New to this story? Click here to read it from the beginning.

Even though I am creating full-page comics, I still consider “1977” a comic strip at it’s heart. So my pages normally have a self-standing joke built in while also moving the story along. Today was one of those pages where a story had to be told in the dialog and there was no good place to put in a joke. So, I tried to liven it up with the crickets getting eaten.

The past week I had a nasty head-cold/flu and it’s not fun drawing and inking while your eyes won’t focus. Makes for an even bigger headache then the one the cold had already given me. Ah, the things we do.

Long-time reader of the comic, David Wilson, pointed out that today’s song was originally written and recorded by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Then I did some digging and found out it was recorded on THIS DATE in 1956. So, I felt I had to go find a version to include with today’s post. It is interesting to note that this song was originally intended to be a ballad, but the record producer got Hawkins drunk and this is the version that resulted. Chalk one up for booze.