Anarchy, magik, sexual freedom
Poor Brian, he just wants things to go back to how they were. But nothing really stays the same. Back in issue 1, there was no notion that there was a flying skull (called “Mick Jagger”) living in the Church of Satan. Reality is unfolding at a prodigious rate.
Billie has been nothing but nice to you, Brian.
Ah, but it’s not Billie’s behaviour that’s got him down, is it?
Indeed. He was enraptured by her grooming of him.
I don’t think he’s complaining about Billie here.
Same, Brian greatly appreciates Billie’s presence. He’s complaining about Tom doing nothing but playing Machiavellian power games and generally just not being fun anymore. I would say though that Tom was always a miserable domineering power hungry bastard and recent events have just made it more apparent.
Oh no! Seeing Brian be sad make me feel sad to. Knowing that Billie could take the church away from him makes Tom more and more paranoid, at least Mick seems a really nice flying skull with a good sense of humour.
It’s Maggie’s father that will take it away from Tom.
She will because someone has to be the responsible adult. Neither she nor Tom will see it coming. I hope she and the Reverend bump uglies at that point. It would be do William Blake
Mick seems to have a bit of meta-universal knowledge. Or are Transformers™ a canon comic/cartoon/movie franchise in the Bobbinsverse?
Mick exists in a constant state of trademark violation. Also, as a flying skull with no assets, he is ‘judgement proof’.
Can’t get blood from a skull. At least, not a long dead skull.
Hey, at least the skull isn’t named Bob. The snark fits though.
A flying skull would be expected to be able to See Beyond the Veil (Another expression for breaking the fourth wall)
Brian, nobody is stopping you from forming a break-away sect with Billie and Maggie. Leave Tom to his foolery and do what thou willst.
There is such a thing as too much sects, you know.
Not in the Church of Satan!
Sects sects sects! That’s all you priests ever think about.
Do whom thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.
Assuming the other wilt also do thee, of course.
Do unto others as they would have you do unto them
Wilt thou do whom thou willst?
Wilt reportedly did about 20,000 others.
Yes, I know this reference will (wilt?) go over many heads. I stand by it anyway.
Joe: I understood that reference.
Better than being a cult
Just Tom out flagrantly violating British drone regulations (section 42, article f (iii): “including but not limited to levitating skulls, enchanted and/or cursèd objects and magically animated devices”)
As Tom is a Satanist, I very much doubt that he gives a damn about secular laws.
He probably cares to the extent that he stays out of the Old Bailey.
“Fly what thou wilt shall be the whole of Chapter 3, ss. 1-47 of the Consolidated Aviation Regulations.”
I think that what makes Brian sad isn’t so much Billie as that Billie has engaged in Tom his Asshattery Overdrive, thus kicking his Dickwaddery into a higher-energy orbit.
Why isn’t Mick included with the other seven heads at the top of the page? So far, in this story, we’ve seen more of him than we’ve seen of poor Jason (who got a single panel in Part 1).
Wait- Seven heads?! Are the Steeple cast going to merge together into some sort of hydra-type creature, by any chance?
Some sort of Hydra-type Enid Blyton adventure cast, I think. Note that Wikipedia has this to say about Blyton’s Secret Seven series:
“In 2018, Hodder Children’s Books published _The Secret Seven: Mystery of the Skull_ by Pamela Butchart in an effort to augment sales from the series.”
It looks like there’s room for one more head at most. I’m still clinging to the vain hope that it will be occupied by Gareth after this chapter concludes. (Let me have my dreams!)
Brian deserves only good things!
I’m quite disappointed the phaeton hasn’t exhibited any Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang level abilities. Maybe next strip if we’re all very good.
Technically it’s a roadster; phaetons are four-seaters. But I’ve been wondering about the BMW’s abilities myself!
I was wondering about the roadster. BMW type 328 from the late 30s, but would it have been badged Fraser-Nash, the importer, as it’s right-hand drive? Very advanced car for its time,
Definitely not a phaeton.
It’s an old Amstrad model 1, from the 1930’s.
Extremely rare.
The last panel illustrates Tom’s paranoia nicely. Even when someone is being honest with him, he refuses to believe them.
I was wondering when we’d get introduced to Keith Richards, but then I realized that a floating immortal liver may just not be cartoonogenic.
If anyone could make a liver cartoonogenic, it would be John Allison.
(okay, or maybe Kate Beaton)
I feel like this page is ripe for a crossover with Oglaf.
Isn’t it “magick” with both a c and a k ?
He’s actually talking about Illyana Rasputin.
If there’s one member of the Steeple cast who I could see enjoying the occasional luxury getaway to Limbo, it would be Brian.
Loving the mist in panels 1 & 3.
Thank you Mr. A for such consistently gorgeous yet also hilarious work.
“Belial’s Cock!” – Indeed.
Spell it as though wilt, shall be the whole of the spelling law.
Used to be anyway
With the dropping of letters in “willst” there, I suppose thou wilt wilt what thou willst.
I could of taught your write but i lost the jist.
I reckon Brian should come and start his own magick thing with me. With Blackjack and hookers.
Somehow, one of the girls from Bad Machinery needs to make an appearance.
Lottie already paid a visit to the Steeple folks in Author Unknown.
Would love to see the (former) Mistress of Hell, Erin, tbh
That could be hilarious, if John liked playing with the idea. Erin explaining to Tom exactly what Hell makes of the likes of him would be a good start; Tom name-dropping Bob Crowley, who I’m sure is his hero, only for Erin to mutter that he was her ex, would be the icing on the cake.
Shelley had that marriage annulled.
I want to see her reaction to the statue of Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv out front.
I’ll admit, I was hoping that, “How’s Satan doing, babes?” was going to be Lottie greeting Billie.
I had the same hope.
Mick… Descendant of Murray?
Oh, hey. Mick can do more than just offer advice.