This is the 500th strip of Selkie. I can’t believe I’ve drawn 500 Selkies. Although if you count each panel as an individual Selkie… O_o
Thank you for reading my comic, everyone. I love doing this and I love that other people resonate with the story and characters. I look forward to Mondays because of you all. XD Here’s to 500 strips, and looking forward to another 500. 😀
I wanted this to be a Friday strip, but some script revisions to condense things slightly threw my Machiavellian plotting off kilter.
Stop it… stop making me feel the slightest ghost of a twinge of sympathy for Truck…
🙁
One can feel empathy, and still be resolute, one can forgive, but not trust.
Why is it necessary to be emotionally removed from the bad guy?
So that we may pant him as the villan? With faceless, masked henchmen?
I’m not even a villain and I want faceless, masked henchmen.
You don’t have to paint someone as a villain if they do it themselves, intentional or not. That generally happens with three basic causes: ignorance, idiocy, and indifference. Truck’s leaning towards ignorance here, but it doesn’t make me feel any sympathy for him.
Truelly? Our own idiotic Prime Minister, Tony, inspires fear and rage in me, but still I can empathize with him: I can understand his mind and where his dreams come from. I know what his utopia is, but I don’t want to live there. I will lend my strength to getting him out of office, because he is ignorant, tyrannical and dangerous.
The best villains are the villains that we can empathise with. The people that we can understand. Because they’re the scariest. Because they’re not so different to you… Terah.
holy… wooooah. it hit him like … a truck. Sad realisation time.
And in the end for Truck, he realizes that he was the monster. However, he shows that yes, he does have hope. Like Todd said, he needs help and this is the first step to recovery.
And not Tom said you tried to hit a teacher, he didn’t mention gender when it is in fact a woman he threatened to hit. Maybe Tom has a chance as well. Let them heal.
And Truck goes from Bully to Kid. Nicely done. He’s lucky he has at least one parent who cares enough to try to help him. Maybe he’ll end up a decent person faster than some of the little so-and-so’s I went to school with (you’d NEVER believe the adults used to act like they did when they were kids…).
I don’t remember him saying “I’m sorry.”
Anyone else?
I don’t think he is there quite yet, he only just realized that his behavior was unacceptable and that he isn’t untouchable like he thought. Truck will probably need counseling..
Yeah, I suspect he’s not going to be coming back to this school for a while, either, even if the 911 call doesn’t get him expelled. It’s going to be a while before Truck’s ready to be around these people again.
Well the teachers and other kids aren’t there to apologize to.
Actually, I was thinking of Tom, the father.
It always sucks when you realize that you are the “bad guy” in a situation. The fact that he finally feels bad for his actions means that there is hope for Truck.
Deep down I think everyone who has been bullied just wants the bully to realize that they have done something wrong and reform.
Ahh, yeah. I felt bad about beating a guy that I thought had hit the kind of my housemate… it turns out he hadn’t… yet, though he had done some other pretty despicable stuff.
I felt bad when it was revealed that he hadn’t, in fact, hit a child. Not bad enough to say “sorry,” since he did deserve the beating (for other offenses, things I’d not normally resort to violence to remedy), but I did still feel bad when I found out the truth.
=
Hitting kids is a trigger for me.
=/
I’m thinking of Michael Douglas near the end of “Walking Home” where his actions are brought up to him and he says; “Wait, I’M the bad guy?”
You mean “Falling Down”, right?
Yeah, *sigh* Hey! YOU see a movie once many years ago and see if YOU remember the title! (Just kidding.)
Keep up the good work with Selkie….as you know, I love this comic strip.
Well played. Truck isn’t a villain. He’s a child. And while his father can be a self-important ass he loves his son and wants to raise him well.
Well spoken.
“Truck isn’t a villain. He’s a child”
The two are not mutually exclusive.
First: huzzah to 500 comics!
Second: nicely done with Trucks realization regarding who was in the wrong, and Big daddy T handling it in a compassionate, caring way (as he’s had a moment to calm down for earlier…and the police shock to everyone)
Third: there is no third item.
There is also NO Rule 6!
Third, the nice policeman will come out of the principal’s office any moment now to say “wait up, it seems this IS a police issue after all!” Even though Todd said he’s not pressing charges, it still needs investigating, probably with social workers and/or child services.
…I could foresee Truck having to do a sort of kids’ community service at the orphanage. As long as Amanda’s gone from there so she didn’t make him her henchman.
Thank you, Dave, for 500 comics. I applaud you for giving me an interesting and captivating read, and hope for 500, 1000, 5000 more!
I do find it odd that the Professor is allowed to take Thomas home just like that. In my experience, that’s not how it has gone down, but I realize my experiences do not encompass the world.
Well, we still haven’t seen the end of the situation until the police officer gets back on screen, but even then I think it’d be a fair guess that Truck is suspended for a while.
I wouldn’t put it past the Professor to take it upon himself to make that decision, either. 😉
Yeah, I think it’s a unilateral decision, but as long as he brings a written excuse when he does return, maybe the school will let it slide; it’s not like he’s skipping out on his own.
