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I had planned the POTENTIALITY of bringing back the space shuttle, but never found the right opportunity (I don’t think I did, did I?). But hiding it under some branches seemed the most appropriate thing.
And yes, Vachel’s line in panel #1 is perhaps the darkest of this strip. As is the theme, actually. It was inspired by hearing that many astronauts suffer depression after becoming earth-bound again, theoretically partly because they know that nothing they ever do will ever be as momentous.
I mean, after doing the greatest feat of your life, and suddenly it’s the day-to-day of going for a walk or playing fetch, that must be a hard transition.
I think the hardest Vachel moment was when he did something or other to cause a car to go off a cliff – because he was hungry. The thought of him causing the deaths of a car full of people to feast upon their flesh was a bit gruesome.
I was hoping the space shuttle would make some sort of reappearance in the end game when all Vachel’s sins and foes came back. Maybe had Pudu show up in it.
Because you know NASA’s been going berserk looking for it all this time. ;-)
His line in panel #1 seemed typical Vachel morbidity to me.