Annotated 1-23
Somewhat in contrast to later scenes, we do not get to learn what this ghost’s original story is. Gravedust usually offers a bit of grief counseling as he sends spirits on to the great beyond, but here it’s “whatever, I don’t care, I got my own problems.”
I’d say there’s an explanation for that, though. Gravedust seems to intuitively recognize this shade no longer remembers his (its?) own name: he has been out here long enough that he no longer identifies as a “temporarily embarrassed living person” (“I heard the other ghosts talk about you guys”) and has forgotten the specifics of what compelled him to remain on the mortal plane, but he’s still stuck here by a vague sense of… something. Gravedust will still do his duty, though, whether the ghost wants him to or not.
I like the irony that desert ghosts regard shamans the same way most people regard ghosts.
Unlike Byron’s, Gravedust’s catchphrase arrived without fanfare, as the last spoken line on this page. We ended up getting better use out of it.
Funny, this whole desert is the color of a Sham-wow…
I have always appreciated the ways in which Gravedust is an anomaly. As a mystic who actively interferes with the world, and yet tries to let things be themselves, he’s almost always ambiguous.
Maybe the ghost is Sham-wow Vince?
With responses like that, I’m starting to think vengeful spirits are just ghosts who had the misfortune to converse with Gravedust.
Except he usually doesn’t let them “live” to tell of the experience.
Responses like that might in fact serve to force their continued presence: ambiguity, catnip for ghosts.
Just a heads-up, I’m following this via the RSS feed and it seems to be consistently one comic behind what’s been posted so far. 1-22 just showed up today, but 1-23 has not yet (even though it’s visible here already).
Gravedust looks young, here.