This week's panel suggested by Dan J. Vice!



HE-E-E-E-LP!

Once again, my schedule has taken a turn for the insane, with two speaking engagements next Monday and Tuesday, massive personal obligations and the monthly "I Can't Stop Thinking!" column looming in addition to the weekly Zot! Online (see the Online Comics section for links to both). So once again we'll have to skip next week's Carl. Sorry about that!

As always, suggestions are listed in the order they were received. Thanks for playing and please join us again IN TWO WEEKS!

--Scott
Sunday 10/08/2000



Ben

    Um, this is probably REALLY obvious, but here goes...

  • The King of Rock and Roll appears, chewing on a deep-fried peanut butter and banana sammich, and says, "Yeah, man."


Bill Schlimme

  • Carl: "But isn't it spelled 'Aron' on the real Elvis gravestone?" Ethel hisses: "Shutup, boy! Nobody dies and made YOU continuity cop!" (Alternate dialogue for Ethel: "Shut your moth, boy, or McCloud'll NEVER pay us!")
  • A rotten bloated be-spangled Elvizombie climbing up out of the brain, saying "Brains! Braaaaiiiiins! Deep-dried braaaaiiins, Mama!"
  • Elvis, holding a Mcdonald's bag: "Well at least they spelt it right this time."
  • Bob Dole flies into the scene on a giant, flying pickle.

    That last suggestion was one of my favorite suggestions (although it wasn't a suggestion I made) I think from part 2. I suppose you could update it and have Pat Buchanan and Ralph Nadar fly in on a pickle (unsafe at any speed!), but I liked that whole Bob Dole thing. It was like zen: the pickle was made for him to ride. Or something.


Bill Schlimme

    I edited the above so it made sense. I don't think I want to know why Ethel would be telling Carl to shut his "moth!"

  • Carl: "But isn't it spelled 'Aron' on the real Elvis gravestone?" Ethel hisses: "Shutup, boy! Nobody died and made YOU continuity cop!" (Alternate dialogue for Ethel: "Shut your mouth, boy, or McCloud'll NEVER pay us!")


Chris Colón

    I can't find this week's suggestions, only last week's.

  • Elvis: I care! I come back from bringing peace to the Plant of the Apes for this lousy treatment?
  • Elvis: I care! Would you like to share some of my medication, Carl?
  • Elvis: Hey Carl, can you drive my convertible to the drug store? Col. Thom forgot to give me my medication.
  • Elvis sits up in his grave where Carl is standing over the end of the burial plot I told you not to step on my Blue Suede Shoes! Carl: You're not my dad! Elvis: Well, you're no Lisa Marie.
  • Cartoony Space Aliens walk up from their nearby UFO saying "What have you done to the master?"
  • Nancy walks through the panel holding a sign that says "Insert non sequitur here."
  • Mom: It's not the wrong name. I guess you know your father's little secret now. Carl: He was nothing but a hound dog?

    If these cartoons get worked out one a week, panel 6 will be done in January sometime.


Dan Pollard

    Third time lucky for this first suggestion?

  • CARL: After all that I could use a drink. Mom, have you seen my car keys?
  • CARL: Promise me you won't drink and drive Mom. MOM: I promise.
  • ELVIS (possibly ZOMBIE ELVIS or COL. TOM.): I care

    That should make up for my writer's block last week.


Dan J. Vice

  • Dad's hand bursts, Carrie-like, out of the grave.
  • The King himself, in sunglasses and sequinned jumpsuit, stands in the crowd of mourners behind Carl and Mom and chuckles quietly to himself.
  • Carl, thinking: "Suddenly, I'm hungry for a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich..."
  • Daisy puts her hand on Carl's shoulder: "Are you lonesome tonight?"
  • Mood shot: A single lightning bolt over the cemetary.


dan wheeler

  • carl with a confused look on his face. "uuuh ... i forgot where i was going."
  • carl stands at the crossroads which directly mirrors the intersection of the panels in section 6 "hmmmm, which way?" or "too many options!"
  • carls walks by a while-u-wait heart repair shop. special today $5! carl "hot diggedy!"
  • carl is awash with maudlin emotions as he releases a heavy *SIGH*. followed by 8 or 10 more panels in a similar vein. carl smoking a cigarette. carl reading poetry & sipping espresso at an outdoor cafe. carl riding on a train staring out at the darkened stations pass him by like the years of his short meaningless existence slipping away. carl takes a turn in the goddard direction.
  • carl sitting quietly reading a book


