this picture is a symbol of the life and death of the 'sailor'

ok the first picture represents a baby coming into the world. thats why the priest is so happy.

the second picture represents the life of the 'sailor'. birthday cakes, for each year he lived.

the final picture represents his death, because he's leaving. the priest is looking at him, because it's like he's thinking of him, after the 'sailor' has died.

so now you all know the truth.

1. The priest is impressed with the leaping sailor. [They start a friendship.]
2. The priest surprises the sailor with a birthday cake. [They form a closer friendship.]
3. They grow apart, and the priest feels lonely.

Now subsitute "sexual relationship" for "friendship."

Edited by author 11-09-2003 07:05 AM
1. The priest sees a prospective convert(leaping sailor) who is happy with life and whose spirit is filled and the priest wishes to bring him into the congregation.

2. The priest gives the new convert(accepting sailor) the doctrine, rituals, and practices of the church(the cake).

3. The sailor turns turns with a broken spirit to join the mob of organized religion as the priest looks back smugly. Another victim has been claimed.

I like Monty's answer better, even though a priest and a Village Person are obvious gay stereotypes.

Sailor: YIPEE!!!
Mute Priest: ...

Sailor: Are those pancakes for me?
Mute Priest: ...


Sailor: Yuck. Those pancakes taste like crap.
Mute Priest: ...

The comic reads from bottom to top.

It's trick or treating ;)

1. A priest and a sailor are having a discussion about whether it is possible by ones own efforts to briefly overcome the local effects of gravitation. The sailor asserts that it is possible, and tries to prove it by demonstrating a jump himself.

2. the priest then responds by explaining to him, with the aid of a demonstration tool, how objects stack one on top of the other when in conformity to local gravitational field. he further explains that this is both how things ought to be, and are. Therefore, he concludes, jumping is neither desirable, nor possible.

3. the sailor accepts, on the basis of the authority of the church and other cultural factors, that the priest's words have correctly described reality, despite the fact that it contradicts his own recent experience. He leaves, sadder and subdued, and definitely not jumping in the air. The priest also leaves, self-satisfied that he has successfully perpetuated the metaphysics he is employed to propagate, but slightly pensive that the jumping has to be stopped like this.

The point of the cartoon is to suggest that much of history consists in humans having substituted words for the things-in-themselves, and thereby convincing themselves, incorrectly, that reality subsists in these words rather than in the things to which they refer. it also manages to comment on the role of the church in keeping mankind in ignorance as to its full potential and capabilities. the sailor stands for those who are willing to set out in ships on the ocean, ie, all genuine seekers after truth. One might also see in the cartoon therefore subtle resonances with the age-old battle between Rome and gnosticism.

The sailor, ashore at last is looking for companionship

Being British he asks the monk/priest where the tarts are

The monk, being a monk provides the sailor a tart

Alas the sailor leaves dejected

The crackerjack boy is happy to see his friend, the priest.

The priest has brought the crackerjack boy a birthday cake.

The cake eaten, the two part, sadder for having gained nothing of real value from the encounter.

the crackerjack boy is sad.
the priest has brought the crakcerjack boy a birthday cake.
the cake eaten, the crackerjack boy dances with delight as the priest leeringly contemplates . . . . oh wait . . . I meen happily reflects on his good deed of the day

Okay...

The monk is watching the sailor doing jumping-jacks. Then the monk gives him a birthday cake. But the sailor's all hurt because it isn't strawberry.

The priest likes boys.
He gives the boy something,(the cake is only a representation of that gift{?}).
The boy is not pleased.....The sailor outfit or crackerjack boy is representational of young boys.

The sailor Jack is leaping but has no candlestick over which to leap. The monk offers him this cake with a candle as a substitute, and asks if he can jump it. Jack and the monk turn away awkwardly in shame because jack did not make the jump and instead accidentally kung-fu kicked the cake across the room into the lap of the master monk (off-screen).

THE BIG WOMBASSA: WHAT YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET, AND WHAT YOU DON'T GET, WHEN YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT

The monk awards the sailor a prize for his trick and is surprised when the sailor walks off with the cake under his hat!