Endtown by Aaron Neathery for July 26, 2011

Looks like one of the frequently asked questions by Endtown fans is gonna get answered soon. Let’s just hope Wally doesn’t become Wally Alleycat as a result.

Wally Whiskers.

Al meets some Topsiders: http://www.gocomics.com/monty/2011/07/26

so i take it the eager beaver changed his name?

I would think if Holly’s been living in Endtown for awhile, that she might already be aware of these ‘self acceptance seminars’. Then again, I forget if we’ve ever heard her last name. For all we know, it could be rodent or mouse related. But I see her as being someone who accepts herself without abandoning her old self entirely (which seems to be the conflict of a lot of the characters here. Like I remember Gustine had issues with how accepting herself as she is would somehow betray her old self). It’s an interesting concept – a demon I think Holly and very few others have overcome.

I think Wally Wildcat has more of a natural ring for Wally.

I think things may get difficult for Albert and others apparently not mutated. It looks like anti-human bigotry is why Jackrabbit was so adamant about executing Albert and his human-loving girlfriend. Acceptance is for mutants only. Taken to the extreme, Jackrabbit may try to turn Endtown society into a mirror image of Topsiders, and human-sympathizers need not stick around. Or live.

“WE set the standards for what self-acceptance is—and since you obviously haven’t reached those standards—YOU REALLY HAVEN’T ACCEPTED YOURSELF!” I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that kind of attitude. There are groups that will accept you ONLY if you toe the Party Line—then they’ll call you “Right-Thinking.” I call these kind of people “Procrustean.” Procrustes was a bandit from the Greek myth of Theseus. He forced travelers to lay down on a bed he had—if they were too short for it, he stretched them to fit. If they were too long, he cut off their legs UNTIL they fit. A “Procrustean Bed” is an arbitrary standard to which exact conformity is forced. The ones who fit that bed [or standard] naturally, use it as proof they are naturally superior [kind of like Star-Bellied Sneeches]. They manipulate others [who aren’t naturally that way] by withholding their approval. “You’re a Self-Accepting Endtowner WHEN WE SAY YOU ARE AND NOT A MINUTE BEFORE!”

That description sounds like ol’ hitler and his master race (that small h was on purpose)

Suppose Jackrabbit is thinking in terms of a take over?

\\//_

And looking at the list you can figure out who has “accepted” their mutations.

Howzabout “Wally Braveheart”?! That tells the real story without reference to the shape of his body, either in an ashamed way (avoiding it), nor an obnoxiously in-your-face way (promoting what really shouldn’t matter).Of course, someone else would have to bestow that moniker on him; he’s not at all the kind to promote himself that way.

Hey now Wally has the broken tale look.

I guess we will have to wait for the next episode tomorrow and find the answer to why the names are changed? Great strip Aaron N.

If we look at Holly’s comment about what separates the underground society and the Topsiders; we can see the true evil of bigotry and prejudice. It only creates division and seeks to make us less human. If we respond to prejudice with hatred to those who embrace it; then the bigots of the world have won. We must be constantly on the defensive against this blight of ignorance and inhumanity.

It’ll be interesting to hear what Holly has to say about all of this. I noticed with particular attention in the Wiki that Prof. Mallard is one of the characters that seems to have embraced the name change. There’s always the chance that his name was originally Mallard, you never know. Other than that, the list so far seems to consist of fanatics like Jackrabbit, and weak-willed followers like Mole (deceased) and Lynx. It really is reflective of the early Nazi movement. (Probably the Neo-Nazis too, but that’s not my field.)

So even in the “mutant” world, we still find cults! Interesting! Looking forward to listening to this “seminar”! Wonder how Holly feels about that! :)

I think Mallard, and others, have adopted new names not to fit in or accept their mutation, but to keep others from knowing who they really were before the End, especially if they were notorious. A lot of people would want to avoid old feuds and old charges, and forge new lives. The species name would be the equivalent of Smith, and easy to remember.

Thanks for the help yesterday, Aaron.I knew that I had seen Jackrabbit before, I just couldn’t place where. I hope that Wally prefers to spend his time with Holly tonight, rather than going to a stupid seminar. It would be funny if he refused to change his name…’cause there are a LOT of people who say their name and add: "And PROUD of itKUTGW,

Noreen

Why does he need a new name and a whole new identity to “accept” himself? He just started to realize he could be a cat man and still be Wally Wallechinsky! And I LIKE that name!!!!!!!!!!!

star bellied sneeches, hehe

“Wally… Wally Beaver-slayer. I’ve never known what it meant. I wonder if it has any significance?”

Been ‘dere, done ’dat. It’s one thing when an INDIVIDUAL chooses to change his or her name for their OWN reasons. It’s quite another when a GROUP tries to force such a change on an individual by making it the price demanded for their acceptance. I was part of the Norse religion Asatru, for a time. It was not uncommon for others to take on Norse names for use while among other Asatruar. But I was one of the few who made the change legal. None compelled me to do this—and indeed such compulsion would not have been seen as part of the Northern Path. I wanted my legal name to reflect my beliefs. And though I am not involved in Asatru as I was, I have never regretted the change to Haakon.