Glen Seymour

  • Carl and Mom walk off left exposing the silhouette of Elvis behind them.
  • Mom turns to Carl, "It's not like that wasn't a future version of you" Carl looks shocked.
  • Mom - "I had to kill him because he was a vampire" Carl - with eyes bugging out, "What?"
  • Exact panel as the one above, except a hand reaches up from Elvis's tomb.
  • Mom looks at Carl, "Let's go have a beer."
  • Carl jumps up and down, "It's bad luck to see your gravestone!"
  • A large field of gravestone stretchs out behind him. Carl thinks, "I wonder who else isn't dead"

    As the politicians say, "No comment"


Grant Schreiber

  • Carl snaps a finger: "That reminds me, I'm out of white bread and butter!"
  • Cops, (possibly Friday and Gannon, or Dick Tracy and Sam Catchem) to Mom: "Come along, Ma'am"
  • Close up Carl, single tear on his cheek (Hey, it worked once!): "Now I'll never have the chance to tell dad how much he let me down..."
  • Up shot of Carl tossing flower to grave: "Later on, I'm outta here!"

    Still settling in after moving from P'cola to Chicago. Glad to see that Larry's Comics is still around. He managed to survive without Pokemon or Magic cards; a real hole in the wall comic store harking back to the glory days of the late 70s, early 80s. Super, man!


[Wow. I got into comics in the late 70's and early 80's and never thought of 'em as the "glory days!" Brrr. --Scott]


J. Wiener

  • Carl: "But Mom -- now Michael Jackson wants to marry me!" Michael is kneeling at Carl's feet and presenting a ring.


Jacob Sager Weinstein

  • As Carl leaves the cemetary, a mysterious figure with sideburns and a sequined cape beckons him from the shadows, whispering, "Psst! Carl!"


Jake Young

    Hey, I think this is such a cool thing you are doing. You should try to do more interactive comics.

  • Carl, eyes watering, fumbling around in the middle of the street. He screams in agony, "AAah! I looked straight into the sun! I can't see!"
  • Carl gets run over by a car! (nah... too obvious)
  • A depressed carl walks into to a large brick building, A sign over head reads "City Psychiatric Ward: Solving problems with prozac since 1959!"
  • You (as your cartoon self from "Reinventing Comics") make an intelligent comment in reference to the use of the "establishing panel" in the scene above.
  • THere Will NEVER BE A LAST SUGGESTION!!!!!!
  • A man walks up to him and asks "pardon me, but, Do you know the Muffin Man?"
  • A shot of a Japanese reflecting pool with a close up of single leaf floating in it.
  • A stick figure with a sad face (caption above reads, "sorry kids Scott had a lot to do this week")
  • CRaP! I just realized I was writing for the WronG PANEL D"oh!
  • Elvis is overlooking the funeral from a hilltop and with a sinister smile thinks "excellent! all is going according to plan"

    I can't believe I wrote almost all my suggestions for the wrong panel!!! this irks me to a very disturbing degree. I do not believe I have ever felt this incopetant in my entire life!


Jake Young

    I know I submitted before but That was mistakenly for the wrong panel!!!

  • Carl sincerely says to a Chassidic jew walking by "Have a peaceful and meaningful Yom Kippur"


James "DexX" Dominguez

    I think I wqs too late with my last lot of suggestions... oh well, high on the list this week.

  • Carl stands with hands in pockets, and asks his mother, "So, what now?"
  • Carl grabs the headstone and sneaks away, saying, "This'll make a nice souvenir!"
  • Elvis appears beside the boy and his mother, pointing at the gravestone in horror and shouting, "NO!"
  • Carl takes a careless step backwards and falls into an open grave.
  • A skeletal hand punches it way out of the soil in front of the gravestone.
  • Carl turns to his mother and says, "I'm depressed. Wanna find a bar?"
  • Carl and Ethel, in closeup, both look out of frame with horrified expressions on their faces, as a speech-balloon enters the frame, containing the word... "BRAINS!"
  • Carl, looking nervous, says to his mother, "Damn, this place looks familiar!"
  • Similar to the previous one: Carl, looking nervous, says, "Can we go? I'm getting BAD deja-vu!"

    Phew! That was hard...


Jeff Clear

  • A hand breaks through the ground in front of Elvis' tombstone.
  • Carl reaches his hand into the ground in front of Elvis' tombstone. Carl says "Let's see what's down here!"
  • Carl picks up the tombstone and shakes it like an Etch-a-Sketch.
  • In a little word box (what are those things called when they're not balloons?) it syas "Meanwhile..." Show Daisy and her Mom. Mom: "Promise me you won't drink and drive Daisy." Daisy; "I won't!"
  • Meanwhile... Back at Justice League Headquarters
  • Meanwhile... Daisy is looking in the mirror wondering "I wonder what Carl is doing?"
  • Carls' mom turns into the Microsoft monster we saw way back in section 2and which could still be around in this thread. "Carl," Mom/Monster says...."You have other things to worry about."
  • Meanwhile...A zookeeper accidently leaves the gate to the Ibex exhibit open.
  • Meanwhile.... A sinister shadowy shape is looking into a crystal ball in which we see Carl and mom standing at the gravestone from two panels previous (or just Carl's face). The shadowy shape says, "Curses, I'll kill you yet Carl!"


koby chodosh

    RC comment: I'm sure you've seen THE IRON GIANT. (If not, do it.) The producers of TIG used a program that randomized "jitter" into the lines of the CGI giant to make him fit into the traditionally animated surroundings. Something like this might help you. The grid of your flannel shirt always bothered my eye. Nice book good ideas besides.

