Is this what you really want
The so-called third dimension probably deserved a mention. We’ve not really talked about FLOVORR, the mysterious entity who supposedly lives at the bottom of the sea. I have a few theories about what Flovorr is. As the creator of this comic, I suppose I should have nailed this down earlier. I think it’s either a sunken buoy with an eye painted on it, or an ancient god who almost exactly resembles a sunken buoy with an eye painted on it. We can get into this in the comments. How do you pronounce “buoy”? “BOY” or “BOO-EE”. Either way, try to keep it between the navigational beacons.
WOW! The Mysterious creature’s face is a true nightmare! I love how Shelly is able to not show her fear and stay brave.
Ditto. Many have underestimated Shelley at their peril.
She’s been held captive by professional supervillains, with real live volcano secret bases. This amateur hour stuff… eh.
They’re Welsh miners with strange fixations. I’m telling ya!
(I’m totally lying, but I’ve been recently chastised about spoiling any genuine Purley-related facts or surprises and I’m doing my best.)
Are you sure it’s a buoy? It could be a gull.
Alternatively, “It’s just an old hatch. This is not FLOVORRtown!”
I pronounce it like on Benthic Anenome’s classic album, Fear of a Black Ink Sac:
FLOVORR FLOV, YEAAAAAH, BUOY!!!
Hopefully, Shelley won’t believe the hype.
She’s gonna fight the powers at sea!
He’ll dish out some some cold lamprey.
The best part of that album is the giant conch shell Flovorr Flov is always wearing around his neck. It’s such a shame he and Muck D fell out later!
If you think Purley’s did not have to pay through the nose to get a lighting system that makes Shelley’s hair look green, you are wrong.
I’m half expecting it to be our favorite Fishman…..
Or his evil grandfather.
Or Gibbous Moon, who’s finally worked out how to multiply her research budget?
I’d dearly like to see Desmond Fishman save the day here with some typically selfless act of bravery.
Or something.
I always thought I had a pretty good imagination, but my brain’s having trouble processing the association of “Desmond Fishman” with “typically selfless act of bravery”. You may have caused permanent brain damage there.
If you sub out “selfless” and replace it with “accidental”, you’ll find it hurts less.
I hereby request that we get to see Shelley snorkeling in some future comic.
I second this. Shelley looks great in any kind of diving gear.
Is Flovorr the source of those creepy thuds? Does a sunken buoy lie at the bottom of this hidden, wet vault? So many mysteries to be solved!
I believe that that is the Good Reverend pounding on the Purleys’ door. I’m bettin’ that THAT will be enough to wake Flovorr!
Knock, knock, knockin’ on Purleys’ door…
I don’t know — those thuds seem to be coming from down below.
I think that what is happening is that they are coming from Rev. Penrose pounding on the front door (remember – that’s the sound the Rev. is making in the previous strip) and descending under the heavy weight of Rev. Penrose’s blows. He’s a very heavy knocker.
Uh, I thought that was just reverbation from the trap door being flung open. Not that this comparatively mundane explanation would make jumping down a good idea.
It’s most likely the crashing of sea waves. Purley’s is built on a pier, IIRC. That shaft Shelley’s looking down is probably full of sea water and jagged rocks.
May I add an echoing combination of the rev’s knocks and Shelley’s heartbeats as a theory?
Is THIS what you want?
What you really, really want?
I’ll tell you what I want!
What I really, really want –
If ya wanna be my or’cle,
This is the sooth you say –
How do we wake this Flovorr
And get him walk our way?
My prediction:
It will turn out that Shelly really does know how to awaken Florvorr, but has wisely denied that, knowing that awakening that beast will cause all kinds of trouble.
So Hurley shoves her down the hatchway and to avoid drowning she has to awaken him and rises on his back to the surface. Then the vicar has to deal with the monster AND the Hurleys. Only Florvorr is very unhappy with the Hurleys for abusing his prophetess so Florvorr dispatches the Hurleys, goes back to sleep, and the Vicar is left with a case of axus interruptus and the police don’t buy his explanation about the dead Hurleys and they haul him and his axe away. Lottie now has to find a way to clear his name.
Of course John will come up with something way more entertaining.
I’m still holding out a little hope that Shelley turns out to unknowingly be an emissary or conduit of Tibkins (like the Shobojin with Mothra) who is a kaiju guardian of Earth and friend of mankind pitted in eternal conflict with Florvorr and other Eldrich horrors that represent common problems children face as they go through life.
Purley, not Hurley. Though, if one of them is named Hurley Purley, I certainly won’t complain.
The first and second stages have been confused for ages. Knowledge has been lost. How much does it cost?
Very nice niche reference, today of all days.
I work hard at this stuff, Mark! Also, I’m working about two months ahead, so it’s almost as much of a surprise to me as it is to you.
If you don’t give her a snorkel she will drown and not awaken anything at all
Let’s hope he will understand that.
Of course if you’re going more than a foot beneath the surface she’ll drown event *with* a snorkel. (Unless I’ve been using mine wrong, which is very possible.)
a snoracle for the orkel.
No snorkel!?
Sorry, but that’s a deal-breaker!!
Is The Third Dimension the comic equivalent of our Fourth Dimension (being that comic pages are 2D and all)?
I’m thinking the Fifth Dimension and the Age of Aquarius.
Let the sun shine in!
It’s pronounced “boiiiii!”
Loudly, and higher-pitched than your normal speaking voice. Every time you say it, even at a funeral in a church.
I’m trying to come up with a possible reason you would need to say “buoy” at a funeral or in church.
I got nothin’.
I have complete faith that Shelley has a plan up that merino wool sleeve.
Let’s hope not. Shelley usually does better when she’s improvising.
I love Shelley’s expression in that last panel. Pure unadulterated Winters.
“B’wee”
That’s the traditional pronunciation in my part of the whirled.
If it’s not pronounced “boo-oy”, then I’m gonna have to settle with boo-ee.
The etymology given on Wiktionary is interesting: an Ancient Greek ox turned into Latin leather, and from there became Frankish fetter, which transformed into Old French chain, before turning into Middle Dutch floater, and from there it became the English buoy.
It’s kind of fascinating how it was a cow at the start.
I tend to pronounce it kinda like “boy” but with just a hint of “boo-ee”, to clarify what I’m talking about.
Se’ll tell you what she wants, what she really really wants.
Can’t believe I’m first with this after two whole days.
She’ll. Doh.