Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for April 29, 2015

What are the odds? And wonders if this change Val ’s mind about marriage.

Maybe it’s Officer PHINEAS Jackson, not Phil Jackson. Nothing to worry about, right?

With the way that pickup is connected to the phone pole, there’s still a very good chance that’s the fatality.

JAN NO.. DON’T KILL PHIL OFF. HE IS AN IMPORTANT CHARACTER IN YOU STRIP.

Well, if Phil is the fatality, or one of them (it was never said that there was only one) it is marginally better for Val and the two girls that he is not their Step-Dad. Val has already lost one husband to the Man with the Scythe.

Phil’s last name is Jackson? Did we know that before?

i think Jan is going to fast track the marriage!

I like Phil. He would make a great dad for the girls. SO HE HAD BETTER BE ALRIGHT.

http://www.gocomics.com/stonesoup/2015/03/13 Here is a recent strip with Phil’s last name in it, Yes, it is Jackson.

Ohhhh, that’s an eerie picture, even if it turns out he is okay.

Please no, Jan! Don’t be like two another cartoonists who create characters like toys and breaks them right before our eyes!

Wondering is this is going to inspire Phil to take a less dangerous job – assuming he’s not seriously injured

Phil Jackson? Didn’t he use to play for the Knicks? What……..Oh, nevermind.

Edge of seat….holding breath….

This fits in with today’s world, exactly!!

If you haven’t been keeping up with what the creator has said about the strip I won’t ruin it for you but this is supposed to bring contrast to the strip. Those that remain are in sharper focus for those who are no longer with us.

Gonna stop reading if Phil dies.

I definitely concur with ‘Josh Lyons’—with all the work that Ms. Eliot has ‘put into’ building the relationship between Val and Phil it would be an EXTREME shame to ‘remove’ him from the strip especially in this way ! ! ! !

Please do not kill off Phil. He is such a good man, & do not let Val change her mind about marrying a cop. Everyone in that family loves Phil. I drive for a living, & if the drawing is correct, that truck hit that pole pretty hard. Enough to make the driver the fatality. I have seen many, many accidents. Phil, though, is going to be pretty beaten up after his motorcycle dumped.

Jan, please don’t do what Shonda Rhimes did to Patrick Dempsey.

I agree with others that the truck looks like that’s the vehicle that had the fatality.

Noooooooooooo!!!! Val has had enough heartache!!!!

I still say that it wasn’t Phil who died, it was the other man.

I hope this does not go dark, it looks like it is headed in that direction,….

This story arc brought to you by George R. R. Martin…

I think the theory is that Val is going to realise how MUCH she loves Phil and they will marry right away. This IS a cartoon….the creators don’t usually write these with the object of causing pain and sadness to their readers.

I will quit reading if if it is Phil. Too much sadness when we need a little dose of happy optimism.

On the 27th, the radio reported there was ‘A’ fatality.If Phil is the fatality, this storyline has gone seriously wrong!

Jan, please don’t let Phil die.

Last time I was this worried about Stone Soup, it looked like Wally was going to fall for someone who was NOT JOAN. I actually wrote to Jan. And that turned out fine! I’m sure hoping this will be, too…..

I don’t think that Phil is the fatality, but he might have a very impressive road rash that will entail a long time at the hospital.

If Phil dies, this will be the second man Val is involved with that dies. She will become known as a black widow (even though she and Phil were not yet married).

I don’t think this will happen, as it will eliminate a vast story line for the future.

Phil is going to be all right. Hopefully Val will not change her mind about marrying him.

Life doesn’t always have happy endings—that’s why we need one now! Jan, you have the control of this, so come through for us!

I agree, I read the comics to relax, not to relive the stuff at work. (Sheriff’s Office)

Not liking where this is going. Please go back to funny soon. I don’t need the drama.

It doesn’t look like the truck hit the motorcycle, maybe it swerved to avoid Phil. I think Phil will be fine, maybe slightly injured and that will make Val realize how much she values him. Too bad for the family of the fatality though. Sad for them.

Oh, the joys of being a policeman’s spouse!

I hope the character “Phil” was killed off by the cartoonist. This way you idiot’s can whine about something else…GET A LIFE!!!!!

That is SO MEAN! I’m not reading this anymore!

100% Wally!

First McDreamy… now Phil?! Noooooo, too much to take. :(

If we did that with our characters (sorry, with our creations), we would feel regrettable!

This isn’t looking good. :(

Please don’t kill off Phil!! We all love him!

To be in an accident on a motorcycle alwas is dangerous. Just being smashed on the ground while driving about 25 mph sadly gives you a high risk of being severely injured.

As for the storyline: Phil as a husband is not bringing home the bacon. Too many similarities with Wally´s character (both “soft” in a nice way and caring) and I don´t see many interesting gags/stories with him as a stepdad. Holly with a first serious boyfriend has way more potential.

On the other hand Val grief-stricken and later on looking for another man – there is much more in this too.

So although I do not like the thought at all, I am afraid it is curtains for officer Jackson.

I’m heartbroken! I am inpatient to find out if it was him or not.

I’m heartbroken! I am inpatient to find out if it was him or not.

Dang! Living in the same city as Jan it seems so close to home. Well it could be anywhere, I guess.

Please not Val’s Phil! Val and the girls have been thru enough! I’ve been widowed one time. I can’t imagine Val and the girls going thru it twice!!!

OMG …. for once I wish I could look AHEAD in the comic strips instead of only the past. I am on tenterhooks

You’re killing me with this!!! Don’t kill off Phil!

I don’t like where this is going! Jan – don’t kill off Phil!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Why did it have to be Phil, Val was so happy, maybe commitmentphobic but happy

I have been looking forward to Val and Phil’s wedding. I will be heartbroken.

This is why I dislike it when writers do wedding arcs. It gives them license to create all sorts of pre marital pitfalls, with traffic accidents being sadly all too common. I don’t like the drama of this sort of thing , especially in a usually light hearted cartoon, with likeable characters.

Even if it isn’t Phil, he will still be damaged mentally by what happened because the accident killed another guy.

No! No no no no no!!!!!!!!!!!

No! No no no no no!!!!!!!!!!!

I missed reading for several weeks and caught up to today. Deep breath. Sigh. I hope this turns out ok.

Please don’t let it be Phil! He has become a big part of the family I love!

Marriage doesn’t make a family, love does. It doesn’t matter if Val and Phil are married or simply engaged, he is still family. She’s already a widow, I hope Jan doesn’t do this to her again.

Wow…I always thought this (and the Dempsey show) were..um…make believe? Am I unplugged somehow?

I have to add my voice to those desperately hoping that Phil is not being killed off. I like realism in the comics (among the best story lines in “For Better or For Worse” were the death of the dog, Farley, and the coming out of a gay character) but this would just be too sad.

could it be a dream like the one Pam had in the show Dallas w hen she thought Bobby died it went on for a very long time I suppose that all you people who are on the edge of your seat and are so worried hope that it is the case….

She will be scared because her first husband died. PTSD