<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>

Some of you may be confused as to why I'm uploading a page of Big Brother Turd rather than a page of Demigod Daycare. Well, in case you haven't seen my latest journal, I'm considering putting Demigod Daycare on hiatus, since I'm not really happy with the story as I've written it so far. I do like a few of the pages following the one I uploaded most recently, so I might finish those before officially putting the comic on hiatus, but right now, since Big Brother Turd seems to be the more popular of the two, I wanted to get another page out before my next vacation.

It should be noted that Kenny's dialogue isn't random muffling; you just need to listen to figure out what he's saying. I thought about how to incorporate that into my comic, then ultimately decided to write his dialogue as vague but decipherable syllables.

Cartman's line in Panel 8 is based on a YouTube comment I saw once that really made me mad. I believe it was on a re-upload of an old Mister Mektour video on ABDLs or babyfurs. The best way I can describe it is it was like one of those jokes that sets you up to expect one thing, only for the punchline to subvert your expectations, except what it led to wasn't funny at all. The first line pointed out that people age-regress to cope with traumatic childhoods, which sounds empathetic, then the second line was, "Thank goodness I had loving parents, because this is proof that autism can be developed!". I think that speaks for itself.

You might think it's silly to get this pissed off over a YouTube comment, but I think it's what's behind the comment that gets me. There are times when people say things I find ignorant, rooted in prejudice, or even harmful, but I can at least understand why they'd think that way, if not why they'd think they're in the right, but this is something any decent person should realize is wrong. I understand being put off by the idea of grown adults dressing and acting like babies and toddlers. I understand thinking ABDLs/Littles are just crazy or creepy pedophiles if you don't know much about the various communities or have only been exposed to them through dehumanizing media. I understand thinking age-regression is an unhealthy coping mechanism. I do NOT understand knowing full-well that age-regression is a coping mechanism and using it to make fun of abuse victims, promote harmful stereotypes, and be ableist. If you're inclined to do that, you need to get help.

Anyway, what better way to get back at that asshole than by putting their words in Eric Cartman's mouth? Well, at least in a way that fits him. I can't see Cartman bringing up autism outside of stuffing hamburgers into his pants and saying he has "assburgers", but he would absolutely use the R-word. Speaking of which, I debated whether or not to censor the word. Part of me was inclined to trust that the moderators would understand that my comic by no means promotes the words use and that it's being said by Eric Cartman, who is supposed to be bigoted. Another part of me was worried I'd get in trouble for using the word at all, regardless of context. In the end, I decided a slur wasn't worth risking my account being suspended or terminated. Plus, I got a good fourth-wall joke out of it. Cartman, you dress as a raccoon superhero! You're not one to talk.

Stan has said Shelley used to be nice, so I had that in mind when writing the flashback. For what it's worth, I don't think younger Shelley would've been a complete 180 from current Shelley; kids aren't perfect angels, after all. I just think she would've been a generally happy kid and thus more inclined to be nice to Stan, whereas once she hit puberty, and especially after she got her headgear, she just became mad at the world.

The kid in Panel 20 is Trent Boyett from the episode Pre-School. Shelley and Stan's outfits in Panel 19 are based on their Adventure forms (or, in Shelley's case, her only form) in South Park: Phone Destroyer: Sharpshooter Shelley and Stan of Many Moons.

That's all I have to say. Stay tuned for more.

South Park characters belong to Comedy Central and Paramount.