Pibgorn by Brooke McEldowney

Tags: Bathroom in Billings Montana, No, you jerk., Spitcock is right, Dru wrong and Pib gets the point., Catch-22 or Catch Arrows?, Dang thats gonna hurt, Charles Nelson Reilly on stilts, Quoom, jerkoff, creepyass, sjperelmanwannabe. Add Tags

Comments (159) Jump to Comments Form

fear-ciuil said, 10 months ago

Don’t forget to ‘favorite’ the strip!

Simply log in and click on the ‘Favorite’ star directly above the strip. We believe this may give Mr. McEldowney and Pibgorn a head-start when it comes time for GoComics to decide which comics to keep, and which to lose.

“For extensive and in-depth background information, strip history, synopsis of story arcs, cast of characters and a short biography of the author of Pibgorn, see The Pibgorn Tribute Site:”
http://home.comcast.net/~ccdesan/Pibgorn/Pibgorn.html

“For info and a guide to special formatting on this forum (italic, bold, indents, large fonts, etc.), see The Pibgorn Style Guide:”
http://home.comcast.net/~ccdesan/Pibgorn/StyleGuide.html

“For extensive and in-depth background information, strip history, synopsis of story arcs, cast of characters, etc. for 9 Chickweed Lane, see The 9 Chickweed Lane Tribute Site:”
http://home.comcast.net/~ccdesan/Chickweed/Chickweed.html

These are unofficial sites created by one of our very own: CCDesan.

“For 3D converted versions of a couple of ‘Pibgorn’ panels, go to:”
http://electronictiger.net/stereo/dru.htm

“For ‘How to Commit 3D,’ a page of quick-and-dirty description of how stereo images work and the rudiments of converting comics to 3D, visit:”
http://electronictiger.net/stereo/demo.htm

The 3D pages are created by another of our own, fairportfan.

“For the collected adventures of Joe Minotaur, based on the Pibgorn comic and a television police drama, visit:”
http://home.earthlink.net/~joeminotaur
“Be sure to read the posts starting at the bottom of the page.”

Joe Minotaur is the creation of another of our own, Joe_Minotaur.

“For threaded discussion of all things Pibgorn and 9 Chickweed Lane, visit:”
http://www.talkaboutcomics.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=568
“Yes, you have to register, and yes, it’s free.”

Come one and come all, de-lurk and join in!
Add your own voice to our great, joyous din!
Just one bit of wisdom ere joining our game:
Read the comments! All of them! Or you’ll miss something! (Shame!)
(No trolls need apply.)

9CWL:
http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/showComic.mpl?date=2009%2F1%2F7&name=9_Chickweed_Lane
Pokefan_Frank said, 10 months ago

For those asking, 9 Chickweed Lane will be in reruns all week, details at Brooke McEldowney’s blogs. Also for those asking, he will be attending the NY Comic Con as a creator.
Margueritem said, 10 months ago

A most one sided game. Poor Pib.
Joe Minotaur said, 10 months ago

Is there a point to this game?
Will Pibgorn get it?
emjrn said, 10 months ago

Yep!

Learning to dislike Tom more and more!

Hope Dru’s revenge is memorable!
Shalamett said, 10 months ago

Wow, it shows that there are 7 comments, and the last one shows to the right of the comic. But there are none showing under this post box. First time I’ve seen that. Someone kick that server!
Pokefan_Frank said, 10 months ago

You’d think the correct answer would be something like “my answer could incriminate me”

Is Billings, Montana a real place? Or is it Billings as in “bill me later”

Spitcock does indeed know the rules of the game, giving him the upper hand, even though these hands are tied.

And for those wondering whay St. Sebastian had to do with anything, the “archers” are about to demonstrate. Poor Pib!

