February 26th, 2010
JEFBOT.219_Ready to Rumble
As happens with so many of my strips during the “creative process” or whatever you’d like to call it, today’s comic started as one thing and ended up as another. Specifically, as originally conceptualized, the Cornfather and jefbot had lines to say, but once the strip started gaining form, I found (with a little tweaking) it worked better, and was funnier, without the text balloons, most of which contained information we already knew anyway. So, it evolved into what you see here today – one of the few strips that carry the actions and punch line solely on the shoulders of the artwork. Hope you guys dig it.
First!
Now thats what I call nicely done deception and well executed takedown. Would have been effective too if you menaged to get out of it yourself at the same time.
Drawing ROCKS! CFs facial expresions are good, but yours are peerless. The tongue in first when playing dead and luring in your victim is just hillarious. And smug face in third needs no comment.
Cornfather should have helped you while he had a chance.
Just one question. Did you throw that box to cause the avalance or did you used the Force to rip it from bottom of that hill to make it fall? And what happened to your Vader face?
OK, thats two questions.
wow, back at first! you get the cool glasses again, Maryz:
and you’re right – that would’ve been an impressive feat if jefbot had managed to free himself while imprisoning the Cornfather. i think that would qualify him as a jedi master, had he pulled that off.
thanks for the kudos on the drawings. took me several sketches to get the right level of smugness in that last panel.
jefbot pulled that box out of the pile with his one free hand to cause the latest avalanche. kinda like jenga. and the vader mask is a bit obscured by the panel border, but you can see it there on the left hand side of the third panel, amid the boxes.
Damn you man … I wanted to be first
heheh. Maryz is a hard one to beat, Eddie.
yeah he is going after the first place in next years top 10 commenters chart
Somehow In doubt I will out do Spanky.
You have to try and hope, and you will see
Dude, nice work.
This works as well as that old GI Joe comic that centered around Snake Eyes. Issue 21, I think it was…. Silent Interlude.
Loving the Hoarders line here, man.
T
thanks, man! never read that issue but Snake Eyes is one of my favorite joes – i still have his action figure w/ timber, somewhere.
Great panel
As I said, The vengeance is a dish best served right in the face 
and that was achieved perfectly 
Cornfatrers faces are absolutely priceless.
BTW have you looked Darth Sion up?
thanks, Eddie! glad you approve of jefbot’s vengeance.
and yeah, i looked Darth Sion up – he sounds like a total badass. kinda makes me wanna go back and play KOTOR II. if nothing else, i hope he appears in the KOTOR MMO coming out.
Nope, you chat him to death in KOTOR 2. Literary. Lightsaber wont help you but he will die from you talking to him so much.
He gets bored and confused, forgets to concentrate the force to hold him together and he falls apart
the gods know i’ve been in conversations where i’ve felt that way before.
I totally saw this playing out as an old black and white silent movie, with background piano and all that jazz! Bot looked so bad off in that first panel and I wanted to hug him.
Oh the faces in that second panel! (Those eyes on CF!) I could hear him (CF) in slow-mo either yelling “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” or “NOooOOOOooOOOooOOOOOOOO!” as JB removed “the golden box”, in which I heard a chorus of gamer angels singing as the box was presented in all it’s glory! (Now you’re getting to see a bit of what goes on upstairs.
)
That last panel is priceless. JB looks so smug, and with how mad CF looks– I’m surprised there wasn’t a fire in the joint, as hell hath no fury like a Cornfather scorned! There will be hell to pay for JB’s actions, which were not well thought out. (Sorry dude, truth be told.)
It was executed nicely, but what happens now when someone has to go to the bathroom? And how the heck are they gonna get out?!? (I have my theories playing around in my head.) Stay tuned, folks!
Only question I have for you is: In the second panel, are those scratches or veins sticking out of JB’s neck? This was amazingly awesome, and I love how you did it without words. Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudos and *round of applause*!
ha! love that you saw this one as a b&w silent movie, Spanky! i can totally see the black title cards with “rumble, rumble” in white lettering on ‘em. heheh.
yeah, jefbot’s lust for vengeance overrode his logic circuits this time – something that will be addressed in upcoming strips. and you’re right – bot has been there even longer than the Cornfather, so if anyone needs a bathroom break, it’s probably gonna be him first.
and the lines on jefbot’s neck are: “rage veins” to the left and an adam’s apple on the right.
Don’t get mad, get even (more boxed in)!
or get mad and even, r61!
cornfathers faces in the first and second panels said it all. lol
glad those expressions got the job done, Animie fan!
