Pibgorn by Brooke McEldowney

Tags: A volcano with no source..., Under the Volcano, Over..., volcano, helicopter, danger, rescue, Malcolm Lowry, nothing, hed, admit, seeing. Add Tags

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fear-ciuil said, 4 months ago

If you are new to Pibgorn, start with The Old Wolf’s Pibgorn Tribute Page, which gives story and character info:
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Mr. McEldowney’s Pibgorn blog: http://officialpibgorn.livejournal.com/
Mr. McEldowney’s 9 Chickweed Lane blog: http://chickweedcafe.blogspot.com/
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Today’s 9 Chickweed Lane can be found at:
http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/showComic.mpl?date=2009%2F7%2F14&name=9_Chickweed_Lane

Links to the strips that comprise the Borgia Cantus arc can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/borgia
Margueritem said, 4 months ago

Very strange doings, indeed.

ejcapulet: #Happy Birthday!
Sisyphos said, 4 months ago

Since the Magical Volcano has no roots, I guess one could say this is Honorable Master’s second Shakesperean spoof: Much Ado About Nothing!
UncaAlby said, 4 months ago

under the volcano ????
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

Well, there’s no there there!
mjolnir 9 said, 4 months ago

From the novel of the same name, by Malcolm Lowry?
Mattimeomeg said, 4 months ago

I like the first five panels. You don’t know where you are or what’s going on. I think they are quite representative of the couch during this arc so far.
Sisyphos said, 4 months ago

Ahh! More Happy Birthday, ejcapulet!
UncaAlby said, 4 months ago

In the sewer, maybe?

Since the volcano is spawned out of Dru then it doesn’t have any connection to the Earth’s magma.

Well that’s certainly a good thing for folks who are under the volcano!
ejcapulet said, 4 months ago

Thanks, Sisyphos and Marg! It’s nice to be remembered!
ejcapulet said, 4 months ago

Maybe he should start with what material he’s standing on. He can’t be in a vacuum.
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

Yes, ejcapulet:

HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY!!!
Ladywolf17 said, 4 months ago

Very strange but very interesting indeed.
Joe Minotaur said, 4 months ago

Glasses, glasses, glasses! Everyone has glasses!
waycyber said, 4 months ago

The Tug-of-War

They were The Heroes, a Tug-of-War team. There was Charlie, the captain, Arthur, Bert, Douglas, Edward, Fred, George, Herbert, Ivan, John and Kevin. They’d been going for some years, when Arthur said “Charlie, why don’t we actually have a match against someone?”
Charlie looked up from his paper, “Because we aren’t ready.”
“Well, can’t we get ready?” Said Bert.

So the team got together. Charlie studied the rules of the game, and they began their training. Then someone said “Where’s Herbert?”

“Oh, Herbert said that he was happy to be part of the team, but didn’t want to do any actual Tug-of-War.”

Days went by and they lifted weights, pulled weights, ran on the spot, and then they were ready.

The first match was against Addington. The Addington team lined up at their end of the rope. The judge gave the command “Pick up the rope.” Both sides approached the rope and picked it up. Fred took up his position as anchor. “Take the strain.” The rope became taut in the teams hands as they started to lean back. The judge reached out hand held the centre marker “Steady.” The teams and the crowd held their breath. “Pull!” Almost instantly, the whole team fell forward and collapsed on the ground.

When the team was on its way back, they were all quiet. Douglas said “You know, I don’t think this was a good idea. Why don’t we just pack in? We’re obviously no good at this.” Charlie was thinking the same. If the team got discouraged, people would leave, like Herbert had. You can have a Tug-of-War team that doesn’t play Tug-of-War, but you can’t play Tug-of –War without a team.

So all was quiet for a couple of weeks. Then Edward suggested they have another go. They should train more. They just weren’t ready. So they trained the first week, and the second week, and through the first month, and the second month. They trained and trained and trained. Then Edward spoke up again “When are we going to have another match?” “When we’re ready.” Said Charlie. So they trained, and trained, and trained.

