Wednesday, July 15, 2009 Heathcliff Analyzed

Having missed his geriatric medication, Pop Nutmeg mistakes Heathcliff for a bundle of dirty laundry.

Pop Nutmeg has decided to perform the unorthodox task of cat-washing. This isn't a flea bath because his idiotic utterance indicates that the bath was to get the dirt off the cat. But even tough he wishes to clean the cat, he is performing this operation outdoors.

Pop has filled an old wooden washtub with some sort of bubbling concoction. Whatever was in the mysterious pink bottle behind Pop appears to have caused Heathcliff to have some sort of attack of nerve malfunction. Flipping himself to the ground, the cat is rolling around as if being stung by invisible bees, while flailing his forepaws karate style. Pop refers to this strange ritual as "the spin cycle." The term cycle indicates that this is a periodically repeated sequence of events. In this case it could indicate that Heathcliff has some sort of neurological disorder, and he should therefore be taken to a veterinarian.

Perhaps the strangest thing about this strip is that Pop appears to be committing cartoon suicide, erasing himself with a rag, beginning with his left hand.