Stendahl’s syndrome, Florence syndrome, hyperkulturemia, kinesthesia, synesthesia. I’ll come back to this.
Once, when I was maybe twelve years old, I was with my mother in a fabric shop. Bored, I flipped through a book of fabric swatches. I turned a page and saw a color somewhere between French’s mustard yellow and light brown. My head seemed to spin, I felt sick, and only felt normal again after I closed the book. Another experimental peek, and the sick feeling returned instantly. Slam shut.
Decades later, I read about a syndrome (sometimes described as psychosomatic, sometimes claimed to be imaginary, sometimes named as a “nervous condition”) that elicits ecstatic wonder (and sometimes fainting) in the presence of great art, architecture, music. Those terms at the top of this post are among a constellation of over 80 different terms (in overlapping Venn diagrams) that attempt to name and describe the condition. Turns out, this has been reported for centuries among visitors to the great artistic treasures of Europe… modern, classical, Renaissance, whatever.
I’ve felt on the verge of swooning at the Louvre, at Notre Dame, in Monument Valley, in lecture halls, in theater audiences for certain movies. I see these as functions of the same kinds of stimuli that nearly made me yack up my breakfast in that long ago fabric shop.
No, I’m not about to say that today’s strip made me dial 911 or an exorcist.
But I feel it nudging me. I hear and feel the wind, I smell the leaves, I taste the colors. The jokes… physically tickle my ribs. And I think I feel some of what Wallace and Spud feel. I love it.
Last week the wind here was blowing tree limbs down dangerously. I was out in the front yard when a piece off tin off the roof of my back deck came flying over the roof and landed ten feet away. I figured it was a good idea to spend the rest of the day indoors.
Your artwork and attention to detail continues to amaze and astound me, Mr. Henry. Although I can’t quite make out who’s on the Missing poster. Is that Sterling? Did the devil finally realize his spawn got loose?
I knew a Scotsman who wore his kilt to church on a cold, windy day in February. He told us, “I don’t know where the wind comes from, but I know where it goes!”
My first college was in windy northern Wisconsin, and it was a conservative Bible college with a dress code. I remember my sister looking up the forecast in the evenings and warning me and our roommates “no floofy skirts tomorrow.”
The Scotsman, full of drink, fell asleep by the side of the road. Two young lasses came upon him and could not resist discovering for themselves the truth about what was rumored to be the absence of a garment under the kilt. They lifted it and smiled. One took a blue ribbon from her long, red locks and tied it to…our young hero. Upon awakening the next morning the lad went behind a tree for his morning watering of the greenery. Looking down and quite surprised, he exclaimed, “Well I don’t know where you’ve been but I see you won first prize.”
angelolady Premium Member about 3 years ago
Those buildings are really leaning!! And is the seagull blowing away?!
LastRoseOfSummer 1 Premium Member about 3 years ago
I see london, I see France…….
mr_sherman Premium Member about 3 years ago
I’ve worn a kilt. Spud is correct.
Ida No about 3 years ago
Flying free in the breeze, hanging from the trees, my… hair.
mr_sherman Premium Member about 3 years ago
“Mighty Gust.” “Gusty.” “Woosh.”
You know that wind is blowing.
Ruth Brown about 3 years ago
Ain’t nobody wants to see that, Wallace.
BaltimoreJack Premium Member about 3 years ago
So, named after William Wallace?
Bullet Bronson Premium Member about 3 years ago
Wallace, you’re going Sasquatch hunting without your kilt? How do expect to get one that way.
some idiot from R'lyeh Premium Member about 3 years ago
Someone needs to educate Spud on the Scottish climate.
crookedwolf Premium Member about 3 years ago
It’s a great day to wear a kilt. Very refreshing!
maxiesmom2 Premium Member about 3 years ago
Oh no, even the seagull is getting blown away!
jschumaker about 3 years ago
I see the wind suddenly changed direction in the last panel.
ajr58(1) about 3 years ago
A good heavy weight wool kilt is surprisingly warm
rhpii about 3 years ago
Will Henry misses no detail. There are white caps on the ocean.