I assume recess is over and Selkie’s class has restarted by now, too. How much time has passed?
You’re correct about recess being over. It’s about halfway through science class right now.
Selkie missed half of science class? Oh no! How will Dr. Terrorhammer get her PHD in Mad Sciences without getting a solid foundation at this pivotal age?
Wow, Dave, 500! I’ve been with Selkie from maybe the 20th. It doeasn’t feel like it has been so long. This remains my favorite webcomic, so thank you for updating reliably!
HAPPY MILESTONE! BREAK OUT THE FESTIVE HATS AND PARTY STREAMERS AND FISHCAKE!
I like how Truck is clutching his stomach in the last panel.
Happy 500! And well played, this strip. Who knows, maybe Truck will actually reach the point of saying “I’m sorry” someday. He’s got a lot more trouble than he realizes coming…he DID also alienate his classmates over his lies.
Fourth panel, Selkie’s face is priceless.
My boyfriend sent me the link to Selkie last week while I was bored at work (he’s an avid webcomic reader) I read all 500 comic strips within two days. Keep it up! Keep doing what you love! I am adoring every second I get to read Selkie. All the different dynamics of the couples in this and the diversity is so beautiful! I am adopted too so I am completely relating to this…Thank you for creating selkie! I wish I could have it in print form to be able to read it to my kids someday. If you ever get supported with funding to create Selkie print comics, know that I’ll definitely be buying!
Thanks, glad you like it!
If your interested in book firms, I have the first two arcs in a print-on-demand service. There’s a link to the right if the strip if you’re interested.
Wow, 500 comics! Gratz, Dave! Here’s to many, many more!! (Yay, exclamation points!!)
Reality seems to be closing in on Truck. Interesting to note that his father focuses on “you tried to hit a teacher” rather than Truck’s actions against the other kids. Am I detecting just a smidgen of remaining denial or reading too much into it? Time will tell.
The other kids are his peers. As far as Trunchypoo is concerned, there could still be some mutual fault there. But threatening a teacher? An authority figure? Somehow that seems like it would be higher up on Trunchbull’s list of don’t-ever-f*ing-do-that.
I agree. Other kids are just – kids. But a teacher? Trunchypoo is a teacher. Threatening a TEACHER is like threatening HIM.
Selkie in panel 4: Dude, if all you’ve got is “nuh-uh,” It’s not even fun to rub it in anymore.
Ahh 500, I remember that feeling.
And what a nice comic for a milestone too. This is satisfying as a resolution.
I hope this means Mr. Trunchbull has moved past some of that speciesism with Selkie. I suppose time will tell.
WOO 500 COMICS!!! And yay for a successful surveillance mission! Well done! 😀
Is anyone else hearing the after school special music as Trunchbunch and Truck walk away? No? Just me then?
Also, congrats on 500.
I’ve written posts on the subject of Truck, and bullying, and then deleted them before posting, many times. This whole story arc has been meaningful to me. I was bullied and harassed by a kid much like him when I was young (middle school age). He actually lived down the street from me, so he slapped me around both at home, and at school. Truck reminds me SO MUCH of him.
When I became an adult, I learned a bit more about this kid’s home life, and that his dad was abusive to his mom. He was acting out on me the way he saw his father treating women. Even though he had caused me a lot of mental anguish in the past, I came to feel bad for him, instead of just angry with him.
I don’t know what the story will say about Truck (I’m glad that it doesn’t appear that his parents are abusive, even if he is fictional), but I think there is still a parallel between him, and this kid, as well as all bullies, and that is that bullies are created, at least to some extent, by their environment. (Not blaming the parents in all cases, as there many possibilities) Anyway, I’m glad to see this more relatable side of Truck, as a confused kid who needs a bit of guidance.
Also, Yay! Five-hundred Selkies! Congratulations!
PS Nice body language in panel four. No word bubbles needed, because I’m imagining them myself, “See ? I’m the good guy. This is me being the good guy.” Hehe.
I had a feeling that Trunchypoo would react like this.
You know, Todd never got Trunchbull’s word, technically….
Now I’m imagining an army of Selkies… O.o
Congrats on 500.
Reminds me of the “Are we the baddies?” skit.
Totally worthy of being strip #500:) Great job, Dave!
It may not happen, but I’ve been thinking about it for a few days, and I’m kind of looking forward to a day some point in the future where Truck (on his path to making sure that he is NOT the bad guy) tries to redeem himself and unexpectedly stands up for Selkie and the other kids.
It may not be in the cards, but it is something I’d like to see.
Congrats on 500. Good stuff!
I do like the gradual changes in Thomas throughout the whole chapter. With him finally realizing that maybe his actions may not be as harmless as he thought, or the fact that he isn’t untouchable, he has hope yet. Great job. :3
Congratulations on 500 strips, Dave! You never cease to amaze me. Keep it up!!!!
Coming soon Tommy: Basic morality lessons with your dad
World history might have gone a bit different if some Adolf had had a caring dad like Dr Trunchbull. (The older you get, the more difficult it becomes to be able to see you’re not always and under all circumstances the Good Guy that’s always and under all circumstances nice and right.)