Pull the flipping emergency brake
The captain’s hat. I suspect they may have got this not from the ferry’s captain but from the Captain from Captain and Tennille. The moral of the story being that love… love will keep us together.
These lads needed more keyboards. Plainly five was not enough. Please refer any teenagers who might be interested in this video to today’s comic because this, too, is one for the teenagers.
Just wondering how many people reading this are from countries where “slap” needs explanation… Google may not be very helpful, but if youi ask nicely British people may assist you.
The term is not familiar to me, but from context I’m assuming it means she had a bunch of makeup on for the karaoke, and did not removing it before going to sleep.
(I’m in the U.S., BTW)
did not remove it
I’ve heard it but only because I chat with a Londoner occasionally. And yes, “get your slap on” means “put on makeup”.
Originally theatrical slang, I believe.
Tom Pendennis abides.
“Slap” was fine but “Stugeron” I had to use Google Gemini to figure out.
It’s like a sturgeon, but rated ‘R’.
“Stugeron” came up pretty prominently in some earlier pages.
…and yet, suspecting that this may be its last mention, I left it til now to google if it was a real thing.
And the results? My guess: Stugeron is something Glurp’s feverdream-riddled brain came up with. The similar-sounding Thtugeron that Claire gave to Lottie for her seasickness is the real deal.
With AI summaries these days it really could go either way, though.
Flagrant flouting of the first rule of playing multiple keyboards – ‘Thou Must Wear A Cape’
Not all heroes, or keyboardists, wear capes.
Ah yes the Wakeman Rule
If wearing a cape is an option, you should always wear a cape.
Edna Mode can bite me.
Just as the sword exists only to kill, the cape exists only to look awesome.
I can think of more possible practical uses for a cape than for a necktie.
My young adult offspring has recently started wearing a cape (for fashion purposes as far as I know — if they are fighting crime, they have not told us about it).
Capes are a slippery slope. First it’s all fun and games at hipster coffeehouses, then before you know it you’re filler for the back three pages of a Spider-Man annual.
Am I in the minority in preferring Claire’s tousled look?
Definitely not. Claire has really been rocking the styles lately from tousled hair to leather jackets and even her pajamas now.
She can pull the Roxette style.
Per or Marie?
OK, it looks like Claire has three superpowers: 1. everyone loves her, 2. fire!, and 3. she can turn even the most extreme case of bedhead into perfect hair with only a quick brushing.
I think 1 and 3 are just different aspects of the same trait; to wit, being too cute to fail.
The girls seem happy with themselves, but it’s G&#@* I’m more concerned with
What state did they leave him in?
State? New Mexico, possibly.
Which is hard to do when on a ferry boat.
And yet…
Fun fact: There is a town called Steamboat, Nevada, which has no navigable river and has never been graced by even a single steamboat.
The newspaper in Lubbock, Texas is called the Avalanche Journal, but there isn’t a mountain within 300 miles of the place.
Normally I would expect that morning’s light would reveal the Captain of the ferry to have been mysteriously murdered during the night, leading to Mystery Hi-Jinks, but I suspect that won’t happen this time
Perhaps the girls have bucked Ygln up. But will his bucking stay elevated? We shall see. We shall see…
Somehow those pyjamas really suit the girls.
Really like the vibes this page gives with the early morning at sea setting
Combines both memories of being at hotels/on cruises and the feeling of dawn’s colors and cool temperature
I may have to eat my words. Ay least they’re still fresh
https://badmachinery.com/comic/2026-04-13/#comment-19223
Still only “May”. There’s hope yet.
Very cute little jim-jams little Claire.
And they’re both in a matching set, diamonds and spades (albeit shorts vs trousers). I wonder who got the clubs and hearts ones?
Shauna and Mildred?
Glerm and Dean of course.
Is it just me, or does Claire in panel 3 bear a slight – very slight – resemblance to someone in Doonesbury? Must be the hair.
Actually, judging from what he did with an ARP Odyssey in a live performance video of Muskrat Love, IMO keyboards should better be kept away from the Captain (and vice versa) for the sake of humankind (as well as rodentkind, not to forget synthkind).
But this brings up the question: who would win in a fight between The Captain, a muskrat, and a sentient one-man-band?
Lottie and Claire seems to have changed idea about ferries, they had fun! Now let’s hope the captain is not wandering around searching for that hat.
When you party so hard that you wake up with the captain’s hat in your possession, but not so hard that you didn’t dutifully put on your jim-jams before going beddy-byes
Sadly Love did not keep them together. She failed for divorce in 2014.
“Filed”
Freudian pyjamas!
The Captain from The Captain & Tenille was named “Daryl Dragon” and had to use a stage name because his real name was TOO POWERFUL.
Did Claire find the Captain of her heart? One can can only dream, pop-pickers!
I love the detail in panel 2. I can feel what it would be like to be in that cabin.
So I find that Stugeron is commonly used against seasickness in the UK and several other countries but is not approved in the United States. I find this curious. I’m sure there’s some money passed under the table somewhere. The US we have Dramamine and Bonine as non-prescription witches’ potions.
I think Stugeron’s apparent side-effect of causing wraithlike entities named Cathey to attempt to catch you and bundle you off to New Zealand is probably frowned on in the US.
I had forgotten the early morning music wake up call. Thank you for resurfacing that memory John!
Ooph, the Captain has at least 5 keyboards just for himself. Plus two more for Tenille.
Five?
One for each hand, one for each foot and one for his… er… nose?
All these Captains, and not a word about Captain Jack. Truly my youth is spent.
(And no, I don’t mean Sparrow.)
Still not sure which Captain Jack you were thinking of – the wikipedia disambiguation page indicates there are two songs, two alligators, and two characters on Torchwood bearing the name “Captain Jack”. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I initially thought I was going to find Jack Daniels there, but in retrospect I think I was conflating two alcohol brands.
The Eurodance one-hit wonder, of course!
(Side note: Apparently the version I was familiar with did not persist because Franky Gee died of a stroke in 2005, which makes me sad.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koft_Yschnc
I was thinking of “Tractor Jack” from “The Last Saskatchewan Pirate” by The Arrogant Worms, among others.
At least they didn’t have to spend six months in a leaky boat
Reference for Glenn, who I’m sure is a fan of Split Enz
When he was a young boy he wanted to sail round the world
He was born in Te Awamutu…
I’m singing their lines and “Stugeron!” to the Simpsons Monorail song.
Glem is now the Captain, cursed to sail back and forth to Holland for the rest of his days.
The Ferrying Dutchman, where lost souls wail as they swab decks for eternity in wooden clogs.
Is Glenn a fan of New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson? Some of his fans wear captain-type hats as a tribute to Kane’s ability to “steady the ship.”