[1183 – 1185] Nightmares
└ posted on Wednesday, 10 June 2020, by Novil
- Policeman: Hands up!
- Sandra: Woo!
- Policeman: Oops, wrong house.
- Rioter: How do you like that, racist scum?!
- Richard: You don’t have to worry, Sandra. There haven’t been any riots in the country for a week.
- Sandra: I know, but…
- Sandra: I’ve been having all kinds of nightmares for weeks now. And they keep getting worse!
- Eugene Tyson: Please excuse the intrusion, but let me tell you that such nightmares shouldn’t be taken lightly!
- Richard: Oh! How would you know?
- Eugene Tyson: My name is Eugene Tyson. I was professor for oneirology at Yale. My therapies helped dozens of people to overcome severe trauma!
- Richard: You were professor at Yale,… and now you’re working as a sweeper?
- Eugene Tyson: I posted something wrong on Twitter…!
- Richard: You’re lucky to still be alive!
@ Arawn_Emrys:
Bye!
Marteri wrote:
When a bunch of white supremacists with tiki torches, rifles, Hakenkreuz armbands and nazi tattoos marched on a Synagogue, chanting “blood and soil” and “Jews will not replace us,” peaceful protestors linked arms to block their way at the entrance to the Synagogue’s grounds. The nazis attacked those protestors. People identifying as Antifa, who’d done nothing until then, counter-attacked. One of the peaceful protestors credits Antifa with saving her life.
I’m not convinced that those Antifa defiled your grandmother’s memory.
Now, someone else also identifying as Antifa may well have done despicable things, and someone else doing despicable things may well have been identified as Antifa, on no grounds at all, by someone who wants the whole idea of opposing fascism to be discredited in the minds of the US electorate so they’ll be willing to give an obvious fascist a second term in office, but I’m still not convinced that those Antifa defiled your grandmother’s memory.
Bob wrote:
I suggest watching Beau Of The Fifth Column to get a bit more insight into the matter. I also suggest bearing in mind the proverb: “A few bad apples spoil the bushel.” Bushel, barrel, crate, lot, batch of cider, whatever.
What if the laws say “Whites only within city limits after dark,” anyone with a non-white grandparents isn’t white, non-whites can’t marry whites, non-whites can’t vote et cetera, the people who don’t share your view that your or your beloved’s one black great-grandparent shouldn’t prevent you from getting married or voting are armed and surrounding your home with intention to burn it and you to the ground and the police are standing around watching them do it? Is it okay to shoot a few to create a gap so you can escape?
Allow me to put in my two cents:
Anyone who goes around shooting, looting and killing is doing a bad thing, regardless of whether they’re doing it the name of stopping Facism or of the Police.
Does anyone remember how Mussolini came to power? He gained support by having his Blackshirts beat up Communists in the street.
(People who like Mussolini, please don’t start hating me. It’s just that if I start using Hitler, this will go nowhere good)
I know good cops, and I know peaceful protesters. At its core, there is nothing wrong with wanting to uphold the law or wanting to stop Facism. The problem begins when you start thinking you can go above the law to do so, or start twisting your goal into something more personal.
This strip, however, is not about saying Cops or Antifa or [insert name of organization] specifically is bad — what it’s saying is that the whole culture of violence is taking its toll on the young.
And this is something we forget when we start arguing about ideology.
Novil and Powree, I love your strip and have been watching here for many years.
I, for one, am staying to see this arc through. Anyone who wants to leave can do so.
random or not: the professor looks very similar to Mike Tyson (the (meanwhile aged) boxer) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Tyson
Renadt wrote:
Tulsa is interesting, because everyone involved behaved in the worst conceivable manner at every step of the lead up to the riots except for the police at the courthouse, which was the focus of the whole thing. They refused to hand over the black man accused of rape to the lynch mob, they also told the armed black folks who showed up to “protect” the courthouse from the lynch mob to go home because their presence was only going to make it worse. Which it did, it scared the white mob and got them to go get their guns, which led to the black group doing street patrols, etc, etc and now we’re firebombing the city.
Chris wrote:
Most of them armed criminals. Looking at unarmed police killings doesn’t help them much though – for 2019 police in the US killed about a dozen unarmed black folks and about 5 times as many unarmed white folks.
