![[0186] Take It Easy](http://www.sandraandwoo.com/comics/2010-07-29-[0186]-take-it-easy.png "[0186] Take It Easy")
The current story arc started with this strip: Hit-Boy.
Whew, I’m already really excited about the strip that will be posted next Monday. All I can say is: This story ain’t over yet!
The original line of the police officer in the last panel was “Hey, look on the bright side! At least no SWAT team has shot your dog during an apartment raid,” but neither Powree nor Neveko got its meaning so I replaced it.
Big versions of the following two drawings can be found on our page for donators:
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- Nigel O’Sullivan: Good work, Mrs. Williams. Without your fast intervention this boy may have died!
- Ye Thuza: Oh well, the medic said that it was just a light heart attack.
- Brandon: Can I go now?
- Nigel O’Sullivan: Not so fast, my friend! First I want to know why you two went completely ballistic after seeing some guys in superhero costumes.
- Nigel O’Sullivan: Hmm, maybe because… you are your own best customers!?
- Nigel O’Sullivan: Hey, take it easy. In ten, twenty years you’ll be free again!
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Okay, comment section re-opened.
However, all comments containing complaints about the amount of swearing in this story arc or containing generic criticism about the general direction of Sandra and Woo will be deleted immediately.
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Busted. I love the comic as usual!
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That definitely qualifies as illegal search and seizure in panel 3. Freaking out because your friend had a heart attack and there’s two strangers in costume in your apartment does not count as probable cause.
You know… In America at least.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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10-20 years, eh?
Most people over here get 6, and that’s for murder =P
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everybody readed the comic? well Im just tired of the misinformation, Big Daddy was the badguy or at least a dangerous misfit, not a hero. Im not saying no spoiler, you can download the comic (buy the complete tome when you find it, is really good)
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Frankly, I am glad you changed the final punch line– it makes more sense. I’m sure you thought the other comment was good, but it makes more sense the way you ended up doing it.
Love your comic!
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Heh, I had a feeling this was a ‘scared straight’ kind of thing. Still love it.
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Isnt ten to twenty years on someone his age a little harsh? It takes away his entire life basicly, spending you young years in a prison and coming out a beaten-by-inmates 30-40 year old?
And after that lets not forget how much that would scar him, I mean he could come out something much worse after that experience.
Just sayin. :I
He is joking.
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I thought the action took place in the alley, or street?
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Coming from a police officer, I had no idea he was joking. The arc isn’t over? Wow, I don’t see how it could get better! I love the perspectives of the donation drawing.
I think the strip also works if you assume he is serious.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Oh, he was joking? Uh, nevermind.
Why can’t you wait to see the rest of the story before making such statements?
That’s like walking out of “Over the Hedge” after half of the film and saying that the raccoon RJ is a complete brick.
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Kind of an oversimplified approach to drugs, unless it gets more complicated and embarrassing after this. IMHO, for a lot of illegal substances used for recreational purposes, the illegality does more damage than the substance.
I’m a lot more scared of a government that cuts corners on civil rights than of some funny recreational chemical. Just look at 20th century history. The death toll from the former is orders of magnitude higher than from the latter.
I’m not saying that consuming weird stuff is good for you.
Still hoping for some embarassing complications from this.
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I called it. Didn’t I call it? I said that Johnny wasn’t dead but Brandon thought he was.
Okay, so I didn’t pick that Johnny had a heart condition (although the hospital he was leaving in the first panel a few strips back should have been a clue). I still claim coup on the “not dead but thought he was” part of the plot.
Now I’m going to guess that Ye Thuza and Cloud will somehow intervene to get Brandon a lighter sentence on the drug charges. Or perhaps they won’t, but Ye Thuza will foster Ralph because he’ll have nobody to look after him with his big brother in prison. Yeah, that sounds more likely than the first guess.
Now I shall wait to see whether either of my latest guesses turn out to be true.
