February 2nd, 2021
2 Feb 2021 · page 1046 of 1306
The Return of Stereotype Theatre.
Sticking to just one update a week on Tuesdays for a little while as I get my head together, shouldn't be too long.
Cast: Doris The False Maid, Lei Feng, Verity Cunningham
Comments (70)
Events
ThoughtBubble
14 Nov 2026 – 15 Nov 2026
Harrogate Convention Centre
Manchester Megacon
31 Jul 2027 – 1 Aug 2027
Manchester Central
Hiding the silver when there’s Americans about sounds a wise move to me.
:murmuring: Now, now. Stop your average Victorian just back from abroad, and you'll be amazed to see what they have in their pockets. Whole countries, sometimes.
As an American, I agree.
It’s true, we know nothing about proper polishing.
if you speaking of GME thing though, silver trade is hoax that wsb community is not participating on
"Oh blast, my inheritance" is a very upper class thing to say. At least here it's just shooting out of his cane rather than all being spent on women and brandy!
To quote George Best when he was asked where all his money had gone - "I spent half of it on women, booze and fast cars, and I just wasted the rest."
The Twenties Me would have swapped out 'books' for the last one, but really: what else is money for?
Shiny computer hardware?
Point. Probably a fund for incidentals should be established.
Fast books?
So if "the good silverware" is just spoons, am I to assume that forks, knives, and assorted implements are therefore intrinsically "bad", regardless of craftsmanship?
when considering which silverware to have in a hidden compartment worn on your head, you may well consider knives and forks to be, indeed, "bad"
What are you talking about? Hiding a knife in your hat is just making a point to your hairdresser.
Only if you have hair.
In scenes like these, I always hear Groucho Marx in "Animal Crackers," as the police officer is questioning Harpo and silverware just starts POURING out of his sleeve.
GROUCHO: I can't understand what's keeping the coffee pot.
(CLUNK) Coffee pot falls out of Harpo's sleeve onto the pile
POLICE OFFICER: Well, I'm astounded!
GROUCHO: So am I! I thought he had more than that!
I thought of that scene too! Animal Crackers is my favorite Marx Brothers movie.
Find the Blu-Ray four film box set. They found an UNCUT print of Animal Crackers. Groucho's one line from the song is restored and the letter to Groucho's lawyers is much longer.
I'm not sure if this is meant to be a commentary on American portrayals of the British, or on the sorts of comedians you see on cruise ships
It can be two things!
"Embrace the healing power of 'and.'"
Yes.
Given that the Brits have been making fun of Americans in similar ways since at least the 1850s (see: "Our American Cousin"), I'd say that turn about is fair play. :)
Of course, I think that show makes fun of both sides of the Atlantic, but still...
"Nigel FitzHerbert-Smythe"? Definitely making fun of both sides.
Yeah, I mean, "Nigel"... that clearly can't be a real name of a real person. :P
Technically, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" started out as a mockery of Americans too.
I'm probably crazy, but I've just got an uneasy feeling that it's Tim under all that makeup.
Now that would be interesting. I wonder whether Lei would try to hide or try to convince him to help.
I just had a look at [one of Tim's pages](https://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/december-3rd-2012 "https://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/december-3rd-2012") in Vanishing Act, and I think you may be onto something! The facial shape is right, at least.
but blue eyes vs. Asian eyes - that would be hard to hide with costume
Does this performer have blue eyes? I don't think we've seen him close enough to tell.
Yeah, the one panel in which you can see his pupils, they're drawn as black dots, with no distinctly drawn irises.
ah - they do look blue in my monitor but might not be.
You're not alone, my brain went straight to Tim too!
Dunno. It’s a big step down from top of the bill in Widdershins to opening act in third class on a passenger ship. And his old act had far more style than this.
it's also a big step down from working with Lei to working alone, so that kinda evens out i'd say
Alone? What about the young lady in the risqué maid’s outfit? :-)
Risque? But we haven't seen whether her ankles are exposed yet!
That hem is awfully high
You can see quite a bit of ankle in the third panel
The Mystical Chung Soo was clearly a popular act, yes, but eventually it would get stale and stop drawing crowds. It could be Tim decided to create a new act in a new venue to avoid becoming irrelevant (and remain well-paid).
That depends on whether he's just opening in third class or if he's also top bill in first class. It looks to me like First Class is right next to Third Class in this dining room (otherwise, how could Lei and Verity see the other part which is in First Class?)
And, think about it -- would there be any better way for Lei to get to first class than to reup as his assistant?
I think that you may be right, and that Lei may recognize him!
Annnnnd, there's their "in" to the first class dining room. After all, Lei was a performer, even if she was second-banana to Tim. She can come up with an act all her own... and Vee can be second-banana!
Oh, that'll go over well.
I can't see Vee being second banana to anyone. But if she gets to wear that very tasteful and elegant outfit that Envy designed for her again, I'm not complaining.
I can't see Vee being second banana... but that doesn't stop the eternal springing of hope.
For anyone else trying to remember what it looked like:
Â0Â
You're being a wet hen, Verity...
We already established last chapter that Americans don't really exist, so this must be a boat full of fake Americans, which are even scarier, because who is really steering the boat?
Wait, does that mean Verity's American?
I think it's more that she's upper class British, which Lei is decidedly not.
She's the granddaughter of an artificer.
Well, she's upper class in her heart, anyway.
Her heart? No, in truth. There's no one higher class than her -- just ask her and she'll tell you!
that cane gotta be magic
If it's not, I really want to know how it works. All I can think is a miniturized high-powered fan, and that seems unlikely. If it was confetti, maybe, but coins?
Oh please. As a magician I could suggest a spring driven hollow cane, with the coins at 45 degree angle to come up properly.
I deeply appreciate your expertise on this matter.
A spring was my second thought, but I couldn't think of a way to redirect them out the opening in the side. Your idea makes sense, though.
Its facial expression changes...
"Good day! What ho! Cup of tea!"
Time to dump all the tea overboard.
I get the feeling that Sydney and this fellow would get along SWIMMINGLY.
I love the frown on the cane in panel 4!
Lord Nigel Fitzherbert-Smythe doesn't show up in the tags, that could mean that he's either an already established character, and Kate doesn't want to spoil the surprise (which is good), or that Lord Nigel is too unimportant to make repeat appearances (which is bad).
Yes you're going to tell me there are a hundred other possibilities I haven't thought of why Lord Nigel isn't tagged.
Or he isn't an established character, but will soon become one under his real name, which hasn't been revealed yet. I don't think that's what's going to happen, though.
Let me just say, the woman's face in panel four is hilarious! :-D
Just noticed her face is a nice mirror image of Lei's in Panel 1.
And now I cannot unsee it....
Doris's vacant stare gets unsettling if you look at it too long.