@ Name:
Yeah, no. There are no recorded murders caused by antifa members, and the worst thing they’ve done is block off roads. Antifa is a bogeyman the right uses to justify their facist agenda.
The looting was done mostly by individual opportunists, alt-right agitators, folks who got swept up in the rage and excitement, and undercover cops, trying to justify the use of force to shut down protests.
@ Aaron:
Update: it appears that while Antifa is basically not real in America, it does exist and cause trouble in Europe.
Dan wrote:
antifa (new name for fascists) is far worse menace than “fascist” cops …so far riots have already hit higher deathtoll than police brutality has this year
@ Dan:
Interesting that you see some one assaulting a young girl and some one else setting a house on fire and your first line of comparison is “Antifa”.
You had me worried. One way or the other and I’d be mortally offended…but this lands right up the middle. (I’m not gonna go into what I think of what’s going on because a lot of people would be mortally offended.)
Novil: * give warning to his readers, posted three comics simultaneousely to avoid being misinterpreted and offend his readers
Reader: *still getting offended anyway.
Very smart to post all 3 of these at the same time. I admit the first one hit my rage button pretty hard that I almost skipped the rest to shout in the comments. Very glad I read the whole thing. I think you captured the feelings of many people quite well.
Kudos.
@ AnotherBear:
Just because someone calls themselves something doesn’t make it so. You can’t get much more fascist than “antifa”. (Well, you can, but the war ended 75 years ago.) You do know that “antifa” was created by Stalin, who was a…wait for it…fascist, right?
You asked where my ancestors were on D-Day? Well, by D-Day most of my relations had been murdered in Poland. By the ancestors of…well, you finish it off.
@ Schadrach:
The numbers I saw was 9 unarmed blacks and 19 unarmed whites. (Of course, “unarmed” doesn’t mean “innocent and harmless.” Not by far.)
That’s about 1/3 black, when blacks are 13% of the population (of course, we’re talking mostly men here, but they are of course the same percentage of men), which makes it seem high, except that blacks commit about 50% of crimes (mostly against black people, of course, even though about 90% of white-black crime is black on white), so 1/3 is actually way *below* what you’d expect.
There are of course a million other variables, but the simple fact is that going either by actual numbers or going by percentages, there is no “epidemic” of police brutality, especially not against blacks.
@ Aaron:
Yes, the antifa gets their proxies to do most of the actual damage.
Raen wrote:
Hitler was not the cause, and neither is Trump. They were both results of imbalances in their societies.
Name wrote:
The world is not made of black and white, but our society doth classify people thusly.
And I wonder how much rioting was provoked by the police. Who benefits? White Supremacy is the only cause to gain for rioting and law enforcement agencies have a history of inciting violence among minority groups, for example Muslims.
Law enforcement agencies have motive, means and opportunities. If not the agencies then perhaps agents of such acting independently or in concert with like minded agents.
Wow, I am impressed. Those willing to show that the problem is bad cops, rioters, AND anti-first amendment terrorists are very few.
Never commented before, but DAMN, talk about mood whiplash. I…really didn’t like this. I have been reading this comic for awhile and always found it to be a lighthearted affair. Then you show me a pet raccoon getting blown away by police, followed by a 13-year old girl being graphically beated by what appears to be a grown adult. Not cool in my book.
And before anyone says “bUt ThIs Is WhAt HaPpEnS iN ReAl LiFe”, I am very well aware of this as I live in an area that has seen both violent protests and abusive police. I don’t think it belongs in a light family comic. You can commentate on events that are happening around the world without graphic violence in your comic.
I really really do not like this strip. It is just a flimsy bundle of very inflammatory content made vague enough so people with strong opinions all over the spectrum end up thinking it supports their point. I would prefer to not think of that, but my first thought was that recession hit Oliver quite hard and this is perfect material for creating bringing attention to the webcomic and capitalize on views.
Pick your interpretation:
* Policial brutality and Antifa are equaly destructive.
* PC culture was attacked the last years but is less destructive than police or Antifa, and therefore a more civilized third way (firing is not killing).
* The problem is a culture of violence that includes PC culture and Richard
@ ArcaneDarkness:
Damn my fat thumbs, I actually clicked submit comment before submitting.
