This week's panel suggested by Pathat!



Happy Labor Day!

I'm back from my triple-threat August trips. Next stop SPX!

As always, suggestions are listed in the order they were received. Thanks for playing and please join us again next Sunday!

--Scott
Sunday 09/03/2000



emy tenNenzen

    the little form won't work for me!
    what! do you have a problem with THOR??!!
    juz kidding.

  • dad's on the floor with his hans covering his ears: oi! moxy fruvous!carl: moxy fruvous? cool! moxy fruvous in the backround: budgie dawg!
  • they all realize they've been falling thru the air
  • dad bite's carl's neck, not knowing it's an inflatable latex carl (TM).
  • carl is actually in a tv screen, saying "tune in next week..."
  • dad lies dying on the floor and before he dies, he passes on from father to son the...
  • dad unzipps his outer skin... he's really murray: bass singer of fruvous and murray thinks "ow! why'd ya hafta go and do that?"
  • but really, the unzipp the outer skin thing is good for one panel. the murray thing may take a few panels. if you could find a way to smwosh it all into one panel, that would be fan foogoo tastic!

    i like your hard-to-spot moxy fruvous cameo in R.C.! it just makes you... so much cooler


Noah

  • Carl should pass out while saying: "YOUR BREATH... IT'S.. HORRIBLE...!"
  • Carl asks: "Where's mom? She was here a second ago."
  • Carl asks: "Is this the end of Carl?"
  • Carl looks in the direction of the R.I.P. panel and says: "Is that ANOTHER grave?", or "Not AGAIN!" or "zzzzi see another death scene coming."
  • You, Scott McCloud, pop out of nowhere and and start plugging Reinventing Comics. YOU end up being the one in upcoming grave panel.
  • For no reason, show the Car Crash panel.
  • A nuclear bomb goes off.

    If you don't remember me, I'm the twisted freak who suggested that Carl's mom be rean over.


[Aww, we remember you, Noah! --Scott]


Shane Semler

  • A wolf pops out of Carl's dad's mouth like in the movie The Company of Wolves.


Ada Kerman

  • Dad lunges for Carl: "I'm taking you with me!" (since Dad is fatally wounded by the holy water).


baltazar cardenas

    hi how are ya?

  • i'll never drink again.

    yeah... sure.


Benjamin Cirillo

    Well, Wizard World was fun: where else can you meet Judd Winnick, Mark Waid AND Lou Ferigno? And if that weren't enough, and it is, but if it weren't, it's only about a half hour from where I live!

  • Carl: "Help! I'm caught between my homicidal mother and my monster father! Furthermore, the appointment of ultra-conservative Joe Lieberman to be Gore's running mate makes it virtually impossible for true liberals to select a freedom of speech friendly ticket, epecially in light of Pat Buchanan's systematic dismantling of the Reform party. The entire race endangers the democratic process, and all artists and free thinkers everywhere should fear for their safety!" Use small font...
  • Carl: (crying) "You guys are getting a divorce, aren't you!"
  • Carl: It's a good thing I have all of these leftover stampeding Ibex
  • Bert: "Oh, medium rare, salt, pepper, worchestershire sauce but not too much, thinly sliced with a potato and broccoli on the side"
  • Carl: "ELVIS!!!???"
  • Carl: "Huh?? I'm in my underwear!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"
  • Carl: "Pickles, the happy clown??" See, now it's a true horror story
  • Carl: "Gorilla Grodd???"
  • Carl: "There must be a logical explanation for all of this"
  • (Variation) Carl: "There must be a logical explanation for all of this" Carl is wearing a clown hat and a tu-tu, Mom is now carrying a halibut and Dad is Ike Turner.

    I was thinking of Reinventing Comics and the diversity topics mentioned therein... Check out Aaron McGruder's "The Boondocks" in your local newspaper. While it's not technically a comic *book*, it is comics, and it reflects what a well done, thoughtful, enjoyable, non-superhero comic not done by a white man looks like. If this sort of thing started to appear in long form, i.e. comic books, we might be on our way toward reinventing comics for real.


