Endtown by Aaron Neathery for November 16, 2012

I think Linda is getting a little fed up with this conversation.

The girl in panel 3 looks like the “normal people” in the Twilight Zone episode they are referring to. Nice touch of irony.

Careful Linda, don’t get in any trouble, girl!

Evidence that Bigotry, Ignorance, and Stupidity are equal opportunity frailties of human and mutant kind.

The thought is very interesting. How do they know that they are all pure. How do we know .They could be hiding behind the costumes. Children could be raised in “Vats”. Transfer from a vial to a tub to grow in the lovely floating nutritinal fluids, with no baby food, toys, NO MOMMA!!!. Kid ready to be your kid. How do you know that it is your kid. All sterile until they get their own little suits. OK Aaron. Can we in some time in the future have some insight to the lives behind the domes????All in favor say "OK:Blessed BE.

Hey, that last character has feathers….. Can he fly or is it just decoration? More of the stereotypes please.Blessed Be

Look at me once,look at me twice,look at me again there’s gonna be a fight…

She’s still part of her background, of courseBut she should here consider the sourceThese folks causing painHave some right to complainAs they’re targets of Topsider forceWhat new argument could she engage?What’s the point of pro-Topsider rage?All the pain here, quite keenMakes me think of a sceneFrom Bob Seger’s song “Turn the Page”=|====/ Level HeadVote for Endtown 2.0And for Doc Rat, tooThe Endtown ForumThe Endtown AuctionThe Endtown Books

Hm, I already wondered how she could have given birth to a child in the biosuit. And how is the energy management dealt with? I would think it’s more believable if they have protected areas where you can take of the biosuit, like the one scene with the docking of the transporter indicates. If this mutagene is really only a virus (for which it’s acting too fast), normal biohazard level 4 sterilizing procedures must be sufficent.

Uh-oh! Perfect Friday strip.

This all sounds like a buildup to the return of Mr. Jackrabbit…

The bartender left the bottle with her. That’s a bad sign.

I bet Linda wishes she had a disintegrator gun right now.In the fist panel I thought it was going to be Wally and Holly. Wallie

I’ll have you know that getting Topsiders to go down the drain is really hard. I had to call Roto-Rooter twice this week just because a bit of an arm or leg was stuck in the disposal unit.

Recycling them is the more environmentally friendly way to go. And less costly.

Um, no. All these people WERE human at one point. It’s not like these people were born mutants from generations of mutants. Sorry, Arron, but this doesn’t work.

This won’t end well

Oooooh, Linda’s face in panel 2 looks like she may be half in the tank already. Between that and her anger, yup, this isn’t going to go well at all. All we need now are those little bubbles floating around her head.

I told you alcohol will loosen those lips. Here it comes Monday.

It is such an interesting scene in so many ways. Here are what are mutants putting down the Topsiders as “mutants”. They should all die and go away. Can you imagine right now in some Topsider settlement several Topsiders are having the same conversation about mutants.Of course I am not saying Topsiders are good. They are not. Mutants just want to be left alone to live. Topsiders want all mutants dead. You see there is a lesson here. When carrying on a conversation and it has an edge to it. You might want to be careful as to who is around to hear.

To CrystalwizardWhy does it not work? The mutants accept this as the new order. You can either adapt to it and go on or just kill yourself. Most would chose live in any form over death. Endtowner simply try to scavenge what they need to live constantly under fear of being caught and killed or worse by Topsiders. When all they are trying to do is live.Topsiders come along apparently having prepared for the virus and its effect prior to it infecting everyone. This insinuates to me they may have been the culprits who released or at least knew of the damn thing to begin with.Their aim is survival to repopulate the planet with the best humans that can be produced. The only thing in their minds holding them back are the mutants. They believe mutants are the source of the virus and as long as they are around Topsiders can not take their rightful place.So this conversation is not unusual or out of place. Only Linda knows what they look like under those suits. She was one. That is what makes her mad is how a “mutant” can even consider a Topsider a “mutant”. Remember back to Sparkplugs story. In the early days of the virus someone came up with the wonderful idea of MEDICAL SCREENINGS. Using of course a Zero weapon to “scan”. Results a monster sized pile of dust once being humans infected or not. That same group may be the current Topsiders by some relationship or another.It is the same rhetoric for both Endtown and Topsiders. Each feels the other must be eliminated to survive.Topsiders have a superior edge in weaponry and technology. Endtown has concealment and already infected inhabitants so no fear of the virus.

What I did notice is that the ones having the conversation are tall like Flask. There is that issue again as to who maintains full size over becoming pint size when mutating.

George ThorogoodI drink alonewith nobody elseI drink alone with nobody elseYou know when I drink aloneI perfer to be by myself.(Last stanza)My whole family done give up on meand it makes me feel oh so bad.The only one who will hang out with meIs my dear old GRAND-DADAnd we drink alone with nobody elseYou know when I drink alone I perfer to be by myself.Linda: “So keep your damn conversations to yourself.”

I think the pig lady is pretty. So you can put lipstick on a pig to make it pretty.Enuf Said.