  • Hand reaches out from grave
  • Two hands reach out from grave
  • Three hands reach out from grave
  • Enter: Dekko.
  • Enter: Sky.


Markus Gerwinski

  • The obvious one first: Elvis appears on the cemetry to settle down all rumors about his death.
  • Carl takes out hammer and chisel: "No, I must correct this!" (I know, I already had this one, but I still think it's good.)
  • A voice from behind: "No, the NAME is right..."


Morgan Doninger

    Long Live Rock!

  • A torch wielding mob of Elvis fans is chasing Carl. Mob: "He killed Elvis, get him!" Carl: "Eep!"

    This Carl is dead is much more fun than that whole Paul is dead thing from the sixties. Goo goo ka-choo.


Noah

    Awwww! You won't do my Bond cell. You don't have to, but it would make my day. Anyway: Humerous (in my opinion) Suggestions:

  • A UFO with Elvis appears and says "I do!"
  • A Monty Python-type foot appears and crushes them both.
  • This Carl, like last week's Carl, is also walking away, feeling sad and alone.
  • Show Carl walking away, his mom not noticing. Carl says: "I've gotta get out of here!"
  • Carl turns to his mom. Carl says "Why? Why did you kill my Dad?!"
  • Carl says "*I* CARE!"
  • Carl starts remembering images from his past; images about his dad? Show a closeup of Carl's face, with tears streaming. Is it just me or is CYOC's storyline becoming more serious now after that Ibex stampde?


P.D. Magnus

  • One of the mourners in the background proves to be an Elvis
    impersonator. The impersonators ears perk up and he looks over at
    Carl, his mom, and the headstone.
  • Alternately, an undead Elvis impersonator.


Mike Yi

    Almost at the end...

  • The flashback: Carl screams:"I can't with the guilt! I'm going to kill myself!", etc. a la lower right Section 1.
  • Carl: "Well, I never liked him anyway." (Reference to his dad, or Elvis? Or Both? Hmm...)
  • Carl: "Dad always wanted to be king, I guess."

    Geez. If we squeeze in a frame a week, the last frame will be the first of the new millenium! Wow!


[Of course, I'm skipping next week, so there goes that dream! --Scott]


Mr. ?

    Heya

  • Everyone is shocked when a guitar-wielding, rhinestone suit clad hand bursts out from the ground! Carl: "SWEET ZOMBIE ELVIS!"
  • Carl is sitting at a bar, drinking his sorrows away when Daisy bursts in. Daisy "Carl! I finally found you!"
  • Carl to his mom: "So how did Dad become a vampire anyways?" Carl's mom is standing behind him wearing an evil fanged grin!
  • As Carl and co. exit the cemetary, we see that it is really A PET CEMETARY!
  • Carl (sad): "Well, at least my day can't get any worse" Not noticing a shadow looming above him or that everyone is scrambling for cover.
  • Carl (happily): "They put the wrong name on the tombstone! That means only one thing! LAWSUIT!"
  • It's late at night and Daisy is raising the dead. Why? No one knows... yet!
  • Carl's mom: "See Carl, this is what happens if you drink and drive!" Carl (confused) "What? You turn into a vampire?"
  • Carl notices a tall lady dressed like a Goth, holding a large scythe. Carl: "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"
  • And the non-sensical pop-referencial panel: The grave opens a portal to hell and many pokemon jump out, attacking all in their path!


Nat Gertler

  • Mom: "Elvis was your dad, before he became a vampire."
  • Zombie Elvis is crawling out of a grave with an RIP Carl tombstone.
  • Live Elvis stands behind Carl. "Can't be mah 'stone; mah middle name only has one 'A'" (It's true!)


Patrick A Reid - Sycophant

    Oh! Oh! He used my suggestion! Oh! Oh Scott! How special! Oh Scott! Be heart my stilling beat! Thank you! It was everything I hoped it would be! Oh Scott!

  • A fork. No - not a fork in the road! Just a fork. A real fork. (Like my uncle from Scotland used to call me. Nice man.)