Bill Fleet

    Well, it seems like a lot has to happen in just one frame here, if we are to end up with either Carl dead, or another ongoing situation. Well, here goes:

  • Carl: Quick! I'll ignite this garlic bomb! (Bomb looks like giant head of garlic with lit fuse)
  • Carl: Quick! I'll ignite this garlic bomb! (Bomb looks like giant head of garlic with lit fuse) Mom: (still brandishing stake) You idiot! Don't throw things in my house! Dad: Rargh!
  • Carl: Quick! I'll ignite this garlic bomb! (Bomb looks like giant head of garlic with lit fuse) Mom: (still brandishing stake) Take that outside at once! Dad: Rargh!
  • Carl: Quick! I'll ignite this garlic bomb! (Bomb looks like giant head of garlic with lit fuse) Mom: (still brandishing stake) My new carpet! Dad: Rargh!
  • Carl: (suddenly swiveling away from advancing Dad) Wait! Is that the Ice Cream Truck? Mom: (with stake, to both Carl and Dad) You eat that outside! Dad: Rargh!
  • Carl: Good thing I'm immune to Lycanthropes! Mom: (still brandishing stake) Your father's not a lycanthrope! Dad: Rargh!


Brian

  • Carl's father begins to bubble, melt into a froth.

    I suppose Carl should melt as well, as the froth spreads to him.


Cory Brown

  • Bert explodes in a burst of bones and unholy vampiric flame...either simultaneously scorching Carl and leading to his untimely(?) demise in the panel to the right, or something else altogether in the panel down below...


Cymon

  • I love that face carl makes when he screams "Ohmygod! DAD?!" and "MOM??" So, why not get a theme going? Chainsaw wielding psycho: "Great family reunion, huh Carl?" Carl: "GRANDMA?!?" Or, alternatively: "COUSIN NED?!" "GREAT-UNCLE FERGUS?!" You get the idea. You could keep this going in later panels with a whole series of evil kinsfolk howling for Carl's blood!


Damian Cugley

    Another panel where C. either dies or doesn't. Hm.

  • Carl's mother brandishes the stake at Dad, who has expired on the floor. Mom: 'He's not your father!' Carl (clutches heart): 'Say it's not true!! Argh!'
  • Carl: 'This can't be happening. I must already be dead and in hell.'
  • Carl's Mother brandishing the stake at him. Dad on the floor expiring (indicated by a skull speach balloon as used in the other successor to this panel's predecessor). Daisy running in from the distance. Daisy: 'Am I too late to save Carl?'
  • Carl bending over his expiring papa to hear his last words. Mom running up behind Carl brandishing her stake. Dad: 'Carl... beware... *' Carl: 'He's DEAD!'
  • A version in which Mama isn't out for Carl's blood. Papa expiring on floor as before. Mama comforting the distraught Carl. Mum: 'Are you OK, dear?.' Carl: 'The shock! My heart!'
  • Carl and Mum looking down at a open trapdoor at his feet. Carl: 'He escaped!' Mum: 'You won't!'
  • Dad laying in to Carl and Mum with a giant sword or axe or something. Dad: 'Argh! My sword will bite deep!'
  • Carl: 'Look out Mom! He's holding a thermal detonator!'
  • Carl's parents fighting in the background, Dad reduced to a rotting-zomblie-like state by the holy water. Carl looking at the label of the bottle he had a little while back. Carl: 'This contaminated beer is giving me hallucinations.'
  • Carl taps his ordinary-looking cane on the ground and with a flash of thunder and lightning becomes the mighty Thor.

    I've bene trying to come up with nifty ways to put comics on the web. The Zot! on-line pages are inspirational and daunting at the same time... :-)


Dan Pollard

    WooHoo! my first internationally published comics work :) (Although in retrospect it doesnt tie in too well with the thread from above.) On to the business at hand...

  • CARL'S DAD, dieing an old fashoined horrible, flaming vampire death (None of that Buffyesque `Dusting` for us.) grabs hold of CARL, CARL'S DAD: If I die, I'm taking you with me!!!! (At least four exclaimation points with optional Mmwah Ha Haaaah.)

    Ok, so you didn't go with this suggestion last time, but i have a history as a writer now ;)


Ethan Gilchrist

    Carl rocks! Great idea!

  • Shot of mom gloating over Bert's dead body followed by a panel in which we see Bert get up and find out not only is he a vampire, he's also an alien so consequently Mom missed his heart.
  • Carl decides he can't handle the insanity of his situation and downs a bottle of jack laced with arsenic.
  • Or Carl wakes up to find himself actually a kid still with his parents and looking at his father and mother very differently
  • Or his mom is actually an alien working with the illuminati vampire cult to wipe out rogue members of the secret world order.

    Uh... after that last suggestion I think I should stop before I say too much. I loved both books BTW.


Glen Seymour

  • Exact panel as one up and to the right (hey, it worked before).
  • Carl's dad yells "Die!" and lunges at Carl, Mom is in background.
  • Enter: Daisy with a machine gun.

    Question: If a full print out poster of CYOC appeared on e-bay would you complain, or would you sigh in relief that we'd solved your copyright problem?


