wife & kids & failed science experiments

all summer long
deep into autumn
in a high room
and down here in the bottom
down here in the bottom

[Yes, good. Placate yourself with the scottie dogs, Slick. My supply is bottomless. I am an excellent host.]

Author commentary: I think the understated, four-frame GIF of Spades Slick slowly but confidently pocketing an infinite supply of licorice scotties is easily one of the best animations in the entire story. I believe in this fact passionately. Then Doc takes off his jacket for some reason. It almost reads as the kind of thing someone does before he kicks another guy's ass. Except he's not going to do that for a good while. We still have to get through a lot of his scrapbook storytime before Slick gets the drubbing he's promised. This is one of those small things that's easy to miss, even on a reread. He's actually priming himself for LE to emerge from his body. LE's standard form involves the shredded Hulk-style white pants, the suspenders, and often no coat. But if he does wear a coat, it's the much bigger, infamous one we've seen a few times already. Doc removing his white coat is both practical preparation for the transformation that's about to take place, but also a symbolic gesture, retiring one coat in anticipation of growing into a much bigger one. Almost like what hermit crabs do with their shells.