[0093] Bribe Money
└ posted on Thursday, 10 September 2009, by Novil
I wanted to do this strip as an outlet for my frustration with various large companies that seem to be above the law no matter what they do. Monsanto is a prime example for such a company: Although the criticism section of the Wikipedia article about Monsanto is already quite long, the rest of the article contains more or less severe accusations, too.
- Sandra: Hey Cloud, would you like to come along with me and visit my grandparents this weekend? It’s always a lot of fun at their old-fashioned farm.
- Cloud: It is?
- Sandra: “It is. For example, you could go riding on Polly. Or we could search the gigantic attic for lost treasures.”
- Sandra: “But the best part is always grandpa’s well-prepared prank calls to Monsanto managers.”
- Monsanto manager: WHAT!?! The head of the Indian insecticides board wants EVEN MORE bribe money?!
![[0093] Bribe Money](/comics/2009-09-10-[0093]-bribe-money.png "[0093] Bribe Money")
There’s a 1 in 100 chance that prank will work, but when it does, it’s worth it. You can substantially raise the likelihood if you examine which kinds of businesses bride the most often.
I’m just going to enjoy the joke and ignore the message 😀
Oh that’s just great.
wonderful comic yet again!
Ever hear of Quaker Oats company? Mm, that bunch that make cereals and whatnot.
Well, in the 1950’s the experimented on mentally challenged children, feeding them irradiated foodstuffs. The children (and the parents of the children) were told that they were in an exclusive ‘Science Club’ where they’d get special privilages. A lot of the subject group have suffered cancerous developments as a direct result of the experiments and yet the case was quietly settled in court in the 90’s.
Which is still the single most evil thing I’ve ever seen from a corporation.
Anyway, that grandad is so well drawn. He looks like a complete and utter dude.
Sometimes real life has the trope of screw the rules I have money.
If you are so angry, why are you venting it out on this comic for? it is fine with out the s–t storm starting politics. why don’t you put up a Blog that you can vent on? it’ll be easier than working it into this comic and you blood pressure will thank you.
on another note, it’s nice to see that Sandra has other family than just her dad.
@Rabid_Fox: if you think that’s bad, take a look at what Fannymay and freddymack corp. has done to people. they ruined far more lives and destroyed more familys than anything Quaker could dream of. They have even driven people to kill them selves. (if you don’t know that corp. is, they are the firms that started this whole economic depression we are in) evil can be done in more way than just turning humans into ginee pigs.
I *was* going to comment on how funny the strip is; then I read that section of the article.
…I think I have a headache.
@ Rabid_Fox: While that’s certainly a huge scandal, I don’t think one should condemn a company solely for what they did 50 years ago, but rather for what they do today.
Grandpa seems like my kind of guy!!
i think they’re more notorious for continuing (seeming) impropriety, not just the scandals of a half century past. though i’m somewhat optimistic for the benefit transgenic crops can bring to the world (if approached with the mindset of enhancing the speed that natural selection and hybridisation may occur), their own approach to it seems… seedy, if you’ll excuse the pun. Poorly run trials that end up with the altered pollen being turned loose into the air. Projects focussed towards making crops that go sterile after one generation so that farmers sold the seeds have to continually buy fresh from monsanto rather than the usual way of keeping back some of the grain to sow again the next year. etc.
@ Taxil: that’s not nearly as bad as when Powree and Oliver Knörzer strapped the entire population down and forced them to read their web comic! I mean, who would have thought that someone could express their views and opinions in a web comic that they created and own! (If you have not caught my sarcasm by now, my point has been lost on you.)
This goes for anyone and everyone; if you do not like the message or content of ANY web comic, then DON’T READ IT! It is wonderful to have a discussion about the content of a web comic, but at no time should readers start complaining that it is too serious, or that the dialogue belongs in a blog and not in the comic. If the writer of a comic includes a topic, they did so intentionally. This is their medium to express and release. Leave them alone.
A prank-calling grandfather! What other wonders does this comic have in store for us?
I’d never heard of Monsanto before. Glad to be educated… I guess. (Some things you don’t want to know, but you should anyway.)