Anyone else wonder why Pib’s wings are drooped like that?
Shalamett said, 10 months ago

Never mind, someone must have. There they are….
Sisyphos said, 10 months ago

Hmmm. Notice how slack those bonds are around Pib’s legs? And the expression on her face? Maybe she’s not quite helpless here (or, a deus ex machina named Geoff or Luciano is still in the realm).
Pokefan_Frank said, 10 months ago

The order of these posts doesn’t cease to astonish me. Fairportfan, apparently posting before me, got his post below mine, and actually answers my question! Are you seeing into the future, Fairportfan? … Or am I?

Shamlet, indeed, let’s have someone kick the server! And the funny thing is, I wrote this before you said “never mind, someone must have already”
Fairportfan said, 10 months ago

Reposting from “yesterday:”

Boy, if we thought Pib’s wings were drooping before…

Yaknow, the wings of wasps and dragonflies - the closest type of insect wings i can think of to Pib’s - can’t possibly sag/droop like that…

I guess it’s just Chinatown.

Or maybe Pink Stuff (see the end of The Phantom Menace…)
Fairportfan said, 10 months ago

Joe_Minotaur says:

“Is there a point to this game?”

Several.

“Will Pibgorn get it?”

Indubitably.
Fairportfan said, 10 months ago

Pokefan_Frank says:

“Is Billings, Montana a real place? Or is it Billings as in ‘bill me later’”

Indubitably real. At least according to the maps. I have doubts about the reality of Montana as a whole, however - in my sixty years, i have only ever met one guy who claimed to be from Montana…
*nbsp;
“Anyone else wonder why Pib’s wings are drooped like that?”

Nope - if you were in her situation, wouldn’t your appurtenances be drooping, too?

…or trying to crawl back inside…?
Sisyphos said, 10 months ago

Well, knowing the Master’s penchant for graphic mistreatment of the eponymous fairy, I suppose she will get the shaft, at least in Round One. But then, by the time for Round Two, it’s usually The Rescue scene….
debra4life50 said, 10 months ago

But, hey!, we all know it comes out right in the end…cause what’s the point of having a comic strip named after you if it doesn’t give you unlimited okayness after going through some pretty bad, horrible, terrible, just not nice, unokayness (Is that a word? :).
Pokefan_Frank said, 10 months ago

I think I know what’s wrong with this server. It takes the time off our local computer clock! When I put my post discussing Fairportfan’s post, it said Fairportfan’s post was posted at 6:19 UTC, and my computer clock displayed it was only 17 past! Then, when I posted, indeed, my post says it went on at 6:18 UTC, and gets listed as before Fairportfan’s!

Theoretically, we could “fix” the problem, if we all put our computer clocks in synch somehow. Any voulunteers?

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I got the times displayed instead of “XX minutes ago” because I’m using Internet Explorer 6. Please don’t make fun of me.

Debra:
“unokayness (Is that a word? :).”

I wouldn’t bet on it, but “okay-ness” sounds okay-er than something like “okay-ality”

Fairportfan:
I usually am not able to say this, but Thank you. Thank you for filling me in on Billings (I guess my mind is sill stuck thinking about “okay-ness”)
Sisyphos said, 10 months ago

For those wondering about Billings…bear in mind that the question is, “May I call you Dru?”
I think Tom is adlibbing to forward his chosen story-line. Seeing him get seriously messed up will be tonic!
fear-ciuil said, 10 months ago

Pokefan_Frank said:
I think I know what’s wrong with this server. It takes the time off our local computer clock!

Good thought, but I think no. As I noted yesterday, the SAS are getting worse; they’ve gone from 3-4 minutes off (where they started) to now 6-7 minutes off, which I know from the difference between the UTC it displays and the time on my computer clock.

Shorter answer: next time you get on the wrong end of the SAS, hover your mouse over the time stamp to get the UTC and compare to your own computer clock.