[Sigh in response...then claim no knowledge! --Scott]


john rosbolt

    ok, um, first suggestion ever, so dont laugh (well, laughing's alright, just no pointing and laughing...ok, i guess that would be fine too, just..aw screw it, say whatever you like damn judgemental bastards :))

  • I think you need to go for the excessive gore panel here. your typical vampire corpse explosion resulting in Carl choking on some high projectile body part ( i'm thinking either a limb or a vital organ). This results in a nice tidy death for the next panel but is possible to come back from for the many panels below it.

    tada! ok,i gotta go,bye


Jonathan Wiener

  • Carl is crucified on a cross. Carl: "Dad, why did you leave me alone?"


Justin Calhoun

    Understanding Comics was great, Still reading Reinventing, though...

  • How 'bout Carl's dad sneazes? He kinda looks like he's gonna sneeze...


Justin Calhoun

  • Err, what I meant was, Carl's dad sneezes, and gives Carl the Hong Kong Flu. Then he can get sick or die. (Actually, I'll be honest, I didn't see the RIP panel last time :P)


Kenneth Hister

    I just read re-inventing comics, and it was every bit as inspiring (even to a frustrated musician as myself) as Understanding Comics. Brains and idealism are rare these days.

  • I think Carla should rescue him again, but this time by digging up from the ground, perhaps saying something like, "We'll have to go under! Scott's getting too mainstream!"


Lee K. Seitz

    Some comments on your comments from last week: Okay, so you forgot small table that allowed quick navigation between sections of CYOC. Could you add it? A suggestion for making CYOC more complicated: the complete text of each panel must form a palindrome written in iambic pentameter. 8) Seriously, I like the suggestion that *we* decide where the next panel should go. Regarding a Carl poster. It's a shame you didn't put some legalese on the submission form stating all submissions become the property of Scott McCloud, etc. I guess it would be too much work to contact all the "winners" to get their permission, even if you did have valid e-mail addresses for all of them. I would gladly give up my rights to have a Carl poster published with my name in teeny, tiny print at the bottom with everyone else's. Otherwise, I guess I'll just have to make my own by taping sheets of paper together. Oh, yeah, suggestions....

  • Bert uses his fading strength to lunge and bite Carl.
  • We see Daisy between Carl's mom and dad, both starting to slump, having plunged a wooden stake into Dad's back and Mom's chest. (She is Daisy the vampire slayer! ;) In her hands is a third stake. "This one's for you, Carl."
  • Similar to "You're next, son!" panel, but mom says, "Your father broke his promise, too."
  • Same as the "You're next, son!" panel, except viewed through a sniper's gun scope.


Leontin

  • Dad bites Carl's head.


Markus Gerwinski

  • The obvious one first: In pain, Bert transforms in the last shape that could save him: GODZILLA!
  • Bert falls over, before Ethel reached him. By accident, her stake now aims at Carl's heart.
  • In a fountain of fire, Satan comes out of the floor to get Bert's soul. By accident, the fire burns Carl. (Oops, is this an "I've burst into flame" suggestion?)
  • Carl: "Dad! Are you okay!?" He grasps Bert's shoulders. Bert's smoking vampire claws are going to his throat.
  • After the fight, Bert and Ethel are lying on the floor, Bert with the stake in his heart, Ethel's throat between Bert's claws. Carl is kneeling besides them, hands on his face, crying, a thought balloon with a noose above his head.
  • The herd of stampeding ibex, but now in the other direction.


Mia Descandion

    Well, controversy over my ibex! FIrst of all, the plural of ibex is "ibex". I only used the suggestion because I introduced scott to my ibex stuffed animal, Becky (it was QUITE the exciting meeting). ANd why an Ibex? Well, a while ago during spanish class I was told to find the spanish names of any ten animals. I picked ibex, and found out the spanish term for ibex is "ibice". Now, my teacher became convinced that the Ibex was not a real creature, and I had to go through an extensive ordeal, which included me bringing in the biggest dictionary I could find to prove to my teacher that yes, an ibex is real. And then my mom won becky in one of those claw machines and here I am, obsessed with the Ibex. And yes, they stampede. They are herbivores. Anyone else want to know more?

  • [SUGGESTIONS WITHELD BY REQUEST! -- see below]

    Scott, is it still ok for people who get picked to put up their url? I won't do it until I know whether it's ok or not, because I said so and MAN it's late and I'm tired and Becky is sitting on the computer. On my website I have pictures of becky with artists from comic con. And IS the pepsi challenge rigged?


[Yes, the Pepsi Challenge is ri-- Wait, that was rhetorical...]

