![A series of photographs dated May 17, 1916.
[Mrs. McMurray –a fat, female, bipedal cat in her Sunday gown– looks down sweetly at the camera through her pince-nez. She represents a 37-year-old woman.]
Mrs. McMurray: Good mornin', boys. D'you know what very special day it is?
[Rocky –a bipedal kitten representing a 12-year old boy– and Calvin –a bipedal kitten representing a 7-year-old boy– stop nailing peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches to the wall, and turn to face the camera.]
Rocky and Calvin: Buhhh?](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZqGHqAnAl4ZbsPpPQY7IhHojrPFBubHvusVy5kBLh79KwgXNTsLbdAC_wpNVWVcjr-680GkAKq0xNMPDRR68DVT7HF8IgyrkRC5yMFeZc_kQkAI-nYN4iYpqKKDe81eT94HaiNd703M/s400/Line+1.png)
![[Rocky and Calvin appear in traditional Irish clothes. Rocky dances a jig while Calvin plays the role of a leprechaun. Several green little "wee folk" dance at their feet, and potatoes float around them … But it's just their delighted imaginings.]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirk3xCPL7vxrlIkXVtQHdE0PiF7b5Y_x-P0cUEsoupIr5Cbua3K_5eKy1Y3dgm8pfLTbhcEJ671jptWRsi5FMAiBf95Q4SqeZeP7qHF29AtBItWtYvJ4RmoYCk6mgNeetmnVgumUaJBc8/s400/Line+3.png)
![Mrs. McMurray: (holding up two child-size Sunday suits) IT'S TIME FOR CHURCH. … so we can celebrate the vanquishin' of all that superstitious, heathen nonsense.
[Rocky and Calvin furrow their eyebrows. The floating potatoes "fizzle" and crush the wee folk.]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuFP90RTd36BhK_2qNjsBCqNU2CFhP0O7hUwvR5T2rbX46TyckYrpjlL4fggYkGO2-O3HvodEmJPg1bTAUGInDrFOIKgcbLbdKwEFY0RknwCVU572vuHn2sAHFBKtQo-4ECWAm_FUVx4/s400/Line+4.png)
![[The inside of a church. Rocky slouches in his pew, sliding onto the floor; his prayer book falling from his hand.
Mrs. McMurray: (without looking up from her own prayer book) Sit up straight or the devil will steal your backbone … and lash you with it for eternity.
[Calvin looks worriedly at the wee folk, which have turned red, have sprouted horns, and now carry pitchforks.]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiT2T1sWpt0Gs3vHXzOWMvGBqZ2HFZi12MOLeiDs6MUruRNGT1UblYKLSQDpXwgZ0HBqlcRadOpS_8Ndljjlqoxe4CT8rCskRIHfJnMXVYFYbUUouDMd5kZY0ehEYaUndbfhZXUPlaw1U/s400/Line+5.png)
Today, I'm commemorating St. Patrick's day with a strip from Tracy Butler's excellent comic Lackadaisy. Lackadaisy takes place in 1927, right in the middle of the prohibition era, which provides the main conflict for the series. You may ask, what can two cute little kittens care about whether alcohol is allowed or not? For starters, in the world of Lackadaisy Cats are the only sentient species (which means they fill in the role of humans; Butler says she draws cats because they're more expresive). Secondly, the strip above is a flashback; Rocky (the older of the two kittens) is a 25-year-old in the main story (though not very adult).
These two youngsters go about with their mild manner trying to be helpful, but their clumsiness and overexcitability often causes more harm than good. The fact that everything they're doing must happen without the law finding out only complicates matters. The story is complex, deep, and at times action-packed, with Rocky often providing what unwittingly (and unnervingly) looks like an evil laugh.
And of course, the art is simply superb.
Yes, that's an image of a lady
cat carrying a Thompson
Sub-machine Gun.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Warning: This plot is not suitable for those with a weak heart, or with memory problems, or for those who absolutely must have their webcomics updating every nth day. If you think you can stand that, you may want to read it from the beginning.
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