Pearls Before Swine | Search

Hello?
Hi, ma'am. This is the city zoo. Just wanted to let you know we picked up your husband this morning and put him in the zoo.
WHAT?! HE'S A CROCODILE! YOU CAN'T JUST PULL HIM FROM HIS HOME AND CONFINE HIM LIKE THAT! HE'S GOT A WIFE AND A SON! WHAT'S A PREDATOR LIKE THAT GONNA DO BEHIND BARS?!
atch the arty chuq – BEER
GLUG GLUG GLUG

The Adventures of Elly Elephant
by Rat
Elly Elephant played with the blocks.
With these blocks, I will build something beautiful, she said...
I will build a block sculpture so wonderful that people will pause and weep.
And they will hug the person next to them. And the hugs will spread...
and there will be love.
And wars will end. And hate will fade. And all of humankind will realize through this one work of art that they have more in common than their countries and governments and religions and traditions have led them to believe.
Elly Elephant took a break from her blocks to watch the news.
Elly Elephant played with blocks.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, PIG?
SELF-AFFIRMATION...YOU STARE AT YOUR REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR AND SAY GOOD THINGS...YOU ARE LOVED, PIG...YOU ARE LOVED, PIG...YOU ARE LOVED, PIG.
I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE.
I WISH HE'D STOP DOING THAT.

ALRIGHT, WHAT DO WE HAVE UNDER "ANIMAL/VISITOR INTERACTION ISSUES"?
SIR, SOME OF THE BLACK BEARS HAVE LEARNED TO LEAN ON THEIR HIND LEGS AND BEG FOR FOOD, WHICH PEOPLE THROW TO THEM.
WE CAN'T HAVE LEARNED HUMAN BEHAVIOR LIKE THAT. THESE ARE WILD ANIMALS. WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN STOPPED?
FRANKLY, SIR, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD EVEN BIGGER PROBLEMS WITH THE CROC EXHIBIT.
WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?
Watch Larry chug a BEER!! (one dollar)

THANKS FOR TAKING ME TO THE ZOO, MOM. THE NEW BEAR EXHIBIT IS AMAZING. IT'S LIKE YOU'RE IN THE WILD WITH THEM.
YES... ZOOS NOW STRIVE TO PUT ANIMALS IN AS CLOSE TO THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AS POSSIBLE. THAT WAY, YOU SEE THEM AS THEY ARE AND THE ANIMAL IS MORE COMFORTABLE..
LET'S KEEP MOVING, SON.
HEY, IT'S DAD WITH A SNOUT.

DID YOU HEAR THE CITY GRABBED LARRY THE CROC AND PUT HIM IN THEIR ZOO?
NO. WHY'D THEY DO THAT?
THEY NOTICED HOW, UNLIKE OTHER CROCS, LARRY SEEMS TO WATCH A LOT OF T.V. AND DRINK BEER, SO THEY THINK THEY'VE DISCOVERED A NEW CROC SPECIES.
WHAT SPECIES IS THAT?
CROCUS LAZYBUTTUS

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, PIG?
I AM MONKEYPIG.
WHY?
BECAUSE I'M LONELY AND I CAN'T FIND LOVE. AND WHEN YOU'RE LONELY AND CAN'T FIND LOVE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE MONKEYPIG.
I'M JUST SUPPORTING A FRIEND.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, PIG?
I'M WISHING ON A SUPERNOVA.
A SUPER-NOVA? THAT'S A STAR THAT'S COLLAPSING IN ON ITSELF.
I KNOW. RAT SAID I SHOULD WISH ON IT BECAUSE THAT WAY WHEN MY DREAMS IMPLODE IT WILL ALL MAKE COSMIC SENSE.
WHY YOU LITTLE--
LOOK, PIG, A BLACK HOLE... THROW YOUR HOPES DOWN IT.

WHERE WERE YOU
YESTERDAY?
I TRAVELED TO NEW
YORK AND SNUCK
UP ON THE EDITOR
OF 'PEARLS BEFORE
SWINE'.
WHAT?? WHY'D
YOU DO THAT?
WELL, ORIGINALLY, I WANTED TO DO
IT 'CAUSE WE HAVE NO EDITOR AND
OUR CHARACTERS ALWAYS SAY
WHATEVER WE WANT
TO PUT IN PEARLS, BUT AFTER I GOT THERE,
I CHANGED MY MIND.
WHAT DO
YOU MEAN,
'CHANGED YOUR
MIND'?
WELL, AFTER I KNOCKED THE POOR
GUY SENSELESS, I NOTICED HIS
COMPUTER HAD ACCESS TO THIS
DATABASE WHERE EVERY SYNDICATED
CARTOONIST IN THE COUNTRY
SUBMITS THEIR WORK.
SO?
SO IT MEANT I
COULD MESS WITH
OTHER CREATORS'
COMIC STRIPS.
YOU
DIDN'T.
I DID. I DELETED CAPTIONS
AND REPLACED THEM WITH
SOME GOULET I FOUND IN
THIS LITTLE BOOK I CARRY
AROUND.
THE COMPLETE
SPEECHES OF
BENITO MUSSOLINI?!
WHAT'S
WRONG
WITH
THAT?

