Involuntary Manslaughter
Mermaids would forget their heads if they weren’t attached to their necks. This we know. What we don’t know is why in the hell they would ever marry a human. I mean, how does that even work? Is it like a flea market trade where both individuals just throw their respective goods on the table and try to work something out? Maybe that’s a little crass. In case you’re confused, I’m talking about genitalia.
The scenario depicted above is actually a part of mermaid lore proper. Well, as proper as anything gets when it comes to myths, monsters and folklore. As with all things, there are many incarnations of the mermaid myth across the world. This particular bit is marvelous, though. Your ship is wrecked on some rocks, you are the only one to survive, you’re about to die and along comes a mermaid. She rescues you in exchange for your love, bringing you to her home beneath the sea. She spends all of a week doting on you then forgets that you breathe air and you die. Brilliant.
This is why nobody uses mermaids for rescue operations at sea.
Mermaids are one of those creatures that are beyond weird. It’s pretty obvious that the lore comes from sightings of manatees and dolphins, but the number and variety of ways in which those sightings were interpreted border on the insane. In some cultures mermaids were friendly if forgetful as stated above. In others, they were horrifying creatures that were seen as an omen of calamity. Some were sirens, singing in lovely voices only to destroy those caught up in their sorcery. Still others were depicted as having the feet of a water fowl and the ability to carry weaponry. What the last one is about, I haven’t the foggiest. A fish tail, human body, and duck feet? Yikes.
Mermaids have been on my list of subjects to tackle for quite some time but only now did I think of something interesting for them. Popular myths and monsters are often the most difficult subjects to handle because they’ve been done so much and so often in popular culture. Rather than be cliche, I just put them on the back burner until something good or at least weird comes out.
Discussion (17) ¬
In the third clip, or whatever people call it, I love the mermaids expression! It really gives her that ‘Oh!’ look, as if she really only then just realized it! Very nice!
I totally agree with RyleeMorgan, but what gets me most, what really blows my mind n makes me laugh is that beneath the sea, theres a working tv, couch, and a copy of 20,000 Leagues lol And she is so critical about it XD cuz she definitely knows what its like 20,000 leagues under the sea.
the funniest part of the whole strip is that it has a tag as “forgetful”
ive seen peoples “Interpretations” on how… uh… “THAT” would work…
thinking about it, you never really hear of any merMEN in mythology, and i believe (i dont know how proper research works) that there’s a version in japan where the mermaids were all women and they had to find men to mate…
but whenever someone brings up the subject i always consider how fish mate, by the female dropping the eggs and the male inseminating them, all in a big spawn pit.
…i IMAGINE that could work….
Of course there is the Futurama episode where Fry tries to make it with a mermaid until he learns about how fish mate. He then runs away screaming.
This made me laugh far too much. (Could be fueled by a lack of sleep though, who knows really?) Love that line in the third panel though. Gonna be giggling about that all day. XD
Another great comic… Love it!
Yeah that was quite hilarious.
Bahahaha “MERder”.
I think the funniest part about this is that he’s decomposed enough so that there’s only bone left and she’s only just now realizing that he’s dead.
Rylee: they are called panels
lol I’d do that if I were a mermaid….
Love it, love it, love it. This has got to be one of my most favorite blogs out there. Thank you so much for sharing both your artwork and your insight into myths and legends of all cultures.
How did Van Helsing end up in the middle of the ocean? I wonder what kind of crazy fight he had with those “vampires”.
annnd i just read comics one through present :B
i also read Para-Ten one through present….
my job is boring, okay?
*clap* fantastic comics, both of you <3 <3 <3
Thank you, Emjee! :}
That is very helpful to know!
And months after first reading this, I finally get the pun.
Is she reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a novel by Jules Verne, or is she simply reading 20,000 leagues under the sea?
While I’m here, I must say that I love the hell out of this entire comic.
Why can mermaids talk if sound waves don’t travel like that underwater?