SPECTATORS - Part 56
Plus, an exclusive first look at this week's new SAGA, and your chance to win a signed copy!
Are you on “spring break” this week?
Brian here, and I don’t know if that’s a thing in your age bracket/part of the world, but my kiddos are off school and we’re about to go look for some trouble, so no time for lollygagging (which autocorrect claims is actually spelled “lallygagging”??).
Regardless, let’s get straight to this week’s new vignette of Spectators—as always, drawn by astounding co-creator Niko Henrichon and lettered by genuine superstar Fonografiks—as our eavesdropping specters Val and Sam overhear who might have been behind that devastating nuclear blast at the ol’ Happiest Place on Earth…
In last week’s chat thread with you generous paid subscribers, we were discussing what everyone was up to exactly ten years ago, back when Panel Syndicate started publishing this story:
And I’m shocked to announce that, after more than ten years of sending “To Be Continued” (and now Exploding Giraffe) thoughtful letters and weird tchotchkes, longtime commenter Al Wurst was finally selected for an actual gosh darn prize after intern Genesis the Exploded Giraffe randomly selected his comment:
10 years ago I was getting outwitted by a pig. His name was Mojo, and he belonged to a friend who needed someone to pig-sit while she was on vacation. I started off as excited as my kids at the idea, but now realize I should have been as concerned as my dog Bagheera was with the proposition. Mojo figured out Bagheera’s doggie door in 1/100th the time it took him. Once that happened there was nothing in the world that would keep Mojo from the crabapple tree in the backyard. Mojo even got through the locking feature of the doggie door in no time. I believe it was my fifth solution that stopped him from getting out. I will never forget when he finally gave up. As I sat there feeling pretty smug, he tottered over to my slipper and pissed in it. People talk about how smart pigs are, but they don’t mention their vindictiveness.
Welcome to the winner’s circle, Al!
Sorry about your slipper.
Huge thanks to writer Scott Snyder for the very generous assessment of Saga #1, an issue he dissected for his “Comic Writing 102” class, which subscribers to Scott’s Our Best Jacket should be able to listen to here:
I wish I could take all the credit for simply hanging on tight to the coattails of co-creator Fiona Staples, but I’m grateful for the very nice words and for for Scott’s kindness to me over the years. I forgot all about drinking whiskey in that haunted chateau!
(“Forgot” probably isn’t the right word.)
Speaking of Fiona, this upcoming Wednesday’s new issue of Saga has one of the best covers in the entire history of things that have covers:
Just magnificent.
I’ll be giving away a few signed copies of this new issue to commenters in this week’s Tower thread, but if the rest of you are interested in some bespoke-ass Saga swag, might I suggest this fully licensed Washi tape (fancy high-end paper tape!) designed by Fiona and manufactured by our pal Aviva Maï Artzy for The Washi Station:
While you’re there, why not add a few paper stickers featuring some deep-cut supporting character whose name I don’t remember:
Delightful, no?
Fiona and I have been working behind the scenes with some more of our favorite people for the kind of quality Saga merch a lot of you have been asking us for, so stay tuned, fellow consumers!
Okay, Tower subscribers, after this highly penetrable paywall is your exclusive first look at the next new issue of Saga, available at your local neighborhood comic shop later this week.
Everyone else, stay safe, and I’ll see you back here for more free Spectators next Monday!