Post "They Answer To The King" by "jephjacques" from patreon

Theron Rutyna

Ookk.

Holly Nelson

On the CBC radio show Morningside, IIRC.

enchantedsleeper

Is that not a filter/drip coffee machine? 🤔

Carrie

Thnx! I'm here all week. 😅

legobil

I hope she works in (or will start working in) Cube Town!! 😍

legobil

Aah. The good stuff references.

Melissa Wilson

Only the caffeinated advice is available in both sizes. You have to order Big, if you want sage advice.

Melissa Wilson

Better the Look than the Voice!

Melissa Wilson

There are a lot of solvents that are stronger than water…

Melissa Wilson

Tea. Earl Grey… Hot.

Melissa Wilson

I’m hoping it involves a new hairstyle… I’m in love with the whole flaming family’s hair.

Daniel Farnitano

I love how Marten still dad-modes Liz.

awgiedawgie

Except for the ones that aren't.

Ursus Ridens

In LC, though, could the journal be put somewhere under, oh, say BS?

Ursus Ridens

All to often and too long, tovarishch.

Ursus Ridens

...and Liz to provide the burns.

Ursus Ridens

Baby steps, folks. Shouldn't start out offering them quad double-shot upside-down oat-milk (...&c..) contoflebulations..

MikeT

I'd think that maybe a batch filter brew would actually be easier to get going. Perc is just....so american and honestly bleh.

enchantedsleeper

It's really more of an audit, when you get down to it.

enchantedsleeper

This is a very cunning way of getting Jeph to take more time off; I like it xD

enchantedsleeper

Maybe they had an espresso machine up until yesterday, but it got eaten by the quantum tunnel. This is the backup machine.

enchantedsleeper

He can get Emily to design it :D

Taryn

I know a lot of people who call them "Chuck Bucks" 🤣

Taryn

Haha, not really. But just knowing that it exists would make it feel more real to me

Sean Kinlin

Sage advice as well as other herbal advices, and advice with caffeine.

Graydon Armstrong

You still use cash?

Graydon Armstrong

“Tea, jubas, big.”

Graydon Armstrong

How strong could it be? He doesn't even have an espresso machine!

Graydon Armstrong

Marten needs to get a decent coffee setup. I've got better than that at home.

Graydon Armstrong

Really? I'm pretty sure I've even said it myself.

Graydon Armstrong

Dora and Faye would disavow you if they saw that terrible coffee setup, Marten. I've got better at home.

Miyaa

I don’t like coffee that much, but I will make exceptions for percolating and Vietnamese style coffee.

Bagge

I'm so glad Liz is getting therapy. Poor gremlin is getting rehabilitated

Comics Ladybird

While it looks like there will be a British king for the remainder of our lifetimes (at least…), in order to nevertheless acknowledge the possibility of a reigning queen and adopt more gender-neutral language I prefer to say people answer to (or have allegiance to, etc.) the Crown, which works whichever the wearer.

Michael Steamweed

Sshhh! Not so loud! They'll hear you and buy it all up! :O

Michael Steamweed

That's why Liz is there.

Michael Steamweed

"We don't give eeffoc. You have to pay for it."

enchantedsleeper

Puns are very sensical :D

legobil

Can’t wait to see if he goes with a uniform! I hope he does!

legobil

And the prestigious journal editors grovel before her might.

Philip Masters

Isn't the Canadianism "Fiddle-Faddle"?

Philip Masters

As I recall, it won a contest for the Canadian equivalent of apple pie.

Cariad

I like to believe the British royal family has been deposed in this universe and Canada (amongst the rest of the commonwealth) is now a republic, but in true nonsense fashion the RCSNR still pretends to be royal

Miyaa

Does that make Moray Claire’s Q?

Stephen Wells

For unrelated reasons the Director likes Dewey codes so Claire is diligently double coding everything while also plotting to murder the Director in their sleep (if they sleep) (they don't) (I miss Yay)

panpolypuff

MOOD FO EEFFOC

Miyaa

I am chortling at “King Charles loonies.”

Miyaa

It would be a library of congress code, not Dewey. No academic library would be caught dead using Dewey.

Miyaa

Oy vey… take your like already.

Miyaa

Now I want a huge bundle of bananas and appy slices for a tortoise.

Miyaa

Somehow I am amazed that the various national and international meteorological societies aren’t owned by Elsevier.

legobil

The MOOD specials: Coffee: Big/Small Tea: Big/Small

Stephen Wells

It turns out the actual purpose of the meeting is to work out what Dewey code is appropriate for the journal. The editor dies of relief.