ALRIGHT, YOU IDIOTS, SINCE YOU'RE THE ONES THAT TOOK OUT DILBERT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE ONES TO BREAK THE NEWS TO THE OTHER DILBERT CHARACTERS.
I DON'T KNOW...JUST GET 'EM ALL TOGETHER IN A CONFERENCE ROOM, TELL THEM DILBERT'S PASSED AWAY, AND DEAL WITH THEIR REACTION.
BUT WHAT WILL THEY SAY?
DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN LEAVE EARLY?

RATS SCHEME TO TAKE OUT THE "PEARLS BEFORE SWINE" EDITOR
Hello?
HELLO, SIR. IT'S ME, GUARD DUCK...LISTEN, OUR PLAN HIT A LITTLE SNAG...
WHAT KIND OF SNAG?
WELL, SIR, WE GOT TO THE OFFICE OF YOUR "UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE", AND WE LOOKED AROUND FOR YOUR EDITOR, BUT... WELL...I THINK WE PUMMELED THE WRONG GUY.
WHO THE @#*% DID YOU PUMMEL ?!?
YOU TELL HIM.

DO YOUR COMICS GET REVIEWED BY SOMEONE AT YOUR SYNDICATE?
YEAH, MY EDITOR, REED JACKSON. HE LOOKS AT EVERYTHING I SEND IN AND MAKES SURE THEY'RE APPROPRIATE FOR NEWSPAPERS.
SO, IN THEORY, IF THERE WERE NO REED, ONE COULD DO WHATEVER ONE WANTED IN THIS COMIC?
I GUESS SO. WHY?
AND WHACK HIM GOOD. EDITORS HAVE HARD HEADS.

I'VE CONCLUDED THAT THE WORLD WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER PLACE IF WE'D ALL BE A LITTLE LESS SELFISH AND JUST START TREATING EACH OTHER BETTER.

GOOD FOR YOU, RAT... SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?
WAIT FOR THE WORLD TO START TREATING ME BETTER.
OF COURSE.
I'M OWED, BABY...
I'M OWED!

OKAY, RAT, I'M REALLY GETTING SICK OF YOUR STUPID 'COOL FENCE.'
SO SAYETH THE NERD.
OH, PLEASE. THAT IS SO RIDICULOUSLY JUVENILE. WHAT DO YOU THINK, THAT YOU GET MORE GIRLS BECAUSE YOU STAND BEHIND A 'COOL FENCE'?
OH, NO. FOR THAT, I DO A LOT OF SUDOKU PUZZLES AND DRIVE A FOUR-CYLINDER HONDA CIVIC.
OKAY, NOW I KNOW THAT HURTS.
HERE'S A STICK, NERD. GO FIGHT OFF ALL THOSE BABES.

HEY, GOAT, WANNA COME TO MY PARTY I FIGURE IF WE'RE ALL GONNA BE LABLED "UNCool," WE CAN AT LEAST COME TOGETHER FOR SOME GOOD MUSIC AND MUNCHIES.
WOW, NOW THAT'S THE SPIRT, PIG WE CAN HAVE A GREAT TIME TOGETHER!
CALL IT NERDAPAlooza!
I'M GONNA KILL HIM.
HEY, IT DOES MAKE A NICE SHIRT.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, RAT?
I'M STANDING BEHIND THE COOL FENGE.
YOU SHOULD BEHIND THE UNCOOL FENCE.
THAT IS SO JUVENILE... THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "COOL FENGE" AND AN "UNCOOL FENCE".
YES, THERE IS. I'M BEHIND IT.
PIG, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT HIS CLASSIFICATION.
BUT IT'S TRUE.
NO! DON'T YOU GET IT, PIG? RAT DOES THIS BECAUSE HE'S INSECURE. DON'T BUY INTO THAT!
BUT I'M COOL!!
YES YOU ARE!
NO, YOU'RE NOT!
YES YOU ARE!
NO, I'M NOT!
STOP FIGHTING, NERDS!
COOL
SEE?
I'M GONNA CLIMB THAT FENGE AND --
HEY HEY! DON'T YOU NERDY MY FENGE.

HULLOOOO, ZEEBA NEIGHBA...
LEESTEN. Mebbe you hear crocs ask zeeba last week.
DON'T TALK TO ME. THAT WAS MY COUSIN NICKY. AND YOU KNOW THAT.
Well, leestan...Mebbe you help us eemprove by filling out customer satisfaction form. See, it ask, "Was crocs courteous during keeling?", "Was we puncutal?", "Deed we eet you frend een professional manner?"
Oh, and juss for parteecipating een survey, you get special prize.
Mebbe zeeba meat not gud special prize.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, PIG?
I'M STANDING BEHIND THE UNCOOL FENCE.
THE UNCOOL FENCE? WHAT THE ... WHY??
BECAUSE THE COOL PEOPLE DON'T WANT ME BEHIND THEIR FENCE.
WHO TOLD YOU THAT?
Uncool
COOL
GREETINGS, NERD.

