2144: My Pulse Will Be Quickenin'

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My Pulse Will Be Quickenin'

Made by: Manyhills

Explanation

In the original strip, Garfield's last line was "Help me!" Here, it becomes obvious that Jon has poisoned him with strychnine, providing a whole new dimension to both his uncontrollable smile and Jon's smirk. (The title is a line from the Tom Lehrer song "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park", which explicitly mentions strychnine.)

The author writes:

To quote the Royal Society of Chemistry:

The symptoms of strychnine poisoning are unmistakeable: the patient has violent convulsions and contortions, notably arching of the back, while the jaw muscles can contract, leaving the victim with a fixed grin.

Not to pat myself on the back too much, but I love how this dialogue edit changes the context of Jon's facial expression in the last panel.

Original strip: 2003-05-19.

Transcript

Jon: You woke up with a smile!
Garfield: I know...
Garfield: Strychnine poisoning!