Panel 2: Okay, the phrase “Iron John burglar alarm” hasn’t aged terribly gracefully in the last ten years. Then again, even in 2008 a reference to the once culturally ubiquitous Robert Bly book was already a tad anachronistic. Come to think of it, I think I coined the term “Iron John burglar alarm” when recounting a story of manly grunts of pain when I was repeatedly stung by wasps during an unfortunate mid-90s home-repair incident.

Panel 3: I also quite appreciate the phrase “eyeglassed odalisque,” which calls to mind the Ingres painting—which features famously wonky figure work, by the way! Quick, somebody call the Anatomy Police!

Panel 4: Surely the Blazing-Eyed Devilgoat is exaggerating, here, as I sincerely doubt that he’d conceivably be shaken about on the living room’s coffee table by activity in Emp’s relatively distant bedroom, however energetic and enthusiastic such activity might be.

-Adam Warren