Happy Birthday to me! (Seriously, this is my actual birthday [well, tomorrow is--I decided to post this 4 hours early] and we’ve been working on this strip and its ideas for so long that it really is like a gift to finally be able to show it to you.) This is it, this is the one–the end of Chapter 17: Invasion, Part Four – The End of Lies. We’ve been building and building this invasion story for the past almost two years and now you finally know how it ends–with a new beginning!
The Invasion is over. Welcome to the Occupation.
I don’t want to get in the way of any conversation and speculation below, but there’s one thing I want to get out of the way right now so no one has to waste any time wondering: this is not a flash forward. This is a jump ahead. There is no going back. What you saw last Wednesday? That was the last strip of an era and you didn’t even know it. You know what that makes the next chapter of SF? The perfect jumping on point. Tell your friends! They’ll be just as lost as you now!
Oh, and since we’re here now I may as well announce the title of the next chapter. Beginning Wednesday… Chapter 18 – One Year Later. Makes sense, right?
Crazy, GREAT stuff ahead. Spy Gal and Soviet Sam aren’t the only ones with a whole new look. Expect new alliances, new relationships, the return of old villains, and, slowly but surely, the reveal of just what the heck happened during the missing year.
Seriously, tell your friends. It’s a whole new SuperFogeys.
Over the weekend I gave Kurt Sasso over at TGT an early look at today’s strip and did an interview with him for the podcast. We talk a lot about where SuperFogeys has been and where it’s going, why I chose to end the chapter in this way and make this time jump, and how all of this fits into the larger story of SF. That podcast drops tomorrow. I’ll throw up a link to it in the blog, so be sure and check back then if you want to know more about One Year Later!
Whoa. Despite the big reveal, the biggest bombshell is the reconciliation between Jerry and Spy Gal. Now I want to know how that happened.
Congrats on being the first commenter! There’s no prize for that, but it feels like a big deal for a strip this important.
As for Jerry and Spy Gal… we’ll get there.
What!? (Head explodes) Jerry? My precious Las Vegas!!!!
Jesse, we’re so insensitive. I should have thought of you before embarking on this direction.
Brock, I don’t post often at all but I read each strip every week and I have to say, Superfogeys is approaching (I think it may have already surpassed) the epic storytelling of LOST. To me, that is saying a whole lot. I am blown away.
Jon, I can’t even process a compliment that high. LOST is one of the greatest examples of longform storytelling and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m hugely influenced by you. And that coming from you? Well, that’s a big deal. I hope we make good on your expectations with the coming strips.
Whoa…just…whoa.
Well said, Keanu.
OK, I’ve got to find out how this happened.
You will, just don’t kill us when it’s not all at once!
Wow, this is just mind blowing. Of all the options possible I was not expecting it at all!
That’s the way we like it!
This is why you’re the best. <3
Marc is at least 60% of that equation. I could not bring it across the way he does.
Just… wow. After everything, I never expected Jerry and Spy Gal could have a hope of making up… And an occupation to boot? The story has really grown in depth over the past few years/chapters, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Thanks, Tom! That’s really what we’re hoping for with this shift in the story–that people are just excited to see where we’re going with this. I keep waiting for someone to say “no, I don’t like this direction” (which would be a perfectly reasonable reaction), but that hasn’t happened yet.
Ha! Exactly as I predicted!
(I’m not fooling anyone, am I?)
Sorry, Michael, no.
Sweet, happy birthday man.
So that was what the line “we need to hold California” meant. At the time I was confused because that implied that the theoretical next 40 strips and the subsequent big battle would somehow need good old Cali’s excellent video game, movie and tech sector. This time skip perfectly justifies that quote.
And check it out, they kept California and parts of Nevada out of The United States of Zurida.
Thanks, Bob!
Good memory! That line was in a fact a hint towards this direction. But, as a point of clarification, Nevada is very much in the United States of Zurida. That’s why Soviet Sam is worried about the Reactors patrolling in the area–they’re in enemy territory.
That is an epic way to end a chapter, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a full and happy reconciliation between Spy Gal and Jerry. Its entirely possible Spy Gal is using Jerry’s fragile sanity to her advantage….
That’s one possible take, for sure. Nothing in the strip, on the face of it, rules that out. But neither is the converse–that they’re genuinely reconciled–impossible.
Happy birthday to you and I must say you left a shocking scene changing the game of this comic once more.
Only a miracle can save the day now.
A miracle, you say? Hmm…
Thanks for the birthday wishes!
Sam has a new hat.
Somebody noticed!
I actually talk about Sam’s new hat in the podcast posting tomorrow.
Am I the first to notice “Get all the sauces” on the McDonald’s? Love it!
Crazy twist. I feel like the message is code, though.
You are indeed the first to notice! Marc actually had to point it out to me–I didn’t see it at first (and it definitely wasn’t in the script)!