Bagge

Ah. Coffee and sage advice. Marten has found his niche (if he only remembers to flip the sign)

Bagge

Oh no!

AlexKorobeiniki

Ah yes, either the most exciting or daunting question an academic can be asked: “What do you actually *do*?

awgiedawgie

The Queen of Puns doesn't have patience for nonsense? That's nonsense!

JCfromNC

It's like living in a town full of Sparks (ala "Girl Genius").

Argus

Coming back *strong* with this one.

Sean Brannon

D'aww, Liz is doing therapy! It's hard, but sometimes very necessary, Liz <3

Drazi

Ah, the last Saskatchewan pirate. I've heard the tales. At least he didn't eat carrots, right?

Joe Bocanegra

If Claire has a huge basket of bananas on her desk, i will laugh.

Hugh Eckert

But hogwash is ok

Hugh Eckert

Programmable Sabbath Function is Marten's favorite techno-klezmer group...

Charles Hirst

We ran out of petrol in the late evening at a petrol station on an isolated stretch of the South Australian coast. [We had not been able to fill our car at the last stop due to a strike.] It was closed, so we slept in the car. In the morning, when someone appeared, he said "Why didn't you knock? Everyone does."

Michael Steamweed

Ahhh, yesss, Cubetown. Where the Head Librarian summons prestigious journal editors to call them onto the carpet. Hopefully the RCSoNR isn't owned by Elsevier.

Michael Steamweed

As with "Vulcan as a mother fucker", you all use "As Canadian as possible under the circumstances"? I like it. :)

Mitsuki Ayane

goodness this poor guy isn't ready. Claire is going to give him the look. ~<3

Charles Hirst

In order to get promoted (and a pay rise), I constantly had to negotiate a new position where I could do more actual work and stay out of management.

Opus the Poet

Fear of the unknown.

Opus the Poet

You've never been in a college town during midterms or finals?

Captain Button

The problem is, this being Cubetown, he can't get anything shipped in without someone "improving" it before it gets to him.

Charles Hirst

I think they have some connection to our local government's Department of Pure and Applied Idiocy.

David

Jeph, I've missed this. I've missed us.

Shawn K. Younkin

She doesn't need another child to take care of, Marten is a big boy, he will probably get some wall art when he starts seeing some revenue.

Taryn

Yeah I have at least one. But I think the clincher for be will be if/when he's on actual bills

Amelia Lewis

Maybe Claire can get him to rename the society "Royal Canadian Nonsensical Publication"? Or maybe just the Journal of the RCNP. Just to see if it irritates the boys in red.

Yelling Bird

I'm pretty sure I used to work there. Nowadays I'm nonsensical on a freelance basis.

Some Ed

Admitting ones mistakes and trying to do better in the future go a lot farther than a lot of people realize. At least, if you're in a decent culture. If you're in a toxic culture, those traits can quickly lead to you being on the path to possibly find a work place with a better culture. Unfortunately, the pay on that path is not necessarily as consistent as the pay on the path where one is a craven scammer doing ones best to not be found to be entirely incompetent for their job. Oh, if the Peter Principle actually held up in the real world. Some places it does. But it seems far more often, people get promoted even after reaching their level of incompetence, because the person doing the promoting is at least to their level of incompetence.

Some Ed

Are you sure he's in the first of those?

Some Ed

Yes.

SpookyPenguin

Mood coffee living up to the brand so far 😋

BobC

The Librarian is to libraries as M is to James Bond.

LH

yes, if you can navigate their application process. it's a bit ... nonsensical

Captain Button

[Plays "Don't Turn Around" on hacked Muzack]

Some Ed

I like the belief that they have a style guide. I like that you have it so much I'm not going to say anything about what I feel is more plausible.

Holly Nelson

Regarding nonsense in Canada - we have plenty! We used to have a Rhinoceros Party, we sang about pirates cruising the wheat fields of Saskatchewan, and our national motto is "As Canadian as possible under the circumstances!" But for important stuff, better stay out from underfoot. We got big boots.

Some Ed

I like the bold assumption that you can turn around. To be clear, I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm just saying, I like that spunk.

Ursus Ridens

I have never seen anyone say, "GIVE ME ALL THE COFFEE!" before. Does not sound entirely safe.