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Is this a definition of poetic justice? Haha
Awesome Comic!
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YAY, I WAS RIGHT, two comics ago i said ether somthing unexpected happened, or it was a setup, i was right with the first one
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justice owns again
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@Novil: You mean “serious” as in “really assumes Brandon is going to get 10-20″, or as in “trying to scare the you-know-what out of that idiot”?
I had been thinking the other boy had planned this ahead with Cloud and his mom, to give Brandon the scare of his life – hopefully to scare him straight. Guess I was wrong.
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Ah so THAT’s why the comments section was closed. Hate to say it, but it’s almost just as well to keep it closed. Our culture is waaaaaaaaay to sensitive. Even if you DID remove the swearing, they’d just find something else to b*tch about. Some people won’t be satisfied until you’ve turned the comic into the Care Bears.
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Yay!
(Also, Yay for the reopening of the comments.)
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It’s more than a little sad to see people jumping the Gun here, And Either moving to conclusions before the story-line has finished, or getting upset that it has a bit of adult language and an adult based situation.
When looking at the rest of the Comic, The Stories before this one I mean, it seems to follow the same joyful balance of Life-Lesson/Comedy. The Context on this one merely Shifted to suit what was needed for the message to get across, and for the Comic as a whole to continue on.
Was there Something here that the Characters did which seemed out of the ordinary, or made them act in ways against their Nature? Not at All. In fact it seemed completely in place, and realistic in the world which they live and breathe.
The officer’s Comment? Take it how you like, Personally, I saw it as a Joke. Don’t get upset when it’s not even over Yet. That would be like watching Pirates of the Caribbean Two, And the Second Jack Sparrow Gets all Gobbled the Heck up by the Kraken, Walking out of the theatre and b******g that Jack Died. Even though in the next Thirty minutes everything seems to work out in an elaborate and joyful Twist.
Will That happen here? Not saying it will, but at least ride it out long enough to find out.
— merge of double post —
Also, Sorry about the Cursing there. My Sincere and Actual Apologies.
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This webcomic has inspired me to write one of my own!
Unfortunately, I’m a terrible artist, so I can’t.
Still, like the superhero approach of the latest arc.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Whoops. Busted.
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That didn’t stop Novil, did it?
You only have to convince somebody with drawing abilities of your comic idea.
(don’t try to convince me, my drawing abilities only cover maps)
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Well it looks like I hit close to the mark when I deduced that he might have a life altering medical condition. Mind you I made a large enough number of suppositions that there was a decent chance I would have been close =P
As for the locking of the comment section, I was initially surprised but now can clearly understand that my Neighbors to the south are just as annoying as Tweety-Bird when it comes to their presumptions of other peoples morality. If only there were raccoons with the stomach for the job.
And the story continues
- As for American search and seizure, fergetabout it since this is not the USofA.
- I look forward to more overacting on the Police officers part.
- I have a hunch that the officers and “Mrs Williams” may already be acquainted
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I thought it was the US of A? However, what the cop did seems legal in the US, look up “stop and frisk”. . . although I doubt that the cop put “subject is afraid of two subjects in superhero costumes” in his report.
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was the reference to the dog getting shot a reference to New Tricks?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Tricks_%28TV_series%29
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Hit-Boy looks awesome!! That was what I was wanting to say when the Comments were closed and now I said it, Woo!!
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Hey, just started following S&W about a week and a half ago, and I’m loving it. Great work on an awesome comic, and thanks for also posting the comics auf Deutsch.
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Even if that happens people will STILL find some reason or so to complain.
Anyway.
GO cloud and Cloud’s mom. And that medic, regular day heros!
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There is no way he’ll get 10 to 20 for that little pot. Maybe a couple of weeks, or a ticket.
But its not like he knows that.
