Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson for February 06, 2021

This time, a little over 10 years ago, Richard posted a blog entry regarding this and 5 prior strips: 

http://richardspooralmanac.blogspot.com/2011/02/todays-cul-de-sac-january-31-to.html

nice discussion, André and Petey

You’re a good friend, Andre!

But is Andre real?

How does Andre know most people see Ernesto, if Petey is the only one who admits seeing him?

Maybe Andre’s empathy might not be in Petey’s best interest. A Devious person might manipulate his this “fantasy” later for whatever!

“Most people see him, but nobody wants to admit it.” One of the great lines from this strip. Totally nails Ernesto.

Ernesto, the mass hallucination.

The second panel is genius!

Read Catch 22 lately?

You understand that this is a comic strip, right?

So…since I don’t see him then I’m not sane? Sigh..

Wise Andre.

I knew a kid in college who was eerily like Ernesto. Even as a young kid, he’d been meticulous and precociously careful in his speech and comportment. Went on to graduate from an Ivy League school and then get a PhD in mathematics, and functioned well enough, but in his mid-thirties became a right nutter. He was basically unemployed starting in the 1970s, living on the annuity his parents anxiously arranged for him, aware of his “problems”. But whenever I talked to him, he said that he had standing invitations to join the faculties of Harvard, the U. of Chicago, and U. Michigan. Somehow lived to be 70, married a woman as crazy as he was and they had a kid, appalling to think about.

Never demonstrate your sanity. Words to live by.

I love the ambiguity of all of this.

Insanity is all relative, and your relatives will make sure you know.

Right. Andre is so reassuring. Now, I feel sane, but I’m not sure I feel better because of it….

so which ones are imaginary and which ones are real in second frame?……time loop