A lot of noses out of joint
Some real grappling today, some sweaty tussling. I know that some sections of the audience will have been longing for a little kiss as a payoff to today’s comic set-to but I’m afraid you’ll just have to close your eyes and imagine it. — COLOURS BY SAMMY BORRAS
Love Billie’s facial expressions!
I foresee Billie advancing to the top spot in Tredregyn.
Pulling Weeds for Christ is the Christian Rock album of the year. I think those four young God Botherers from Tredregyn are really going to go places. With the chart topping single I wanna Clasp my Hands and Here Comes the Son, not to mention the crowd favorite Hey Judas, they may be on track for legendary status.
I was always more of a Bosom of the Beast fan, myself.
Hell, who isn’t?
And let’s not forget their rousing alternative TV theme song “Adam’s Family!”
I love “My Sweet Dark Lord.”
And then there’s the classic I Get By with a Little Help from Baphomet.
Indeed, indeed. I’m rather partial to “Mephistoph’les Forever” and “In Father Dagon’s Garden” myself.
Damn your eyes. Now I’ve got Mephistopheles Forever stuck in my head. Worst ear-worm ever.
I agree with Pitchfork – not naming the album I Get By With A Little Help From My Fiends was a missed opportunity.
How dare you be more clever than me.
And the special bonus track You’re Just Another Job to Me.
Where is Brian in full werewolf mode? Brian fought Penrose to a standstill, he would snap this faux Sir Richard Branson in half.
Like Jason, Magus Tom Pendennis is no fighter, not really.
Satanism is about indulgence, but too much self indulgence is self defeating
It’s okay if there’s no kiss. Perhaps it could end with some fierce, yet tender biting.
Who would have ever thought I’d find myself rooting for Tom. Especially one page after he was gloating about getting rid of Billie.
Tom might be a Satanist, but he’s not an assho… wait, he is an asshole, but he’s not evi… wait, he is evil, but Bob Warren is worse.
Magus Tom is a jerk, but he’s kinda cartoony in his villainy. Always a bit over the top, kind of a big ham about it, etc. That makes him amusing. And like every cartoon villain, we know he will not actually change the status quo. Whatever he does, there’ll be a new episode with more wacky adventures!
Bob Warren is a jerk, but in a very down-to-earth way. He evokes real-world corruption. That makes him despicable. And his intervention will change things up, not necessarily for the better.
Or, to put things another way: the worst that Tom Pendennis can do is make our protagonists angry for a short while. The worst that Robert Warren can do is make our protagonists depressed for a long while.
“I’m not cartoony; I’m just drawn that way.”
I feel that while you are in essence correct, this may be somewhat underestimating Tom.
Tom is a rat, but Bob is a rat with a franchise. You know, like Mickey Mouse.
Tom… *means* it. Sure, ‘it’ means ‘evil Satanist asshole’ in this context, but he *believes* in it. Warren doesn’t care for anything except lazily-acquired power.
Tom is a jerk, but he’s *our* jerk. Right?
Better the devil you know…
Or, in this case, the devil WORSHIPER you know.
Having Maggie or Billie on the church doing their part in keeping the operation afloat doesn’t look so bad now eh Tom?
I’m thinking that Billie is about to dropkick a bestie’s dad.
And maybe coerce Tom into renewing her contract, cut her rent in half, etc.
I just realized: Bob Warren is to Tom Pendennis what Tom Pendennis is to everyone else. He pushes all of Tom’s buttons, has zero sense of personal boundaries, and is completely impervious to other people’s hatred (thrives on it, even). He’s the Meta-Tom!
Tom is wicked and corrupt and does sins one-off.
Bob is real Evil
Dunno, this is just a matter of people’s tendency to root for the underdog. One could explain it as an instinct that when two enemies are fighting, they destroy each other. Tom could learn a lot from the notion that he gains sympathy when he appears to be being persecuted…
To be fair though I think Tom is more cringe than evil, whereas Warren is really dedicated to destruction of all that is good.
