Jobless
November 8, 2009 ~ 11 Comments
I imagine this strip caused a lot of confusion for people down the line, inasmuch as, six years later, I’m kind of still working for Viz. After I was laid off as the front-desk receptionist, I started working for the company as a freelance editor, a job that’s continued to support me to this day (although not as well as it used to–thanks, economy). If it helps, none of this makes any sense to me either.
The man in the second panel is Viz cofounder Seiji Horibuchi, although the way I draw him he looks like my dad. The girl in the third panel is based on my friend Laura, who served as the basis for Iris in later Narbonic strips. The guys in the fourth panel are cartoonists Derek Kirk Kim and Jason Thompson. Jason is another freelance Viz editor.
Viz originally hired me to fill in at the front desk for two weeks, so I’ve been pretty lucky to hang in there for close to ten years. I’m like a cockroach. A sexy, sexy cockroach.
Tell me more about this housefern wedding.
A sexy…. cockroach? OK, if you say so.
(TUNE: “Freebird”, Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Gotta leave here on Friday;
All my friends feel bad for me …
So this week, I’ll have my way,
And abuse their sympathy!
But still my mind’s like a train wreck,
And I’m feeling quite annoyed …
‘Cause now I don’t have a paycheck!
And this girl is unemployed!
Yeah, gainfully unemployed!
[insert 47-minute guitar solo]
A fern and a spider-plant? Don’t you know that those mixed-species marriages never work out. Stop at once. I’m thinking of the children. 🙂
Now that you mention it, I AM thinking of the offspring of such a mating, and kicking myself for having gone into electronic engineering instead of genetic engineering. Gigantic leafy green spider-mutants have such wonderfully horrible potential… Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!
(Why do I have the horrible feeling that these comments are going to give Shaenon an idea to use in an upcoming Skin Horse storyline? O.O)
I believe you have already answer this, but all the guys in the Roleplay group are based on people you know right? I mean there are 2 of them here (Iris and the blond one)
Thinking of the children, spider-ferns have lots of Mad Science potential.
Maricruz: Eric (the GM) is based on my ex-boyfriend Kevin, Freddy (the blonde guy) on Jason Thompson, and Iris on my friend Laura. Seth is named after an old friend but isn’t based on anyone in particular.
You’re not a cockroach. Roaches are nasty and ugly. You’re more of a potato bug–kinda cute, a hardy survivor, and (I assume) make an interesting pet. (At least, I assume that your husband thinks you make a good pet. I wouldn’t know, never having had the honor of meeting you personally, unfortunately. I have the feeling that we’d probably become good friends if we ever met in person.)
Fun trivia fact: did you know that potato bugs can survive doses of radiation that kill cockroaches? See what you can learn from watching Mythbusters? ^_^
(Unfortunately, I now have a mental image of Mell wearing Jamie’s beret and holding an Acme Disentigrator Ray while standing next to a pile of ash and remarking, “Dave busted!”)
At least one of them isn’t a wandering Jew. Imgine how hard mixed-species AND interfaith must be.
Ok, that’s just odd… Unintentional reference to another webcomic: 1 (so far as I can tell.) Girls With Slingshots… http://www.girlswithslingshots.com/gwscast/ look for McPedro, lol…