Some Ed

As a reader of the journal? Absolutely. As someone in charge of helping them organize? I'm less confident about this one. To be clear, I'm going by someone I know who Claire seems very similar to, rather than based on knowing Clare that well. This person actually has subscribed to several nonsense journals, including Mad Magazine and The Annals of Improbable Research. They also were at one point hired to manage an organization that was doing a fair amount of its own improbable research, though not apparently looking to win an Ig. I recall a few rants that could probably be summarized by, "just because one managed to secure funding does not mean you have a worthwhile research project." To be clear, I did not hear how they actually navigated that job. I never was at that workplace while they were there, and I'm glad I've not had to go back since. I merely heard some of them grousing about it after they got home a few times when I happened to be visiting with their spouse.

Ursus Ridens

Dazzle camoflage should do the trick -- if the customer wants waking up. Otherwise...

Holly Nelson

They’re out now! I got some King Charles loonies from the bank this Christmas.

Holly Nelson

Crivens!

Captain Button

No, but they do receive grants from them and Le March Futile.

Captain Button

Everyone else in Cubetown has AR googles or eye implants so they see the virtual art.

Holly Nelson

Ooooook!

Some Ed

She was the responsible adult of the update, that always makes one seem taller.

Some Ed

I thought the Wacky Hijinks Research was part of the Royal Canadian Society of Nonsensical Research. If that's right, the answer is, yes, constantly.

Buddha Buck

Perhaps this mysterious and scary "Librarian" might be the one for the job.

Some Ed

Claire, nothing. They were terrified of the Librarian before the position was filled. They were all floundering, with varying degrees of awareness of it.

schmod

Liz is on a 2/2 streak for harsh, but perfectly valid observations

schmod

Or a huge bundle of bananas

Maurice Kessler

This. Someone needs to come in and remind him to decorate the joint.

Thisguy

I love that Claire has already instilled a sense of fear.

Andrea

I bet they've also been published in the journal of irreproducable results

Andrea

Big sections of color with white and black on the ends, but everyone only sits in the black section.

Miyaa

I thought you had the Prince and Princess of Canada.

Miyaa

Isn’t that just all of social media, especially X & TikTok?

Miyaa

It usually are the parts of Montréal and Toronto that drinks their milk in bags.

Miyaa

Oh god no.

Miyaa

If the Fallout series has taught me anything (and Half-Life and Portal), no bunker is shenanigans proof.

Conor Meehan

Foooooooreshadowing!

djellafine

...maybe we're about to find out he just opened and doesn't have all the appliances yet?

djellafine

*clutches at heart* nooo

djellafine

Everything is so...sterile. is it a cubetown thing? Needs some art on the walls or yeah at least some color.

Lucas Werkmeister

I'm 100% convinced that panel 1 shows the entirety of Mood Coffee's equipment so far :D

BookBeard

Does the Royal Canadian Society of Nonsensical Research ever collaborate with the Wacky Hijinks Research Group? Also, follow up question, is there a shenanigan-proof bunker nearby? https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4968

Melissa Wilson

The line must be drawn before it comes to hornswoggling!

Doc Gumby

Marten needs to paint the walls, they're pretty bright.

Will Weaver

Is this a subdivision of the Ministry of Silly Walks?

MikeT

That setup....is he just making percolated?

Sean Kinlin

Their style guide is all over the place.

Sean Kinlin

Perhaps you are a connoisseur who picks only the finest nits.

Jose Alfredo Villalobos

I'm sure waggishness can find its way into their research.

Sean Kinlin

@Todd: I would think more nonsense would have come from his late brother Rob.

Devin Gates

I can't, not if I want to live.

Sean Kinlin

Har, har, har. 🙂

Joe Bocanegra

The Librarian sounds like they have a Tardis somewhere

Todd Ellner

Is that the Canadian equivalent of the JIR?

Todd Ellner

Consider Doug Ford

Todd Ellner

Her secret nickname is "Peggy". Use your judgement, Sport

Mark Eichin

Heh, Liz felt taller last comic - must have been the boots, since she's back to her usual "sometimes not even tall enough for her head to fit in the frame" shortness :)

Miyaa

Also my sister has that kind of hot water dispenser and the best thing about those is you can get them with a programmable sabbath function!

Emma Humphries

I just realized that Claire would be able to shame the Vivek and Elon show so badly that they'd be reduced to shilling for Hawk Tua's fake currency on a D-tier podcast.

Sparky

Liz is my favorite gremlin

Stephen Wells

I can't think of a journal category that Claire would love MORE than Nonsensical Research. There's a riff in Foucault's Pendulum about the curriculum at a self-contradictory university and this would fit right in :)

Captain Button

How many steps must you back up from The Librarian before you can turn around?