After the team insisted on another match, Charlie set one up. Against Blatherington this time. Charlie said to himself “This will go like the last match. If only we carried on training. Its matches you lose, we couldn’t lose at training.”

So the teams lined up, Fred as anchor. The judge called out “Pick up the rope.” The teams stepped to the rope and lifted it into the air. “Take the strain.” Fred and the others leaned back as the judge checked the centre marker. “Steady…..Pull.” Both teams dug their heels in and pulled, and pulled, and Blatherington tried pulling back, but the marker came closer to The Heroes side, until it passed the ground mark. They had won!

The whole team was very excited this time, and the journey home was full of preparing for the next match. Charlie was as excited as the rest of the team. We had won a match and got a taste for it.

During the following week the team trained every day. That weekend they beat Coddington, and the week after that they were against Dartington. They lost that match. On the way home, they weren’t discouraged. They had won before and they could again.

However, Fred didn’t show up for training. When they went to Erthington, John acted as anchor, because Fred didn’t show up then. They won that match, but where was Fred? He still didn’t appear during the next week. Nor at the match with Farthington (another win). In fact, Fred didn’t show up until the last day of training before the Greatington match.

“Where have you been, Fred?” They asked. “I’ve been on a course seeing how the other teams do it. I’m an expert now.” And Fred started changing the team order and changing how they gripped the rope. Charlie just let it happen. Fred was a long time team member, and Charlie didn’t want a falling out. Trying to stop Fred was like trying to turn back the tide with your bare hands.

So, the following day The Heroes lined up against Greatington. All the techniques and training they had done up to date put aside for Fred’s new ways of doing it. The team was totally confused, even Charlie who was doing his best to work out what Fred was trying to do. When the Judge gave the command to “Pull” it was total confusion. The Heroes didn’t stand a chance and collapsed in a heap.

The team was upset and confused. Only Fred was excited, telling them “Don’t worry, you’ll soon get it right, I’ll show you.” The following week Fred showed them new methods of training, new techniques. Charlie just joined in like any other team member.

At Hartington, The Heroes fared no better than the previous week. The day after, Charlie and Fred entered the training hall to see the rest of the team standing and looking very serious.

“Is there a problem, boys?”

“Yes. While Fred was away on this course, we won two out of three matches training the way you showed us, Charlie. Fred changed everything and we were back to square one. We want to go back to the old ways.”

Fred walked off in a sulk.

Charlie was torn between consoling Fred and dealing with the team. He thought, and said “OK, we’ll start training the way we did before and get ready for the match against Irvington.”

“There’s just one thing,” said George. “You are our captain, and you let Fred undermine you and change the way we trained and played. We can’t have a captain who isn’t confident in their own methods. You can’t stop doing what you know is right for the sake of friendship.”

Charlie caught up with Fred just before he got to his car. “Hold on, Fred, we have to speak.” Fred stopped and waited for Charlie to catch up with him. “Look, Fred, we have been friends for a long time. Not just you and me, but the rest of the team as well. I wish you had told me about the course, I might have wanted to go myself. Come back to the hall with me. You can tell me about some of the techniques you learned, but always remember I’m the captain. What I say goes until and unless someone else becomes captain.”

Fred did not want to face the team, he was embarrassed and ashamed. However, when Charlie and he went back into the hall, arms around each others shoulder, the team welcomed them and the recent events were quickly consigned to history.

I would love to say that The Heroes went on to beat all comers; that they became national champions, but they didn’t. They won matches and they lost matches, but every match was a celebration of their friendship. No cup could mean more to them than that. The only one that lost out was Herbert. He wasn’t willing to build up the team, just wanting to get what he could out of it. He never came back, although he was seen sometimes in the pub, by himself, watching the rest of the team toast each other and share their triumphs and defeats.
fear-ciuil said, 4 months ago

Happy birthday, ejcapulet!
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

So, has ED been ET by IT???
Fly Guy said, 4 months ago

Evidently, Brooke seems to be unaware of GPS’s limitations
ie the signals do not extend below ground.
Joe Minotaur said, 4 months ago

ejcapulet

Hippity Happity Hoppity Birthdae!
Mattimeomeg said, 4 months ago

@Ristas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A KINDRED SPIRIT! Finally! Someone who gives a birthday greeting the same way I do!