    Wow - I just wrote for Scott McCloud. How spiffing is that going to look on my resume!! Okay - over it now. (But seriously: thank you Scott. You changed my life with Understanding Comics and it is an honour to be involved with you in even the most miniscule of ways. That one tiny little Carl panel means a lot to me, as silly as that sounds. Anyway - look out for my 24 hour comic, 'Understanding Twenty-Four Hour Comics': coming soon! Eventually. Also - any chance of you popping by Australia, ever? Please? Pretty please? With cream?)


[Never been to Australia, but one of these days... --Scott]


Paul Winkler

  • (Abraham Lincoln appears, smashing through the tree, tombstone, and any other scenery in the way. Lincoln: "_I_ CARE!!!" Everyone else: "Oh my God, it's Abraham Lincoln!"
  • Carl (looking dejected): "What a day. I need a drink." Mom: "Promise me you won't drink and drive, Carl."
  • Carl (dizzy): "I ... I don't feel so good..." Mom: "Out too late with that girl of yours again, no doubt."
  • (The grave site again, now deserted, at night. Some leaves blow by. All is quiet.)
  • (A mob of reporters rushes up to the grave site.) Reporter: "Carl! Is it true your father was a vampire?" Carl: "Vampire?? YOU'RE the vampires, you unfeeling jackals!"


PJM

    Hmmmmmm...

  • Mom: "Anyway, it WAS his real name. Didn't you always wonder why his lip quivered like it did?"
  • In the coffin... DAD: "Bit of a squash in here" ELVIS: "Hey, man..."
  • Carl and Mom start trying to harmonise 'Love me Tender'.
  • A passer by runs up... "WAIT! I have a weeping statue of Bert!" CARL: "It's a miracle!"
  • CARL: "Well I don't like it mom! I'm gonna complain to the stone masons!"
  • Elvis walks up. "Hey! I'm not dead!"

    Until next week... goodbye!


Richard Marchand

  • Close up of Carl. Carl: This is great! Now with Dad out of the way...


Rusty Priske

  • Carl: So now what? Carl's Mom: We had better get home. It's nearly time for dinner.


Sean Kinlin

  • Carl wrings his hands, saying, "Maybe I can cash in on this!"
  • An Elvis Impersonator (in black, because it is a funeral after all) puts his hand on Carl's shoulder and says, "It's no accident, Carl. Your daddy was one of us, and he was one of the best!"
  • Carl thinks, "You know, I've always thought about visiting Graceland..."


Tad Ramspott

  • Carl: "And why was it a closed-casket funeral?"
  • (CAPTION: "Later") Carl sits pensively, thinking: "Dad ..."
  • (Mom, handing Carl the car keys) "Let's go home."
  • Carl: "On the other hand, maybe not." This magical incantation summons Thor, who appears in the middle of the funeral pyre, screaming "Help! I've burst into flame!" At this, Carl wakes up, saying "Whew! It was all a dream!" But he dies ... um ... somehow, just as nuclear war destroys the world. (Insert 12,463 random words here.)

    Sorry about that last one. Couldn't resist. :)


Tom Scudder

  • Carl, looking at a sequined suit and a couple gui-tars: "I always DID wonder why Dad kept all this junk in the basement."
  • Camera pulls back, to reveal that ALL the gravestones read "Elvis Aaron Presley"
  • A flying saucer appears, shining a multi-colored (animated?) beam encompassing "Elvis's" grave. Carl dives out of the way.
  • A ghostly form rises out of the grave, singing "Love me Tender"
  • Carl: "Man, I need a vacation."
  • Carl: "So, is there anything ELSE I didn't know about my family?"
  • "So, if Dad is buried in Elvis' grave, then WHERE IS ELVIS?" (You-know-who is visible in the distance, walking up from behind Carl.)


Travis Pelkie

  • Dead elvis comes out of the ground. Women, children, and men scream like howler monkeys (ooh, that'd be a good sfx).
  • Carl does his elvis imitation, gets all the ladies, Daisy is oh so jealous.
  • Carl accidently does an imitation of Elvis Costello, and then of Elvis Hitler. Mayhem ensues.
  • "Why is there an extra 'a' in aron? Elvis is alive, baby!
  • Carl (Perkins) blue suede shoes get stepped on. Mayhem ensues.
  • Daisy is shown to be the first successful female elvis impersonator.
  • A convention of Elvis imitators: Elvii
  • All of the sudden, Elvis the superhero appears (Captain Elvis, Jr, don'tcha know) and saves Carl's puny butt.
  • Vampire Elvis. Ooh, scary, for upcoming Halloween.
  • Elvis is Carl's last hope for-- well, whatever.

    By the way, and you can strike this from the record,




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