A “Publican” is the owner or “Landlord” of a Bar, Tavern, or “Public House.” Hence the colloquialism “Pub.” A London Publican would simply be the guy who runs a Pub in London, although not necessarily the owner these days. You’ll note that the window of The Victoria advertises “Game Night,” hence this is clearly a sort of table-top game. It appears to be a play on the etiquette of British Pub culture, which is different from American bar culture.
The Ninja Turtles in the background are on the side of a typical Pinball Machine. Something not uncommon to see in a Pub, depending on location and laws.
Oh, my eyes! I thought that was a poster and it seemed a very strange choice for an English pub. Thanks for clearing that up of COURSE it’s a pinball. One that I bet I’ve played before.
Unable to reply to Eggshead – you’re right he is reading a map! I wonder what he’s up to……and if Gibbous Moon is involved. (I don’t remember how that story ended! What happened to her?)
Remember, according to Steeple Vol 1. #3, even Tom likes the Reverend. And I mean REALLY likes him, possibly in the Biblical sense.
The notion that Penrose is a virtuous enough soldier of God that Brian respects him and Tom wants to maybe bed him is one of those Steeple deep lore cuts I absolutely thrill about.
1) If anyone who knows game design at all wants to crowdfund the creation of London Publican, I am in at the tier of your choice.
2) This is SUCH an educational comic. Had never heard the phrase “on the pull” until now. (Being married, I also no longer have a use case for it, but knowledge itself is its own reward.)
Also pursuant to the previous comment, if anyone can tell me why Dinky made their UFO Interceptors *green*, of all colours, I’ll consider myself doubly enlightened this evening.
“The Dinky models were green as opposed to the white that they were in the series. This was due to Dinky having a psychologist who suggested that children would not buy white toys but that they would snap up green ones. With this in mind Dinky bought a large amount of green paint and used it on the UFO Interceptor models.”
As a kid, I was very rigid-minded. We weren’t even a year into owning our first colour TV when UFO aired, so I glommed onto this new chromatic data with dogmatic zeal. I hate to say it, but I think I would have spurned a green Interceptor.
If I recall correctly, it would be the same paint used for the SHADO 2 mobiles so that bulk buy would have multiple uses. I have fond memories of one of my friends demonstrating the missile launcher of that vehicle and having the projectile intercepted mid-air by their labrador, who promptly swallowed it.
I’m not sure if the “kids wouldn’t buy white toys” argument makes sense. I have no reason to believe the Captain Scarlet angel interceptor didn’t sell as well as the other merchandise. But then again, I only saw one person with a Maximum Security Vehicle (everyone wanted an SPV).
I think John may be playing a trick on us American English speakers by pairing having sat in the car with it being a fanny magnet. I definitely read it, first go, as the seats being comfortable to the buttocks. A little later I thought Wait, that’s one of those words you have to be careful with in the UK.
A “fanny magnet” is a rather rough term for a person or item which attracts beautiful women. You should imagine here that it is being used ironically. It’s an old-fashioned term.
The word “fanny” is the deadly antipersonnel mine of international English vocabulary differences. The American usage is just a cute, harmless word for “bottom”, and the British version is an extremely vulgar word for female genitals. The potential for misunderstanding is made even worse by the fact that both of these are in the same general region of the body, so gesturing or pointing is likely to just make things worse.
As a newcomer to the U.S. I was always puzzled by the utility bely known as a “fanny pack”, especially as it seems to be more likely to be worn to the front in the U.S. and the rear east of the Atlantic. Make your mind up!
I have learned more British slang from John Allison’s comics than from all other sources combined. If it weren’t for these comics, terms like “pashing” and “fly tipping” would never have entered my vocabulary.
Same here, but I guess I missed at least one. What is “fly tipping”? I’m getting images of bored adolescents trying to flip over houseflies before they take off, maybe with a chopstick.
Based on this comic, it’s a card management game. On your turn, you are the publican, and play a card (?) charging the other players, who must fight it out to see who pays.
Cards can be used as money or for actions such as to avoid or push costs onto a specific player, or to rack up the costs as publican.
