The text in the SRoMG strip encodes a hidden message. I had fun decoding it, so won’t spoil it for anyone else. If you want spoilers, the decoded message is here:

https://sromgexplained.shoutwiki.com/wiki/17:_The_Garfield_Code

It doesn’t quite explain everything, so here’s a Python snippet that decodes it if you’re stuck:

"".join(chr(((ord(c) - ord('A') - (ord(k) - ord('A')) - 1) % 26) + ord('A')) for c, k in zip(cipher, key))

Good catch, updated

Their profile was full of “God bless the troops” and “Joe Biden must resign”, so if it’s a joke, it’s a very involved one

*sowing

Thanks for the concern, but I’m just posting old SMBC comics in order and this is what was up for posting.

I appreciate your comment though, and hopefully it’ll help anyone if the post hits too close to home. Along those lines, I’ve always found it helpful to remember This too shall pass.

Saw a reference to Odie originally being called Spot and read about there being a prequel comic to Garfield, which I thought was pretty interesting

Second this 😀

@[email protected] has been doing an awesome job of running it, and also created Sublinks as a Lemmy alternative

Snakes are able to fit into tight places, so they’d be able to easily retrieve keys that are e.g. dropped into a sewer grate. Kind of the reverse of what rescue animals tend to do though. Beetles with pencils because the teacher won’t notice them delivering you a pencil? They could also just be a bit of absurdism, but it’s kind of weird that the other ones are themed.

First appearance of Odie (née Spot). Fun trivia:

Odie was going to be named Spot until Jim Davis found out this name was being used for another character. This was shown in the original Jon comics and referenced in the August 15th 1978 strip, when Lyman swats Odie for what he “did on the floor”. Garfield looks on in amusement and says “They should have named him Spot”.

I like that they bother to transcribe it lol:

Garfield: a oo a e o e i e e i a e

Jon: a e o ou, a ie?

Garfield: a o e o ou u i e

Wouldn’t be surprised if a future SRMG strip turns that into a Witch Doctor reference

For some reason, I imagine bear cancer to look weirdly cute, like tardigrades:

Now that’s retro!

Thought it’d be interesting to post some of the Square Root of Minus Garfield comics, which were inspired by garfield minus garfield, but more experimental. Not sure if I’ll keep posting these, but if you like them and think they’d be a good addition, let me know!

The president can’t pardon state crimes, fortunately.

According to Garfield’s Scary Scavenger Hunt, this is what happened to him:

It was an official flash game, so take that as you will for canonicity.

This is one of his newer comics, he started drawing them digitally and that’s why it looks differently:

https://www.thefarside.com/new-stuff

So a few years ago—finally fed up with my once-loyal but now reliably traitorous pen—I decided to try a digital tablet. I knew nothing about these devices but hoped it would just get me through my annual Christmas card ordeal. I got one, fired it up, and lo and behold, something totally unexpected happened: within moments, I was having fun drawing again. I was stunned at all the tools the thing offered, all the creative potential it contained. I simply had no idea how far these things had evolved. Perhaps fittingly, the first thing I drew was a caveman.

From the other site, this is apparently the shooter ranting about people “not knowing what sex they are”:

https://xcancel.com/TropicalVertic1/status/1933959644373819818

There are some claims (of course) that this guy was a Democrat and this is all Walz’ fault, but that’s based on him being on some minor board under Walz or because there were “No Kings” signs in the car, which are nothingburgers, to borrow the term:

Apparently Walz appointing the guy 6 years ago in an effort to toe the line

Not even to “toe the line”. It’s a non partisan board that currently has almost 50 people on it and 11 open spots that anyone who fits that niche can sign up for. It’s pretty much a volunteer position that only requires meeting 4 times a year or so.

It’s not a full time job, it’s not anything that really requires proper vetting outside of ensuring that the person signing up for it has something to do with the workforce (since it’s a workforce commission). There are hundreds if not thousands of collective spots like this across various niche boards and commissions, it would be weird if Walz (and other state governors) did vet this guy (and others on these boards).

It would be like if the superintendent of a large school district individually vetted each school’s PTO participants; just a huge waste of time and they have far bigger, more important priorities.

Yeah, it’s a moth. I’m sure there’s some other small flying insect attracted to lamps that starts with “M”, but The Far Side was written with your average newspaper reader in mind so generally isn’t that obscure

Very similar approach but with modals instead of inline: https://gwern.net/

Some background on this comic:

Transcript (draft):

I work for this scientist… I dig up graves, fetch brains, mop the floor-general stuff… you wanna see the lab?

blah blah blah… and you?