We saw A piece of paper with the name “Erin” written on it. Do we really know it was the same paper Jack was writing on? Could Shelley have made a substitution while Jack was unconscious, to make him feel better?
Given there’s a piece of paper in her front pocket that wasn’t there a few pages prior when he “wrote” it, I’d say you’re onto something. Not sure if this is html or bbcode, so I’m just gonna paste the raw url: https://badmachinery.com/comic/2024-09-11/
Did the page always say Fenfen Bartleby, but Jack thought he was able to write “Erin” (and Shelley was humoring him), or did it actually change? (Shelley was looking at the page with a rather worried expression when she tells him it says “Erin”, so… the idea that she told him he got it right to keep him from hurting himself further is entirely plausible…)
I’m assuming she wrote “Erin” on a fresh page while he was unconscious, and then hid the real one because she felt sorry for him. The one that said “Erin” didn’t have any blood stains on it. (I just went back and checked)
This story is more and more interesting. Shelley looks scared, that’s rare and not a Good sign. But she was able to calm Jack and make him smile. She’s amazing.
To go from comforting to playfully suggestive to deeply concerned in the course of four panels is definitely amazing. Shelley is just an all around arresting character.
It’s a very seductive pose in panel 5 designed to stop Jack from seeing Shelley’s anxiety about the situation so I think the page always had Erin’s true name “Fen Fen Bartleby” on it, but Shelley knows that Jack is not the problem.
“The future’s for another day”, she said, which is very telling!
Or I just haven’t slept enough and I’m hallucinating…
Now I’m imagining an alternate version where the paper says “Your sister’s name is MORDAWA” which would seem just a nonsensical as “FEN FEN BARTLEBY” to Shelly (and also to Jack, if she were to let him see it).
This is a great twist, and I’m unhappy about the rapidly approaching conclusion page. Though I guess ‘SOLVER: WOBBLY HEAD’ *could* refer to the mystery face speaking to Jack in his sleep. A different sort of twist.
Since John introduced this story as a pilot for a possible new series (more or less), I wasn’t expecting the situation to be resolved at the end. Hopefully, we’ll get more at some point.
So many cliffhangers; Will Jack make it back to the 2010s-2020s? Is the space-time displacement slowly tearing him apart? Will Shelley get a fringe? The suspense is too much!!
Fen-fen and Bartleby are both terms Jack’s used elsewhere in this story, while trying to say things he couldn’t say. Is that significant? Hopefully, we’ll find out.
I’m actually wedded to that interpretation (it was a lovely ceremony, small and tasteful). The double-reverse twist is that he really WANTED to write “Erin”, but the Blockage even affects the written word.
Oh my gosh this story is so good. I really hope you write more! These characters are great, especially the various roommates. I need to find out what’s going on.
Sometime before Destroy History, Shelley and Amy almost, well, destroyed history using Tim’s Time Teapot. That was also sometime after the events of this story. This story takes place before any of John’s stories that were supposed to take place in the “present” of the time they were written.
I would prefer not to believe that “Bartleby” is an allusion on the situation Herman Melville´s character was in … but as the word is surfacing for a second time …
Shelley has a sister she doesn’t know about??
When we last saw this sheet of paper it clearly said Erin, and Shelley knows that.
We saw A piece of paper with the name “Erin” written on it. Do we really know it was the same paper Jack was writing on? Could Shelley have made a substitution while Jack was unconscious, to make him feel better?
Given there’s a piece of paper in her front pocket that wasn’t there a few pages prior when he “wrote” it, I’d say you’re onto something. Not sure if this is html or bbcode, so I’m just gonna paste the raw url: https://badmachinery.com/comic/2024-09-11/
Haha called it
That’s been bugging me ever since I read the patreon preview weeks ago, and I’ve had to stay quiet. Curse you John, what shenanigans are you up to!?
Did the page always say Fenfen Bartleby, but Jack thought he was able to write “Erin” (and Shelley was humoring him), or did it actually change? (Shelley was looking at the page with a rather worried expression when she tells him it says “Erin”, so… the idea that she told him he got it right to keep him from hurting himself further is entirely plausible…)
Seconding this comment. I was wondering that myself.
I’m assuming she wrote “Erin” on a fresh page while he was unconscious, and then hid the real one because she felt sorry for him. The one that said “Erin” didn’t have any blood stains on it. (I just went back and checked)
That’s what I was thinking, as well.
This prospect is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.
Ah, right, good point.
I read it as the first of those
This story is more and more interesting. Shelley looks scared, that’s rare and not a Good sign. But she was able to calm Jack and make him smile. She’s amazing.
To go from comforting to playfully suggestive to deeply concerned in the course of four panels is definitely amazing. Shelley is just an all around arresting character.
It’s a very seductive pose in panel 5 designed to stop Jack from seeing Shelley’s anxiety about the situation so I think the page always had Erin’s true name “Fen Fen Bartleby” on it, but Shelley knows that Jack is not the problem.
“The future’s for another day”, she said, which is very telling!
Or I just haven’t slept enough and I’m hallucinating…
Now I’m imagining an alternate version where the paper says “Your sister’s name is MORDAWA” which would seem just a nonsensical as “FEN FEN BARTLEBY” to Shelly (and also to Jack, if she were to let him see it).
“Expecting to Fly” established that Shelley was familiar with the name “Mordawwa” (as a comic-book character) at some point prior to this.
This is a great twist, and I’m unhappy about the rapidly approaching conclusion page. Though I guess ‘SOLVER: WOBBLY HEAD’ *could* refer to the mystery face speaking to Jack in his sleep. A different sort of twist.
Since John introduced this story as a pilot for a possible new series (more or less), I wasn’t expecting the situation to be resolved at the end. Hopefully, we’ll get more at some point.
So many cliffhangers; Will Jack make it back to the 2010s-2020s? Is the space-time displacement slowly tearing him apart? Will Shelley get a fringe? The suspense is too much!!
oh no. poor jack
Shelley, you shouldn’t do racey poses, you’ll only confuse the poor lad further
His delicate sensibilities, Shelley
Fen-fen and Bartleby are both terms Jack’s used elsewhere in this story, while trying to say things he couldn’t say. Is that significant? Hopefully, we’ll find out.
Prince William is fated to marry Fengus Bartleby Ben-Bop, according to Jack.
I’m actually wedded to that interpretation (it was a lovely ceremony, small and tasteful). The double-reverse twist is that he really WANTED to write “Erin”, but the Blockage even affects the written word.
I suggest this with great trepidation; might Jack’s dilemma be something for Tim Jones to solve?
NO
Pretty sure that Tim’s involvement only ever makes things worse.
Oh my gosh this story is so good. I really hope you write more! These characters are great, especially the various roommates. I need to find out what’s going on.
I also want to find out if Stella will ever be fully satisfied with one on her stews.
Della.
Della I meant. Thanks.
Wasnt there a series where shelly breaks time? Is that before or after this?
Destroy History when she worked for the Ministry Of Time, which is well after the events in this story.
Sometime before Destroy History, Shelley and Amy almost, well, destroyed history using Tim’s Time Teapot. That was also sometime after the events of this story. This story takes place before any of John’s stories that were supposed to take place in the “present” of the time they were written.
Technically, both before and after.
Is that a fish man that I spy in panel 3?
So, I guess before we met him, Des used to hide behind furniture spying on students.
I would prefer not to believe that “Bartleby” is an allusion on the situation Herman Melville´s character was in … but as the word is surfacing for a second time …