Linda has spent the past nearly 7 years believing the Topsider indoctrination, save for the last 3 months and a week or so. There is some sort of Social Darwinism going on in Endtown if her orientation did not prepare her to make the adjustment to being a mutant in a mutant body. There is no place here for a TopSider trapped in a mutant body, and it seems to be no way to unmutate. Liz and Maude both let her know everyone here has been hurt by a Topsider. And to think Sperry started out as a defense contractor making gyroscopes for navigation, and only later started making the TopSider shoe that was less likely to slip on the deck of a yacht, with a little aesthetic adjustment were sold by the boatload to Merchant Marines and the Navy. I do not know what kind of bird that is stirring up hatred, but I think he is not the Bluebird of Happiness. Maybe he is a parrot, spouting Jakob Jackrabbits ideology. Can Linda help them to understand they are demonstrating the same flawed logic that caused them to be in their present condition? Or is she more likely to follow the new leaders who are going to take on the Topsiders? Tune in Monday at the usual time for our next installment.Same mutant time, Same mutant channel. REMEMBER TO VOTE EARLY AND OFTEN AT TOPWEBCOMICS FOR ENDTOWN 2.0, DOC RAT, AND MAYBE EVEN ENDTOWN TOS. WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS, BUT STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO TO MAKE THE TOP THIRTY, OR TWENTY, OR MAYBE EVEN IN THE TOP TEN. WE HAVE HELPED OUR TWO FAVORITES BE NUMBERS 1 & 2 ON TWC FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT THIS MONTH I WAS IN SURGERY RECOVERY WITH ABOUT A THIRD OF MY GROUP WITH ME, AND NONE OF THEM WERE THINKING OF VOTING SINCE I WASN’T IN A POSITION TO REMIND THEM.Sorry about all caps in the last part of the previous paragraph, but I usually type on a phone.JusSayin

The committee told her to keep her mouth shut about being a Topsider. Which was a signal that of course she won’t.

Bigotry? The topsiders are homicidal lunatics who commit torture, vivisection and genocide! Sometimes Evil Sack of Crap is Evil Sack of Crap!

I’m wondering, REALLY wondering, how many citizens of Endtown are secretly former topsiders. There are some non-specific mutants, and the humans that are immune to mutations. Heck, I can see a topsider tripping and hitting their head on a rock, losing consciousness while ripping their suit. Not wanting to end up with their head in a car or mutt I could see them either committing suicide or stripping off their garb and running to the other mutants for protection.

If you seek answers about some of the history of the white dust and Amesworth Radiation.Refer 03-27-12 panels. Bordovia. Wally’s flash back all prior to WWIII. The responsible individuals to all this is APEX. Wally worked for them. A teacher told and showed him the truth of Amesworth Radiation and a Disease X. He was shown the results. Bodies dehydrating into mummies or changing into dust. All because of Amesworth Radiation. This may not have been enough for APEX so they may have came up with a new weapon “Mutagenic Virus” only that one they lost control of and could not get it back in the box. APEX itself would disentigrate into factions with some taking absolute control. Know what the virus would do would allow the faction to make preparations for its release so Topsiders would be created.When you look at the story of Bordovia check out the shadows of the soldiers. Most are wearing safety equipment like masks. Side mounted ear comms. Carrying guns like Flask had on the ship. When Wally meets the teacher in secret you can see he is not wearing military gear.

You see I thought the Amesworth Radiation was responsible for the virus. After re reading Wallys story I am no longer of that view. I believe the Virus was another APEX creation. APEX as according to Wally all over the world influencing and fanning chaos then supplying each side with the necessary tools of war. Vast containers of weapons all left out unguarded. APEX was making money supplying all that was needed to keep the conflicts going. Wally was shown a big crater with white powder in the bottom. He was warned not be around it for too long and watch his radiation badge. If it turned black ball game over. Sparkplug ran all over his town mapping the levels of radiation. The radiation causes death by Disease X. Rotting away or turning to dust from just exposure to the dust left behind. The direct effect of the Amesworth Radiation is immediately turn to dust. Wally witnessed the side effects to exposure. So safety suits would be needed to limit comtamination. The virus came along by some means permanently keeping them "APEX "in the survivial suits.Now survival mode kicks in for APEX. Not all are going to make the cut to survive. Finally settling into this faction of APEX we know as Topsiders.

Alcohol + depression + anger = next week ought to be interesting

Here is a kicker of speculationWhat if the virus is a result of experimentation on a cure for Disease X?Doctors would have been searching for a cure to stop the disease.APEX would have supported it as they would have seen the value of having a cure for it.Experimented with various antibodies, chemicals, even viruses trying to find a combination or a cure to reverse the Disease. That does make sense to me.They were in wartime so I imagine they would have pushed the limits of safety.In speculation they did come up with a reversal for the Disease X. A mutagenic virus that completely mutated the individual into a anthro if unconscious but side effects of monsters if awake. Saving the individual but creating a mutant. However inadequate containment allowed the virus to escape into the environment. As with any new virus it proliferated and infected everything. Viruses are hard to kill so they would survive. It is a theory but seem viable to me. It would make sense for doctors in Wally’s time to try to come up with something to save those effected. Just lost control creating a worse situation to an already bad situation.