Karma, It will find you.
the karma for the Cornfather selling jefbot’s stuff, or bot threatening Corn for doing so, or Corn leaving bot in the box pile, or bot trapping Corn with those same boxes, Liam? i think the karma police are gonna have a tough time cracking the case with this one.
Wow…Jeff…just AMAZING!
I can’t remember the last time a compic made me laugh so hard without any dialouge. Kudos. What’s funny is I could almost hear the conversation purely by the expressions in each panel.
Again Bravo!
And Oh Yeah…SUCK on that CF!
thanks, Pixie! once i started sketching this one out it became evident that the expressions could carry it, and the word balloons were unnecessary. glad to know it worked for you, too!
Absolutely fantastic Jefbot! I love it! The possum moved followed up by the sneak attack…. just brilliant! It’s like inviting someone to a knife fight in counter-strike then drawing your gun at the last minute and shooting them down. Kekekekekeke
thanks, TCG! yep, that possum move works almost every time – especially in comic strips and cartoons. heheh. and good to know that if i ever meet you in a counter-strike knife fight, i’ll be ready to pull my shotgun out.
Why doesn’t ‘bot just use Power of Scrawn: Phasing to get out? Rule of Drama?
the Power of Scrawn was negated by the weight and amount of boxes, Psy. Scrawn powers don’t work well when pinned, basically. we’ll have to see just how well the Power of Chub works under these conditions, now.
Revenge is sweet. XD great strip bot.
SO sweet, DJ. thanks!
Very nice work buddy. The smirk on Jefbots face in the last frame is priceless. The darkside flows strong with this one. I’m going to pretend he used force powers to trap Cornfather with him…yes…evil dark force powers!
thanks, bud! glad you liked the smirk. and yes – go ahead and believe bot used dark force powers to grab that box. you can be in charge of the Alternate Universe fanfic.
Ha Ha. Very funny. I can’t’ wait to find out how they get outta this mess.
thanks, sis!
He he. Glad you got the Cornfather back. I hope none of your priceless collection of “junk” was damaged in the process. Maybe a few bent comics.
Your tongue hanging out in that first panel is too funny. Cornfather was a bit dim to fall for such overacting. It’s a good thing we know you are a better actor in real life!!!
The contrast between your expression and CF’s in the last panel is priceless. Nice placement of the Pokeball, too. One questions: What is the blue thing above your heads? At first I thought it was a wall-mounted big screen, but that wouldn’t make sense in your storage room.
Thats not a storage room, thats Jefbots own bedroom and that thing on the wall is window.
yeah, there’s gonna be damage to some of those items for sure, Shanna. we’ll see how jefbot handles that. probably not very well. heh.
and as far as overacting – in the initial sketch i had “X” marks for bot’s eyes, but i thought that was a little over the top. so don’t underestimate how far jefbot can act when playing possum!!!
and yeah, Maryz is correct: that blue thing is the window, showing it’s getting later in the day. it looks weird because of the matte painting of the Raiders warehouse on the wall of bot’s bedroom.
I dig =D
great strip! i enjoy it a lot!
thanks, Rach! glad you dig!
HAAAAA! HA! I laughed out loud with joy! OUTSTANDING! I’m so happy that Jefbot took matters into his own hands… What a brilliant build up too.
I live for Jefbot’s face in the last frame. Exceptional job. The emotion that you convey in your drawings are amazing!
thanks, man! i’m doing the dance of joy at your lol of joy!
“…one of the few strips that carry the actions and punch line solely on the shoulders of the artwork.” And the shoulders of the characters!
Haha I am so witty.
yes! that too, Felderburg! heheh. we’ll see just how long bot and corn’s shoulders can support all that weight.
So funny!!!! I love it. No words necessary, bot. The faces are hysterical! …It does make me feel a little claustrophobic, though.
me too, MC. me too.
Do I spy a box of Lego in the last panel?
yes! that is indeed a box of legos in the rubble, Chamberino. good eye.
I like how the one box is glowing. Don’t ask me why…. but I’m thinking He-Man.
“I… have… THE POWE~R… to topple boxes!”
That was another thought that popped in my head as well. Great minds think alike.
if only Cringer was in the room there, Steve – jefbot just might have a chance to escape!
just goes to show you…no good deed goes unpunished!!
and on occassion, bad deeds – such as the Cornfather selling off jefbot’s stuff and leaving him in the rubble – do not go unpunished either, t_d!
Oh my! Last panel Jef’s face is EPIC!!!! I just LOVE it!!! Yay for revenge!!!! It’s the sweetest feeling you can ever enjoy! It beats anything, trust me! It does!