* The problem is a culture of violence that includes PC culture, and Richard is serious about that the sweeper-professor could have been killed.
* The problems of Police and Antifa are distant (only happen in nightmares) while the problems of PC culture are next door.
* etc…
I am kinda regretting having come back to S&W, but as other commenter pointed out: it has no obligation to appeal to every public/person. I think it is better for me to finally admit what I liked of Oliver was his early work, and not slowly bitter my love of the comic with the way it currently is.
Is Tyson supposed to be a real person?
Google turns up nothing.
Poor Sandra…
Also, “haven’t been any riots for a week” doesn’t actually sound all that reassuring.
Fair enough writer(s), that was a fair assessment. Props for showing the both extremes.
Whatever you do, Novil & Company, do NOT take these comics down, let alone apologize for them. Too many artists already have either joined the Politically Correct, Gatekeeper crowd or capitulated, resulting in the loss or perversions of a great many good works.
The artistic community is no stranger to purity tests and pogroms, and it looks like we’re on the verge of observing yet another one. I would like to still read your comics in their original, unadulterated form many years from now. Stay safe, and Godspeed.
@ Shadles:
Well, I tried…:/
Dan wrote:
The problem is that there are people who *seriously* think IS & Antifa would be great guys while Americans and Israelis would be intolerant, evil and dangerous.
These people deliberately do not hold antiracism rallies against IS or Hamas. They always only complain about Americans or Israel.
They know perfectly well that literally every single country in the world is more intolerant than America. They don’t care. They want to hate America and that is what they do.
And then, they complain that the Simon Wiesenthal Center equates Antifa with IS. Although that is entirely their own fault.
@ Arawn_Emrys:
Hello there peaceful protester, how many cars did you burn today?
They took the side of reality, not the status quo.
There are bad people on both sides.
There are police officers who abuse their position and feel powerful and untouchable because “De LAW” is on their side.
There are currently evil assholes who are using the protests as an umbrella for committing crimes.
I advise you to get off twiter nad take a long hard look at America.
Just random comment popping in to say I hope y’all are safe, healthy and taking care of yourselves.
Hope y’all have a great day.
BTW I see why you wanted to post these at once, they already got quite the heated debate going, while I might agree that presenting both sides like this isn’t the best the comic is about the response people are having, and to be frank this is what the media and overall coverage is pushing to.
Anyway have a great day y’all.
I think this is a great 1-2-3 – and I agree with people saying it speaks more to the stress and anxiety everything happening is placing on, especially, the young. Sandra’s age. Thank you Oliver and Powree.
And regarding Twitter I freaking love the following from Dave Chappelle:
Near the start of a show Dave Chappelle told his audience he was going to da an impression: “If you do anything wrong in your life, and I find out about it, I’m gonna try and take everything away from you. And I don’t care when I find out, it could be today, tomorrow, fifteen, twenty years from now. If I find out, you’re f***ing finished.”
“Who’s that?” he asked. “That’s you! That’s what the audience sounds like to me!”
@ Name:
““ISIS isn’t an organization, it’s more of a philosophy”. This is your level of thinking.”
No, ISIS is definitely an actual organization. Meanwhile, Antifa is an organization like “fans of Novil” is an organization. Tons of people are fans of Novil, but it’s not like they officially sign up to be part of an exclusive group.
” Nice try to strawman, but I’m against anyone who breaks the law: be it abusive police who disgrace their good counterparts, or be it wannabe revolutionaries assaulting anyone they believe is to the right of communism.”
So first you don’t know what Antifa is, and now you don’t know what Communism is? I think we’re done here. Go google some terms, buddy.
@ Most Serious Duelist:
I don’t watch CNN, but the idea that you’d recommend OANN, a heavily-biased far-right network, is just embarrassing.
Loved this comic – so much, I actually felt the need to post after many, many years of lurking 🙂
Keep up the good work of the common sense, Novil and Powree!
The next strip should be about Sandra’s nightmares after reading the comments.
This strip really captures how I feel at times with current issues going on and also twitter and any other social media should’ve have no influence bearing in life. Also the wait for these strips was worth it.