It’s sort of a riot having Tom accuse him of self-aggrandizement though
Nah. Tom is self indulgent, petty, mildly sadistic and so on. But fundamentally he is lazy and has small self-centered desires. Individual averos done one off for pleasure. Bob does much worse simply because it’s more efficient for profit, because he can, without distraction, and with dangerous ambition. That makes him much more dangerous and accomplished more true evil
I think Tom makes the mistake a lot of evil people and Satanists make:
He assuming the Dark One favors him and his Tredregyn mission because of the supposed outrageousness of his vanity and wickedness.
The reality is, as you said, his own narcissism (and, ironically, the supposed “purity” of his “do what thou wilt” dark theology) that limits the evil he can cause to a small orgy-based movement for the bored elderly in a rural Cornwall town – whereas Bob’s more “palatable” brand of Satantology, combined with his powerful worldly connections, has created something wealthy, worldly, popular with the mainstream, and terrifyingly dark indeed.
The Devil is usually no end gladdened to see followers tear each other tooth, nail, and unto maims or death so that the strongest may emerge in terrifying wickedness.
Wow. You made a character who makes Tom look like a good guy. That takes some skill!
I came to say much the same thing. He might be one of John’s greatest villains.
Most of John’s villains aren’t really evil. Usually just misunderstood.
Even the Ruler of Hell
Which one?
I have a long held theory that Tom is secretly good. He tried to warn Billie and Maggie about the sesh gemlin. The opportunity for a punch out was a *perfect* present for the Rev. And so on.
He’s never good if he can help it, but sometimes he just can’t help it.
Brian once indicated that Tom wasn’t always as bad as he is now, but got a little too into playing the part as he went along (or something like that). Of course, that’s from Brian’s perspective.
Oh well then I’m not the only one who was thinking: “kiss???”
Gasp! Tom! Such a genuine faith and desire to avoid the mercifully of his belief. This is so important, Impressive. After this Billie’s opinion about him must have been changed forever. Tom may become a true leader for her♡.
I’m still a little doubtful of that. Even if Billie came to his rescue, I’m sure Tom would just resent her even more.
This is all a defense anyway, Tom believes only in Tom. Warren only believes in Warren. When two narcissists fight, they accuse each other of narcissism
I think Tom has a more sociable side. And even is he’s terrible and egocentric he seems to refuse to force people doing what they don’t want, like Warren has tried to do with Maggie.
I could really do without seeing Bob Warren kiss anyone.
Tom/David is where the slashficcing’s at.
I’d prefer Brian/David. Go bears!
“Kiss”? Really. Bite his nose, that’s the ticket!
I thought “glorication” was a typo but apparently it’s a word I just hadn’t heard before. Cool!
Sadly it is actually just a typo :C
I am partial to “glorification”.
Stupid autocorrect. I am partial to “glorifaction”.
I’m more of a “gorification” guy myself.
It should be “glorification”, I think.
You’ve probably heard of that one
So is Trident like the Alpha Course for satanism?
That was exactly my thinking.
I understood this reference. Ugh.
As much as we all loathe Trident and Bob Warren, Tredregyn CoS (Brian and Billie) would be much better off without Tom, so I find myself rooting for Bob’s agenda in this case. Very conflicted.
Without Tom however, it seems unlikely they’d remain satanists for much longer.
Tom leaving might make things better, but Tom bringing the Tredregyn CoS into a larger organization where Bob’s in charge definitely wouldn’t.
Illegal hold! I predict Tom will soon be in the Boston Crab.
I always love it when wrestling makes an appearance. Excellent full nelson application there.
Love Bob’s face in panel 4! Lots of character in that l’il pose!
Whereas it SHOULD be about the glorification of Tom Pendennis, eh? Always fun when narcissists struggle for the top spot.