I will, mark my words, eventually have a comic that gets the point across in 2-3 panels. One day, gang. One day. Unless... I could disguise some other media as my own content... 
Quick Update: Just wanted to let everyone know I'm running behind on the next group of comics. I have Covid for a second time. It's been royally kicking my ass this last week. This is one of the drawbacks to having 4 out of 5 kids in school. We are super susceptible to three different schools right now who are having daily outbreaks/new cases. My oldest Lily most likely has it as well. We're testing her later today. She just started high school (feels old, man) and apparently 'the teens' are spreading it like wildfire. Claire told her to stop glomping all of her friends at school. She then quickly asked what glomping was. Me and the wife are having serious conversations about possibly pulling them out to distance learn/homeschool. Our school district isn't actually sponsoring any distance learning this year (dumb) so we're seeing what we may or may not want to do. We're honestly not sure yet. Kids are germ factories. They brought Covid home at the end of the school year, then were fine all summer, and as soon as school opened up, brought it home again in the first two weeks. If I got Covid again after only 4 months I'm incredibly concerned it's just going to continuously plague our house both internally and externally. I feel like I'm past the worst part (again) and I'm intermittently working on the next installments (for Patreon and here) before I'm forced to take a break. Thank you for sticking with me. This really really aggravates me because I have so many things 'almost finished.' Regardless, they will certainly get finished. :) Thanks again Chris
Update #2: We completed our Covid Family Tree, and determined Jackson, my son, brought it home a week or so ago. He sits right in front of his teacher's desk for one of his classes, and she has been out of school with Covid for about ten days. Jack himself was ill-feeling for several days a week ago but it was more along the lines of a prolonged stomach ache. (He's had simple stomach aches before so not much was thought of it.) We rapid tested everyone in the house. Me, Claire, Lily (oldest), and the baby all have Covid. So it's gotten 5 out of 7 of us. My second time with Covid has definitely been worse than the first round. Symptoms are more severe and it's really sticking around. I feel like cardboard. I honestly think I'd deal with all the symptoms longer as long as I could taste and smell again. It's been 5 days since taste has been shut off and it's the most other-worldly experience. This virus allows for no small pleasures. Will let you know if anything else happens. Chris
Last Update: Comic will be up Tuesday the 28th. Sincerest apologies for the wait and thank you all for your seemingly endless well of patience. 
67 thoughts on “Delightfully Devilish”
Just wait for dessert, sir. I made it with you in mind.
Man, if it’s gonna be a gun the wife doesn’t know about, pick something more than a Glock.
Looks more like a colt 45 me
Sig p226
Either way, not a “don’t tell the wife” kind of gun. Save that for the FNs.
The pistol (which appears to have some disagreement as to exactly what it is) is just his everyday carry, I’d put money on one (or both) of the rifles being the “gun she doesn’t even know about”
Plot twist: it’s actually the knife.
A gunblade?
I was thinking more like a ballistic-knife, but I guess they aren’t really guns (usually just a super high tension spring)
Now I’m imaging Herb standing with a huge gunblade slung over his shoulder, looking over it proclaiming “…whatever”
Seymour’s steamed hams, huh?
Formerly Chuck’s.
These look remarkably similar to those they serve at Krusty Burger.
For a moment there, just for a fleeting second, I thought they were playing with real fire, and my first thought … “Err, why not”
I do believe that we have a forthright first comment here. Are there any seconds to the motion from the seconding committee?
I like this family. How did this start? And don’t give me: “You see mR. Blue, when a man ands a woman fall in love, and are biologically, mentally and physically able, they get married. And when the physical stuff works and is completely functioning, 9 months later, you get a tax credit that won’t cover the damages to your a Sony character based postage stamp collection, the walls, roof, porch, sump pump, or the 5 car collision on their 17th birthday. Buy insurance now. That family finds things that they like to do together. This is one of those things. ”
Alright, shut up about it already. They have a call back for when the power goes out. But why can’t they do Star Wars or Star Trek or, well, since Disney just bought Fox, The Orwell?
