Skin Horse

By Shaenon K. Garrity & Jeffrey C. Wells
By Shaenon K. Garrity & Jeffrey C. Wells
Color by Pancha Diaz
  • About Us
  • Cast
  • Store
  • Extras
  • Original Art for Sale
  • Our Patreon
RSS
2013-06-21
‹‹ First ‹ Prev Buy! Comments(63) Next › Last ››

2013-06-21

by shaenon on June 21, 2013 at 12:00 am
Chapter: My House Is Me
Comments RSS

Discussion (63) ¬

    • Today’s Comic « Random Ramblings of Rude Reality
      June 21, 2013, 12:59 am | #
    • Moe Lane » New to the Lane Collection: a canine Canadian-American bureaucrat, singing G&S.
      July 1, 2013, 11:26 am | #
  1. Tuiteyfruity
    June 21, 2013, 12:02 am | # | Reply

    I am in tears. So beautiful!

  2. Stig
    June 21, 2013, 12:04 am | # | Reply

    Thank you, Sweetheart!

  3. olsh
    June 21, 2013, 12:15 am | # | Reply

    3 things

    1) We too are so sorry you are missing this.
    2) Now we are at a singing animal musical number yup whimsycorp is somehow related to Disney.
    and 3) Wait they think sweethearts a male dog how do you mistake a dog’s gender? Its usually you know blatently obvious there’s either something there or not, if the thing not there its a she.

    • Riven
      June 21, 2013, 12:18 am | # | Reply

      Well, said dog did round them up and possibly mauled them earlier, so getting near her probably isn’t the first thing on their minds, much less near enough to tell her gender.

    • John Campbell
      June 21, 2013, 12:53 am | # | Reply

      Sweetheart is pretty shaggy. (Does that make this a shaggy dog story?) There was confusion amongst the readers as to her sex back in the beginning, even after she’d been referred to as “she” a couple of times.

      • Quin
        June 22, 2013, 10:05 pm | # | Reply

        Who’s gender was clear in the beginning besides unity and she was a corpse craft military project.

  4. Eddurd
    June 21, 2013, 12:23 am | # | Reply

    You’re making this too easy!
    (TUNE: “A Policeman’s Lot Is Not A Happy One”, Gilbert and Sullivan)

    When a canine sings the lyrics of Sir William (of Sir William),
    Paired with one of old Sir Arthur’s lovely tunes (lovely tunes),
    Then Zerhakker tells intruders, “Dudes, I really am (forging really am)
    Disappointed in you corporate buffoons! (Dumb buffoons!)”

    As she sing in a melodious soprano (sweet soprano),
    While enunciating each and ev’ry word (ev’ry word) …
    Unaccompanied by zither or piano (no piano!),
    Captain’s Fancy Sweetheart Valentine’s unheard!
    Though it may seem unbelievably absurd (quite absurd),
    Captain’s Fancy Sweetheart Valentine’s unheard!

    • Rob, Arbiter of Reality
      June 21, 2013, 3:19 am | # | Reply

      OooooooooooooaaaaaaAAAAAAAAH…

      • Grey Acumen
        June 21, 2013, 10:01 am | # | Reply

        Oh my gosh guys, stop that, I can hear every dang note of his silly voice and that silly mustache (I was raised on the version with Angela Lansbury) and if I don’t

        GRAAAH

        WITH DOG LIKE TREAD! ON WHIMSY SPIRIT SNEAK!
        THESE STUPID HEADS! CAN’T EVEN HEAR ME SPEAK!
        NO WORDS AT ALL! BARKS ARE ALL THEY’VE HEARD!
        LIKE A BRICK WALL! CONVERSING IS ABSURD!