As far as Linda’s fellow barflies are concerned, it should be noted that the Topsiders have done everything they can to make their lives miserable. Mutants can’t even go up to the surface to forage for food and supplies without fearing death. These folks in the bar may be acting like jerks but given the stress, its understandable. Besides, there’s nothing Linda can say that can change the fact that her former allies have been acting like monsters.

Well, the story so far…Linda Kowalski gets let into Endtown. She’s handled by someone from security (not Flask—-well Flask is dead and gone—-well, gone, anyway.) She’s assigned a place to live—-nobody we’ve met before lives there. She goes out for a meal—-we don’t see Holly waiting on her. (Did Holly retain her job after skipping work to hide in Wally’s backpack, or did she just take a long weekend?) After wandering through Endtown she winds up in a bar—-Ally isn’t drinking there.#Do we really need the previous set of regulars for this story?

Hey, yesterday Linda’s tail was exposed; now it’s under her skirt.

Bar-fight, bar-fight! I had a sudden image of John Wayne pop up at panel 2. If it were’nt for that nose Linda would look like the Duke in that pose! lol

I think Linda is about to find some traction for that anger. It’s about time for AM to come strollin’ in on Monday….;-)

Virus not destroyed or there would be no more mutations. Amesworth Radiation is unable to kill it. Sorry you made the wrong assumption but straight on the other things. The virus came from somewhere now they cant get rid of it.

And if you think the Nazi were bad lets not leave out Stalin and the Soviet Union. It is estimated the Nazi killed about 6 million Jews. Stalin and his band killed twice if not three times as many. He was with the Allies so no one gave him any grief on it. He one time just in the early part of the war killed every senior officer in his vast army. All that wartime experience destroyed because he was so paranoid they were out to get him. Stalin had a standing order. No retreat. You either got killed attacking Germans barehanded or killed pulling back in front of superior forces. Either way you died uselessly when you could pull back rearm get the fight on. It took very careful balancing act with proganda specialists to get Stalin off the kill everything and anyone. Read Kruchevs memories. He was the commanding officer in Stalingrad after the other General was offered to be shot or shoot himself. Stalin was as big of a monster as Hitler if not more so. Do you know when Hitler attacked Poland supposedly start WWII Stalin was in treaty agreement with Hitler and was attack said Poland from the other side. Basically they agreed to wipe Poland off the earth. Why? At the time one of the largest concentrations of Jews in Europe. So Night Gaunt dont just blame the Nazis there are alot more than them who acted like Topsiders. Nazis though are the best most often used.Others Pol Pot Cambodia, Sudan Africa, Nigeria Africa, North Vietnam, Laos, Myamar (Indonesia), Syria (current)Iran (future).I was always amazed that a dictatorial, communist, oppressive society or nation would always use The Democratic Republic of Germany. (East Germany) The Democratic Republic of Viet Nam (North Viet Nam), Peoples Republic of China (name sounds free but dont try it) Soon as they start with those freedom sounding names I just think yeah, sure.

Could the dust be the virus?

.Linda looks disgusted Maybe she was wishing she had turned into a large animal and could go bite themI thought she might get like “what did we really look like?” but she doesn’t show anything like that. Poor Linda has had a bad day.

SHE’S GONNA BLOW!!!

Maybe they already have the cure but won’t give it out so that they maintain control over their population. Leaders lead only so long as followers follow.

Of coarse on that note TSers may be eating Soylent White that has bean safed and processed for consumption. A secretary would have come across that info and sent on patrol to “forget what she saw”. They owe her for her silence. Wheels deels and cheep threels. Ain’t politiks grand?

She could have bean sent on patrol because it was the best time to try to tye up lose ends. The only reason she was a TSer was from when she was a Apex secretary she got knocked up by her boss. Now she is a liability. A major liability, what all does she know? Do the TSers know where Endtown is? Let em live do there is a them for the TSers too fight? The satellite may not even work, white noise from the radiation?

Why does she cringe and hurt sew? The freaks have a freer life in there earthen cage than the chosen people in the light of the sun. The mutants are more human than the TSers.

I wonder how much hand to hand experience linda has…..

I think that being a Topsider is like living in Israel, Everyone has to do military (patrol) duty) when their rotation comes up no matter what their main job is.

I’m beginning to wish this blog had spell checker. Not only for my oversights ,but sometimes it’s hard to get the real meaning of other entries. But I guess it wouldn’t work when one spells “bean” for “been”. It’s still spelled correctly. I know I’m getting picky, but hey. it’s Saturday night and I don’t think there’s going to be many more entries until Monday. I’m hoping for something good in the Endtown Auction Block.

Okay, I’m feeling down because my Ducks just lost. I know it’s nothing in comparison to dirtyoldlady1’s recent and possibly continuing pain. I do have perspective. I’m just letting it out so I can be there for other people.

“I hear that something “interesting” has been slated for tonights auction”Oh, do tell!