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[littlefallsmets]

http://www.achewood.com/index.php?date=02022007

Best. Stand-alone strip. Ever.

[theinevitable]

I like that it is not entirely clear what the D means.

I like this strip.

[wombat]

Oh. Poor Emeril and Sponge are so sad for him.

[littlefallsmets]

See, I think it says EXACTLY what Beef is going through. The dude can't even go into a drug store. The things in a drugstore can overwhelm him. WILL overwhelm him. The things in a drugstore will overwhelm him. The dude is an overloaded camel of fear and any kind of straw will do.

Truthfully, it seems more like Beef has... an acute anxiety disorder than textbook depression but... whatever it is, it's the perfect picture of a neurotic collapse.

[theinevitable]

I was referring to the fact that the D becomes a darker color on the sign, just to clarify.

[coldfrog]

Every other one is awesome.  The food chain and restaurant, not so much.  The road sign and this one, so much.

I love Phillipe's thoughtful expression when Teodor says "Not when you have depression" as if that explains it all.  I imagine he is picturing a supermarket with an entrance that says "For Depression Only" and when you go through it you just end up in the loading dock with an empty paper bag.

[iron_felix]

Emeril and Spongebath really sell this one.  They appear here not as Beef's friends, nor as hapless bystanders, but rather as a Greek chorus of sorts.  It is a tragedy for everyone.  The tragedy of the grocery store.

Handi?Rite is a mighty queer name for a grocery store, though.  It appears Roast Beef is in fact failing to enter a stationery store.  Clearly, then, this is not just an illustration of Téodor's point.  This is a real episode in Beef's life that just happens to be transpiring at the same time as Téodor's conversation with Philippe.  It must be a fairly regular occurrence for him.

Edit: This is the strip for Groundhog Day.  I will now be bitterly disappointed tomorrow if Punxsutawney Phil does not do as Beef does.

[CortJstr]

I was referring to the fact that the D becomes a darker color on the sign, just to clarify.

I noticed this too. The saddest part is that he was probably picking up something that Molly had asked for and now he can't go home either because she'll be angry and disappointed.

[Sub_Topical]

The alt-text sold it for me. This is how beef s and always will be.

HEY! GREEK CHORUS GUY!

NICE

[AugustWest]

I think it's more that he sees the ugliness and hopelessness of the grocery store -- the tawdry, stained storefront with the single discolored letter; the hokey name (Handi-Rite?  What does that even mean?  Everything is directed at the lowest common demoninator.); the overriding cynicism of our corporate commercial culture.  Beef extrapolates this too far.  He sees it and he thinks that it's the way everything in the world is.  It is a reflection of man's true inner nature.  This saddens Beef.  He does not have the strength to face such ugliness today.  His weakness saddens him further.

[Muse_Of_Fire]

Yeah, today's strip was just beautiful, in the most complete sense of the word. I puzzled for a long time over that "D," and finally settled on it just being another way to convey the emptiness and disappointment one (who's got depression) must feel in confronting the imperfection of the world. My heart just breaks for Beef all the time; and then I'm comforted in remembering that at least he's got Molly.

I hope it's not bad form to invoke past strips in threads about current ones, but I'm gonna do it anyway. "Toast" -- 05 December, 2006, to me, brought Beef and Molly's relationship into very sharp focus. Maybe I'm overly romantic for my own good, but IMO this is the kind of thing that people in loving relationships do for one another (althouh this was definitely expressed through the completely unique Achewood perspective).

Considering how things were portrayed in "Toast," I have hope that Molly will be understanding when Beef returns empty-handed.

And finally, I agree, the inclusion of Emeril and Spongebath was genius. Visual punctuation, definitely.

[AugustWest]

And finally, I agree, the inclusion of Emeril and Spongebath was genius. Visual punctuation, definitely.

Genius, absolutely.    It further develops the characters of Emeril and Spongebath.  And, it shows that Beef's friends are aware of his problems and that they are sympathetic.

This is a wonderful, poignant strip.  It shows me that Onstad has a very real understanding of the nature of depression. 

[Alternate]

Roast Beef's depression always seems to mirror my own.  One day I was feeling hopeless because winter had just started and the sun went down at four, and then this strip came out.  And yesterday I had trouble going to a grocery store.  It's good to know someone understands. 

One of my favorite descriptions of Beef's depression is Ray's:  "Dude keeps it real, and doesn't risk much money. Dude plays it tight. That's my boy. My boy is Roast Beef, and he has so much sense he can barely get outta bed each day."

[robofunk]

I like that it is not entirely clear what the D means.

I like this strip.

Just a guess but maybe the lights inside the letter flickered. Flickering signs do not instill confidence.

[AugustWest]

winter had just started and the sun went down at four

Damn...just, wow, DAMN. 

Dude, move a little bit south.  I feel like shit when the sun goes down at six.  Four?  MAAAN.