Annotated 33-6
I’m pretty pleased with the work I did here, the more so since Flo didn’t carve it up as I was expecting she might. She may be closer to Joel’s life experience overall, but the sensation of coming home full-handed after a convention is one I know very, very well.
I was also getting to a point where carrying our wares home after every show was more of a struggle: in the early days of my career, I could tote all my leftovers to the car in one go without much effort. Of course, that has as much to do with changes in what our merchandise was (bigger books and more accessories than the flimsy floppy comics for Fans and the tiny digests of Penny and Aggie) as it did with my aging body, but the point is, I felt for Joel’s choice in panels 1 and 2.
Full disclosure: in the course of my life as a whole, I’ve committed a few determined follow-ups that others most likely considered stalkerish, though not this elaborate, not out of malice, and certainly not with the implied threat that will mark this and many other interactions JJ has. Knowing where the lines are can be hard if you’ve got a bit of social awkwardness, especially if the “scene” seems to exist somewhat outside the spaces of normal etiquette. But even at my worst, I would’ve balked at doing this.
Yeah, I’ve definitely done a lot of stalkerish things in my life that I definitely kick myself about now.
Boy is this a creepy scene! Kudos.
Sir please delete that image in the annotation. It’s starting to rain inside my house because of it. Thanks.
I am pretty useless in the rain
In retrospect; JJ is so horrible at being discreet, it’s a surprise it takes so long for the cops to appear in this story. I kept waiting for you guy to change his appearance between scenes but I guess the guy likes being noticed.
At least 95% of what JJ does is intimidation. In that sense, he is trying to be noticed. But he’s also careful not to do anything visibly illegal in public view. At any rate, this is more about seizing a brief window where he knows Joel will be alone, without family or fans to interfere. The neighbors may wonder who that big guy is in the driveway, but odds are they won’t remember much more than “big guy, mustache” if they’re questioned later. And if JJ can settle this now in the daylight, he won’t have to come back later, and there won’t be any reason for cops to question neighbors at all.
I abhor those not-quite-joking comments online from people that “can’t imagine how people interacted with others and shopped before the advent of smart phones and the internet”. Sure, talking to people in person can be unpleasant, but normally there’s nothing to it. There are even times when it can be pleasant, too.
Looking at this scene, though, I’m sure Joel started moving his merch exclusively through his online store from that moment on
Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it?
If the sales from the online store would be “enough” (however you define that), there wouldn’t be a reason to lug the merch around on public events, which also aren’t “pleasure only” to start with.
But JJ, I think he enjoys every bit of his work.
It could be so enviable …
Weren’t it for the nature of the job and the nature of the horrible person doing it.