No doubt, who gets to be the Publican rotates around the table each turn, so you are trying to maximize your income when you’re the Publican and minimize the outgo when you’re the customer (I was going to use “tosser”, but, given the discussion on British slang above, I wasn’t sure if I was getting it in the right context).
I would have each card have two sections: one to use when you’re the Publican and one to use as the customer.
The tap handle being used as the designator of the Publican looks like a Kickstarter stretch goal; otherwise, the game packaging would be rather easy to carry and very amenable for use on small pub tables. Nice design!
There could also be separate decks for the publican and customer, with each player having cards from each. Though, looking at the setup, I think that’s unlikely.
I would expect the game ‘board’ to be a round, printed vinyl that would fit the average pub table and cope with spilt pints. There would need to be round, printed spaces (coasters) for your drinks and the cards would need to be plastic coated and extra large to minimise leaving them behind or in pockets when packing up drunk.
One of the cards, which should be tradable, would allow the option to stop playing and just drink instead.
I don’t think that’s Brian talking in that first panel, referring to the car’s magnetic qualities, though. I think it’s Maggie. She’s the most likely of the three to have been in the car.
So lovely to see Billie, Maggie and Brian on a night out talking sh*t about their other friends in absentia (well Maggie and Brian anyway), just like real friends do.
I quite like Tom as a fictional character. He’s always entertaining, and his vileness gives everyone else something to react to. Of course, if I met him in real life I would want nothing to do with him.
I looked up E605 and I don’t think this is what you meant but I liked it a lot.
“The trio E605 started to produce hardcore techno and speedcore in the early 1990s and was first founded by Eike Brüning aka ESCII. Bruiser and Antec joined a little bit later. All was (and still is) done mainly for fun! After years of abstinence, E605 had a comeback in 2017. The newer tracks are mainly produced by Carsten Hettmann.”
A Hyndai? I was thinking it might a Patreon Allison. I’ve heard tell that you never know what’s going to happen in one of those, but it’s always interesting!
What is that object in Billie’s right hand in panel 2, and the sorta-wooden-rocking-looking thing under it? I can’t even come up with a good semiserious guess.
I suspect that the day will come, perhaps in the not-so-distant future, when rapid inflation and hyper advanced tractor technology will render this comic’s punchlines either confusing or moot.
I’ll never forget the first time I ordered an alcoholic drink in That London. I’m pretty sure you could have heard the ”OW EFFIN’ MUCH?!?!?!’ back in Bootle.
I need this game immediately. Where can one purchase it and in what currency?
I need someone to explain to me what it is! Also —- Ninja Turtles??
A “Publican” is the owner or “Landlord” of a Bar, Tavern, or “Public House.” Hence the colloquialism “Pub.” A London Publican would simply be the guy who runs a Pub in London, although not necessarily the owner these days. You’ll note that the window of The Victoria advertises “Game Night,” hence this is clearly a sort of table-top game. It appears to be a play on the etiquette of British Pub culture, which is different from American bar culture.
The Ninja Turtles in the background are on the side of a typical Pinball Machine. Something not uncommon to see in a Pub, depending on location and laws.
Oh, my eyes! I thought that was a poster and it seemed a very strange choice for an English pub. Thanks for clearing that up of COURSE it’s a pinball. One that I bet I’ve played before.
I’m surprised that Des didn’t somehow manage to replace one of those adolescent chelonians in panel 2.
And I just noticed that Des is actually in panel 1.
Just leanin’ on a wall, reading a paper, as he does!
Reading a map?
He’s tyred.
Unable to reply to Eggshead – you’re right he is reading a map! I wonder what he’s up to……and if Gibbous Moon is involved. (I don’t remember how that story ended! What happened to her?)
I would love to see Brian and Penrose being together. Going at agricultural show, have adventures, a lot of fun.
I look forward to the spinoff comic featuring farmer Amos Nankeen having wild adventures and doing crazy stunts on his combine harvester.
So do you see this comic as set in the past, or as it featuring Amos Nankeen’s ghost?
Because okay, I suppose a comic about a ghost farmer doing crazy stunts on a haunted harvester could have possibilities…
I was assuming it would be set in the past, but I like your idea better.
