And that's the only stand in the store

Ziggy has been reduced to performing illicit favors to pay his cell phone bill. Tell me this wasn't what the author intended.

I think Ziggy could climb right up a wall with those feet. *Spluck spluck spluck*! How did his race evolve like that?

Bottles Not Books

Holycrapholycrapholycrap - the door must have been opened for the Apocalypse, because today's Ziggy is everything that I could have ever wanted, and it's a multi-panel endeavor to boot! It makes me forget yesterday's self-plagiarism. Presented, unmodified as always, as originally printed. This wonder requires a panel-by-panel, stream-of-consciousness analysis:

Panel 1 (after the unmodified-as-always throwaway panel in all its hospital-green splendor): Look! Ziggy's buying a sizable stack of books! That book on stress avoidance should come in handy. "Plink! Plink!" the excitable keyboard says as if in agreement.

Panel 2: "Coping With Persecution"! No way! "Plink! Plink!" Don't forget stress!

Panel 3: Anxiety and embarrassment. Pshaw! "Plink!"

Panel 4: Oops! You forgot your bag, Ziggy! Beep. . . beep. . . beep. . . - like some kind of fiendish water torture, it rains upon you.

Panel 5: Ziggy wipes sweat, tears and shirt lint all over the exit doors as he frantically shakes his fanny in a horrific parody of surrender. The Man converges upon him, prepared and eager to do their civic duty by riddling him with lead and anger.

Whoever said that Ziggy wasn't the darkest comic in the papers?

Friend in Need

Best strip since "DENTAL FLOSS MALFUNCTION!"

Clutch that beanie, Ziggy. Clutch it in desperation. Now how are you gonna pay off that bookie?"

Intermission

In an attempt to brighten up what has been a week of unending darkness and fear, I offer this panel from Mar 23, 2007. Here Ziggy's expression is less crushing confusion than surprised embarrassment, and the people he deals with show a sense of humor and cheerfulness. And take a look at that Peppermint Patty doppelganger - I haven't seen such a sincere smile since the last time she showed up.

Actually, maybe Ziggy didn't even know that they made Sailor Moon underwear. Maybe there's a 14-year-old girl somewhere with a bag full of nothing but child-sized multicolored T-shirts. I mean, does this look like a guy who knows much about underwear?




Perhaps the expression on Ziggy's face is not embarrassment but a sudden realization. He's hard to read sometimes.