Support System – Survival Anxiety

Support System

November 2, 2020



Tags: aliens, comics, Francis the sheep, illustration, inequality, Robot 

+ Transcript
Support System
Comic written and illustrated by Ryan Reid
Panel 1: SPACE. A dirty smoke trail careens toward a cube shaped ALIEN PLANET. CRASH!
Panel 2: ROBOT and FRANCIS stand near their ship. FRANCIS is wiping her hands on a RAG. They are surrounded by nondescript BOXES, stacked high into the sky.
FRANCIS
The phlang-o-tron is on the fritz. I fixed it, but it needs be replaced.
ROBOT
Good work! Let’s get out of here - these boxes are giving me the heebie-jeebies!
BOX
I earn a root beer float for good work!
Panel 3: ROBOT and FRANCIS freak out at the unexpected voice.
FRANCIS
Who said that?!
ROBOT
Gah! All these boxes have people trapped in them!
Panel 4: The PERSON IN THE BOX explains.
PERSON IN THE BOX
We’re not trapped! We just work and live in these tiny boxes until we die, or until we are no longer valuable to the system.
Panel 5: ROBOT and FRANCIS examine the stack of BOXES, while considering the argument by the PERSON IN THE BOX. ROBOT leans on the box they are talking to.
FRANCIS
That doesn’t sound like you’re NOT trapped.
ROBOT
Also, it looks like you all are just supporting the guy on top.
Panel 6: Sitting atop the tall stack of boxes is an OBESE CAT-LIKE CREATURE in a TOP HAT. It’s far too large to be sitting on such a narrow tower of boxes.
PERSON IN THE BOX
No, we’re all equal! I mean, he gets paid more, and has a nicer view, and controls the root beer float box, but…hey, is my box moving? HEY!
Panel 7: ROBOT stumbles, as the BOX he’s leaning on slides out of from under him.
ROBOT
Uh oh.
Panel 8: STACKS OF BOXES topple to the ground. ROBOT and FRANCIS run for their lives!
FRANCIS
RUN!
Panel 9: ROBOT and FRANCIS fly away from the planet in their SPACE SHIP, as the PLANET falls into ruin.
Panel 10: ROBOT and FRANCIS, safe aboard their SHIP, enjoy ROOT BEER FLOATS.
FRANCIS
Lucky for us the root beer float box fell right into the ship as we were running for our lives!
ROBOT
Good work!
<div class="no-script"><p style="text-align: left;">Support System</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Comic written and illustrated by Ryan Reid</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 1: SPACE. A dirty smoke trail careens toward a cube shaped ALIEN PLANET. CRASH!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 2: ROBOT and FRANCIS stand near their ship. FRANCIS is wiping her hands on a RAG. They are surrounded by nondescript BOXES, stacked high into the sky.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">FRANCIS</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The phlang-o-tron is on the fritz. I fixed it, but it needs be replaced.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">ROBOT</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Good work! Let’s get out of here - these boxes are giving me the heebie-jeebies!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">BOX</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I earn a root beer float for good work!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 3: ROBOT and FRANCIS freak out at the unexpected voice.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">FRANCIS</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Who said that?!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">ROBOT</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Gah! All these boxes have people trapped in them!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 4: The PERSON IN THE BOX explains.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">PERSON IN THE BOX</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We’re not trapped! We just work and live in these tiny boxes until we die, or until we are no longer valuable to the system.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 5: ROBOT and FRANCIS examine the stack of BOXES, while considering the argument by the PERSON IN THE BOX. ROBOT leans on the box they are talking to.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">FRANCIS</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">That doesn’t sound like you’re NOT trapped.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">ROBOT</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Also, it looks like you all are just supporting the guy on top.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 6: Sitting atop the tall stack of boxes is an OBESE CAT-LIKE CREATURE in a TOP HAT. It’s far too large to be sitting on such a narrow tower of boxes.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">PERSON IN THE BOX</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">No, we’re all equal! I mean, he gets paid more, and has a nicer view, and controls the root beer float box, but…hey, is my box moving? HEY!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 7: ROBOT stumbles, as the BOX he’s leaning on slides out of from under him.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">ROBOT</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Uh oh.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 8: STACKS OF BOXES topple to the ground. ROBOT and FRANCIS run for their lives!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">FRANCIS</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">RUN!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 9: ROBOT and FRANCIS fly away from the planet in their SPACE SHIP, as the PLANET falls into ruin.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Panel 10: ROBOT and FRANCIS, safe aboard their SHIP, enjoy ROOT BEER FLOATS.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">FRANCIS</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Lucky for us the root beer float box fell right into the ship as we were running for our lives!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">ROBOT</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Good work!</p></div>
Thirds 2 was published before this post.
Thirds 3 was published after it.