I think this is one of your best in a while. The first panel dialogue is amazing.

I especially like the first panel. Is that Ric? He looks different from the one about how to change someone's appearance.

Yeah, did Ric gain 20 pounds in the last week?

This one's the best "Basic Instructions" in a long time. The first panel's my favourite. :)

My cousin collects knives... I learned how to disarm a man with a combat knife for that very reason.

so we're agreed that rick is now definitely 'ric' as per his namesake? he does look rather... cuddlier... than before. too many mint juleps?

What is Scott doing in the first panel? At first glance he appears to be sewing some Barbie-clothes.

Playing a video game without much success.

I usually find out if someone is dangerously crazy when I'm in the middle of sex - talk about awkward.

I'm pretty sure that's Scotts wife ;)

And I also thought he was trying to assemble some miniatures, but now I can see both are holding game controllers.

hmmmmmmm...i now cannot strangle off the mental image of you in the middle of sex with ric......with a knife. talk about awkward, eh?

Please put that firts panel on a T-shirt all on it's own.
Short and very very punchy enough for people to get the joke whilst they walk past you doing something again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.
On second thoughts - it should be on the back so they can read it and walk past without distracting you.
Nice twist of repartee on an old bit of boring business schpeel - loveit.
Every now and again you nail it in a one-er. This is one of those. Keep them coming !

I just met this guy and he started talking casually about the rapture. . . and politics. Never smiled once. The creepy thing is he resembled this comic. Scott? Are you following me around as some sort of guardian angel?

With "jazz hands".

You mean, you learned how to disarm your cousin with a combat knife?

only needed the first panel for this one.

[...] In which it is noted we are all crazy. [...]

I really enjoyed this one; it's a cut above, no pun intended.

Oh beautiful for spacious skies... and religious tolerance from bigots like amber. This strip is hilarious and most of them so far have had me in stitches. Keep up the good work Scott.

Also, I said in an email that the "GET AN AVATAR" link in the reply section should FIRST link to your custom avatar service, then gravatar for those who are not interested. Why miss that marketing opportunity?

1st panel on a shirt, FTW.

I liked the old Rick better, he looked like a crazy knife collector.

[...] This post was Twitted by CavorterLinks - Real-url.org [...]

[...] This post was Twitted by GoffM - Real-url.org [...]

Methinks Ken doth protest too much. Amber encounters some creepy, unsmiling guy who immediately starts haranguing his new acquaintances about politics and the rapture, and noticing that Mr. Creepy is some kind of extra creepy guy somehow makes her a bigot?

Ok, I take back what I said about Rick working out. It does look like he just gained some weight. Overall, this is one of your funniest in a while. I laughed so hard I actually cried. Especially the first panel.

I'm horrified that people aren't recognizing Scott's wife!

not too sure why she went CRAP in the first panel...
haha rick reminds me of my nan, who has said once or twice that she has enough knives to start a war...

YOU would think about that, wouldn't you - really talk about awkward, hoo-hoo boy!

Now where's that Asian stripper with the rope?

@Mantar: Because it's "rapture... and politics." rather than "rapture and politics."
The notion that belief in the rapture alone or a desire (from a Christian's perspective) to share something they consider so important is creepy on it's face is what bothered me.
HOWEVER.... I apologize, I was already very upset about a similar conversation. That could just be her writing style AND... people shouldn't speak of religion or politics in a first meeting or out-of-the-blue as it's just too serious an issue to start rambling about (as I've done here.)

pleeeease no one hit me for the double post... I didn't realize I couldn't edit.
She says "crap" because he just proved to her that she was exhibiting the same behavior... that she's crazy as well.
Also Amber, that guy does sound creepy after re-reading your post.

I know it's his wife in the first panel, I was talking about the last three. Thanks though.

I agree--this one is really good, and the first panel is not just really good, it's damn near perfection. My wife (who sympathizes with Scott's wife) wants a poster of it. Or at least wallpaper. Whaddya say, Scott?

kind of relevant today. 2 crazies went out and killed people in the last couple of weeks.

Ric looks better in these poses. The screaming Ric was better when he had all that hair. it just looked psychotic with the short hair and all those wrinkles in his forehead. It hardly looked like the same guy.

also I'll take the time to double post in order to hit Ken. Yeah, that'll teach ya.

[...] This post was Twitted by fajaronly - Real-url.org [...]

I get much the same look when non-airsofters are daft enough to start talking about guns. It's really hard not to come across as some dribbling gun nut psycho when you get asked kind of nervously, "so how many do you have"? and answer somewhat honestly, maybe twenty assault rifles varients, a couple of support guns, a sniper rifle and five different pistols.
People don't seen to be any more reassured when you tell them that they're not real...

I'll re-emphasize that I had JUST MET THIS GUY, and he started talking about this about a minute after he introduced himself.

Thank you, Mantar. I love discussing all ideas, but it's the approach to other people that's important. You've nailed it right on the head.

It's Ok. I also didn't include much of the rest of the conversation, keeping it as vague as possible, just in case he was reading this post.

Best strip in a while!! Love it!