I think this is someone’s present to Pumpkin. A clever idea presented by the truly poor: teenage kids.
Me too. Fire juggling?
Well I didn’t break the comments, but this was in response to SeeHer up there.
Welp, I’m totally lost.
Glad it’s not just me.
It’s an Albany expression
Oh, that’s good, because I’ve NEVER heard that shit in Utica and was starting to think this was all an elaborate web of lies.
Was hoping to see the fallout of the last comic but nope. After almost a month, we get a meme post. I’d be disappointed if this wasn’t becoming a normal thing.
Yes, but it is a really well done meme post.
I too would prefer more advances in the story. Especially at the glacial pace we’re setting here. But, as a certain philosopher once opined, this shit remains the mad notes, yo.
Like, I fully understand that things are crazy. With his diabetes, the kids, school, Covid, etc. But, we’re getting down to almost 1 update a month on the main site. I personally can’t afford Patreon. So, seeing more story content stuck behind a paywall, while the main site is getting Meme posts, is a bit disheartening.
Don’t forget, the paywall is helping the main site to stay up. Plus that pay wall content become main site content at some point. Most of it. Not sure about the Fire juggling stuff.
Yeah. The last paywall comic in the main site was in 2015. So, I’m going to remain disheartened.
You know, I remember that being a thing too, about how the paywall content went free eventually. Would have been nice to see some of THAT after all those prolonged absences, but it never happened.
The Patreon used to also claim that after a certain goal was met, there would be weekly updates to the site. It’s changed now but I remember reading it when he first announced his Patreon.
…Punctuation Boy is right, guys.
At $600 a month, the three-a-week schedule was to be reinstated.
$600 – reached! per month
I can devote pretty much all of my time to the comic at this point… so back into my 3 posts per week schedule. From 1 to 2 tiers per post, with the occasional 3-or-more tiered editions.
And the Patreon is currently at $2660 a month.
So…yeah.
Of course, it’s also important to note that the comics of late have been multi-tier, so that accounts for a good portion of the lag. We were promised one-to-two, and this one I believe qualifies as EIGHT.
He’s right.
And for the record, I drive a truck.
I’m so confused right now. If this is riffing off of some meme could someone spare a link for those of us who are in the dark? :(
It’s the Steamed Hams bit from an early Simpsons episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jXEuIHY9ic&ab_channel=mr.bruh
I want to assure you that I mean not one whit of disrespect here, or even an IOTA.
I am, however, astonished to actually see someone unfamiliar with the Steamed Hams bit.
I remember watching that episode before memes killed reruns.
Before internet killed Blu Ray
Before Blu Ray killed HD DVD and DVD
Before VHS was stabbed in the back by CD Rom which was garroted by DVD
Before video killed the radio star.
No, I don’t even think that Tracey Ullman was on TV yet then.
I shall require some steamed hams upon ruminating on this some more.
Make that two, but then I haven’t watched the Simpsons since the early 90’s…
“Unless,I could disguise some other media as my own content…”
Ho HO! Delightfully devilish, Christopher!
A Simpsons sketch as a one-act play is a charming gift.
Still doesn’t beat the shirt off the Dodger’s back, though.
K, this page just killed me. Poppy sure is prepared for something.
Perhaps just a bit too far? I understand the gist–lovely riff on “Just cleaning this gun”–but I think the bomb suit might be overselling it.
Well, all 7 sisters are there and remember Black Friday and that formally nice new hotel that use to be in Lakeland … is it really unexpected?
I was expecting them to have filmed this in advance, not do it live. But I love how Rosemary is just running with it.
There is something supremely charming about a sitting judge reading lines in a one-act play based on a Simpsons bit. And looking like she’s having fun doing it.
Tommy deserves a Tony.