        Arfarf arooo Arfarf arooo
        So I caught these Corporate Creeps
        While all of whimsy soundly sleeps

        Where’s my mascaraaa
        and my petticoat?
        Once I get them on
        I may need to gloat

        I’ll need the corset
        and my pantyhose
        I’ll need foundation
        to smooth out my nose

        Arfarfarooo
        With Doglike Tread
        Arfarfarooo
        These stupid heads

        WITH DOG LIKE TREAD! ON WHIMSY SPIRIT SNEAK!
        THESE STUPID HEADS! CAN’T EVEN HEAR ME SPEAK!
        NO WORDS AT ALL! BARKS ARE ALL THEY’VE HEARD!
        LIKE A BRICK WALL! CONVERSING IS ABSURD!

        Transvestites! Bots! Zombies!
        It’s so much aggravation!
        I’m feeling trepidation!
        Why add to this whimsy
        With so much insanity!

        WITH DOG LIKE TREAD!
        ON WHIMSY SPIRIT SNEAK!
        THESE STUPID HEADS!
        CAN’T EVEN!
        HEAR!
        ME!
        SSSPEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAK!

        Okay, seriously. I had no choice. You guys suck.

        • Toby
          June 21, 2013, 11:19 am | # | Reply

          Ouch. I knew I could count on you guys. Think I pulled something.

        • Diane Castle
          June 21, 2013, 2:17 pm | # | Reply

          That was utterly awesome!

        • Michael
          June 24, 2013, 10:08 am | # | Reply

          Now that’s art.

        • JET73L
          March 3, 2015, 12:16 am | # | Reply

          I don’t get it. Why’d you type “woof” a bunch of times?

  5. Foxhack
    June 21, 2013, 1:41 am | # | Reply

    Please tell me Nick is recording this.

    If he can.

  6. Steve Jackson
    June 21, 2013, 1:53 am | # | Reply

    (sigh) What amazing things might I be missing all around me, because I lack the eyes to see, the ears to hear, because my brain lacks the ability to resolve these lines, those spots, those rumbles and squeaks, into their true wonderful form?

    For certain values of “wonderful.”

  7. Sparks
    June 21, 2013, 2:16 am | # | Reply

    This strip is made of overwhelming win.

  8. Paula
    June 21, 2013, 2:43 am | # | Reply

    Oh joy, pure joy!

  9. alurker
    June 21, 2013, 3:48 am | # | Reply

    *spock* Tricorder reading indicate it is made of… “win” captain. (eyebrow) */spock*

  10. Jay
    June 21, 2013, 4:33 am | # | Reply

    Sweetheart gets Princess Points +1.

  11. Anderson
    June 21, 2013, 5:31 am | # | Reply

    So….Anyone else in favor of lobbying Shaenon and Jeff to just have the rest of SH’s run consist of Sweetheart singing G&S?

    • Andy4Hire
      June 21, 2013, 11:44 am | # | Reply

      Or at least a weekly “Sweetheart Sings G&S” feature.

      Either way, I second this motion. And third it.

    • soft
      June 21, 2013, 1:24 pm | # | Reply

      I’ll have to pass on that one. I’m not much for reading songs. Listening to, on the other hand….

  12. BMunro
    June 21, 2013, 5:34 am | # | Reply

    Sweetheart singing Gilbert and Sullivan is indeed beautiful. But frankly reality blindness never made sense to me: how does it distinguish between the mad science product and the natural but weird you haven’t seen before? If a reality blind person who has never seen or heard of elephants before sees an elephant, do they see a grey truck with prominent fenders? If they don’t see Rarity’s bizarre skin and scars, do they see this guy http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr231/jacebby_2/piercings.jpg as just having acne?

    • =Tamar
      June 21, 2013, 7:17 am | # | Reply

      Reportedly some members of cultures that didn’t have large boats could not perceive ocean-going ships when they first encountered them.

      • davidbreslin101
        June 21, 2013, 8:42 am | # | Reply

        “The strangers came to us walking around on the back of a really funny-looking whale. Because of this, they seemed too goofy to worry about at first.”

      • BMunro
        June 21, 2013, 10:38 am | # | Reply

        Yeah, that’s a myth.

