brief lesson about philosophy of government, history, important literature, case law, stories, and weird trivia.
[Group shot: Greg Weiner, Zach, and Dennis Culver standing together.]
Panel (Zach): These aren't topical comics. But, we are covering a lot of topics that come up regularly in the news - pardons, the electoral college, impeachment, how to get the attention of your rep, and more.
Panel (Zach): So please, give it a click and let us know what you think. We'll be learning how to do this as we go, and our early readers will help shape the comic.
[Zach points upward; a starburst reads:] click!
Panel (Zach): Oh, and if you think we've said something stupid in the comic, help us find a scholar who'll be willing to rebut us. We're working to have interesting 'guest lecturers' and would welcome some hot tips.
Panel (Zach): Thanks, geeks!
[Zach points upward; a starburst reads:] for God's sake, click.
Votey: A caption above a man (Zach) hunched over a keyboard reads: "Dear Lord, let the hatemail be copious, yet gentle."
Panel 2 (Zach): It's called "Laws and Sausages." The idea is to explain how American government works via short comics.
Panel 3 (Zach): Why? Well, if you're like me, you've recently had this experience more than once.
[A three-panel sequence showing a bald stick figure at a computer:]
STEP 1: ANGER
Stick figure (thought): A thing has happened in politics and I am angry.
STEP 2: UNCERTAINTY.
Stick figure: Wait... did people always do this or is it new? And is it legal? And if so... why?
STEP 3: FRUSTRATION
Stick figure (shouting): I want to be angry but I have to do some reading first!
Panel (Zach): So, I had an idea: a comic that explains American government, but (to the extent possible) doesn't inject partisanship or personal views.*
[Footnote:] *Or, when we do, we identify it and make a case.
Panel (Zach): Our goal is to make a comic that improves your ability to think and argue about politics, regardless of your fundamental views.
Panel (Zach): I'm teaming up with my older brother, Greg Weiner, who is a professor of political science and is super old and wears tweed jackets for real in actual real life.
Panel (Greg Weiner, an older man in a tweed jacket): It feels good, okay?
Panel (Zach): Our artist is Dennis Culver, who's worked for Marvel, Image, and more!
Panel (a man with glasses, brown beard, green shirt, waving): [no dialogue]
Panel (Zach): Every two weeks, we will update with a brief lesson about philosophy of government, history, important literature, case law, stories, and weird trivia.
[Group shot: Greg Weiner, Zach, and Dennis Culver standing together.]
Panel (Zach): These aren't topical comics. But, we are covering a lot of topics that come up regularly in the news - pardons, the electoral college, impeachment, how to get the attention of your rep, and more.
Panel (Zach): So please, give it a click and let us know what you think. We'll be learning how to do this as we go, and our early readers will help shape the comic.
[Zach points upward; a starburst reads:] click!
Panel (Zach): Oh, and if you think we've said something stupid in the comic, help us find a scholar who'll be willing to rebut us. We're working to have interesting 'guest lecturers' and would welcome some hot tips.
Panel (Zach): Thanks, geeks!
[Zach points upward; a starburst reads:] for God's sake, click.
Votey: A caption above a man (Zach) hunched over a keyboard reads: "Dear Lord, let the hatemail be copious, yet gentle."
Alt text
A long SMBC strip in which Zach (a man with reddish hair and beard) announces a new comic series called "Laws and Sausages," which explains how American government works via short comics. He says people often get angry about politics and then have to do reading first, shown in a three-panel bit of a stick figure at a computer labeled STEP 1: ANGER, STEP 2: UNCERTAINTY, STEP 3: FRUSTRATION, ending with the figure shouting "I want to be angry but I have to do some reading first!" Zach explains the comic aims to explain government without injecting partisanship and to improve readers' ability to argue about politics. He introduces his older brother Greg Weiner, a tweed-jacketed political science professor who says "It feels good, okay?", and artist Dennis Culver. A group shot shows the three men together. He lists topics (pardons, electoral college, impeachment, contacting your rep) and asks readers to click, pointing up at a "click!" starburst. In the final panel he says "Thanks, geeks!" while pointing at a smaller starburst reading "for God's sake, click." Votey: Zach hunches over a keyboard under a caption reading "Dear Lord, let the hatemail be copious, yet gentle."
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.