My clock currently displays 29 past the hour.
ejcapulet said, 10 months ago

Actually “no, you jerk” isn’t the right answer - it’s supposed to be “no, you #@%&!!!”
Adrienne Gormley said, 10 months ago

Oh, and, yes, Billings, Montana is a real place. I’ve been there. I have COUSINS there. It’s actually the largest city in the state (~89k), and has somewhere around 10% of the entire population. Yeah, the state is sparsely settled. When I was a kid, my dad would complain about things getting too crowded if we were driving somewhere and he saw another car within an hour of seeing the last one. :)
fear-ciuil said, 10 months ago

ejcapulet said:
Actually “no, you jerk” isn’t the right answer - it’s supposed to be “no, you #@%&!!!”

And here I thought the correct answer was what she did in this strip:
http://picayune.uclick.com/comics/pib/2005/pib051118.gif

Though since she’s tied up, I suppose “No, you jerk” (or some related) will have to do.
Joe Minotaur said, 10 months ago
From Hamlet:
To be, or not to be, — that is the question: —
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? — To die, to sleep, —
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, — ‘tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep; —
To sleep, perchance to dream: — ay, there’s the rub;
- For the chance to dream, I say good night to you all!
The Old Wolf said, 10 months ago

Talk about a gaffed game! But then, who would expect fairness in Hell?

Tom is a game show host, but he’s obviously one of the Damned himself, because he keeps getting a new one ripped, and he keeps coming back for more, with nary a hint of recognition.

And boy, is he going to get his clock cleaned this time.

Pib is about to get the point, I’m afraid. Which will only make the ultimate payback for Tom, the Panel, and Spitcock all the more ardent.
Sisyphos said, 10 months ago

Pokefan_Frank, your comment was posted “about a minute ago” and “less than a minute ago” with another in between! I’m with fearciuil on this: blame the SAS! –And I don’t mean Her Majesty’s Special Airborne Services!
Pokefan_Frank said, 10 months ago

Fearciuil, I honestly didn’t understand it very well when you said it yesterday, but there you go prooving it. You say it’s 29 past, your post says 35 past: exactly 6 minutes, what you’ve measured as the sAS’ top bound.

I guess, then, my computer clock just happened to be sandwiched between the SAS’ upper and lower bounds, which made my theory plausible for 10 minutes.

Joe Minotaur: LOL. I had to learn it for 9th grade, didn’t do it very well. Off the top of my head I think the next line is “for in that sleep of death what dreams may come, will come”
The Old Wolf said, 10 months ago

Saw the only Aurora Borealis in my life as I was driving past Billings, Montana at 2:00 AM on a clear autumn night. It was spectacular. I will always remember Billings fondly, if only for that reason.
Fairportfan said, 10 months ago

Pokefan_Frank says:

“I think I know what’s wrong with this server. It takes the time off our local computer clock! When I put my post discussing Fairportfan’s post, it said Fairportfan’s post was posted at 6:19 UTC, and my computer clock displayed it was only 17 past! Then, when I posted, indeed, my post says it went on at 6:18 UTC, and gets listed as before Fairportfan’s!

“Theoretically, we could “fix” the problem, if we all put our computer clocks in synch somehow. Any voulunteers?”

Well, i use a little utility called “TClock Lite” {http://tinyurl.com/8zarb6} to keep my clock synched wth the Naval Observatory…

“Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I got the times displayed instead of “XX minutes ago” because I’m using Internet Explorer 6. Please don’t make fun of me.”

In other browsers (like Opera) putting the mouse pointer on the “XX Minutes Ago” gives the actual time.

fearciuil says:

“And here I thought the correct answer was what she did in this strip:
” http://picayune.uclick.com/comics/pib/2005/pib051118.gif ”

Yaknow, i cringed (like Mike and Archie every time Gloria said “vasectomy”) the first time i saw that…
Polyman64 said, 10 months ago

Yes Billings is a real place it is the largest city in Montana which by our standards is not big compared to the rest of the country
Sisyphos said, 10 months ago

paciii7223, it’s Panther Woman, and I think she’d want you to be sure to get it right!
How’s Igor facing up to this strip?
[EDIT: Nooobody expects the SAS!]
paciii said, 10 months ago

aerwalt says:>
If it wiggles & bites, it’s biology
If it stinks & fumes, it’s chemistry
If it doesn’t work, it’s physics.
If it doesn’t make sense, it’s math.