    • Daibhid C
      June 21, 2013, 7:21 am | # | Reply

      I would assume that it works like Discworld: it’s not enough not to know something exists, you have to “know” it doesn’t exist. (The example frequently used in Discworld is a talking dog as well.)

      A reality blind person who’s never heard of elephants sees an elephant; a reality blind person who has heard of elephants but doesn’t believe they’re real sees a grey truck.

      • BMunro
        June 21, 2013, 10:47 am | # | Reply

        That works for what is known to be “blatantly impossible”, but I wonder about edge cases. Are they unable to see people that are wearing really first-rate vampire costumes? Do they see Unity as normal, or as someone wearing a silly costume? And if someone runs into a monster that does not exist in any known mythology – and therefore is not known to be mythical – can they see it? The elephant is pretty monstrous at first sight..

        • soft
          June 21, 2013, 1:17 pm | # | Reply

          For edge cases, they probably see something other than what is really there. In the case of UNITY or say Vampires, they probably either see a normal person or someone wearing a costume.

          Of course, one has to wonder about a baby or a really young child that “doesn’t know any better” yet. Do they perceive them? Probably where the “monster” under the bed or in the closet comes from…. Food for thought. 🙂

        • Vincent
          June 23, 2013, 9:02 am | # | Reply

          Unity? Either severe burns/skin grafts or one of those “new-fangled-kids-makeups”, I’d guess.

    • Stickmaker
      June 21, 2013, 12:40 pm | # | Reply

      Drawings made by Aztecs of Spanish Conquistadors on horseback showed them riding deer.

    • Tetra Valent
      June 21, 2013, 4:50 pm | # | Reply

      It seems to vary in the Narboniverse (Narboni-Horsiverse?). Bill couldn’t even see the Madblood robots, and Reconstituted!Dave couldn’t see the talking gerbil on Mell’s shoulder. These two are a little better as they can see and hear Sweetheart, just not correctly. I’d say the only rule being applied is Law of Funny.

      • John Campbell
        June 21, 2013, 10:31 pm | # | Reply

        Bill and Dave’ apparently had really severe cases.

  13. Valerie Kaplan
    June 21, 2013, 6:27 am | # | Reply

    Yaaaaaaaaaay!

  14. pcj
    June 21, 2013, 6:27 am | # | Reply

    I not just not convinced, Sweetheart, sing – “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” (:

    • Shen Hibiki
      June 21, 2013, 7:55 am | # | Reply

      Please, no. I’ll have a cuteness overdose ;w;

  15. Moe Lane
    June 21, 2013, 7:51 am | # | Reply

    I would buy a print of this. I am giving serious consideration to buying the original artwork.

    • mickeyf
      June 21, 2013, 2:35 pm | # | Reply

      You may have to get in line…

      • Moe Lane
        June 21, 2013, 9:47 pm | # | Reply

        …No. In point of fact, I will not. 🙂

  16. Jacob Haller
    June 21, 2013, 9:06 am | # | Reply

    Now the second verse, with spirit!

  17. Shay Guy (@shay_guy)
    June 21, 2013, 9:15 am | # | Reply

    Well, now I know* three songs from that opera. This, the Major General’s Song, and WITH CAT-LIKE TREAD.

    *or am at least aware of

    • Efogoto
      June 21, 2013, 9:40 am | # | Reply

      I Am The Pirate King! and How Beautifully Blue The Sky and The Paradox and … now I know what I’ll be humming all day.

      • AndaisQ
        June 21, 2013, 10:05 am | # | Reply

        how beautifully blue the sky the glass is rising very high continue fine i hope it may and yet it rained but yesterday tomorrow it may pour again i hear the country wants some rain and people say i know not why that we shall have a warm july DID EVER LA LALA LA LALA

        the single patter song with the least justification out of all gilbert and sullivan

        • Anderson
          June 21, 2013, 9:00 pm | # | Reply

          G&S attempted to justify patter?

  18. Mental Mouse
    June 21, 2013, 9:28 am | # | Reply

    Sweetheart is getting into singing — hope is not lost that she’ll be the princess!

