Philippe's Mystery Story  09/14/2006 « prev 1st rand curr next »




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robobogle » pro 2 years ago
It's also funny that despite his "little kid-ness" he has better spelling, grammar, and punctuation than most of us posting on this site. Also, has anyone else ever tried writing on a typewriter and having it come out looking as good as this? It's tough. Phillipe is a tiny otter genius.
anonymous44 » neu 2 years ago
I've got a 1950 Olivetti Lettera 22, it still types all kinds of awesome if you hit the letters hard enough.
c_dizzle » pro 2 years ago
Panel 4 definitely looks like he's hitting them hard enough. It's like the Franz Liszt of story-telling. He's totally into it.
gsail11 » neu 2 years ago
He's winking in panel 4, silly
bixschmix » neu 1 years ago
He's little-kid winking, where they try to wink but because they don't quite understand how to do it, just end up blinking emphatically at you.
c_dizzle » pro 1 years ago
Well it is a damn passionate wink. Derived of story-telling momentum AND a healthy dose of child ism, perhaps.
mangtastic » neu 3 months ago
Chubby for the Liszt reference.

That man could write one HELL of a piano piece.
tagrineth » pro 2 years ago
"PUNCH the keys, for God's sake!"
broahsaurus » pro 1 years ago
Year late chubby for a wonderful reference.
rawk5tar » neu 1 years ago
You're the man.

Now, dog.
stewieisgod13 » pro 2 years ago
That's awesome.
onepapertiger » neu 1 years ago
I'm rockin a Swiss-made HERMES 3000--which is apparently one of the finest "portables"--and it's STILL tricky as a motherfucker to get clean pages out of it.
As a MOTHERfucker.
scorpio_nadir » neu 1 years ago
Especially with otter flippers.
pogo » pro 1 years ago
I wonder if Philippe knows that "jewels" can have another meaning.
macseries » neu 1 years ago
he doesn't really understand the meaning of the word "crave" though. diction isn't one of his strong suits.
lolsworth » neu 1 months ago
He DOESN'T EVEN HAVE FINGERS. Philippe kicks everyone on the Internet's ass SO HARD.
klaus » neu 2 years ago
Cornelius is concerned.
zeroasalimit » neu 2 years ago
He damn well should be. Philippe could outsell him due to the cute factor.
mrphaethon » pro 2 years ago
Cornelius is not concerned, he is displaying a mildly patronizing paternal atmosphere as he enjoys watching his young friend's exploits.
hollis » neu 2 years ago
I think Cornelius is neither concerned nor patronizing. He is just bewildered at Philippe's multifaceted character. See the "bilingual palindromes" strip.

Also, I love the "Wink!" comment. Way to get into your own story, Philippe.
dropkickpikachu » neu 2 years ago
He tries so hard to wink properly, too, like a little kid with not quite enough fine muscle control.
agika » neu 2 years ago
I like how Phillipe winks with both eyes at once. That's how I winked when I was a kid, too.
zefiel » pro 2 years ago
I always mimic the facial expression of people i'm drawing. Not good when you're sketching in the middle of a class. I am no longer five.
slalvation » neu 2 years ago
I mimic the facial expressions of people I'm reading about!
tekende » neu 2 years ago
I do this too sometimes. A book will say that someone nodded, or shook his/her head or whatever, and I'll do it too. I imagine it probably looks a little strange to outside observers.
deus » pro 1 years ago
This is true for many people, "the drow priestess pursed her lips", or for just people reading junk fantasy.
a chubby to balance.
spicyponyhead » neu 11 months ago
Dammit, you're right. I just pursed my lips. ha!
dopamine » neu 1 years ago
haha at least you don't add sound effects for your more dramatic poses. thats as good way to get people to stare at you, even in an art college. lol
mira » pro 2 years ago
hoorah for the continuity of signature drink = water
zem » neu 2 years ago
I don't remember that anywhere else. where's it from?
mira » neu 2 years ago
right here, my good man!
zem » neu 2 years ago
Oh yeah, hah. Cool.
scramblesthedog » neu 2 years ago
Wow, that's commitment to continuity right there.
_cheesekayke » neu 2 years ago
Whoa. That might be the most obscure reference-catch ever. You should probably use your memory for more noble pursuits... or not. I wouldn't.
epicurus » neu 2 years ago
This strip is definitely in my top five. "Okay." said the police chief.
agika » pro 2 years ago
Man, that's a heart-stopping conclusion right there. Both to the story and to your comment!
nutmeg » neu 2 years ago
man you always quote my favorite line before i can, every gooddarn time. SCREW YOU EPICURUS! FUCK YOU!
nutmeg » neu 2 years ago
and also.. a chubby.
epicurus » pro 2 years ago
Looks like you figured out the whole reason I even bothered to register an account - so I could put my mind-reading powers to good use by posting all your favourite lines.

