Tom Sewell

Hmm... I've been reading since 2006, so 12 years... which would be about 32% of my life. ...How much of my life I've been following EGS doesn't really surprise me all that much, but it is strange to think that 3/4ths of the comic's run has occurred since I started reading. I've been following EGS since October 2015; this is the first comic I saw. I think I probably found it looking for comics similar to I Dream of a Jeanie Bottle. I got interested in Jeanie Bottle because I was writing a story about a soldier at the end of Desert Storm who finds a bottle with a genie. Not a very big percentage of my life.

Speaking of Mama Kitsune, I had a thought I'd never had before. Mama Kitsune has always seemed older to me than Noriko, but there's no reason she couldn't be younger or even Noriko's twin. If Mama Kitsune is actually Noriko's kid sister, it could give her additional motivation for friction with Noriko.

Since it's now in canon that human magical talents are inherited, it would make sense for every one of the Main Eight to have at least one parent with magic or at least magical potential. From there it's a short step to parents with "jobs" such as "greeting card salesman" and "used furniture dealer". Moperville is supposed to be near Chicago, and Chicago has already had at least one very notable "used furniture dealer".

So Tedd's mom is a "travel agent" and Elliot's dad is an "accountant".

There was a joke in NATO during the Cold War that villages in West Germany were generally one kiloton apart.

If the city is Detroit, is everyone sure it hasn't already happened?

I just discovered that it's illegal in Chicago to fly a kite or fish while sitting on the neck of a giraffe. I wonder if this will affect the story?

I don't think Dan has ever made it explicit whether different people see the same thing when they're reading a given spellbook. We know now that spellbooks can grow and shrink. That implies that the text and the illustrations can change. And, of course, they're magical, and we already have characters who use illusion magic (Demonic Duck and Nanase). We don't know yet that Ellen has lost any of the spells she had before Sirleck hijacked her body and Magus blew up the so-called diamond that created Ellen. Maybe she doesn't need to study them now because they've become innate. Maybe the only thing in her spellbook now is: "You don't need a spellbook," We've established that Tedd is a Wizard, that he's fully awakened--and he doesn't have a spellbook, does he? Why? Does he need one? Does Ellen?

Which Volcano? Wikipedia lists seven movies that have been released as "Volcano". I've seen two of them, the 1997 edition about a volcano erupting in Los Angeles, and one that came out in 1969 as Krakatoa, East of Java. This was a movie set in 1883 when the actual eruption happened. It does have charm and a wonderful ship from the era when ships still had sails and engines, and the other special effects are good for its time. However, the geniuses who wrote the script didn't bother to look at any maps; Krakatoa is a small island just West of Java. There is a famous island just East of Java, but it's called "Bali". The title became Volcano for the re-release in the Seventies.

I have a history of epilepsy going back to 1971 and I've seen this movie four times now, so your mileage may vary. However, my spoiler smells spoiled today. Possible Spoiling of the Spoiled Spoiler: Person who I thought I glimpsed may not have been the person I thought I glimpsed.

Just finished: The Mouse on the Moon (Youtube) Just starting: This Island Earth (Youtube) These are old movies, but worth a look, especially Earth. Both were based (loosely) on novels, and I've read both novels. Mouse is the second "Mouse" movie and was based on the second Mouse book by Leonard Wibberly about the (fictional) smallest nation in the world, the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. Saw earlier today: The Incredibles 2 (third time). Spoiler (select to see): When Elastigirl thinks she's found the Screenslaver's secret hideout, she finds plans of the train that was sabotaged and the helicopter that was hijacked. Right next to the plans, pinned to a corkboard, is a photograph of the real villain smirking at her. Update 8:30 PDT (03:30 UTC) Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962) (Youtube) I saw this movie when it came out in 1962 at the Main theater in Mackay, Idaho. I was 11 years old and I thought it was lots of fun. I still do.

Really? Nanase might disagree. Also, why has Mr. Dunkel gotten young?!

I think I need to borrow that I'M JOKING sign from Grace. Bitcoins are another "foolproof" path to wealth in the tradition of Tulipmania, the South Sea Bubble, and Bernie Madoff. The only question I have is whether or not Bitcoins are a complete fraud or just an idea that won't work.

The real Naperville South High teams are the Redhawks, but looking at the logo, not too hard to swap it for a Raven on a big M. Think it would be appropriate? I also thought of the Owls since they are a trope of EGS since forever and, of course, all those potential Hooters jokes. Feel free to make your suggestions here. Can't promise any cookies. As for colors, oh, silver-and-black?

Say, anyone remember that Gunsmith Cats is set in Chicago? Rally Vincent trumps NASCAR and the WWF!

Maybe Magus is paying with Bitcoins?

I admit my first thought upon seeing a young woman deliver pizza to a barely-dressed Magus was "Dan's watched OLD porn." But I had another think and I wondered why Dan didn't have Matt Cohen deliver the pizza. Dan put some work into creating Pizza Delivery Gal or "PDG" until a better name comes along, so I'm wondering if she'll just vanish forever after this single comic.

I knew a guy in college whose mother was much older. Her name was "Moore" and she named him "Juan". Penn Gillette named his daughter "Moxie Crimefighter". Anyone remember Moon Unit Zappa? And her brother Dweezil?

So the driver's name is Bernard. First or last name? Who knows. But if he needs a first name, I suggest "Julius" because Dan has given him has the face of another famous Julius:

Fishes and Dragons are related in at least two different mythologies. Chinese mythology has dragons starting out as catfish. And Celtic mythology typically depicts dragons as living in lakes. There's a reason to think "dragon" here that may fit the storyline quite well. Magus/Ellen is obsessed with fighting dragons. But Moperverse Ellen has sort of become a dragon. Maybe Dan is laying groundwork for Magus realizing that the dragons of his universe are also people? Maybe we should start calling Ellen "Mink". Ever heard of Dragon Half?

Hmm. Maybe it has something to do that wooden core that turned out to be a scale from a dragon? I remember a scene from one of Disney's noble flops, Dragonslayer. Galen, the wizard's apprentice who failed to slay the dragon Vermithrax, sets out again to try. The woman who loves him, Valerian, gathers shed by scales shed by the dragon, makes a shield for him, and gives it to him, saying it might save his life. It does. Galen doesn't slay the dragon or save the princess (not Valerian, a commoner) but he does slay the dragon's young. And the scene when Vermithrax finds her slain children is actually moving.

Now that's a really interesting idea. I think it's more likely that Tedd will learn that spell first. Put them all together and they could make a simulation that would put the catalypse Catalina and Rhoda feared in Escape From the Mall to shame.

Stray thought: Could Lucy have been at such a card tournament while Diane was meeting Susan at the mall? Lucy fits the roleplaying profile as well as Catalina does, and I've always thought she might have been one of the nerd girls Catalina joined when she went to Salty Crackers with Susan during Spring Break in Hammerchlorians.

Well, I guess Ashley gets to meet Grace pretty soon.

Any of you want to jaw about the Han Solo movie? I've seen it twice so far. No spoilers in this post, but I was surprised it was directed by Ron Howard. I will say it does have one character who turns out to be a different gender, and it includes a couple of clever retcons to explain the 12-parsec Kessel Run and gave me hope that Han will be restored to shooting first when he takes out Greedo.