Episode 619: Playing it Safe

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Dave

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Zombie Cliche Lookout: Move Along, Pal

One subject we talk about a lot around here is how having multiple people around makes survival easier. Of course, there are some pretty major limitations to that maxim. For instance, a survivor who has managed to safely barricade themselves inside a building, with a decent supply of supplies and has managed to avoid the attention of the roaming zombies outside, would be taking a huge risk in opening his door to someone outside. You know absolutely nothing about that person. They could be hiding a zombie bite. They could be drawing the survivor out only to murder them and take the safe house. They could be running away from a small army of zombies that will soon surround the once-safe house.

Locking the door and telling the person to move on might just be the safest thing to do. Of course, at that point they know someone is there, and who knows what they’ll do with that information. Of course, if you stay quiet, they might assume the building is empty and try to force their way inside to safety. It’s a tough call either way.

About this Episode:

Poor Sam just can’t seem to catch a break. After killing Emma’s whole family, he is forced to leave her. He invites her to join him on his lonely and desperate quest for survival, but she cruelly declines and stays in her well stocked urban fortress. And now, some person he doesn’t even know won’t let him come in out of the dark.

It’s hard to be Sam.

Discussion Question: Would You Open the Door?

Let’s say you’re the lucky person I described in the zombie cliche lookout above. Someone knocks at your door, desperate for help. They have an improvised weapon and a backpack that might have supplies, but you know nothing else about them. Would you take the risk of opening the door?

29 thoughts on “Episode 619: Playing it Safe”

  1. Typo alert: “might assume those building” those–>(that) the 😀

    “That” is in parenthesis because it’s optional in a sentence where some of the context is implied. It’s similar to how some people intentionally leave certain obvious verbs out in sentences that don’t really need the verb to be there.

    • Fixed. My, that was a strange one.

  2. now finally Sam has found the house now he safe or not

    • Looking like not, unless the person inside changes their mind.

  3. I do wonder how far away from the chapel Sam has got so far, it might mean a lot if he had gotten further away from it or if he’s still in the nearby vicinity of it.

    As to who this mystery stranger that won’t let him in is, maybe he’s seen Sam’s antics on the firetruck and doesn’t want Sam around to draw in more zombies? It’s fairly obvious to me that anyone who’s been in a zombie apocalypse for more than a very short length of time is going to develop assumptions and receive information, whether directly or second-hand, about what others in and around their area are doing.

    • I really like that fact that you’re thinking about the geography of the comic. I think that’s really cool. To answer your question, he isn’t terribly far away, and is seeking shelter for the night.

  4. It depends on their appearance. If they have relatively clean clothes and no bandages, I would have a higher likelihood of letting them in. If they were holding their hand behind their back and/or have a bloody bandage on their arm, I would not let them. I know they say “you can’t tell a book by it’s colour” but you can get a pretty good idea from the title.

    • “I know they say ‘you can’t tell a book by it’s colour’ but you can get a pretty good idea from the title.”

      “To Serve Man”

      • Excellent!

      • Actually, the phrase is “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover”. 😀

        Google confirms this, although I have known this phrase for much longer! 😀

        • Never eat spinach with a stranger?

    • You can make some informed guesses based on what you see, but it’s very possible to get it horribly wrong.

  5. Suddenly, it’s daytime 😀
    Was Episode 618 using less light for dramatic effect?

    • Oh, holy crap. No, I’m just an idiot. I’ll fix that.

      • hey Dave how about u use beta rage 3 very awesome lights texture mixture some lightning what u think

        • What’s beta rage 3?

    • Alright, that’s all fixed.

  6. its that work go and try

  7. beta rage 3 is from GTA IV SA rockstar games can use this beta rage 3 on vcr and ivsa this is beta rage 3

    • I don’t understand what that means. How do I use that on my comic?

      • just download beta rage 3 i use but its awesome some lightning textures mixtures roads sun light and peds

        • Muazquamr is suggesting you render your comic using the game’s graphics from beta rage 3 but Dave can’t do this because he’s photographing his scenes using LEGO blocks photographed in the real world. I think he thinks you are using some game’s graphics to render your comic, but he is just confused. It would actually be quite an awesome idea, otherwise! 😀

        • It may also be a copyright infringement of that game’s graphics were anyone to actually do that without the game developer’s permission! But the idea is fairly sound, otherwise. 🙂

        • Okay, that makes sense now. Thanks BV!

          And, yes, I can’t do what you’re asking muazqamar.

  8. and u now Dave and u have beta rage 3 then u write bricks of the dead beta rage 3 then peoples like u more and i.m

  9. I think I would have to get a good look at the person. I believe in helping people in their time of need, but I have to be realistic as well. During a crisis many folks forget that others matter too. Its easy for them to justify taking something they didn’t earn that someone else was smart enough to put away for such a time.

    In the end, I’d keep the door lock, barred (with furniture most likely), and watch from a window that had a think curtain to cover my presence. If they try for a while to knock and no one answered, then break in an fail (by themselves to show me that it wasn’t a trap), I’d help them since I knew they were a little more on the level.

    If multiple persons came out (showing it was a trap) or if the individual succeeded in getting in, I think I’d have to use my father’s gun collection to disway them at that point.

  10. Knocking first seems a very incongruous thing to do.

    I guess old habits die hard.

    • I suppose it’s a risky thing to do, good point.

      • Not necessarily risky, but just a social convention that seems a bit pointless in this situation.