Also, I see you know the name of the cream that the Venezuelan doctors use to get rid of me.
hollis » neu 2 years ago
Chubby each for you and Nutmeg for the Lyle reference! Awesome.
professoryes » neu 2 years ago
More stories should end like that.
untilyouaresonude » pro 2 years ago
"Yaaay! Done!"
ghostd » pro 2 years ago
It ends on such a high note, too. The police chief acknowledges that Rip knew where the jewels were. So much literature leaves that to chance nowadays.
agika » pro 2 years ago
So much could be learned from Phillipe.
agika » pro 2 years ago
I like how Phillipe makes it work out so that Rip Berryrock didn't waste his money. He knows that real hard-boiled detectives never waste their money on plane tickets. Good job, Phillipe.
lux » neu 1 years ago
The best part is he just rolls down his plane window and yells to the pilot. It's a nice little-kid touch.
prine » pro 2 years ago
Rip Berrycock gets on a plane to catch a criminal and is then dismayed to learn that the criminal has skipped town.

Last panel is beautiful.
prine » neu 2 years ago
...BerryROCK. Damn, now bizarro's going to tell me I'm subconsciously gay.
i_love_kate » neu 1 years ago
You mean Retardo?
prine » neu 1 years ago
Shit.
bizarro » neu 1 years ago
Me am not thinking you are gay. Me am sure you are [/i]totally[i] straight.
fineoakstructure » neu 7 months ago
damn...bizarro is so bizarro that he even bizarro'd his italics tags.
_cheesekayke » neu 2 years ago
...A subconscious reference to Teodor's cranberry-dong?
catachresis » neu 2 years ago
Damn, this strip has such energy

RUN TO THE TYPEWRITER / TAP TAP TAP TAP TING TAP TAP TAP / OK DONE / RUN AWAY
wehavemagnums » pro 2 years ago
Best to get a running start on a novel with so much mystery to it.
cicadalek » neu 2 years ago
TAP TAP TAP *WINK* TAP TAP TING
paperboy_2000 » pro 2 years ago
Like Ray's sex life in the previous strip, sometimes you just have to run at a typewriter and hope it winds up as a hard-boiled detective novel.
boredom_man » neu 2 years ago
If Mickey Spillane, you can just run to a typewriter, type about a hard-boiled detective running at a naked woman, and be assured that the shit will sell.
giantants » pro 2 years ago
I worte and illustrated a very similar story in the third grade, but the main character was a cyborg with like a gun hand that also shot a grappling hook.
tekende » neu 2 years ago
Wasn't that a Nintendo game? Bio-Commando or something like that?
bjorntd » neu 2 years ago
And Metroid. But I'm not sure that Samus is a cyborg.
charchar » neu 1 years ago
firesign » neu 1 years ago
Well, Samus Aran got a grappling hook in Super Metroid, but Bionic Commando came out long before that, and featured the hook far more prominently.
tbtabby » neu 1 years ago
BIONIC Commando, actually. There's a remake of the game coming to XBox Live, as well as a fully 3D sequel for the 360 and PS3.
fattypneumonia » neu 5 months ago
Y'all some nerds.
charkie » pro 2 years ago
This is exactly how I handle term papers in every way. "Yaaay! Done!"
cheeks_jd » neu 2 years ago
The CASE of the MYSTERY.

This reminds of me of my high school friend who used to put "CASE CLOSED" at the end of essays to confuse teachers.
whalethief » neu 2 years ago
I love this strip. This has to be one of the best yet.
cousinted » pro 2 years ago
His pacing might be shabby, but that writing is pretty solid for a five-year-old.
joeyramoney » pro 2 years ago
phillipes' expression in panel four warrants a five.
bovine » pro 2 years ago
notice how he doesn't know the word 'stewardess.' SO CUTE
mygoodfriend » pro 2 years ago
He's also shaky on the meaning of crave.
thegrapist » pro 2 years ago
First strip
And it got me hooked.
geozimmdrake » neu 2 years ago
my favorite part is when philippe says 'wink' and shuts both his eyes really tight
serf » pro 2 years ago
the driving leg is the worst leg to be shot in
baryonyx » neu 2 years ago
Especially whilst driving.
tekende » pro 1 years ago
'Cause then you're all like "oh man no I have been shot and I cannot drive now"
nokococo » pro 2 years ago
Oh my god he is the cutest thing ever. And who among us hasn't enjoyed a typewriter in such a hearty fashion?
autobahnbismark » neu 2 years ago
My favorite part of the strip is how Phillipe CHARGES at the typewriter, and then runs away to do something else as soon as it is done. I wish I had that kind of zest for life.
tbtabby » pro 2 years ago
Move over, Danielle Steel!
dapooka » neu 2 years ago
Come to think of it (and speaking as a library professional) Phillipe writes better than Danielle Steel.
spinynorman » neu 2 years ago
I really don't like Anthony Lane much. He's too snarky. All of his reviews, while well-written and clever, are also very self-involved. I read reviews to find new aspects, flaws, and high points of either books or films, not to have some smart ass riff on and on for his own damn amusement.