I hope this is a joke about their nebulous morality in the disposal of waste and not a rant against genetically modified food. GM food can potentially feed the up and coming billions much as hybridized grain did in the last 50 years. The ignorant seem to think GM food means it can come alive and eat you, or somehow poison you. When all it is, is food with different DNA than the natural stuff; something you can’t taste and doesn’t affect digestion anyway, since it’s all dissolved in hydrochloric acid before it goes anywhere in your body.
Yay! A pony! Yay! Illegal prank phone calls! Yay! Taking a mean ol’ mega corporation to task!
What fun! Let’s go chain ourselves to their front door, release lab animals, and spike some trees!
These Kids, my brother idea of wild life is like “the best place to play Nintendo DS is under a tree in the country”´and my sister is always bringing her CD and Ipods, Of course Without Phone, Electricity and Hot Water there is no way to go.
Even my dad thinks that the best way of passing the night is under the stars.. watching a movie, so he brings a DVD.
The only thing I carry are my Books and my Guitar…. My electric Guitar…
@ kaeden: Sarcasm? It sounded like immaturty to me. But fine, i am getting tired of this pointless argument. I had high hopes for this comic, it seems it’s just not for me. no more votes from me for this comic and i’m takeing this off my bookmark list.
I, for one, will mourn Taxil.
You don’t hafta worry about me, i’ve got at least 3 more of these before I’m leaving.
Neo Monster Island, however.. yeesh.
My name is like my comment this time. When I see Cloud on that horse, I think of Link :DDD.
I have to agree with Long Tom here. Reading this comic has been a pleasure, to an extent, but today will be my last read.
Huh, that guy in the last panel looks like Yoki from Full Metal Alchemist
http://media.animevice.com/uploads/0/2262/123770-yoki1nd5_large.png
Hm, sad to see people leaving- I honestly don’t mind stuff like this, it’s not really a big deal in the scheme of things; in fact, it’s fun (for me) to do the detective work to figure out what the strip’s really trying to tell us 🙂
Heehee, that sounds like fun! I’m all for pranking evil corporations. 🙂
I think it’s funny that such a harmless comic, which is not “preachy” at all, leads to such harsh reactions. Calvin and Hobbes has been much more direct on many occasions. People that read Sandra and Woo just for the silly gag jokes are not my main audience anyway, since it has always been my intention to deal with more serious issues once in a while. And there are more than enough examples of that already during the first 30 strips so if you say that “it started off as a cute comic about a girl and her pet raccoon” that’s just completely wrong.
Also this: Thoughts about self-censorship
What I don’t get is how a few strips in a comic drives off some of the readers (for more serious and/or petty reasons).
I say with those guys, it’s a matter of control and/or expectation; they want the writer to be their little marionette on a string so they can have the perfect webcomic that they can enjoy without going through the ropes and hoops of drawing and writing themselves. And we all know perfection is impossible, right ( I hope)? So, why not write (and illustrate, is possible) your own webcomic if you’re so concerned about having ‘high hopes’ for this one?
In all honesty, I kinda think it’s Novil’s right (for that matter, any webcomic owner’s) to post what they want about whatever issue they have an opinion on. It’s also funny how people can’t follow the simple principle of ‘don’t like it? don’t read it.’
If this is a pointless comment, demote it, but being on-topic now: Prank-calling old people are the super-coolest! 😀
Here’s the way I see it…
It’s your web site. It’s your very well done comic strip. It’s your vision and your message for the world to see. Those who disagree have the rigth to stop visiting. For, if you make “your vision” to fit the view point of “the world”, then about the only thing you’d be able to print would be a basic white background with basic black square borders. Bland. But, bland is rather hard to be discontent about. Anything more challenging is bound to rile somebody’s nerves.
“You can’t please everyone. So you got to…please yourself.” – Can’t remember the song title. Think it was by The Greatful Dead.
Obviously, someone is pointing a gun at Long Tom’s head and forcing him to constantly return to this site which he doesn’t like. I feel bad for him.
Completely off topic – – I keep looking around the web site for ‘vote here’ buttons but I’m just not finding them. Do you have any, and if so, where?
