on-off
Original: on-off on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1: An alien speaks to another alien.
First alien: I hate the humans. They SOUND like they're conscious, thoughtful, possessors of free will, but you can manipulate their brains with the most trivial actions.
Panel 2: The first alien gestures.
First alien: Watch.
Panel 3: An alien addresses a blonde human woman, while a small alien operates a device nearby.
Alien: Human! Here's a collage of photos from your life experiences!
Panel 4: The woman responds flatly.
Woman: Ah. Cool.
Panel 5: A small alien sits at the device as musical notes play around it.
Alien (at device): Behold! This is the same photoset, displayed one photo at a time, with the photos in motion and fadeouts between, plus violins!
Panel 6: The blonde woman is now sobbing, tears streaming down her face.
Woman: The days... the years... so long yet so fast.
Panel 7: The two aliens watch her cry.
Alien: It's like an on/off switch!
Votey: The small alien at the device, looking pleased.
Alien: I can get 14% more tears by having the images come toward her instead of moving side to side!
First alien: I hate the humans. They SOUND like they're conscious, thoughtful, possessors of free will, but you can manipulate their brains with the most trivial actions.
Panel 2: The first alien gestures.
First alien: Watch.
Panel 3: An alien addresses a blonde human woman, while a small alien operates a device nearby.
Alien: Human! Here's a collage of photos from your life experiences!
Panel 4: The woman responds flatly.
Woman: Ah. Cool.
Panel 5: A small alien sits at the device as musical notes play around it.
Alien (at device): Behold! This is the same photoset, displayed one photo at a time, with the photos in motion and fadeouts between, plus violins!
Panel 6: The blonde woman is now sobbing, tears streaming down her face.
Woman: The days... the years... so long yet so fast.
Panel 7: The two aliens watch her cry.
Alien: It's like an on/off switch!
Votey: The small alien at the device, looking pleased.
Alien: I can get 14% more tears by having the images come toward her instead of moving side to side!
Alt text
A SMBC comic. Two green aliens talk. The first says it hates humans because they SOUND conscious and thoughtful with free will, yet you can manipulate their brains with the most trivial actions. It says "Watch." An alien then tells a blonde human woman, "Human! Here's a collage of photos from your life experiences!" She replies flatly, "Ah. Cool." Next, a small alien at a device with violin music playing announces it's the same photoset, but shown one photo at a time, in motion with fadeouts between, plus violins. The woman is now sobbing uncontrollably, saying "The days... the years... so long yet so fast." The aliens observe that it's "like an on/off switch!" In the votey, the small alien at the device adds proudly that it can get 14% more tears by having the images come toward her instead of moving side to side.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.