Fontessa about 3 years ago
Crunchy leaves up your skirt is not a good look.Splendid artwork. I don’t have whitecaps but I have the wind wind wind …
Diat60 about 3 years ago
Is that a missing dog poster?
shamest Premium Member about 3 years ago
Is to
scyphi26 about 3 years ago
Yeah…kinda gotta side with Spud there, Wallace.
raybarb44 about 3 years ago
Too much information…..
goboboyd about 3 years ago
For the experience, and bragging rights, I’d do it.
WCraft Premium Member about 3 years ago
…said no American boy ever!~
jimmjonzz Premium Member about 3 years ago
Stendahl’s syndrome, Florence syndrome, hyperkulturemia, kinesthesia, synesthesia. I’ll come back to this.
Once, when I was maybe twelve years old, I was with my mother in a fabric shop. Bored, I flipped through a book of fabric swatches. I turned a page and saw a color somewhere between French’s mustard yellow and light brown. My head seemed to spin, I felt sick, and only felt normal again after I closed the book. Another experimental peek, and the sick feeling returned instantly. Slam shut.
Decades later, I read about a syndrome (sometimes described as psychosomatic, sometimes claimed to be imaginary, sometimes named as a “nervous condition”) that elicits ecstatic wonder (and sometimes fainting) in the presence of great art, architecture, music. Those terms at the top of this post are among a constellation of over 80 different terms (in overlapping Venn diagrams) that attempt to name and describe the condition. Turns out, this has been reported for centuries among visitors to the great artistic treasures of Europe… modern, classical, Renaissance, whatever.
I’ve felt on the verge of swooning at the Louvre, at Notre Dame, in Monument Valley, in lecture halls, in theater audiences for certain movies. I see these as functions of the same kinds of stimuli that nearly made me yack up my breakfast in that long ago fabric shop.
No, I’m not about to say that today’s strip made me dial 911 or an exorcist.
But I feel it nudging me. I hear and feel the wind, I smell the leaves, I taste the colors. The jokes… physically tickle my ribs. And I think I feel some of what Wallace and Spud feel. I love it.
Wlly Blly about 3 years ago
I, for one, am kind of glad Spud talked him out of it.
donwestonmysteries about 3 years ago
You’d get arrested, Wallace.
Faustus Mitternacht about 3 years ago
Last week the wind here was blowing tree limbs down dangerously. I was out in the front yard when a piece off tin off the roof of my back deck came flying over the roof and landed ten feet away. I figured it was a good idea to spend the rest of the day indoors.
Hamady Sack Premium Member about 3 years ago
So fun to look at.
LrdSlvrhnd about 3 years ago
Your artwork and attention to detail continues to amaze and astound me, Mr. Henry. Although I can’t quite make out who’s on the Missing poster. Is that Sterling? Did the devil finally realize his spawn got loose?
Pharmakeus Ubik about 3 years ago
Eight yards of oiled wool, when is it not the right day?
Grey Forest about 3 years ago
I knew a Scotsman who wore his kilt to church on a cold, windy day in February. He told us, “I don’t know where the wind comes from, but I know where it goes!”
ChattyFran about 3 years ago
That middle panel is suitable for framing! Make a print, @WillHenry!
JH&Cats about 3 years ago
Love the subtly rich color palette.
Taracinablue about 3 years ago
My first college was in windy northern Wisconsin, and it was a conservative Bible college with a dress code. I remember my sister looking up the forecast in the evenings and warning me and our roommates “no floofy skirts tomorrow.”
NotAndy28 about 3 years ago
THE TRREEEESS!!!
ricekook about 3 years ago
The Scotsman, full of drink, fell asleep by the side of the road. Two young lasses came upon him and could not resist discovering for themselves the truth about what was rumored to be the absence of a garment under the kilt. They lifted it and smiled. One took a blue ribbon from her long, red locks and tied it to…our young hero. Upon awakening the next morning the lad went behind a tree for his morning watering of the greenery. Looking down and quite surprised, he exclaimed, “Well I don’t know where you’ve been but I see you won first prize.”
Archistoteles over 2 years ago
Nice sound effects.