Oh, and ejcapulet Hipy papy bthuthdth thuthda bthuthdy!
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

Fly Guy:

Apparently, he’s NOT below ground, just ON the ground, but IN a volcano that has ALSO been put ON the ground
mjolnir 9 said, 4 months ago

ejcapulet:

Today’s your birthday?
Happy Birthday *to* you…
Don Tomaso said, 4 months ago

But GPS would work if the volcano was not really there, i.e. a figment of imagination, an illusion, a mass dream, a hypnotic suggestion, the realm of Maya, a delusion, a deception, a conjuring, a parlor trick…….
waycyber said, 4 months ago

@ejcapulet

Hopping birdy, two ewes
Hopping birdy, two ewes
Hopping birdy, deer, ejcapulet
Hopping birdy. two ewes,

For this recipe, you need 1 life, mix it with as many others you can find. Make sure you remove criticism and discouragement. Add several helpings of kindness and forgiveness. Fill with love right up to the top of the container. Add fun, laughter, sympathy and understanding. Leave to rise for several years after which the entire amount will be bound tightly together.
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

@Mattimeomeg:

I led a deprived childhood, in that me mum never read Winnie the Pooh & Tigger Too! to me. So, my 1st intro to A. A. Milne’s wonderful work was when my wife gave me HER copy of the book, which her PROPER mum had read to her - & subsequently given to her to keep. It was well-worn, but in very good reading shape, considering.

Needless to say, I was absolutely charmed by Pooh & friends, and BTW, can no longer tolerate Disney’s R@PING of the true characters! And THAT is what the poor kids of today are exposed to as being Winnie the Pooh - unless THEY, too have a PROPER MUM!!!
Joe Minotaur said, 4 months ago

9CWL:
What are they going to do if Eliot and Juliete join them?

Pibgorn:
The big question is:

Whose dream is it?
waycyber said, 4 months ago

It looks like Ed is not feeling any heat. Volcano contains Dry and Nat. We know there is a trail that leads from where Dru crashed to Antarctica where Pib, Geoff and Maurice are. We also know there is a smoke creature somewhere around where Oognat is. The solution is obvious - over to you Joe!
Sisyphos said, 4 months ago

If Ed’s in a near-surface constructed tunnel, possibly the GPS can pick up his signal as long as the volcano’s Not of This Earth! Remember, when Dru fell in (19 III 09), it didn’t seem very deep!
debra4life50 said, 4 months ago

The question of the day - just where is that lava coming from? Since it has no direct lines to the magma upon which the continents float, I mean?

That volcano is just nicely sitting on the sidewalk, or what is immediately underneath it (given Dru’s initial fall).

So just what is fueling it? Maybe Dru and Nat’s humina humina that we saw as their real condition a few strips ago.
Anyone else have a theory?
debra4life50 said, 4 months ago

9CWL - are they a little late? or is it perfect timing?
Sisyphos said, 4 months ago

Risitas, about Pooh: I, too, had a deprived childhood in that particular sense. I didn’t read the four Pooh-books until vexed by a Canadian colleague in grad school about my “incomplete education”. Since buying them in a paperback edition fortuitously available then, I’ve been a fan of true Pooh, too: no Disney blather!
Sisyphos said, 4 months ago

9CWL: reluctantly, I think they should get out, get dressed, and go in search of the others, who cannot have gone far (unless Thorax activated the quantum anomaly)!
Saskfan said, 4 months ago

Old Wolf: Thank you for your comment of “yesterday.” have a good time with the teens!

As for Edda and Amos, they know what they went there to do, so they’ll probably do it.

By the way, as Sister Steven was sinking, I saw Monty win that round.
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

@WayCyber:

Sounds like a Monty Python’s Flying Circus skit, hmmm???

And, now for something completely different.

