Inside the Sketchbook

 (Spoilerish) Writing this sequence was a real bear. Storywise, I needed to do two things. I needed to remind readers that Sobek-Ra is immortal, and I wanted to indicate that immortality has been lonely for him.

Overall, I wanted to add a sympathetic dimension to the character.

This punchline took shape over about two days, and three calls between myself and Dave Kellett. (We often throw ideas at each other.) If you’re interested, here’s a peek into my sketchbook. Originally, the sequence went like this:

• Sobek: It’s a lonely existence, knowing that everyone I meet will disappear in what seems to be the blink of an eye.
• Match: But… aren’t there any immortal women?
• Sobek: Yes. But they’re so CLINGY.

Solid punchline, but it makes Sobek less sympathetic.

—

Then, I went vaudeville.

• Match: Aren’t there any immortal women?
• Sobek: Yes. But they go for younger men. And they’re ALL younger men.

—

And then

• Match: Aren’t there any immortal women?
• Sobek: Yes. But most immortal women get tired of putting up with men’s shenanigans after the first millennia.

—

Then, I decided the humor might be found in seeing Sobek date an immortal woman.

• Match: Aren’t there immortal women?
• <Scene cuts to Sobek, in a restaurant, with Hera. In the background, a swan waddles up to a young woman at a bar.>
• Hera: This is so embarrassing. My ex is here, trying to pick up a younger woman.
• Sobek (talking to Miss Match): It was like working at the Transylvania TSA — I saw a lot of baggage… ALL of it bizarre.

That was closer, but — let’s face it — how many people have instant recall of Zeus transforming himself into a swan to seduce a mortal woman? The “Transylvania TSA” bit would have rescued it, but it made that last panel incredibly dense, conceptually.

—

So, I threw out the Greek gods, and returned to Transylvania. The idea of working in security at a Transylvania airport wasn’t bad, but my international readers might not get the reference to “TSA.” I couldn’t swap out TSA for “Baggage Claim” because the word “baggage” is crucial to the punchline, and if I use it in the set-up, it spoils the joke. Also, there is no actual Transylvania airport, so any joke I would write would have to establish that it exists first, and I’m already asking this panel to do A LOT of heavy lifting.

That means I needed a mode of transportation in which luggage is involved and the concept of “otherworldliness” is backed in.

Hogwarts Express.

—

And that brought me to…

• Match: Aren’t there any immortal women?
• Sobek: Dating an immortal is like working the Hogwarts Express.
• <cut to Hogwarts scene, and people with weird luggage>
• Sobek (to Miss Match): …you see a lot of baggage — all of it, bizarre.