On the other hand, this strip is fantabulous.
fineoakstructure » neu 2 years ago
I cede these points, but I still like Anthony Lane in general. He's mostly snarky when he really doesn't like a movie; his reviews of films he enjoys can be almost inspiring at times.

The self-involved nature is a requirement for New Yorker film critics, of course.
spinynorman » neu 2 years ago
I'll give you that. The most irritating part is that when he does get self-indulgent and somewhat snarky it's hard to sift through it and figure out what's good or bad about the movie. The only thing he tells you are there to be set up for jokes, which you can't judge much off of.
fineoakstructure » neu 2 years ago
I agree, his snarky reviews are sometimes enjoyable and witty, or at least parts of them are; but I've noticed that often they're not even that clever; some of his supposed scathing barbs are pretty forced or just confusing at times.

For dismissive reviews, I'd much rather read most of the Onion AV Club reviewers, as they manage to deflate any bad movie with genuine wit while still not succumbing to the overwrought pomposity that Lane can delve into at times. They also remember to review the movie at some point, too.
spinynorman » neu 2 years ago
Yeah. The AVClub has been one of my first hits whenever checking out movies. Their backlogs of movies (My Year of Flops, My Year of Cinema) are also pretty fascinating to read.
pogo » neu 1 years ago
I have no idea who Anthony Lane is, and do not care to know. That is my review of him. Yay, done!
soticoto » neu 2 years ago
Nothing quite like Philippe's "wink" turning into a blink.
When I think back to it, when I was 5 I couldn't wink either, and no matter how hard I tried it always became a blink.
bungdeetle » pro 2 years ago
Oh god... my stories were pretty much like this.
meowmix » pro 2 years ago
aawwwwwww that was so adorable.
I know its been said before, but Onstad really knows how to write kids.
catbark » pro 2 years ago
I like to think Cornelius is saddened because he hasn't felt passion for writing such as Philippe's since "So Many Whales". But he's probably just anxious to get his typewriter back.
mulisha7 » pro 1 years ago
I love how, in all the Phillipe writing strips, he really has no idea where his story is going. He actually gets worried for his characters. That is why he is a special boy.
charchar » neu 1 years ago
Rip Berryrock is in an airplane with rolled-down windows. I will not make a joke about shooting the breeze
nothingman » neu 1 years ago
Special appearance by Cornelius!
ctaronno » neu 1 years ago
I couldn't properly punctuate dialogue until 9th grade, Phillipe's doing alright.
lemminadetate » neu 1 years ago
gotta love the two-eyed wink.
leon » pro 1 years ago
Jesus Christ, Philippe is such an efficient writer. That couldn't have taken longer than five minutes. He probably could write the equivalent of the entire Hardy Boys anthology before bedtime.
ketelcat » neu 1 years ago
Aaw will you look at him winking with both eyes =)
dj_douche » neu 1 years ago
Philippe is awesome. That is all.
aamzed » pro 1 years ago
Rip Berryrock would make a great porno name.
filetmignon » pro 1 years ago
Oh how I love Philippe!
tonyhighwind » neu 11 months ago
Man, I don't care what anybody says, that's a great job for a five-year old. That kid's got chops.
fattypneumonia » pro 5 months ago
I hears "Rip Berryrock," I thinks Flintstones.

Also see: Ann Margrock, Cary Granite, Rock Quarry, Stony Curtis. And southern roots rockers Dash RipRock.
greenkoolayd » neu 5 months ago
rip berryrock is a rather tough-sounding name.
iamthelolrus » pro 3 months ago
I love Phillipe. Also, he blinks with both eyes- for some reason I find that hilarious.
Displaying all 106 comments