I like a meme as much as the next guy, but with the updates to the comic as infrequent as they are I was hoping for something with a little more substance
I agree. I email if this was a 1-2 panel joke then fine, but clearly it’s more substantial and taken some time that would have been far better used on the stuff already promised. I get that life gets in the way, but this is almost like purposely taking the piss.
https://youtu.be/u1h8cHUnP9k for those who don’t get the joke
Man, lot a negativity out here. I get complaints about a complete aside from the story but I’m just happy to see any update. Plus, like, this felt kinda like the early pages that got me hooked.
…also the avatars are very in line with comment tone so far. Uncannily so, it’s amusing.
Woooot, 91 on the TWC list. Keep voting people.
Ahhh… definitely a Floridian. Being the Police Chief, if he had a ballistic knife, he wouldn’t display that one. That’s the one type of knife that is expressly banned in FL. Other than that you could legally carry a sword (no restriction if they are not concealled) but be charged for a pen knife if the officer wanted to be an ass about it since it’s left to their discretion. Oddly enough, the way the laws are written, someone could have a CCW, and be fine carrying a full auto machine pistol (there are certain ones that are “grandfather claused”, normally antiques) and get locked up for their swiss army knife, because knives are not included in the CCW permit. Gotta love FL XD
I hope you feel better soon and find a good solution for you and your kids.
The only thing I can think of is home school
There are a lot of options out there when it comes to home schooling. It’s a whole cottage industry now.
I dunno. If you’ve looked at some of the curriculum websites, it’s more like a small factory industry these days.
There are multiple free curricula available online (amblesideonline.org and allinonehomeschool.com are pretty good examples), as well as dozens of curricula that will run you anywhere from a few dollars to online Christian academies like Abeka that are in the 1000’s.
Well, regardless of projections of the size, it’s clear there are a ton of options for homeschoolers now.
One of the few favors Covid did us was make homeschooling a lot more accessible. Used to be schools fought it tooth and nail because it was a sock to their budgets to have kids pull out of school for learning at home instead.
One of the OTHER favors it did was give telecommuting all the credibility it could ask for. Now when anyone gets all hesitant about it, you can just throw 2020 in their face. Most of a year of telecommuting and companies didn’t implode into a morass of shirking and unaccountability.
See, you would think that about telecommuting, but here in Texas, my daughter’s school of about 150 students (Yes, I live in the middle of effing nowhere) had like 20 cases before they shut down for a week, and then they were like, “Ok, right back to in person classes! Nope, we will not be offering distance learning options. I don’t care if one of the children is immunocompromised. This is school, damnit!”
Thanks for filling us in! Hope you guys pull out of it soon; the good news, if you can even call it that, is that this go-round is supposed to be weaker but more easily transmitted at last report.
The fact that the district isn’t offering distance learning isn’t exactly a bad thing. Remember how it went the LAST time they did. I sure remember the updates around here when it rolled out.
Distance learning can be a great thing but it has to be done right. Last year, it was more a matter of it being done RIGHT NOW. The fact that it was a nigh-complete failure for the kids, meanwhile, suggests that you can’t just yell “DISTANCE LEARNING!” and make it happen.
There are a whole lot of really good reasons to home school your kids, that have nothing to do with covid. Just sayin’.
Especially in Texas.
I hope this link posts. I just got finished watching the youtube channel Professor of Rock about Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Linn and how he was inspired to write “MR. BLUE SKY.” I think that it was awesome and I kind of hope that it could also be a get well card of sorts for Chris and the Rusche family household.
If the link doesn’t work, I’ll just type it out here: youtu.be/ex3v5Pt0DHk
https://youtu.be/ex3v5Pt0DHk
I think Pumpkin might have liked this version better:
http://www.shadbase.com/comic_folder/2018-02-07-steamed-hams-butt-its-a-shadbase-drawing.jpg
…Seymour, these french fries are ruined now.
re: COVID:
I ended up using a lot more hot sauce when I lost my sense of taste to COVID. At least I got to taste and feels SOMEthing when I ate.
Hang in there. Thinking of you and your family often. Be well! Don’t worry about us.
I almost thought that we were looking at a harsh turn of events in the shuffle-verse, but then I saw her standing there.
The Spice Girls are looking very disturbed in that sampler panel there.