That is Priceless by Steve Melcher for May 26, 2023

The 17th century version of ghosting your ex.

/// A book of ancient ballads was compiled by Thomas Percy.

Among the tales it told was this: a ghost who showed no mercy.

Fair Margaret loved Sweet William; he had promised they would wed,

but on Sweet William’s wedding night another shared his bed.

Fair Margaret’s heart was broken and from grief she promptly died.

That very night the ghost of Margaret came to William’s side.

He sat bolt upright in his bed, unsure if he was dreaming,

but listened to this pallid wraith on whom the moon was gleaming.

She cursed her faithless lover who’d wed someone else instead.

When William woke he went to Margaret’s home and found her dead.

Now in a chilling echo of Fair Margaret’s death from grief,

Sweet William also died of shame, an end beyond belief.

“Since you’ve closed the door, I had to come from the beyond to tell you to feed the cat.”

I am the ghost of girlfriend’s past!

After viewing Joseph Wright’s art, I think he should have done more of his paintings during the daytime.

“Well hello, Studly. I’m the succubus assigned to you tonight … But listen — you’re the tenth teenage boy I’ll have dealt with so far, so go easy, huh, Billy? Ectoplasm or not, we succubi get worn out servicing you kids!”

(The painting and true explanation:)

https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:160

Ahhh, I have a headache.

“This button lowers the canopy and stops your snoring…forever.”

“There, I aired out the bedroom and I promise not to ever have the burrito grande in the evening again”

“You kicked me while we’re sleeping – Again!”

Hold on! What makes you think someone is in bed with me….

It does not matter who broke up with who, it is always the guy’s fault. Either he did not appreciate what he had or he was just not good enough for her. At least that is always how the gossip runs unless the woman is really disliked by her peers.

Horatio, only say the words and I am all yours………And he answered, “jump in!”

If that is Margaret’s ghost at the foot of William’s bed, where is William’s wife? (who he married causing Margaret to die from grief).

“Do you have any lotion? I don’t want to get a moonburn.”

“I thought I should let you know that you’ll want to do your laundry tomorrow.”

William and Margaret from Percy’s ‘Reliques of Ancient English Poetry’: 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Wright_of_Derby_-_William_and_Margaret_from_Percy%27s_%27Reliques_of_Ancient_English_Poetry%27_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg 

has info and links that point to more info about this painting.

Again, a larger strip image is shown by (Ctrl- or right-) clicking the image in Mr. Melcher’s MASTERPIECE #3138 (May 26, 2023) blog entry, accessible by the Check out the blog! box after the last comment, and using the dropdown menu. I have added a comment there (awaiting Mr. Melcher’s approval) pointing to info about this artist I used to point to here. So far, 5 works by this artist have been used here, the April 30, 2014, strip being the prior. GoComics has deactivated the hyperlinks and removed the new lines in my comment there; but, perhaps the text remains informative.

Oh well , can’t get ’em all…

john said jerry, let me share bed with you, i’m afraid of that bald headed man outside the window.

The Ghost of Christmas Future appears to Scrooge considerably ahead ot time, having misread the script.

This is an illustration from a Wilkie Collins short story, except she is hiding the big knife in this one.

Ebeneezer Scrooge hoped this dream had a happy ending.

Monday, being the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. (honoring those who lost their lives while in the military with a moment of silence at 3 PM, among other ways), don’t be too surprised if there is no strip that day.

Really? You take off Memorial Day?