If it makes you hold your ears, it’s music appreciation.

(Darn… got here too late to have any fun yesterday and missed out on the Marco/polo game…

Spitcock is being [awfully] polite: “May I…”
You’d think he was afraid of something…

Maybe Panther Woman can come here and cut Pib down and then stick her pencil in TomT.

Those must be some arrows, if the archers are at the ready and you can see that much of the arrow, but none of the bow!

Tom must be taking elipsis lessons from that Brussels contest announcer.

[thanks S! wouldn’t want her after me!!]

Igor’s cranky cause Tom T’s such a &@#%$ [‘scuse me while I wash my mouth out with chocolate…]
fatuncle said, 10 months ago

The rules of the game appear to be simple. Any answer Inky gives is right, any answer Dru gives is wrong.

Let the pain begin.
fear-ciuil said, 10 months ago

God natt.
RockHouse said, 10 months ago

If anyone needs to reset their computer clock, go to:

http://tinyurl.com/9bl79n

which is the US Government online clock.
paciii said, 10 months ago

Ya know, I’d love to see what would happen to TomT if Pib gave him the ol’ Baiser de Fe…
Maybe all of him would shrink but his teeth.

Oh my, just re-read that… it sounded a lot funnier in my head, before I wrote it down. I think my head’s still wonky from the bouncing yesterday. I’m heading to bed… Nite all!! PFarm milano’s on the side table for snack’n…
Fairportfan said, 10 months ago

Tom has fangs again…
Frida Bonita said, 10 months ago

someone needs to wipe that goody goody face off of Spitcock in panel 4. Plus it looks like Spits now wearing a sports bra instead of a white t shirt. Tom T. is going down. I hope when he says fire Dru spews forth all the mojo she has bottled up and fries Tom’s sorry ‘ass’

poms,

Love spuds with onions for breakfast. So much for the diet! ; )

Buenas noches!
Fairportfan said, 10 months ago

Just looked at the finish again.

One of those arrows looks as if it will be very painful.
jml58 said, 10 months ago

Rules of the game.

Any answer from Spitcock is right, and gets Dru a penalty.

Any answer from Dru is wrong, and gets her a penalty.
wndrwrthg said, 10 months ago

“I might be moving to Montana soon
just to raise me up a crop of…
dental floss”.
Frank Z.
Fairportfan said, 10 months ago

What happened to the contestants’ neckwear?

And why did the director take Camera 3 instead of Camera 1 in panel 2?

And how did Dru’s Dagmars change to Charlies?

(Did i just begin inventing a new phonetic alphabet?)

(if you have no idea what i’m talking about, click here for a comparison: http://electronictiger.net/avail/necktie.htm

(Move your mouse pointer over the image.)
ZCP said, 10 months ago

Fairport fan, Thanx for the Psychedelics. I think the sketches should incorporate that effect as a standard feature.
Zmaster2112 said, 10 months ago

Been lurking long enough. I just hope there is room on the confusion couch for a longtime fan and newbie to the commenting world.

I just want to know how Tom found Pib before Luciano could.

Brings Smores for the table at the confusion couch.
TheWildSow said, 10 months ago

Frida BonitaPro says:

someone needs to wipe that goody goody face off of Spitcock in panel 4. Plus it looks like Spits now wearing a sports bra instead of a white t shirt.

