The above title is a dedication and not in any way a derogitory reference to this wonderful webcomic.

We all know the Captain is, and wants to stay, a loner. That's part of his appeal, but you have wisely created in the form of these recurring fowls, a set of supporting cast characters.

I was wondering if they have names, and if so what are they? I mean, it would be nice if we could refer to them as Stan and Jack or Arthur and Jules, instead of those two birds.

Why the interest? I'll tell you.

This is obviously a personal strip. Most of the commentary made in it seems to be coming from life experiences. I believe Mr. Szeles even said so in the cartoon brew interview about dummcomics.comm. If the Captain were surrounded by a zany cast of hundreds he'd get lost in the crowd and the strip would lose the simple integrity that is it's biggest appeal (At least for me).

I previously called the seagulls supporting cast members. That's an inaccurate description of their true function. In the Muppet Show, Fozzy was a supporting cast member, as was Ms. Piggy and Gonzo and so on, but Statler and Walford (the two old guys in the balcony for those not in the know) were commentators. They were outside the action, and added to it with thier quips, puns, and observations.

As Statler and Walford were so are these Seagulls twain. Their commentary is a welcome and fresh aspect of this strip. It provides a removed opinion of the Captain's lifestyle, and adds a bit of depth to the overall content.

These seagulls are unique and interesting characters who serve as a wonderful plot device. Too much development on their part would probably hurt the strip, but it would still be nice to know what to call them.

That Aside,

Good strip. Was the bottle an indirect way of saying that the Captain was sleeping off a hangover?

The bird's point of view is interesting considering that the, um, the one who got hit by the bottle (See how much easier this would be if he had a name) projects an innocent and fantastic idea onto a mundane situation. It's almost childlike in nature.

Actually, I can read all kinds of stuff into this week's strip (I'm actually being serious here)

I don't know (in fact I doubt) if this was the intention of the artist, but if the bottle was a way of showing the Captain was recovering from a hangover, then the event of the child-like bird being struck by his bottle could be interpretted as a parable of child abuse in an alcoholic's home. The child-like bird's sarcastic comrade could also serve as an example of a family member who would rather make excuses than deal with the present problem.

This leaves a lot to think over. Good job.

It draws my attention the way some readers dig really deep and reach so many conclusions after reading a four-panel comic strip. I am not against that, Mark Morgan Jr., it just draws my attention, that´s all. Sometimes I think it is kind of futile, but, well, I do it sometimes too. Maybe we are forgetting that it is only a comic. After all, didn´t Hitchcock say "It´s only a movie"?
Anyway, the point is: great work, Sean.

Didn't Miss Piggy say, "Never eat more than you can lift"?

That's the best one yet.
I agree with the previous comment, these seagulls are great supporting characters.

Does anyone else imagine the birds having annoying screechy voices?

I wonder... is the Captain a peskatarian, eating only fish? Or will he go for a nice tasty bird now and then? Not that I want the seagulls gone, mind you; rather, I fear for their lives.

Freud said "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." That said, I learned a long time ago that people will find meaning in one's work that was never intended, and there's nothing wrong with that. If it speaks to them in a different way, it just means they've connected with it, and isn't that the point of doing something like this anyway?

Psychology aside, very funny strip this week!

+S
never cease to make me laugh

Wow! It's great to see such a detailed dissection of my strip. I'm glad you like the seagulls Mark. They indeed are there to comment on the happenings of the Captain, and yes, they don't have names yet. I think their names will come up more naturally in the strip sometime in the future though. I'm honored that you would even compare them to Statler and Waldorf! As far as the meaning, I was not really attepmting to make a statement on child abuse in an alcoholic's home, but perhaps it was just in my subconcious.

I'm glad some people can look at the strip and appreciate the funny drawings, and other people can read more deeply into the different meanings. If anyone ever wants to dissect further, I invite you to start up a thread on the forum!

Tillie- Do not fret, I don't think the Captain will try to eat the birds anytime soon.

Thanks everyone!!!

I am amazed that Mark Morgan Jr managed to type out ALL THAT and still get first.

He must come from the future.