[I'm sure everybody would be happy to see the url (I'm not really that picky anymore about links) --Scott]


Mia Descandion

    OOOOOOOOOOOOPS! The suggestions I suggested were for the WRONG PANEL. Scott, disavow any knowledge of them (but if you can keep the comments I made because I don't feel like typing them out again!) Man is my face RED! I am SOOO sorry! Now, here's for some actual suggestions!

  • Most obvious suggestion: Mom drives stake into the heart of Bert, killing him.
  • Mom trips, accidently stabbing herself in the heart with the stake. Bert laughs ("Bwahahaha" would be approrpriate)
  • Mom stops mid-thrust and says "Hey, is the Pepsi Challenge truly rigged?" Bert and Carl ponder this.
  • Mom: Carl, you killed Bert! Congratulations!
  • Enter: Lightning Bolt
  • Tony Hawk (the famous skateboarding guy)or Brian Deegan (the famous freestyle Motocross guy [who my grandmother happens to insure at her family insurance business. I swear to GOD! He has a houseboat, too!]), skateboard/ride in, having missed the offramp for the X-games in San Fransisco, and inadvertenly slay Bert.

    Again, I am SOOO sorry! That is the LAST time I do that, I promise.


Michael Avolio

    I hope I can come up with some stuff, but for now this's all I've got...

  • The Neil Gaiman panel from Section One ("I can't cope with the guilt! I'm going to kill myself!")

    More to come(?)


Michael Rubinstein

  • The other Carl jumps between Carl1 and his dad, shouting "I'm the one you want!" or "Take me instead!" or "Run for it, Carl!", while Carl1 is in foreground profile left, exact same pose as before, shouting "OH MY GOD, CARL?!" or "OH MY GOD, ME?!" (or you can skip the OH MY GOD part for space)
  • Daisy jumps between Carl and his dad and... (see above)
  • Carl's dad Bert screams "I HATE THAT BRAND OF BEER!!"
  • Carl's mom is now torn between Carl and Bert. "Hmm, now which one do I stab in the heart?"
  • Bert shrivels away thanks to the holy water, Carl looking on, saying "WHEW!", but failing to notice his mom still advancing with the stake...
  • Carl's mom and dad both dissolve... into laughter! Of course, it was all a prank they were playing on Carl, to scare him sober! (he's dead in the panel to the right of this because it worked too well -- they scared him to death!)
  • Carl rolls the dice (gambling style or D & D style).


mike

  • Balloon "Pass the Ketchup"

    or whatever condiment - A-1 steak sauce, mustard, mayo, etc.


Mike Yi

  • Have Bert lunge at Carl's neck with his dying breath, saying "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!" Carl should be screaming.

    I think that suggestion would provide a good setup for the rest of this comic. I have a feeling that this comic's going to be hard to finish... the story is getting too wierd to introduce the "promise me..." frame into the story!


Morgan Doninger

    Two ideas

  • Symmetrical: Repeat the panel from the up right.
  • Ominous: Mom approches Carl with stake. Mom: "Like father, like son..." Carl: "Mom!"

    Pronk


Mr. ?

    hrm..

  • Bert melts more, but then Carl notices that he is melting too! Carl: OH MY GOD! ME!! Carl's mom looks all evil in the background.
  • Carl's Mom: Now you know our family's curse, Carl. Now you know what happens if we drink and drive! Carl is frowning and remembering to the time he drank and drove.
  • Carl: My.. my dad was a vampire? Ethyl and Daisy, now sporting some killer fangs: Not just your dad, Carl!
  • Carl: Qdratrixbllphhtnoo! (He has lost all trace of sanity at this point)
  • Men in white coats leading straight-jacketed Carl into the asylum truck.
  • Carl looks up and sees.... Carl: OH MY GOD! IBEX?!
  • The obligatory TV analogy caption: Carl is decked out in heavy duty Vampire Hunting Gear(tm). Carl: I wonder if the world is ready for 'Carl, Vampire Slayer'?
  • same as above except.. Carl: Look out world, here comes 'Carl, Vampire Slayer'!

    I kinda like the 'Carl, Vampire Slayer' panel coming right before the tombstone.


Pathat

    After Carl's Dad is killed...

  • Show the gravestone engraver making a typographical error, spelling "carl" instead of "bert."


Paul Richmond

  • Carl is paralyzed as dad drinks his blood. In the background mom holds a stake, "Get your hands off my son, Bert!"

    This will lead to a new Carl, vampiric Carl...


PJM

    This one's interesting...

