Artie’s not his usual shape …
He’s become a big, hairless ape …
He’s not happy with his fate!
He says, “Becoming a pri-mate
Isn’t great …”

“I can change the shape that I am
By contracting my di-a-pragm!”
Dave exclaiming, “Oh, that’s neat!”
‘Cause now a gerbil’s on the seat!
Can Helen Beta find a cure?
Not sure!

He’s a gerbil, and his genes were made that way!
He’s a gerbil, and he wished he’d stayed that way!
And though he changes back and forth with … just a little hiccup,
He’s astonished that dates he’ll pick up!
He’s a human hunk!
Mell the intern saw his junk!
But he’s just a gerbil!  Lost his clothes!
He’s just a gerbil!  Here he goes
Again!

And Ed, I didn’t get a comment in, but that BNL/BBT song was fantastic!  It’s one of the few TV theme songs that I’ll not fast-forward my Tivo through, largely because my wife is an astrophysicist and enjoys it.  (when I’m alone watching BBT, usually I zip thru it)

And Shaennon: got my Narbonic Collection a couple of days ago!  And now I have to decide whether or not to throw away the shipping envelope as SOMEONE drew a very cute Artie on it.  Like I need more clutter.

He went human for just one day /
Now he seems to go back that way / When he *hic!*

He’s a tiny ball of fluff /
And then he’s human, nude and buff /
When he *hic!*

Helen’s messing with his genome /
This is not Artie as we know’m /
When he *hic!*

Artie’s human – hic! (Oh, Artie) /
Now he’s gerbil – hic! (Poor Artie!) /
Artie’s human – hic! /
Now he’s gerbil – hic!

Poor guy needs his spirits lifting /
For his shape is surely shifting /
When he *hic!*

(Did the line breaks work that time?)

There is something oddly charming and juvenile about hiccups having some unwitting magical effect, especially one which causes a dramatic change in size. Even though this webcomic’s extended Alice in Wonderland analogy applies mostly to Dave, this particular situation puts Artie in a most visually similar role.