*evil laugh of doom*
*stares at pocket ball in last panel*
Ouch. That poor pocket ball is not so round anymore!
*LOL*
i think jefbot in that last panel might agree with you about revenge, Sonitan. heheh. at least for the moment. although it does make me wonder about those you’ve taken revenge on. especially your baby sis.
and, yeah: that poké ball has seen better days. heheh.
Heheh, Cornfather had it coming
TRUE THAT, Eptha!
Aw and here I thought Jeffbot would finally be free.
not just yet, Nat!
Cornfather’s face says everything
awesome, IDTMRB – that means i’ve done my job.
Hey kids! It’s time to play “Narrate the Comic”! In today’s strip, the Cornfather comes back to check on Jefbot after leaving him for several hours, unattended, lacking food or water. Jefbot appears dead. Fearing a lawsuit/vengeful wrath from Jefbot’s family, Cornfather creeps closer…
Panel 1:
CF- Well, F@#$. I wonder if I can reach his wallet…
Panel 2:
JB- (Suddenly adopting a Shakespeare-esque accent due to receiving far too many Pokeballs to the brain) Taketh away thine Chubman! Mine wallet is not for thine eyes and fingers to molest! HAVE AT THE! *JB wiggles and shakes, pillar of boxes left standing begins to topple, burying CF within*
Panel 3:
JB- HA HA, foul beast! Thou art trapped within mine trap. Now I shalst be free to roam again! But woe! For still trapped, am I! Curse mine luck, for thou art a thieving temptress!
CF- All you had to do was say you’re sorry, and this wouldn’t have happened.
BONUS SCENE!!
*a masked hoodlum enters the scene with a gasoline can and lighter. In the following panel, we see the hoodlum strolling casually away from a roaring blaze. The hoodlum removes their mask, only to reveal Jefbot’s sister to be the arson. With ‘bot now a smoldering pile of ash, she is once again free to resume her plans to take over the world*
Two things about this killed me.
the word “shalst”
CF as a temptress
wow! epic comment, Alexander! i love playing “narrate the comic.” heheheh. and i agree with Shanna – you get extra laugh points for the use of “shalst” and “temptress.”
and as for the bonus scene: don’t give my evil sister any ideas! it was bad enough when she was biting peoples’ faces during the super bowl party a few weeks back!
Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all weekend. Or, at least until the next comic, which I’ll once again try and be witty…
… and probably fail. I do that.
I suddenly have this awesome picture in my head of Christopher Walken telling Will Farrel that he’s got a fever, and the only cure is more “shalst”.
Jefbot ROCKS!
YOU rock, McLoven!
bring a new meaning to bringing your friend into the fray
yup! sadly, the Cornfather probably doesn’t appreciate being brought into said fray, JF3. maybe he’ll learn some appreciation in the future?
Revenge!!!!!
I love it!!
me too, Rinthia! it hardly ever leads to anything productive or solves any problems, but it feels good in the moment! heheh.
Already posted once today, but I feel this is worth mentioning: Jeff, I think it’s awesome you actually take time to sit down and interact with your readers in the comments like so few comic artists do. Its probably one hell of a time suck to go through, read, AND respond to so many comments, while still running an awesome comic and balancing your job/acting/(insert other daily activity here).
I read about 60+ webcomics, and just for the fact alone you’re so welcoming and friendly with your fanbase (not to mention the often hysterical antics in the comic), JEFBOT definitely ranks within my top 10 favorites.
Keep up the good work!
hey, thanks for mentioning that, Alexander. i love seeing what you readers have to say about JEFbot and truly enjoy interacting with you here in the comments. not every webcomic has such a lively and enthusiastic group of commenters and i don’t take that for granted. until i start going to conventions and meeting some of you in person, this is my #1 way of getting to know you guys so i appreciate everybody that takes the time to post their thoughts and feedback here. i can’t promise i’ll always have the time to respond as much as i do now, but while i can, i’m going to enjoy it!
also, big thanks for ranking me in your top 10!
Fatboy got what was coming to him!
yup! i concur, Lax.
I got here through a link to another site that my boyfriend sent that then had a link… oh, never mind. You know how the internet is. Anyway. I can’t believe I didn’t know about this comic before! I just got done reading through the archives and it is awesome! *favorites*
i’m always curious to hear how people find their way here, Sharra, so thanks for sharing. and i’m happy that link sent you here, wherever it came from!
oh, and thanks for taking the time to read through the archives – now that i have over 200 strips in there, i know it’s no small feat! hope to hear more from you when new strips come out.