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Does this comic take place in the US or Canada? I know there are no raccoons in Germany…
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Well I think you can rule out illegal search and seiz because by the way the kid was acting and the probqable smell comming from him (yes pot has a very noticable smell and most police know that smell) he has all the probable cause he wants. As for a sentence< most first timers if they show respect to the court get a slap on the wrist sand drug counseling.
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@Mosley
Suspicious behaviour or any suspicion of criminal activity is legal grounds for search and seizure. Read over the Patriot Act passed by the Bush administration, if you’re suspected of a crime, or anti-national activity you can be stripped of your rights, searched, and detained until it is proven that you are not a criminal. So, this is definently legal in the USA, but wouldn’t be legal in say… Canada, unless you were suspected of being a terrorist (Canadian Terrorist Act), which isn’t a term thrown around everywhere over there.
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I’m going to just go out in a random direction and say I adore Clouds superhero costume. I also really love the look of that officer there. His appearance feels like such a perfect nod to the cops you’d see in the Orphan Annie or Dick Tracey comics while still fitting the scene perfectly. =)
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He is lucky he is not in Singapore. The drug laws are a bit… Harsher. For possession, you get the death sentence. (Overkill, in my opinion.)
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If more drugs were legal, there would be less overdoses and less people in jail for no reason.
By doing drugs you get two highs, the regular high of the drug, and the high of doing something you’re not “supposed” to do.
It’s our bodies, we should have the right to do what we want with it.
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Oh come on leave it. The strip, the arc and the comic itself is JUST fine the way it’s going, it’s called evolution and you know what’s the best for it. So just keep it up man.
BTW so these drug stuff get you 10-20 years in jail? Ouch. :O
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yay for coments!
There are raccoons in Germany since 1934. And they do quite well, it is believed that there are several hundred thousands of them now.
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i like the story and all but what happened to s&w i kinda like the stories about them better
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I guess the original punchline was this event here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/30/AR2008073003299.html
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I wonder why the police officer`s name is “sullivan”.
Did you play “Bioshock” ?
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What treully amaze me is that everybody here take this joke so seriously!!
“oh 20 years its too much” or “yeah thats illigal seizure” blah blah blah…
Hu din’t you guys noticed thats a webcomic we are talking about?!…even if the cop says that he will be on the electric chair who cares!!!!!
and for me even 20 year for drug smuggling isn’t enough but thats my personnal point of view…
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I know someone who used to work as an addiction counselor. She told me about the “shoot your dog” scenario:
Drug dealers often keep large dogs to protect them from their enemies. Dog attacks during police searches and arrests are so common that it has become standard procedure for officers to shoot advancing dogs on sight.
This may seem cruel, but keep this in mind: Most dealers try to escape while the dog is attacking, abandoning the animal anyway. If a dealer escapes or is arrested, then the dog becomes homeless. A dog that attacks humans can not be placed with a shelter or foster family. So even if the dogs are taken alive, they will probably be put down for the sake of public safety.
These situations are pretty tragic, and I don’t think they are common knowledge. I’m glad Sandra and Woo used the alternative punch line.
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at firs i though that you were using the word dog like gueto talk, so i he was refearing to his friend, wich would make sense… well for me it makes sense, and my vision of a apartment raid is strongly influenced by the one in gta san andreas… in wich many drug dealers and customers are killed by the swat.
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Well I do have to say that I’m really glad that you opened the comments.
). Now, I realize, I think maybe you're already on something like it… you actually did this swiftly in the past (my favorite Arc, the one with the forest, is the main example I keep in mind of a solid narrative) and you haven't dissapointed me so far. [Yes, that includes this one]
I missed saying how much I like the comic! <3 <3 <3
What to say…
Pay attention not to haters, 'cause most of them are procrastinators or envious people. Focus always in people that have good comments. Asides, yes, the comic has landed into a very touchy subject in this arc, but it has keep it real according to the fun-nature, no-truth-hidden spirit it had at the beggining and all through it.