*brian’s glorious flowing beard!*
This is how I will swear all my oaths from now on. “By Brian’s glorious flowing beard, I shall have my vengeance!”
Brian likes the ladies who like the Reverend, anyway.
Brian likes the ladies, and Brian likes the Reverend, and Brian likes the ladies that like the Reverend. That’s a triple win there.
Remember, according to Steeple Vol 1. #3, even Tom likes the Reverend. And I mean REALLY likes him, possibly in the Biblical sense.
The notion that Penrose is a virtuous enough soldier of God that Brian respects him and Tom wants to maybe bed him is one of those Steeple deep lore cuts I absolutely thrill about.
Tom and Penrose erotic fanfiction……is begging to be written.
Yes. Mostly by Tom!
After their spouses’ untimely deaths, I wonder if it takes a lot more to impress those widows. You might have to work harder, Brian.
He can lift Big Ken. Greased or ungreased!
1) If anyone who knows game design at all wants to crowdfund the creation of London Publican, I am in at the tier of your choice.
2) This is SUCH an educational comic. Had never heard the phrase “on the pull” until now. (Being married, I also no longer have a use case for it, but knowledge itself is its own reward.)
Also pursuant to the previous comment, if anyone can tell me why Dinky made their UFO Interceptors *green*, of all colours, I’ll consider myself doubly enlightened this evening.
(previous COMIC. dammit)
According to Wikipedia –
“The Dinky models were green as opposed to the white that they were in the series. This was due to Dinky having a psychologist who suggested that children would not buy white toys but that they would snap up green ones. With this in mind Dinky bought a large amount of green paint and used it on the UFO Interceptor models.”
I guess they had to use up all that green paint!
I always liked the green. Then again, we had a black and white TV at the time.
As a kid, I was very rigid-minded. We weren’t even a year into owning our first colour TV when UFO aired, so I glommed onto this new chromatic data with dogmatic zeal. I hate to say it, but I think I would have spurned a green Interceptor.
If I recall correctly, it would be the same paint used for the SHADO 2 mobiles so that bulk buy would have multiple uses. I have fond memories of one of my friends demonstrating the missile launcher of that vehicle and having the projectile intercepted mid-air by their labrador, who promptly swallowed it.
I’m not sure if the “kids wouldn’t buy white toys” argument makes sense. I have no reason to believe the Captain Scarlet angel interceptor didn’t sell as well as the other merchandise. But then again, I only saw one person with a Maximum Security Vehicle (everyone wanted an SPV).
@Gravatarless I don’t buy it either. Major Matt Mason was a pretty hot commodity in the late 60s. Plus (waves at entire Apollo program)
I think John may be playing a trick on us American English speakers by pairing having sat in the car with it being a fanny magnet. I definitely read it, first go, as the seats being comfortable to the buttocks. A little later I thought Wait, that’s one of those words you have to be careful with in the UK.
Um… comfy seating car is _not_ what it means? I totally missed that as well.
A “fanny magnet” is a rather rough term for a person or item which attracts beautiful women. You should imagine here that it is being used ironically. It’s an old-fashioned term.
The more harmless American idiom would be “chick magnet”.
Fanny is the same as p***y in North America. There I said it. See it’s practically a swear word here I can’t even type it without blushing.
The word “fanny” is the deadly antipersonnel mine of international English vocabulary differences. The American usage is just a cute, harmless word for “bottom”, and the British version is an extremely vulgar word for female genitals. The potential for misunderstanding is made even worse by the fact that both of these are in the same general region of the body, so gesturing or pointing is likely to just make things worse.
As a newcomer to the U.S. I was always puzzled by the utility bely known as a “fanny pack”, especially as it seems to be more likely to be worn to the front in the U.S. and the rear east of the Atlantic. Make your mind up!
Lucky no one mentioned ‘rubbers’.
I have learned more British slang from John Allison’s comics than from all other sources combined. If it weren’t for these comics, terms like “pashing” and “fly tipping” would never have entered my vocabulary.
Same here, but I guess I missed at least one. What is “fly tipping”? I’m getting images of bored adolescents trying to flip over houseflies before they take off, maybe with a chopstick.