Some of my favorite strips in this comic are the ones that aren’t afraid to get pretty emotional and stark (esp. Larissa’s earlier arcs). Of course, I like the light fluff too, but it’s nice to see this side of Sandra and Woo again. Definitely a good call on posting these all together. I think you captured the troubled young Sandra’s heart well, in a time when people are shouldering a lot of fears and pains.
You did not disappoint. You’re handling this with maturity as well as tackling both sides of the argument. That is why I can respect your work above most people’s.
I’m usually not a fan of Oliver’s political comics. This one, however, is really good. I don’t quite understand how people can perceive it as biased and get angry about it. Maybe stepping back and reconsidering would help? Otherwise I worry that there really is no common ground anymore. 🙁
Don’t mind the concern trolls – the people who claim to be fans or parts of your group and say they’re put off by this – they’re not real fans, it’s a tactic employed by certain groups to try to silence everything they disagree with. It’s not new, and this is far from the first place to be hit with them.
@ Dan:
Considering the track record of ANTIFA attacking random people, pepper spraying people for simply wearing a red hat, and the riots and the like. I think it’s an apt comparison.
Breja wrote:
Didn’t make them dumber. Just made it easier for them to show off to the world how dumb they really are.
Very well done. Reflecting perfectly what I just can’t put in words.
Over the past week or so I’ve been driving home from work wondering if I would come home to a secure house and a happy dog, or if I’d come home to a broken down door and a bleeding dog that had been shot to death in her kennel.
I can relate to Sandra right now, is what I’m getting at.
@ Tadrix:
I disagree. Yes, most were dumb to begin with, but by interacting with them they make each other even stupider, and what’s worse they bring others, not neccesairly stupid to begin with, down to their level. Social media creates some weird pressure for many people to “keep up” – to speak out and react fast, instantly, without thinking through. To simplify complex matters, speak and think in short twits and hashtags, see things as binary “like it/dislike it”.
Terry Pratchett once wrote that “the IQ of a mob is the IQ of its most stupid member divided by the number of mobsters,” Well social media basically created a permanent, global mob.
@ MJ:
Heh–good one.
Wait, you’re serious about OANN?
@ Zelnik:
Waiting to hear the full story before passing judgment? That’s not P.C.
Hmm.
One nightmare from one perspective, one from the other.
Both things that have really happened, with sobering frequency (particularly the first dream. SWAT raid the entirely wrong place at least 3000 times a year).
I suppose that’s as balanced as one could ask for from a single update’s worth of comics.
What’s the Venn diagram thought concluded from both “dreams”?
Maybe… “This is not a good country to live in”?
Okay, well at least this is less politically charged than the last webcomic I read that couldn’t even summon the brush in illustrating their point. Kudos for that at least. I myself would have perhaps reacted badly at merely the first one in light of recent events.
First strip: It could be a general reference, but has some close ties to a police no-knock raid on a woman’s apartment a few months back, one of which one of the protests (the actual protests) were referencing in conjunction with the Floyd case way back in the beginning. As a point of note, the boyfriend of the woman killed was armed and opened fire on the presumed home invaders. This incensed many in the firearms owning community.
Or it could be much more general and be referring to swatting, no knock raids, and the wrong house phenomena associated with the drug raids, and the shooting of animals during those raids. All bad things that have resulted in the loss of lives and property needlessly.
Second strip: Looks like we have a pair of rioters, one beating up a man for no good reason, while another sets a home or business on fire, likely in this case owned by the black man trailing and pleading. And Woo here is a casualty of the violence, someone uninvolved with whatever the rioters took as an excuse to set off about. The death toll from the riots IRL is now 21? Possibly higher now.
Third strip: yep, twitter is terrible.
Not really sure what else there is to be said, besides pulling on the snakeskin boots and entering the bull ring here.
Wow, I’m impressed. You drew a political strip, nearly everyone would agree with the message in one way or the other, touched on all the fears and anxieties most of us are facing, and still made me chuckle at the end. That is no small feat. Well worth the break.
Apples: Infected, and both parties take on the next Covid mutation.
Last panel would be an excellent wallpaper/avatar.
@ Random:
Says the one using a “no true scottsman fallacy” completely shamelessly. You do not decide whom is a fan or not, and being a fan does not mean someone cannot be critical and must adore all the works from the person they are a fan.