A volcano has been discovered in downtown New York. Here’s our correspondent, Ed - Ed, can you hear me?
Yes, I’m down here, all right.
Well, what does it look like down there?
Nothing - I can’t even see ONE BLOODY THING!!!!

Well, so much for Ed, in the New York volcano.

Now for something completely different.

A man has been discovered who has 3 bums - is that right, or does he FEED three bums? Well, what’s the difference???
Margueritem said, 4 months ago

Sisyphos and Risitas: The older I became, the more I appreciated ‘Winnie the Pooh. There was some hilarious stuff in there. I much prefer the original to the Disney version, just as I prefer the original ‘Bambi’.
waycyber said, 4 months ago

@Risitas I have a niece that is mad about Pooh. She has Pooh on her bedroom walls, Pooh on her carpet. Her bedclothes have Pooh all over them.
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

@Sisyphos:

What a Cool Canadian Colleague - from Calgary, or a Fortuitous Frenchie, perhaps? - Montreal is my favorite city in the whole of the planet (except for October ‘till May, of course - colder’n a witches’ weasel!!!).
waycyber said, 4 months ago

@Risitas Not Monty Python. I was in an organisation that was having problems because some people did not want to get involved. Others undermined the leadership, thinking they knew better but not wanting the responsibility of leadership. Sometimes I write stories because they can get under a persons defences better than saying things outright. The people see the message in a non-threatening way, say what it tells them about themselves, and they willingly make the change. Sometimes, anyway.
pittfall said, 4 months ago

so if the volcano’s not really there, where are Nat and Dru? Are they in the middle of the street? Doing whatever it is that they do. Or are they still in the hospital? Maybe the volcano is just a dream too and Dru is asleep on top of the building we all think she fell from.
Sisyphos said, 4 months ago

If I remember correctly, Risitas, he is from Winnepeg…. I was in Montreal a couple of Januaries ago for a convention: it was, sad to say, snowy, cold, and bleak–even the Convention Center seemed dreary!
Ladywolf17 said, 4 months ago

I’m here still and want to say Happy birthday to you ejcapulet.
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

Do witches really have weasels, he wistfully wondered….Well, they MUST - gotta have “tail-hair of weasel”, for all those spells they’re always casting….or maybe that’s “eye of newt”, or “ear of piglet” (speaking of Pooh)…No, no, that would be just plain cruel.
comicmaster 13 said, 4 months ago

dude its like doomsday or somethin’ or george bush?
BikeNBoatN said, 4 months ago

Actually, I’m a little impressed that Ed can pick up both GPS and radio signals below ground. Most little hand-held devices don’t have that kind of power. And I would have thought he’d be wearing a little more protective gear if he thought he was going to encounter anything volcanic.

9CL: So, where’d everyone go?
Sisyphos said, 4 months ago

ladywolf17, I ran into you at a couple of other comics in the last hour: keep up your fine sense of humor while dealing with the ankle thing!
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

@WayCyber:

Oh, all that P00H must be a mess to clean up…….

Ahhh, I get it - you mean Winnie the P00H.
That is, I HOPE so.
Joe Minotaur said, 4 months ago

Thanks waycyber
I think we’ll have to suffer through three rounds of questions from our Codpiece Model before we get any answers.

G’Knight!
BikeNBoatN said, 4 months ago

Of course, there we go again, trying to impose real-life limitations in Pibverse.
StradMan37 said, 4 months ago

@BikeNBoatN:

Oh, we DO have R/L limitations, all right - only so much hair you can scratch up there….
waycyber said, 4 months ago

Hey, I have it! Pib & Co meet Winnie the Pooh & Co. Err, actually, thinking about it. Err, actually, I don’t WANT to think about it.

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About Pibgorn

A fantastic saga of adventure both high and low, of forbidden passion and iambic pentameter, of fays, fools, organists, demons, accordions, heaven, hell and Shakespeare, Pibgorn follows the whims and flights of its eponymous fairy heroine as she plies her conviction that there must be more to life than depositing dew drops on dandelions and sleeping under mushrooms.

© 2009 Brooke McEldowney - All Rights Reserved.