Just a comment from someone who lived through the 50’s. The Quaker tests were abominable but were part of the “If it’s Atomic it’s got to be good” hysteria of the early 50’s. I can remember as a Second Grade student being handed a package of irradiated corn seeds by my teacher and being asked to plant them. The idea being that if a usable mutation did occur I’d get a $10,000 reward from the company who distributed them. Only one plant grew and it was worthless. The cornstalks were converted into vines and the corn grew along the ground like cucumbers.
sandra and cloud are very fun to look at. I don’t know why, they just are.
I didnt quite get all of it as I’m not English(sorry to say it), but i will keep on reading this comic because it has some funny points :D, that and I’ve got like 10 different web comics i read, so i mostly get one new page every day :P. and I have no intention to quit reading any of them. that includes this! i think all web comics i read are well made, has a plot, and are either funny, full of action, sadness, love and mostly all other things one could ask for. This is mostly only funny :P. Too bad some people wont realize what they are quiting because this is awesome!
jup-reindeer : Ricky Nelson – Garden Party
Novil said:
“I am now thinking about disabling comments when a strip deals with American politics or the environment since those topics certainly attract the most harmful comments. Something like “That’s l4me!!1” is not doing much harm, but “You should be ashamed to say X in your comic although [followed by an uninformed, heavily biased rant]” does.
I think it’s funny that such a harmless comic, which is not “preachy” at all, leads to such harsh reactions. Calvin and Hobbes has been much more direct on many occasions. People that read Sandra and Woo just for the silly gag jokes are not my main audience anyway, since it has always been my intention to deal with more serious issues once in a while. And there are more than enough examples of that already during the first 30 strips so if you say that “it started off as a cute comic about a girl and her pet raccoon” that’s just completely wrong.”
As I commented on another thread, I agree that he should get rid of the comments section. What Novil wants is only praise for what he does. He does not welcome ANY criticism of his views. He likes to stir up trouble by poking at American political figures, companies and institutions but does NOT want to receive any criticism for the bad feelings he creates with these attacks. I also do not like the message that he is sending with this particular comic strip – that it is okay to break the law by crank calling someone as long as it is an “eeeevil ” American company. The grandfather is failing in his duty here to be a responsible grandparent.
I officially proclaim this comic “The Comic Where the Dumb Part of the Fanbase Left”
@admkline:
1. It’s not criticism he dislikes, it’s flaming.
2. His Web Comic, his rules.
3. We don’t care about your rants, you’re just making yourself look like a retard troll.
4. A grandparent can pull jokes and still be responsible.
5. You’re an idiot, nobody likes you, and you should stay away from any form of interaction with people. For your sake.
Geez. People. Can’t a guy have a little freedom to state his opinion? If I come out and say “I like cheese.” and you don’t does that mean we should never talk to each other again? geez…..seriously
Don’t you think that this issue has attracted enough bad comments? I could sit here if I wanted to and watch people argue all day, but I just can’t. For the people who keep ranting about terrible things that other evil corporations have done and saying that because this comic isn’t all jokes, shut up. This comic is 10x funnier than any other political comic. Besides, can’t you just leave quietly without stirring up this huge arguments? Jeez.
Hello Zaiki! 🙂
1. It’s not criticism he dislikes, it’s flaming.
Oh? Seems to me that “flaming” is what the comic’s author considers ANY criticism.
2. His Web Comic, his rules.
Quite true. Which is why I commented in a previous post that he should get rid of this commentary section. He does not like any criticism. Therefore, remove the means by which people may do so.
3. We don’t care about your rants, you’re just making yourself look like a retard troll.
*chuckle* *LOL!*
4. A grandparent can pull jokes and still be responsible.
Absolutely true. “Pulling the joke” of prank calling is a criminal offense and is therefore irresponsible.
5. You’re an idiot, nobody likes you, and you should stay away from any form of interaction with people. For your sake.
(See answer to 3 above)
Zaiki, you have no personal knowledge of me or whom I am. Knowing this, it is impossible for me to take offense at the above statement as there is nothing to support your supposition. I WOULD encourage you to carefully consider making such statements about people 1) you do not know or 2) have not posted something in a public forum and invited commentary on. Otherwise, people MAY believe that by your statements in actuality they would apply to yourself.
Hello again Zaiki!
