Denouement

With this we conclude the "Robbin' the Cradle" storyline.

An interesting note about this strip:  This story was actually originally intended to end with Wednesday's strip,  at least, that's how I had it written when I originally put pen to paper back in 2006.  When I started to gather these strips and put them together so that I could create this site, I re-read this story.  I really didn't like how the story ended with everyone assuming that Sluggy was a dirty pedophile.  He's incredibly unorthodox as a character and always says things that others would find offensive, but to me, it was important that something like this didn't become his "legacy".  I have some very interesting stories to tell with Sluggy in the future and don't want anyone's enjoyment of those to be impeded by thinking that he is too much of a creeper.  

Yes, these are the kinds of things that I think of.  I guess when you have been invested in a group of characters for close to sixteen years as I have with Shrimpy and the gang, you want to ensure that they remain relatively untarnished, even if unorthodox behavior is a part of who they are.

God Bless America

Not that the government would do that on purpose, but Shrimpy lives in Virginia, so it would probably take quite a bit of time for them to float back to wherever they came from.  Also, for this joke, just pretend the government is full of dumbasses...it won't be too difficult.

Citizenship

I know that's not how things work in real life, but you try writing yourself into a corner sometime...

Thinking of you

I guess if an inmate really wanted to trade some stamps for a flower deliver he could, if he found the right florist...maybe...

I've Seen OZ!

That's always the first question that should be asked after a stint in any lockup right?

On a related note, I miss OZ.  That show was great.

Pedro's Lament

Pedro is a man of many words, he just rarely shows it.

Two Seconds Too Late

Today's lesson is: always be on time.  And if you are going to have someone dress like a cop, make sure he looks like a Village People reject.

Payoff

This one strip is what spawned the whole storyline.  Don't ask me why I was thinking about this, but I wondered if this was an actual response that a Spanish speaking person would have to the above accusation.  I assume that they would, but it sounds funnier coming from someone that doesn't speak that language initially.  This is apparently all it took to get me to craft a story (that and the fact that my younger brother was a freshman in college dating someone in high school at the time - which is not bad at all, but gets exponentially worse as that age gap widens, 

which is what I did here).  

Right...yes, ability...no

Not too sure how Sluggy didn't see that one coming.  Of course, this storyline has proven time and again that his foresight leaves a lot to be desired.

Busted

The only thing that would make this better is if it was filmed by a COPS crew.  That's some quality television right there.

La Policia

Sometimes you just know who the "guest" is for.

Slug Taco

And neither do I.  Whether it's a dig at Pablo's heritage or the implication that he will be killed and wrapped in a rug to have his body disposed of, Sluggy doesn't have much in the way of tact.

Soccer Moms

I can't tell you how many times I saw a minivan full of Latin American guys that had spinning rims on it when I lived in NJ.  Obviously enough to stick with me.  You see a lot of things you want to forget in NJ.

The Posse

While it shouldn't take being marked for a hit to come to the realization that dating a sixteen year old is wrong, at least Sluggy got there.

Rock the Cradle of Love

This is what we call "salt in the wound" and no one does it better than Shrimpy's gang.

Revelation

It's typical Sluggy where he would see the error of his ways after he gets through with the act in question.

Your Chariot Awaits

I am not condoning the selling of people on Ebay, but how cool would it be to have your own little limo driver?

Ebay Limo

How can you not admire Sluggy for going all out on the prom.  It show's commitment...and maybe a little psychosis.  

Babysitter

It's a legitimate question.

Corsage

The funny (or sad, maybe) thing is, I remember my junior prom.  I had a small graduating class and a good portion of the girls at the prom had dates that were considerably older than they were (not 50's or anything but early 20's, so right around the age of the characters here).  This is obviously not out of the ordinary, but even though I originally wrote this storyline many years ago (and years after my own prom), I just thought of the correlation.