38 thoughts on “Chapter 5: Lit, page 11.”

  1. “Catalyze”, now that’s an interesting word for it. So when Gene said it was “drunk people only”, that was his personal rule, then ? The other Jakes will just “catalyze” anybody ?

    1. It was probably because she wasn’t certain that he could do so without a normal person catching him. We’ve seen how easy going he is. She was probably worried he wouldn’t have the sense to run or punch someone out if needed. If someone is drunk, and you aren’t acting suspicious, they probably won’t notice a darn thing.

  2. Marcus’ angry/pouty face in the 3rd panel is a thing of beauty. As is Gene’s beatifically dim expression.

  3. Marcus isn’t going to have a face left if he can’t learn to keep it shut!

    I think I have a strong dislike for everyone in this room except for Gene and Zora.

    1. As do I, although I admit to a certain level of “can’t stop watching” like when I am in the mood for COPS., as rare as that is.

  4. I love Gene. Hes just oblivious to everything, but I still think hes smarter than anyone will give him credit for.

  5. A grave is being dug. With word and anger and ignorance and arrogance. I honestly expected The lesser of two Elliots to drop first. But it looks like Marcus may very well be having an accident from a very high height!

  6. Dammit, Feather, I’s *told* you they’d turn agin’ ya! Ya jus cain’t kee ’em under foot forever, ya know!

  7. Y’know, she’s becoming a hero of mine. Villianize her all you want, but… she is alive. She is a survivor. She ensures that her children are alive – and sometimes, just that, is enough.

    1. Maybe so, but she’s also really quite cruel to all her children but Gene, and especially Marcus. They’re alive, but they’re bullied and cowed.

      1. She’s the law unto them. They don’t follow CITY laws, but I’m betting that among the Jakes, your parents are the law.

      2. I would say she’s cruel to Gene, especially when she uses him as an oracle. She’s just not cruel to him in the same way as the others, and that probably has less to do with any sentiment held towards Gene and more, I suspect, with the simple practical reason that such manipulations wouldn’t get a proper response out of him.

    2. She manages to not devour her children for sustenance in the richest country in the world. country pride

    3. No. What her children went through, and what her grandchildren are going through, is nothing short of out and out child abuse. If Feather were a real person, I would do everything I possibly could to see her in jail, and those kids with some non-insane people.

    1. I never noticed before, but the old gal wears a LOT of rings; I hope the Jakes know how to cobble together some dentures.

  8. I keep wondering why they need to give Marcus alcohol anyway? I mean, dull the pain, yes, but which pain? He seems to be doing fine right now – what more pain are they going to inflict on him? Pull his remaining teeth? And I think Gene’s playing one of the video games, which would make him even more oblivious to things going around him than normal. :D

  9. Man you had hick neighbors growing up or something didn’t you, all this family squabbling dialogue is spot on.

  10. I know it sounds horribly nitpicky, but it doesn’t ‘feel’ right that Marcus is pronouncing F fine when his S’s are stunted, since they’re both airy/out the front of the mouth sounds. Then again, I’ve never been swole up in the cheek and missing teeth.

    Amazing page otherwise. I’d love to see Feather give Marcus a spanking like he was 5.

    1. All of my front teeth are still attached, but they’re loose enough to wiggle around and could probably be pulled out by hand, so I’ll agree with a variety of trauma-induced speech impediments depending on who got hit and how. Marcus’s left cheek- including his left side orbicularis muscle- is currently nonfunctional, and you don’t get hit in the mouth and face like that without biting the hell out of your tongue in the process; professional fighters wear mouthguards for a reason.

      …And not just because a mouthguard increases your power by 30%, man.

  11. Actually, the essence of Jakeskin seems to be fairly well described in what Feather said about “Bring about the Fall best you can, but not on yourself.” They’re not simply trying to live without civilization, they’re actively trying to make it crumble faster. “Catalyze” is such an easier word on the ears than “steal” or “ruin”, innit?

    Noblest one in the group is Gene, but only because he seems to be the only adult (for lack of a better term) without malice. As for the rest of them, if you think that doing something to hurt someone else intentionally is part of what you believe in, you have fallen far from the path of Wisdom, and you’re just another rat trying to get to be King of the s**theap.

  12. They never learn. Trust me, dude when an old lady says something to the tune of “you’re tryin’ me”, you should back away. O_o But yeah, maybe dentures and an even more black eye is the fashion…XD

  13. You know it’s probably harder to pickpocket these days than it was when Gene was a child—unless you are just trying to steal credit cards (versus cash). Very few ppl I know carry much cash anymore. It’d explain why the Jake kids didn’t score that much.

  14. “Happy families are all alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in it’s own way.” -Tolstoy.
    I think we’ve just hit a nerve with the jakes…

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