That’s Gruner Ladrone, not Spinky.
paciii said, 10 months ago

Oo, Oo, may I have a Smore?? (Mmmm… Chocolate and sugar high for Breakfast!!!)
That should hold me well through the morning programming session!! (‘til I get the sugar crash)

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Pib strung up with archers aiming at her… The first time Geoff came to her aid, wonder if it’s now fime for his return to action…
Orgelspieler said, 10 months ago

Billings, Montana is indeed real. I have been there, and people actually live there, but whether same people enjoy living in Billings, deponent sayeth not.
TheSkulker said, 10 months ago

Drystyha says: [2009/01/05 Pg=3]
Goodness gracious, you could spend hours reading these posts! I’m trying to catch up

Tell me about it. Get behind a week and it takes days to catch up. Even worse trying
to catch up on my intended posts. Interesting tho’, nobody missed me.

Anyway, a belated well wishes for a prosperous and satisfying new year to all. And
special good wishes to all with familial health problems.

Thanks go to wildflowerose for posting the survey results. Just summarizing the
results for the post exemplifies all the work you did. For the new comers to the
scene, the blank survey is available at:

http://www.fileqube.com/shared/lNKWZd177657

Send it to her when completed (email address is included in the file).
Garrulous said, 10 months ago

Fairportfan:
Nice avatar you have sir/madam.
A sweet little anime demon girl. Does she have a name?

In situations like todays, I am grateful for the lack of details on the ladies in the Pibgorn universe.

This would be vulgar with ‘details’ and is not needed to convey the story.

The tree sprouted above ground as trees do. Now suddenly it’s IN the game show. I know, I know, it’s magic. But it repositioned as if in a dream. Is Dru messing with Spitcock in a dream and Pib is not in real danger?

I have fresh coffee made from beans from Guatemala, Honey from West Virginia for sweetener, and an assortment of biscotti for dunking. I’ll put these on the bar in the corner and then wrap myself in a fleece blanket before sinking into the couch for a spell.

Happy Wednesday everyone!
It’s freezing rain over my town today. No school or work.
TheSkulker said, 10 months ago

fairportfan says: [12-30-08 pg 2]
But, if that covers Dru, why does Oognat have an omphalos
   http://picayune.uclick.com/comics/pib/2004/pib041022.gif
given her side comment here:
   http://picayune.uclick.com/comics/pib/2005/pib050716.gif

Hey! You are the only other person that I have known in over 50 years that knows
that word exists! Omphaloskepticism (and its siblings), is my standard word for
testing the quality of a dictionary. I first ran across it in the 50s in a science
fiction story. I don’t recall the author or title but I do remember that it was
located in an African jungle and discussed their “religious” practice of
Omphlaloskepticism - sitting around in a circle contemplating their navel.
I thought the mental image was a riot so the word stuck with me.

Interestingly, a google search results in only ONE English hit and that one seems
to be misusing of the term for a Burning Man projet. Although the root appears in
my 1971 edition of the American Heritage Dictionary, the online version does not.
Sad. An era is passing…

Update: Just found a new (for me) resource. Instead of doing a regular search for a
word in google, enter define:Omphaloskeptic. Much quicker and it comes up with the
correct definition!

Similarly, the best translation that I’ve found is also google based:

   http://translate.google.com/?hl=en

It will translate any text entered or enter a URL to translate a complete page.
One trick I use if I want to translate to a target language is to first translate
my text forward and then retranslate it back to English. You can then tweak your
original text to improve the accuracy of the translation.
Paigely said, 10 months ago

fairportfanPro says:

Pokefan_Frank says:

“Is Billings, Montana a real place? Or is it Billings as in ‘bill me later’”

Indubitably real. At least according to the maps. I have doubts about the reality of Montana as a whole, however - in my sixty years, i have only ever met one guy who claimed to be from Montana…

Well, I can’t claim to be from Montana, but my mom and dad, aunts and uncles, and countless cousins grew up there. Most of them still live somewhere in the state, too - at least on my dad’s side. Growing up, it had always been my dream to live in Montana like all my relatives. Now as a (supposedly) grown-up person, I only want to be there in the summer. ;)-
Poms said, 10 months ago

skulker - regarding omphalos. I only saw this word once before, may be the same book. Had to look it up again, as I did not retain the definition. Here is another link for the definition.

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/omphalos?view=uk