“Fly tipping” is illegal rubbish dumping. See: https://tacklingflytipping.com/aboutfly-tipping/1474
Mentioned in this comic: https://www.gocomics.com/bad-machinery/2017/11/08
Based on this comic, it’s a card management game. On your turn, you are the publican, and play a card (?) charging the other players, who must fight it out to see who pays.
Cards can be used as money or for actions such as to avoid or push costs onto a specific player, or to rack up the costs as publican.
No doubt, who gets to be the Publican rotates around the table each turn, so you are trying to maximize your income when you’re the Publican and minimize the outgo when you’re the customer (I was going to use “tosser”, but, given the discussion on British slang above, I wasn’t sure if I was getting it in the right context).
I would have each card have two sections: one to use when you’re the Publican and one to use as the customer.
The tap handle being used as the designator of the Publican looks like a Kickstarter stretch goal; otherwise, the game packaging would be rather easy to carry and very amenable for use on small pub tables. Nice design!
There could also be separate decks for the publican and customer, with each player having cards from each. Though, looking at the setup, I think that’s unlikely.
I would expect the game ‘board’ to be a round, printed vinyl that would fit the average pub table and cope with spilt pints. There would need to be round, printed spaces (coasters) for your drinks and the cards would need to be plastic coated and extra large to minimise leaving them behind or in pockets when packing up drunk.
One of the cards, which should be tradable, would allow the option to stop playing and just drink instead.
I have a Hyundai, and have yet to experience these purported attractive properties. Do I need to take the car in for a service?
Keep in mind Brian’s standards for women are quite generous.
I don’t think that’s Brian talking in that first panel, referring to the car’s magnetic qualities, though. I think it’s Maggie. She’s the most likely of the three to have been in the car.
That should be covered in the extended warranty. If you didn’t get it the first time, I’m sure they’ll be contacting you soon.
So lovely to see Billie, Maggie and Brian on a night out talking sh*t about their other friends in absentia (well Maggie and Brian anyway), just like real friends do.
I like EVERYONE in the series.
Excepting Tom, of course.
I quite like Tom as a fictional character. He’s always entertaining, and his vileness gives everyone else something to react to. Of course, if I met him in real life I would want nothing to do with him.
I only like Tom in that he’s delightfully loathsome.
Maggie’s looking good. Painting the Rectory must be keeping her fit.
“Painting the Rectory”? Is that another one of those wacky British turns of phrase? 🙂
I thought most agricultural marriages are terminated by
a comfortable live insurance + an eager farmer´s wife + E605
I looked up E605 and I don’t think this is what you meant but I liked it a lot.
“The trio E605 started to produce hardcore techno and speedcore in the early 1990s and was first founded by Eike Brüning aka ESCII. Bruiser and Antec joined a little bit later. All was (and still is) done mainly for fun! After years of abstinence, E605 had a comeback in 2017. The newer tracks are mainly produced by Carsten Hettmann.”
https://www.discogs.com/artist/15272-E-605
THERE THEY ARE.
A Hyndai? I was thinking it might a Patreon Allison. I’ve heard tell that you never know what’s going to happen in one of those, but it’s always interesting!
What is that object in Billie’s right hand in panel 2, and the sorta-wooden-rocking-looking thing under it? I can’t even come up with a good semiserious guess.
It looks like an old-style pub tap handle. Possibly a prop for the game, indicating the player whose role is Landlord.
This is exactly what it is meant to be, a “beer pump”.
Let’s hear it for representative art.
That’s exactly what I thought it was but it still made no sense to me. But that’s never gotten in the way of me enjoying this comic. 😀
It appears to be a beer/ale/porter tap. Probably a prop; part of the game play. Whoever holds the tap is playing Publican that turn.
It appears I should have refreshed the page, as others have already answered this.
You have outdone yourself, sir. Hats off to you.
I suspect that the day will come, perhaps in the not-so-distant future, when rapid inflation and hyper advanced tractor technology will render this comic’s punchlines either confusing or moot.
I’ll never forget the first time I ordered an alcoholic drink in That London. I’m pretty sure you could have heard the ”OW EFFIN’ MUCH?!?!?!’ back in Bootle.