  • OK, I know this is nicked of a previous panel but it fits... MOM: "You're next, Carl!"
  • Carl looks to the reader... "Well I guess that's the last we'll see of him..." But Dad stirs in the background...
  • CARL: "Yay! No more vampirism round here!" Mom reveals fangs and sniggers...
  • MOM: "Quick let's bury him... hmmmm, can't seem to find a grave... ah, this one will do..."
  • DAD: "OK! NOW I'M MAD!"
  • CARL: "Well well, a stake, now there's a RARE sight!" MOM: "You'll die for that pun, Carl!!!!!"
  • CARL: "I'm saved! Just as long as a herd of stampeding Ibex don't get me..."

    Carl! He da man!


Richard Holliday

    Just finished "Understanding Comics."

  • Dad (As melting): Just promise me one thing son! Carl: Anything! Dad: Promise me you won't drink and drive, Carl!

    So it's slightly cheezy, slightly recursive, and slightly idealistic, but isn't this whole comic?


Rusty Priske

    THe implication would be that it was poinson (heading to the tombstone) or whatever is decided in the next panel.

  • Carl's dad slumps forward into Carls' arms. Carl: Ow! You scratched me! What's that on your nails?


Sean Ryan

  • Carl: Boy, Dad being a vampire is putting a lot of stress on my congenital heart defect.
  • Mom: One more person to go and the family fortune is all mine!
  • Dad's corpse, stake jutting out of the chest, falls on Carl. Carl: This ain't good.
  • Carl: (fingering his own fangs) I thought when the head vampire dies, all the other vampires die with him.


Tad Ramspott

  • In a panel much like the one above, Daisy appears, holding a rifle. "OK, that's enough!" Carl: "Daisy??"

    BTW, Scott, I finally got a chance to pick up "Understanding Comics" last week. (Yep, "Carl" is gaining you readers!) It's an absolutely seminal book, and I'm surprised that none of my friends forced me to read it before now. I can't wait to read "Reinventing Comics" as well. Which reminds me, I find it interesting that we speak of "reading" comics. Is there some rule that says "if it's bound like a book, it's read like a book"? Do we "read" textless comics? What about, say, a coffee-table book of Ansel Adams landscapes? Where, so to speak, is that line drawn?


the Marvelous Patric

    on to carl again!

  • dad straightens up and sez...... "It's okay....just a back spasm.." mom is still in the background....
  • dad straigtens up...... "DANGIT!!!! I forgot to let the dog out!"
  • dad melts as mom stands over him and sez..... "But i didn't even touch him...????"
  • heartburn.
  • heartburn. litterally.

    so i've begun school and peter has me starting out with just taking some pre-existing art and practice the coding and what not with it. and, i got this great book called the "web design wow book" which is all about design principles for the weband interactive multimedia. i highly reccomend this book to anyone. also, as you put the call out for people to reccomend books, if it's easier, an e-mail address they could send suggestions to for me is patric@cloudnet.com. i don't mind that one being public for all to see. oh yeah, and other than the web design book i mentioned, they do an ever better one for photoshop called the "photoshop (insert version number here) wow book" which is amazing! thanks for all the help!


Thomas Vorwerk

  • Carl's dad continues his "aaaraarhgrr..." while carl thinks: "maybe he's trying to tell me something important."


Tom Scudder

  • Dad rips open his shirt, revealing a bunch of dynamite sticks strapped there. "I may be going down, but I'm taking you with me."


Travis Pelkie

    back from vacation, back to school, oh no!

  • Carl's dad falls on Carl. This kills him one way, leads to hilarious hijinks the other way with vampire Carl!
  • The angel comes back, and does, something, I don't know, shines a bright light on everyone.

    Um. Okay, after CYOC comes to an end (which, at the rate it has been going, will be 2012 (but that's okay)), will there be anywhere else on the site for doofuses like me and the other smart people to post our ramblings on comics and stuff on this site? And what's up with all the superheroes, like Savage Dragon, Superman and Flash getting trapped in a world they aren't from? Find a new story idea, people!


[I've been giving some thought to this, Travis (the community question, not that other topic!). Not sure how to proceed yet, but I have enjoyed the interactivity of CYOC and I would like to preserve that. --Scott]


Vaughan Risher

    Hey this is a kicker!

  • Dad's Skin melts and he turns into mom!, Carl exclaims "Mom!?"

    Is "there you go?" a new cultural aphorism? There you go!


Zachary Anderson

    Small problem; how does dad getting spritzed with holy water lead to mom yelling "you're next!"?

  • "Woah, this vampire slime is slippery!"
  • People wearing dark glasses show up. "Carl, you'll have to come with us."
  • Lots of unhappy vampires suddenly show up




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