JumpStart by Robb Armstrong for February 20, 2016
February 19, 2016
February 21, 2016
Transcript:
Ray: Hi Marcy. Im here to visit mortimer. Marcy: ray! thank god you're here! your father has gone into cardiac arrest! They're trying to save him in the OR So your husband lied , the dog isn't really here, is he? Marcy: NO
This was tricky. How do I depict a death in the strip without making JumpStart morose for a day? Well, in an earlier draft, Marcy is quietly saying,“Oh no” into the telephone. It communicated very well that the patient died, but I just felt it was a bit too strong for my younger readers ( and even older readers who just want to enjoy their morning Cheerios without being reminded of the brevity and fragility of human life) So, I removed the word “Oh”, and retained the “NO”, making it bigger and bolder. I created a double meaning with it: Marcy is answering Ray’s question about the dog, AND reacting to sad news. It missed. Ray’s dad did not make it. Cue up " Taps".