5916: Meow: Squealed, Appealed, G-field!
Meow: Squealed, Appealed, G-field! |
![]() Made by: shiningpikablu252 |
Explanation[edit | edit source]
Ideas for this strip came after the author had completed a playthrough of AI: The Somnium Files (the first game in its series); he had first played its demo in October 2019, but didn't get around to purchasing the game until July 2022 in a digital sale, and didn't get around to playing the full version until early January 2023--on the night after his mother's death. The end of the author's notes recommends that readers play the game for themselves; digital copies go on sale a few times each year at good prices nowadays, whereas physical copies are rare and command a premium over their original MSRP. The phrase "if you're of proper age to handle it" references AI: The Somnium Files's strong conent ratings--M by the North American ESRB (a 17+ recommendation), 18 by the European PEGI, 16 by the German USK, MA15+ by the Australian ACB (the most lenient recommendation by a major ratings board), and Z by the Japanese CERO (an 18+ recommendation); the very first scene of the game shows exactly why it got such strong content ratings.
One particular character from AI: The Somnium Files, an idol with the stage name A-set (employed by the agency Lemniscate), has among her interactions with her fandom a word-association game as well as the usual merchandise. Both figure into this strip: a different variation of the word-association game as played by A-set's fans plays out within the dream sequence, whereas a piece of merchandise appears by Garfield's side after he wakes up from the dream.
- A-set herself will not be explained in too much detail, as many of the game's twists involve her in some form and as such constitute major spoilers. Her civilian name is not one of those major spoilers; players, as well as the player character, find out her given name, Iris Sagan, prior to any route splits.
- The word association game involves a central figure, often A-set herself, throwing out a word, followed by the players throwing out two related words that rhyme with "A-set" and follow those up with the name "A-set". Within the dream sequence, A-set herself throws out the initial words, with Garfield, Nancy, and Larry Croc, Jr. taking turns with the follow-up words. The strip's title is a parody of how this word association game works, only with words rhyming with "Garfield" and ending with a modified form of that name.
- A-set figurines also figure into AI: The Somnium Files's story at various points. Within this strip, Garfield wakes up in Macau with one at his side.
The strip's final panel, derived from the final panel of the original 1980-06-12 strip, is the first one the author pieced together to create this idea. Here, Garfield was made to wake up in Macau, a special administrative region of China and perhaps the farthest east major gambling mecca by means of longitude, with the A-set figurine replacing the Barbie doll from the original; the author's notes imply a potential cooperation of Nermal and Herman Post in getting Garfield to Macau (perhaps as revenge for all those times Garfield had Nermal sent off to Abu Dhabi). It is unknown whether Nermal and Mr. Post sent the A-set figurine with Garfield or if the figurine was already in Macau when Garfield got there; the latter scenario is more likely given AI: The Somnium Files's Japanese setting, as merchandise such as an A-set figurine would have an easier time getting to Macau directly than getting to Muncie at all, much less to Macau via Muncie (a southeast Asian locale such as Macau is likely to be a more important secondary market for Japanese artists than an American locale such as Muncie). In setting up how Garfield ended up in that situation, the author kept the first two panels from the 1980-06-12 intact execution-wise, then threw in a three-panel sequence that implies a catnip-induced dream between the second and final panels wherein a few rounds of A-set's word association game takes place; the three-panel dream sequence (which blew up the thought bubble from 1982-02-06 to be the sequence's outer framework, and assets from Garfield 2017-11-11, two non-Garfield strips, and A-set's imagery made up the interior) implies the catnip was strong enough to put Garfield out long enough for him to be shipped to Macau, and in fact was put in for that reason.
This strip first ran five days after the initial release of the third game in the AI: The Somnium Files series, No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files.
The author writes[edit | edit source]
Picture a world where Garfield hangs out with his friends Nancy and Larry Croc, Jr. playing a game with none other than idol sensation A-set! A cat can only dream...
Yet somehow he ends up with A-set merchandise on the streets of Macau... Must've been some strong catnip... and perhaps the aid of a certain cute kitten and a "cooperative" mailman...
(Ordinarily I'd explain more about who A-set is... but to do so would heavily spoil her game, which I would highly recommend playing for yourself if you're of proper age to handle it...)
Original Nancy strip: 2018-11-26.
Original Pearls Before Swine strip: 2012-07-20.
A-set appears courtesy of AI: The Somnium Files.
Original strips: 1980-06-12, 1982-02-06, 2017-11-11.
Transcript[edit | edit source]
Garfield: The farm cat sets out to patrol his property
Garfield: He happens upon a plot of fresh catnip
{begin dream sequence}
A-set: Dog
Junior: Pet
Nancy: Net
Garfield: A-set!
A-set: Atlantic City
Garfield: Roulette
Junior: Bet
Nancy: A-set!
A-set: Music
Nancy: Minuet
Garfield: Clarinet
Junior: A-set!
{end dream sequence}
Garfield: And wakes up the next morning in Macau with an A-set figurine