[2012-Sep-15] Pac Kafka

[P1h3r1e3d13]

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db ... 2736#comic

It works surprisingly well.

I do have to point out that there is a word missing in the panel where the ghost is eaten: “... through the tangled ______ of the mouth-man.”

[cheesus]

This should be developed into a short story. I just had an existential experience.

[Anon21]

Yeah, normally I come in here to be like, "Oh Zach, you suck," or "Human beings don't talk or act that way, you're terrible at this," but this was actually really good. Bravo, Zach!

[gemeric]

This should be developed into a short story. I just had an existential experience.

Are you Pac man?

[Surely you guest]

That was terrible, what's wrong with you people?

[sotic]

Say what you will about needlessly long comics, I enjoyed the ghosts' drawings.

[SoJ]

Please get started on centipede.

[Aniketos]

I loved it, I checked the forum just to see how cynical people were and am surprised to find positive responses outnumbering negative .

[Eumesmopo]

Terrified not only of death, but also especially from life; those creatures were not fully human, yet not totally unhuman. They were mere shadows cast by the pitiful and regretful existence they had in life... ghosts. The dread of their fateful end - the annihilation of their own ego - was so great and shaking that it became a immensely powerful driving force would drive those wrecked souls into constructing webs of lies, denials of their own mortality, which would accompany them even in the dark limbo of afterlife, for they could not look at themselves - see their own incorporeality - and admit the painful truth that they were no longer. And so, even into the half-existence of their vital lie persisted, for not even the visit of Thanatos could free them of their primary maladjustment to life. Instead, the tragedy of dying only made their characterological armours stronger and more concrete, for now they where not mere deliberately false formulations about life that delved in the depths of their unconscious minds, but they were the very walls that composed the dark labyrinth devoid of exits which they were trapped in for all eternity. That alone would be a doom that no human would desire even for his worst enemy, but lady destiny (in her infinite sadism) found this mere emptiness not enough a torment and thus added a final painful element: A mouth that could do nothing but eat every single spot of color and life that would ever sprout from the maze leaving nothingness in it's wake. In that absurd situation no other option remained for the poor phantoms, but to continuously chase the mouth... forever.

[Guest1]

Please get started on centipede.

Centipede has already been made into a movie.

[GUTCHUCKER]

I didn't like it. Not horrifying enough.

[Sentient AI]

Please get started on centipede.

Centipede has already been made into a movie.

A good movie at that.

[Lethal Interjection]

I also rather liked this comic. Except that it was too long and switched focus from PacMan's existentialist angst, and focused on the ghosts. And that ruined the flow for me a little.

[FarleShadow]

Terrified not only of death, but also especially from life; those creatures were not fully human, yet not totally unhuman. They were mere shadows cast by the pitiful and regretful existence they had in life... ghosts. The dread of their fateful end - the annihilation of their own ego - was so great and shaking that it became a immensely powerful driving force would drive those wrecked souls into constructing webs of lies, denials of their own mortality, which would accompany them even in the dark limbo of afterlife, for they could not look at themselves - see their own incorporeality - and admit the painful truth that they were no longer. And so, even into the half-existence of their vital lie persisted, for not even the visit of Thanatos could free them of their primary maladjustment to life. Instead, the tragedy of dying only made their characterological armours stronger and more concrete, for now they where not mere deliberately false formulations about life that delved in the depths of their unconscious minds, but they were the very walls that composed the dark labyrinth devoid of exits which they were trapped in for all eternity. That alone would be a doom that no human would desire even for his worst enemy, but lady destiny (in her infinite sadism) found this mere emptiness not enough a torment and thus added a final painful element: A mouth that could do nothing but eat every single spot of color and life that would ever sprout from the maze leaving nothingness in it's wake. In that absurd situation no other option remained for the poor phantoms, but to continuously chase the mouth... forever.

Sounds like the bedroom of my last marriage!

[Tarodore]

I could not help but think of this article's interpretation of Pac-Man while reading the comic.

I think both interpretations are valid, personally, and both are remarkably entertaining.