Forgot to genuinely wish you a very good day in my last post. Hope Monday is a good day for you! 🙂
Hello Myself!
Myself said:
“Besides, can’t you just leave quietly without stirring up this huge arguments? Jeez.”
So, are you saying that you personally want people to ‘just leave quietly’ if they express an opinion on the comic that is not uncritical praise for the author’s work? As I don’t know what you meant by your statement precisely here, I would genuinely like to get further clarification if I may. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day today! 🙂
>Friendly Fur
how are you with german? Kanst du Deusch lesen?
(yeah I know my grammar and vocab is awful :D)
Monsanto “wear dating” was a feature in some sleepwear at one time.
Actually, prank calls are made all the more difficult with caller identification. Although, our local FM radio morning does it quite regularly. It registers as “Michigan Call” on the display. 8)
There’d be fewer objections if you hadn’t posted that link to the article on Monsanto.
Seriously? Yall found political stuff in this one?
I just thought that “Indian Pesticides” was something that the grandpa made up and was jerking around some poor intern.
Wow.
But yeah, I don’t like some of the stuff Monsanto does. Like testing the fields of neighbors to people that bought their crop, for any DNA from their stuff. This is bad because their altered stuff can reproduce with the natural stuff. And then they sue the unsuspecting farmers. Gah.
Heh, I love how some people are just getting upset over one little article, and the opinion of the creator. If you don’t like it, fine leave, we the fans who enjoy the comic and the creators don’t want you here. You wouldn’t want people who hated your creation constantly criticizing and putting down your work would you? No, I think not. There’s a major difference between constructive criticism and being a downright ass. Yes, it is true some creators don’t appreciate criticism. The worst person who can’t take criticism that I know is Tim Buckley. One small negative criticism of his comic on his forums will get you permanently banned. So, with all of this said. I never really payed much attention to the political messages in the comics unless it was a very major part of the joke. This comic was funny even if I didn’t know who the company was. As for irresponsible grandparents, well I’m sorry but you people are seriously damaged. My grandfather taught me how to drive when I was 9 years old. I’m currently 19. He also taught me how to shoot since I was around 7. He taught me more responsibility than anyone else I know. He used to always kid and joke. Now you can call him irresponsible if you want, but I’m his only blood grandchild. If you think he was being irresponsible you can go to Hell. He wasn’t irresponsible, he was my hero. Also, no, he wasn’t a stupid man either. Just recently I learned he was a Free Mason. One of the most mysterious and famous group of intellectuals known. We are all entitled to are opinions, but sadly enough some people’s views and opinions are so skewed that they need not ever open their mouth. As the famous quote goes: “Better to keep your mouth shut and thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” I will certainly, to some, fall under that category of the fool. However, I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut on the issue. I enjoy the comic, and will continue to enjoy the comic, all political and personal views aside.
Getting angry because the comic has a political influence occasionaly is a tad of an overreaction to me. We all like webcomics here, so just simply enjoy it.
Not going to get into a debate about gm food as both the potential benefits and the potential damages are almost limitless, I know Monsanto well, and agree that they are a prime example of rampant capitalist immorality, but that again would be a long debate. This being a comment on the comic, however, at this stage it is not the best nor the worst comic I’ve seen on-line (or off) but has kept me reading so far, and seems to be maturing nicely. Those of you who complain about politics in comics obviously know nothing of comic history, or indeed the history of comedy. The clowns in classical theatre were the only ones who could tell political truths to lords and kings without getting their heads cut off, even nursery rhymes were more often than not veiled references to the political scandals of the day. Hey diddle diddle may seem like childish gibberish but it actually refers to a foolish king and queen, a dishonest treasurer etc.
As a writer my political and religious views are often in my work, artist friends, musician friends etc include a lot of political commentary in their work, comic writers like any other creative artist put part of themselves into their creations, and any small minded bigot or opinionated fanatic who doesn’t like it should be closely watched, they are the ones who will end up burning books and banning freedom of speech. Scary.
Monsanto also created Agent Orange which killed Vietnam Vet and Villagers slowly! They also caused birth defection because of it.
P.S- Down with that corrupt,evil and Military Industrial Coporated Monsanto! World can live without it.