  19. Discount Bin Ninja
    June 21, 2013, 11:04 am | # | Reply

    This particularly rapid, unintelligible patter
    Isn’t generally heard, and if it is it doesn’t matter.

    I grew up around a Gilbert and Sullivan troupe. You have no idea how hard I’m grinning right now.

    Sweetheart doesn’t strike me as a baritone though. Perhaps a tenor.

    • reynard61
      June 21, 2013, 12:43 pm | # | Reply

      “Baritone” and “tenor” are masculine registers. Sweetheart is a female, therefore she would be either an “alto” or a “soprano”. (And, no; not the mobster kind…)

      • LogicMouse
        June 22, 2013, 2:27 pm | # | Reply

        Unless you’re talking Barbershop Quartet, in which case the female performers use all the male terms anyway. (Don’t ask, I have no idea why.)

      • Katfairy
        June 22, 2013, 5:11 pm | # | Reply

        Actually, you can have female baritones, tenors, and even basses. They are very rare, but they do exist. I did a show with a female bass once, and she had serious difficulty trying to sing high enough to do the alto part.

        Also, I think Sweetheart would either be a mezzo or an alto; they tend to get the snarkier roles.

  20. jdreyfuss
    June 21, 2013, 12:26 pm | # | Reply

    She is the very model of a modern fed’ral bureaucrat.
    She always knows which pen to use and where her stack of forms is at . . .

    • Diane Castle
      June 21, 2013, 2:28 pm | # | Reply

      Nice. But somehow, *I* was imagining Sweetheart as singing “Three Little Maids from School” from “The Mikado”.

      Four little Skin Horse types are we
      Pert as a bureaucrat can be
      Filled to the top with irony
      Four little Skin Horse types!

      Four Skin Horse types who, all too flimsy
      Come to a house to look for Whimsy
      Trying to be prop-er and prim-sy
      Four little Skin Horse types
      Four little Skin Horse types

  21. Cursed Gardener
    June 21, 2013, 4:01 pm | # | Reply

    This is my new favorite page.

    • Tetra Valent
      June 21, 2013, 4:54 pm | # | Reply

      I love how so many new filkers are being lured out of the woodwork. I’m saving off these two pages of comments before the next server crash wipes them out.

  22. Shadowmehr
    June 21, 2013, 6:46 pm | # | Reply

    (*slow clap*)

    Bravissimo!! Author! Author!

    (*holds up lighter*)

  23. Voyager
    June 21, 2013, 7:41 pm | # | Reply

    I have to wonder how long this scene has been rattling around loose in the author’s brain, just waiting for an opportunity to get loose.

  24. This Guy I Know
    June 21, 2013, 11:37 pm | # | Reply

    Huh. I wouldn’t have pegged Sweetheart as a bass.

  25. CM
    June 22, 2013, 1:39 am | # | Reply

    Shouldn’t they hear howling rather than barking? I would think that’s more like the doggy equivalent of singing.

  26. Katfairy
    June 22, 2013, 5:12 pm | # | Reply

    Skin Horse and Gilbert & Sullivan? It’s too much happiness!

  27. Pavitra
    June 26, 2013, 4:42 pm | # | Reply

  28. luciferlordofpride
    May 5, 2016, 1:56 pm | # | Reply

    eh. kinda hoping it would’ve been from the Mikado.

  29. Knuckles
    March 21, 2025, 2:43 pm | # | Reply

    Normally you have to get a bathtub full of tequila into her before Sweetheart will do this.

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

More by Jeff

  • The Scrivnarium

More by Shaenon

  • Horror Every Day
  • Li'l Mell
  • Monster of the Week
  • Narbonic
  • Shaenon.com
Creative Commons License
Skin Horse by Shaenon K. Garrity & Jeffrey C. Wells is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://www.skin-horse.com.

©2007-2025 Skin Horse | Powered by WordPress with ComicPress | Subscribe: RSS | Back to Top ↑