To paraphrase Spinal Tap, “No one knew who he was… Or what… he was doing.” That’s kind of the feeling towards my dad after he placed a mysterious circle of stones recently outside the house. Maybe there’s a method to his madness and this is just the start of some sort of Neolithic burial ground, or maybe an ancient calendar he’s constructing. Perhaps we’ll find out more when he’s finished (although if my mom has any say, that won’t be happening) and if so, its function will of course be documented here in the pages of JEFbot. Here’s a picture of it so far, and while small, I don’t think it could necessarily be, “crushed by a dwarf,” at least. Anyway, suggestions as to its purpose are welcome.

If you have no idea what’s going on in this strip (and that may be for the best), go back to the beginning of this mini-storyline and get up to speed:
• JEFBOT.335_Bunion Mashing

And to those that are disgusted by the Cornfather’s actions in this one: You have only yourselves to blame. The feedback in the last strip really got me thinking about who would actually consume some of Mombot’s handiwork (footiwork?), and after much consideration, all signs pointed to jefbot’s best pal. So direct any disgust or complaints at the comments section, as always.

Woo-hoo! It’s my first strip back after the week-long hiatus and I get to draw fruit getting sliced and diced by Mombot’s raptor toe! Ahhh… feels good to be back.

I’m not sure how many of you have played Fruit Ninja on your mobile device, but those who have will understand where the inspiration for today’s strip came from. I’m not sure whether I’ll be enjoying the game more or less on my iPad, now that I’ll be thinking of slicing all those fruit with Mombot’s toe instead of a katana. Probably more. Of course, maybe it would make more sense to just use my own toe on the touchscreen when playing the game. If I do, I’ll make a video and post it here.

Yes, Mombot in Real Life would target earlobes, underarms, torsos – you name it – for pinching with her toes for punishment. Heck, sometimes she’d pinch my sisters and I when we least expected it, just for giggles. We’re (fortunately) much bigger and taller now, so there’s less opportunity for her pinchings, I’m happy to say.

I’ll keep this blog post short today as I have some last minute packing and organizing to do for the Phoenix Comicon (which I’ll be leaving for tomorrow)! For updates on the convention, follow me on Twitter or Facebook. I’ll try and keep both of those places updated whenever I have time. Okay, I’m off to get stuff done. Hopefully, I’ll see some of you at the JEFbot booth (#800) in Phoenix!

The strength and deadliness of Mombot’s toes have been detailed in her character’s bio since the beginning of JEFbot, but I haven’t addressed it in the comic strip proper until now. This isn’t one of those things I’ve made up to be funny or exaggerated for humor: In Real Life my mom’s toes could be considered deadly weapons, and woe be to the child that has misbehaved while in close proximity to her bare foot. I have a birthmark on my stomach that I suspect may be a deep bruise from a time when I was on the receiving end of her grasping toes and raptor nail when I was a young boy. It may just be a phantom pain now, but sometimes it wakes me in the dead of night, and I clasp my hands to it, stifling a scream.

While jefbot’s stories about Darth Vader/Baron Karza, the Atari 2600/Intellivision and the X-Wing/Star Bird are all true, it’s also true that I – and by association, jefbot – came to love those toys just as much as I would’ve had I gotten the genuine toys I requested. I suppose I don’t have to tell anyone who reads JEFbot willingly, but just for clarification: When a kid asks for a toy from Star Wars, Transformers, Robotech or any other movie/videogame/tv show/what have you, only a toy from those properties will do. Believe me: kids know the difference. They may grow to like the toys you give them, especially if they have no other options, but they will always remember. Always. Some of them might even use those memories as material for a comic strip of their own. Just sayin’.

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author’s note: When jefbot says “EVERYTHING!” in that last panel, it should be considered in the same tone and manner that Gary Oldman says “EVERYONE!” in the movie Leon: The Professional. clip here.