David Durant

Shenanigans begets shenanigans

David Durant

I too wish to imbibe jitter liquid

Robert L

Marten missed a golden opportunity to go "You cannot handle my strongest coffee, adventurer".

Miyaa

I immediately feel sorry for the editor of The Journal of the Royal Canadian Society of Nonsensical Research. That must be a nightmare.

Magic Chopstick Games

“…and all we serve is ‘coffee’, ‘tea’ and ‘tijub—ok, Liz, that’s strike three, no more chalkboard paint for you.”

JMK

Liz is the little sister I never wanted. She’s amazing, and I love her. I’d never want to meet her though.

Nulgar

Get in line! It's all the way back to Ottawa by now. I hope it starts moving again soon, for the sake of the people in the waters to the mainland.

TheSnarkOfTheNorth

Hey. I noticed the numbers for the comics are bit off when compared to comics before the break. Before the break, mondays had either a 1 or 6 at the end, fridays had a 5 or a 0. Example, 5001 (monday), 5002 (tuesday), 5003 (wednesday), 5004 (thursday), 5005 (friday). Don't worry this can easily be fixed. Take the next 2 days off and resume posting comics monday. ... Geez. With a concern like that, I would fit in with the denizens at CubeTown. :p

tellumo

Canada is a really big place. There's gotta be some nonsense in there somewhere.

Weston Clowney

I feel like Red Green wouldn't take the job. What's the Canadian version of the Sherman Statement?

Leak

RIP (his head off)

Mad Marie

For a dollar extra, you can have a medium.

Sorastro

... I have just found my calling.

Hope

Jeph is it too late to start the years updates over in black and white i have a whimsically nonsensical idea

Doc Gumby

I'm picturing it like the original Wizard reveal in the first Oz movie. But scarier.

Doc Gumby

Well, I mean, the ROYAL Society after all...

cromulent

They pay with loonies and they drink double doubles and homo milk. Do they do anything but nonsense?

Packy Anderson

You have a king only 90% of the time? Who is the figurehead the other 10%? Red Green?

Boots McGoot

feels good to be back in Cubetown!

Carrie

Good, going vegan is the way. 😼

ValdVin

There's a map on the internet of where locals are too polite to knock on the door, and I must now find it.

ValdVin

"RC Society of Nonsensical Research"? As Jeph's been living in Canada for awhile I can only trust in his belief that Canadians actually do "nonsense".

Jon Wilson

They can tak' oour lives but they canna tak' oour troousers!

Carol Metzger

In the last panel, the customer reminds me of Apu.

Carol Metzger

Boomer here, and if I read the hours and saw the sign I might use the phone to check. So maybe take your agism elsewhere.

Andrew Mitchell

Ah, Canadians, too polite to knock on the door. Bless them.

legobil

The real question is, is Liz an employee of Mood Coffee, or is she still attempting her research? Aside from therapy that is.

Carol Metzger

Nae king! Nae quin! Nae laird! Nae master! We willna' be fooled again!

Taryn

I feel like if he ever goes on the $20 *then* it will be real, haha. Apparently that'll be 2027

Populuxe

I’m with Liz. I don’t even know why I stay subscribed to the RCSoNR newsletter.

LH

it will feel more real when you start seeing him on the coins!

Ben R

He is also on the Department of Redundancy Dept. Committee.

Adam

It just clicked that mood is doom reversed. So I'm not surprised that Marten's approach is completely backwards.

Ed Marshall

Look sir your options are "BIG" or "SMALL" we made the sign for a reason

Clark Wells

Clearly no boomers in Cubetown

Jose Alfredo Villalobos

Is the Royal Canadian Society of nonsensical research hiring?

Steve DeGroof

Don't care much for kings and queens but librarians rule.

Kristina

Ty, I did forget about balderdashery, and will now be using it daily

Ísabel Pirsic

Bless ere some malarkey is involved

Kristina

I say this to my espresso machine every morning 😌👌

Tannerbot

Not even shenanigans?

DrummerGeek

But not tomfoolery, that's a different department

Sammitch

Only Liz is gremlin enough to force her way through the barrier of social contract denoted by which way a sign is hanging.

Orion Rhine

Claire has gained that level of respect, deference, and fear that shows she is a capable administrator. I have a coworker like that. She loves me because I ask questions, admit my mistakes, and make an effort to do things right the first time even if I fall short. I find it amusing to watch people tread fearfully around her office, especially managers. They just don't seem to understand that there's nothing to fear if you just do your job right so she doesn't have to clean up your mess.