Happy birthday, Brock! Now to quote Liz Lemon, “What the what?!” You were right when you said we’d never guess how this chapter would start. Poor Sam got a new hat but lost an eye, and I’m sure there’s a story there. Also, Las Vegas, sure doesn’t have very much luck in this strip. Hopefully Bingo Knight, Duchess of Keno and Plinko made it out before it was decimated. I’m think JosiahB may be right about Spy Gal may be using Jerry. She turned away from Sam to dictate the message and her expression looks rather guilty. I’d guess because she’s using Jerry rather than over actually loving him. It makes sense. In a war with an occupying alien force his ability to open doors would come in quite handy. I”m also curious as to what Zurida’s Reactors are. This was so unexpected I can’t actually come up with my usual crazy speculation. As such, I reserve the right to engage in extra (both in volume and degree) crazy speculation at a later date.
Thanks, Andrew!
Definitely a story behind Sam’s eye–it’s not just for decoration. The fact that we were able to render YOU speculation-speechless with this strip… well, we really accomplished something there, didn’t we?
Happy BDay Brock!. So many questions! USZ stands for United States of Zurida? Why the patch for Sam? just a fashion statement on how rebel they are? I would like to suppose that with this set up Spygirl has not a lot of options in choosing her allies so she decided to keep Jerry due his valuable assets? Which makes me want to see the new Jerry’s costume… don’t know why but I am visualising him using his Third Man’s hat. Great work as always!
Thanks, Champy!
Yes, USZ does stand for United States of Zurida. Sam’s eyepatch is NOT a fashion statement–he really lost an eye and won’t be taking the patch off anytime soon. You’ll see Jerry soon enough–the first half of the next chapter, I think.
More to come!
Happy Birthday Brock!
And I’m with Jon Conkling, this is epic story telling, I am so excited to see what happens next. My vote is with the other commenters that Vanessa is using Jerry. When Soviet Sam relayed the message “He sends his love.” he looked embarrassed and his eyes moved down and away from Vanessa refusing to make eye contact. Vanessa’s body language in her reply too.
I must say I love Soviet Sam’s new look. On the positive side of this occupation, we see humans are still around so the Guthrie is still offline, right?
Thanks, Romi!
I love that you’re able to read that much into Sam and Vanessa’s body language. We intentionally tried to frame it so that you could read it either way. You’ve got your way, but someone else could think (and judging by the comments here, some do) that Spy Gal is being genuine.
The status of the Guthrie should be fairly obvious soon.
My thoughts:
Spy Gal is clearly playing Jerry, but now that she’s telling him she loves him, he’s too tuned out of normal human interaction to see it. Zurida negotiated some sort of truce/treaty with humanity so that there is a border between her kingdom and the rest of the world.
Truly the greatest loss is Soviet Sam’s hat.
I thought everybody hated his old, ratty hat!
Dear me. And I thought the previous ‘toon was an instant classic. This is Planet of the Apes epic reveal sort of stuff.
The dialogue is spot-on; revealing, teasing and involving.
And the Art? Marc, I have no hesitation in using the capital to describe it.
Seriously, this should bring in the fans by the bucket load.
High praise, Spike! I hope we live up to it… and, I hope you’re right. I feel like this is a great jumping on point. Best we’ve had since day one.
I wonder how much world Zurida is controlling? I mean, apparently not California, but why send Jerry to the Netherlands? Is she in Europe too? I really look forward to finding out more about this whole setting
No, Zurida does not have California. More than that I’ll leave for reveals. You’ll see what Jerry is doing in the Netherlands soon. Much, much more coming! Some answers, probably lots more questions.
uuh…. nice new outfit there Sam…. *blinks*
Um… does someone have the hots for Sam?
Three letters.
W T F
Oh man.
Zurida conquers Earth (no real surprise there).
Jerry is back on the side of good(surprise, if his motives are truly what he claims they are).
Spy Gal has reconciled with him(big surprise).
Soviet Sam lost an eye (and his traditional colors)(not a big surprise).
This is … whoah. I look forward to seeing the new designs on everyone and how they survived the past year. Not to mention what’s happened to Earth and the human population as a whole.
Love the reaction.
Shaking up the designs is one of my favorite parts of all this. We’ll be revealing some of the work we’ve been doing to that effect soon. (Actually, if you follow SuperFogeys on Facebook, you’ve already seen some of it.)
Also, Sam is clearly Spy Gal’s lieutenant. The transformation from Sad Sack Sam to Hero is complete….along with bad arse eye patch.
Bear paw? Clovis the bear????
Eh… not exactly. But that would be wild, wouldn’t it?
…..head exploded….WHAT!!!
Okay love the new looks but seriously what the heck?
I am more hooked than ever, you must explain what happened.
“more hooked than ever” That’s what we like!
…okay I just saw your McDonald’s get all the sauces advertisement. LOVE SO MUCH!
I plan on doing the challenge this week and see what happens.
That was all Marc. Can’t wait to see how it goes!
I was quietly hoping Jerry would be redeemed somehow. Money Man didn’t quite seem to see him as an enemy. Maybe a victim. The gap-filling to come should be interesting.
Especially on that front.
Did I count five toes on that paw? With everyone else at 4 I was wondering if that means anything
Let’s say animals are an exception to whatever rule is at play with the five vs. four digits thing.
Oh well, it was worth a shot