I'm not going to tell you how to do your comic. I would mildly suggest that in the wrap up you find a way in which the insight, as in many cases before in your stories, feel oriented to kids or a kid-like mind (the BEST kind of state of mind this planet has
Thanks for inspiring us and making some of our cell brains grow. Even if you have to step a little on some toes.
Good artists do that.
P.s.: Brandon's expressions of guilt for the WIN!!!
— merge of double post —
P.s.s.: The one with the forest is oh so not clear. I meant the one in which a lady thinks the forest is full of animals with rabies and wants to hunt them all down… can’t remember the name now, but i LOVED it!!! [And sorry for the looong post, I just missed you]
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So, THAT’S where Detective Columbo’s been hiding out at, all these years…
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Don’t pay attention to the haters? Hey, thats what DC Simpson is doing with Raine Dog, and we all see how that turned out.
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Well Novil … you certainly got a LOT of comments (and hence, have a LOT of readers)! I Love the story arc so far and love the comic in general. I hadn’t been able to follow along for a little while, but I gather (from the closed comments) that things must’ve gotten heated for a bit … that is a shame, because I loved the way you portrayed these two dealers. And I’m anxious to see where you go from here too. (And I do agree, the finish to this strip was much more humorous than the other would’ve been – though, being in law enforcement myself – I would’ve “gotten it”.)
Thanks all of you for a great comic!
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Shouldn’t Ye Thuza be charged with vigilantism?
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Why she was just cosplaying as a super hero while passing there and helping the guy ;p
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Well wouldn’t dressing as super heroes, carrying weapons and skulking around darkened alleyways in a presumably bad part of town raise some questions?
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Come on,it is a COMIC strip! It isn’t serious
I really like that it is getting a bit darker.
It was a bit to “fluffy” some times
Great art work by the way!
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Hmm I don’t see any weapon anywhere near there ^^ and even then, if I have to pass in a darkened alley in a bad part of the town I would SURELY want to have some weapon [legally] with me ^^
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Not necessarily… For openers, It’s Only A Comic Strip, you really should relax. The comics are unavoidably compressed for space, and Officer O’Sullivan has come into contact with Brandon as part of a routine investigation.
Getting suspicious about Brandon’s actions and behavior (and perhaps smelling the drug on his person, or the lingering scent of it’s being used recently clinging to clothing…) could quite rightly give the Officer enough Probable Cause to do a pat-down search and find the drugs. It’s an A leads to -> B leads to -> C type of thing. As long as he can explain it to the District Attorney and the Judge, all is well.
And it may have been a joke, but who knows? With enough digging they might come up with 20 years worth of charges…
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what about Woo? =P
i agree. and the movie that inspired this arc is awesome, too.
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Sorry for the question, but what does the cop mean in the third panel?
“You are your own best customers?” It doesn’t make sense to me.
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One little problem in this arc (of a very good comics, for sure), is that the cop here find the drug too quickly. How could he have known of its emplacement ? Plus, there’s still some reasons to freak out when you hear a detonation, then two masqued guys show up and you see your friend is lying on the floor. But, well, it’s a comics, and the situation is still logical.
And, but that’s a personnal point of view, I’m not very fond of the “we’re-the-guardians-of-peace” look that Cloud make in the last panel.
But still, a very good work ^^
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@ Mosley:
Here in Spain it would make perfect sense. They’re outdoors anyway. If the policeman suspects you’re playing dirty they’re completely entitled to search your clothes (no damage involved). I thought it was the same in USA, at least in the USA police movies I used to watch when I was younger… which is exactly the background of this strip. Wonderfully made, by the way. I’m loving this story, Novil!
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@ Dumb Reader:
“You’re your own best customers” -> I believe he suspects the kid is so excited because his perception of reality isn’t “real”. In other words, his actions don’t make sense because he sniffs drugs besides selling them.
On the other hand, I suppose his buddy wanted to quit because drugs were affecting his heart.