HEY GOAT, HAVE YOU MET MY
NEW ARTIST FRIENDS, TIMMY
AND JIMMY MARSHMALLOW? TIMMY FOLLOWS HIS ARTISTIC
VISION ABOVE ALL ELSE. JIMMY
WANTS THEIR WORK TO BE
COMMERCIALLY POPULAR.
WHAT'S JIMMY
DO WHEN
THEIR
VISIONS
COLLIDE?
KER-SPLAT
IT'S NOT PRETTY.

HEY, RAT, I'D LIKE YOU TO MEET MY NEW FRIENDS, TIMMY AND JIMMY, THE ARTISTIC MARSHMALLOWS. TIMMY FOLLOWS HIS ARTISTIC VISION. JIMMY'S A BIT MORE COMMERCIAL.
WHICH ONE'S WHICH?
MONEY
MONEY
MONEY
MONEY
MONEY
MONEY
I THINK THAT'S JIMMY.

Who at front door?
SOME RELIGIOUS FOLK SAYING "GOD LOVES US". THEY WANTED TO KNOW IF THEY COULD COME INSIDE AND TALK TO US.
HA! DEY REALLY TINK DERE IS PEOPLE WHO WOULD LET DEM IN HOUSE JUSS 'CAUSE DEY SAY "GOD LOVE YOU"?
YEAH. LOTS. WHY?
God love you.

WHATSA MATTER WITH YOU?
THIS WOMAN'S COMPLAINING TO HER WISCONSIN PAPER ABOUT "PEARLS".
ABOUT "PEARLS"? HA!
HOW CAN ANYONE COMPLAIN ABOUT US WHEN THE BIGGEST SCANDAL IN COMIC STRIP
HISTORY IS BEING PERPETRATED
RIGHT UNDER HER VERY NOSE???
AND WHAT IS THAT?
ZIGGY'S GOT NO #$@i%* PANTS!
SAYS THE PANTLESS RAT..
SHHHH
DON'T DRAW ATTENTION TO IT.

IT WAS SO NICE OF GOAT TO INVITE YOU FOR A DINNER PARTY. SHOULD WE PLAY A GAME?
YEAH. I GOT ONE. IT'S CALLED 'DO THE BUSH.'
WHAT IS THAT?
YOU INITIATE GEORGE W. BUSH BY SQUINTING YOUR EYES AND MUMBLING BUSH-ESQUE THINGS...LIKE... 'WE'RE GONNA SMOKE 'EM OUT.'
AHEM...DOOK.
OH, AND THEN YOU SUBMIT TO A BODY SEARCH.
I'M NOT DOING THAT.
IMAITATIONS.
C'MON, DUDE. MIM 'OKAY. GUYS, HAM'S ALMOST READY.DO YOU WANT PINEAPPLE SLICES IN THE HAM?
YEAH, BUT WHY DO YOU THAT TRICK?
HEY, HEY, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, THE DEA'S GONNA HAVE TO SEARCH YOUR BAG FOR ILLEGAL PINEAPPLE SLICES. CAUSE YOU CAN'T 'DOING THE BUSH.'
OH, YOU A RE FUN.
THE SLICES WON'T FIT ANYWAY.
OH NO...I CAN'T...IT'S
C'MON, DUDE, YOU HAVE TO DO IT NOW.
WHY?
BECAUSE A BERT IN THE HAM IS WORTH DOIN' THE BUSH.
PIG HAS ME LAY OUT THE SLICES IN THE HAM IN THE SHAPE OF HIS FAVORITE
'SESAME

DID THE WRITERS OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION HAVE TO MAKE IT MORE APPEALING TO RATS BEFORE THE STATES WOULD AGREE TO IT?
NO.
SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO ADD IN SPECIAL PROVISIONS THAT ONLY RATS WANTED?
NO.
THAT IS NOT WHAT RATIFY MEANS.
OH? THEN WHY WASN'T IT PIGIFIED?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, L'IL GUARD DUCK?
REDEPLOYING, SIR. THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S STABILIZED... I'VE GIVEN THEM THEIR FREEDOM. NOW IT'S UP TO THEM TO USE IT WISELY.
THAT MUST BE WHY NEIGHBOR BOB AND HIS WIFE DECIDED TO PAINT THEIR HOUSE HOT PINK.
A SOLDIER'S WORK IS NEVER DONE, SIR.
YOU'RE DESTABILIZING THE REGION, NEIGHBOR BOB!!