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This is JJ's brainchild on this one. I've presented it as completely as his original script demanded. Except of course I failed to reread the script before actually drawing and had sketched up a nuke "bomb" rather then the original "suitcase nuke," which was described. Sigh...

Anyhow, I went with a three panel instead of the normal four, and I think the joke is punched in a bit nicer this way. Also the size of each panel is a little bigger as well. I particularly enjoy shading things in the way I did with the bomb. Its simple but at the same time helps enhance the picture in my opinion.

For the commercial panel I was reminded of a Family Guy episode where they were mocking an advertisement towards kids for some kind of toy. They over exaggerated the way the commercials would try to get the kids attention with flashy lights, loud noises, and general over excitement over a mediocre product. When I read over JJs script I remembered that as well as my personal experiences as a kid. Especially those Nerf gun commercials, where it always seemed like the kids using the toys always had an awesome game of Team Deathmatch going on, and they always had some weird ass outfit on representing which team they were on. Oh and dont get me started on the arenas they fought in as well as the slow motion action shots and pumped up quasi techno music accompanying their epic battle. God I wanted to own those damn Nerf toys when I was little.

Sadly, Ive never owned a single Nerf weapon or toy in my life. Not even a football.

~r3v

My idea for this script was born originally from a 4-hour nerf war in my apartment in 2006 between myself, Jeff (my roommate), Sean, and Jay Whitbeck. We were hanging out, bored out of our minds at around 11:30 pm on a Saturday, when we decided to go to our closest Wal-mart Supercenter (open all night) and look around for cool things. We walked out having spent around $60 between the 4 of us. The armament we carried to the car was comprised of 3 6-shooter Nerf Magnums (best nerf weapon in my opinion), 1 generic foam dart double-barreled shotgun (with plastic shells that eject when you crack it apart), 1 Nerf Nightfire Glow-in-the-Dark assault rifle (with whistling projectiles and a battery operated strobe - Whitbeck's pride and joy), and 1 Nerf Ball-zooka (slung it across my back for when things got really messy). We took turns assaulting my apartment from the hallway 3-vs-1 and having arena-style 2-vs-2 Team Deathmatch battles, lights off to steel the senses, of course. At one point, the battle was so intense that Sean cut his eyelid open on out door-knocker when trying to breach the entrance and get to cover. His fre#k*ng EYELID!

Epic.

I continued the tradition when I worked at Colgate University by buying a Nerf Longshot sniper rifle/assault weapon/pistol combo weapons system. That thing was sweet because it had two 6-round clips and a charging knob, in addition to being modular for any area of operation. You could even extend or collapse the stock with the button press. Wonderful. I took it back a few months later because I looked at it with disgust across my living room and realized I'd spent nearly $40 on a way-too-big childrens' toy I'd use twice a year...But did I mention it had a front stabilizing tripod and a scope?...sigh, I kind of miss it.

So yeah, after all of that, the only message I have and what I was trying to convey is that the Nerf arms race is kind of ridiculous, but the true kids in all of us get a little excited, even now hopefully, when we see these testaments to pint-sized combat. The true measure of a fun-loving kid-at-heart is whether or not you would remain on the couch in agreement with Veronika...or whisper away ghost-like to get your own, as our Johnny character did. Well?

Gotta say, I realize as a full fledged adult, these Nerf weapons should strike me as foolish and a waste of money. But the Longshot gave me a hard on when I saw the commercial (figurative hard on, not literal, thank you. I do NOT have a plastic gun fetish). I DREAMED of that sort of thing when I was a lad. Nearest I ever got was a small suction-cup-dart shooting shotgun that was literally the size of a shotgun, and that in itself was enough to fill me with childish glee. I was the envy of the neighborhood.

I hereby declare that all wars shall be fought with Nerf weapons from here on out. That way all the regular jackoffs can join in without getting harmed, the materials are cheaper ($400,000,000 = 1 Advanced Aircraft or an entire army equipped with Nerf'zookas and Lunchables, the kid's MRE), and the next day everyone can get up and do it again.

Mr Sulu? Make it so.

*EDIT* Oh, and I have to state that I think the "nuke" image, instead of the "suitcase bomb" image concept, makes the joke far funnier. I suspect few people can see some little kid sneaking up to his friend's hard and putting a suitcase behind their door, but I bet not a single person who reads this can deny the childlike wonder of LAUNCHING a Nerf Nuke from blocks away.

I was in Target last night. I saw Nerf weapons in the toy aisle. I thought of this strip and everyones posts....

I barely made it out of there without buying them.

~r3v

You know you want it. It whispers you in the night.

"Pssst"

"Whuuh?"

"You could totally pwn the cat with me"

"Huh? That's sick"

"That wanker down the street who nails you in Halo every week? Show him you'd win the REAL war..."

"Hmmmmm.... zzzzz"

I'm at my sister's house in Springfield, MO, and my 11-year-old nephew has the Nerf Longshot sniping system. When I was getting ready this morning I changed in his closet, and part of me wanted to sneak it into my luggage...to steal from a child. When anyone tries to tell you that power doesn't corrupt, they are lying.

JJ