A very special comics message from Leigh Gallagher

November 3, 2010 11:43 AM

How to propose on the internet (if you are a highly talented comics artist)
posted by Artw (56 comments total)

With my luck, my boyfriend will use his comic (that he does with Mefi's Own kittens for breakfast) to propose to me.

Which means I'll get proposed to by a gorilla luchador superscientist.

It could be worse, I guess.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 11:50 AM on November 3, 2010

Good God I hope the first comment is simply "Yes."
(And coming from his soon-to-be wife.)
posted by iamkimiam at 11:51 AM on November 3, 2010 [3 favorites]

And coming from his soon-to-be wife.

Heh. Well, there's an important qualifier.
posted by Zed at 11:52 AM on November 3, 2010

Hmm, no comments yet on his post. I hope she's just having trouble with the CAPTCHA.
posted by studentbaker at 11:53 AM on November 3, 2010 [6 favorites]

Here's Gabe (of Penny Arcade) proposing via a comic way back in early 1999. Of course, the art was a bit...less sophisticated...back then.
posted by jedicus at 11:53 AM on November 3, 2010 [3 favorites]

Penny Arcade did it first
posted by TheNewWazoo at 11:54 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

damnit!
posted by TheNewWazoo at 11:54 AM on November 3, 2010 [3 favorites]

See also.
posted by Gator at 11:55 AM on November 3, 2010

I see he's familiar with the old "explainin' hand".
posted by Joe Beese at 11:56 AM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Knew it was coming, but still teared up just a bit at the end.

My favorite panel is the one with the babies. "How YOU doin'?"
posted by alynnk at 11:57 AM on November 3, 2010 [3 favorites]

I remember Erik Larsen doing the same thing in an early issue of Savage Dragon. Don't remember any in-comic follow-up to that so hope that worked out well for him, as I hope it works out for Leigh and Niki.

Makes me wish I was a talented comic artist (or just talented). My wife still complains about my non-proposal.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:57 AM on November 3, 2010

Nice.
posted by OmieWise at 12:00 PM on November 3, 2010

Hope my comment was accepted.

Christ, what an asshole
posted by stormpooper at 12:02 PM on November 3, 2010

I suspect there will be communication issues ahead.

"Honey, did you hear me about taking out the garbage?"

"I'm still inking my answer!!"
posted by nomadicink at 12:07 PM on November 3, 2010 [8 favorites]

Hmm, no comments yet on his post. I hope she's just having trouble with the CAPTCHA.

Good thing, too. Nothing worse than getting a couple years into a marriage before realizing your spouse is a spambot.
posted by inedible at 12:09 PM on November 3, 2010 [27 favorites]

"I'm still inking my answer!!"

Heh. As I understand it he's that rare and glorious combination in a comics artist: Quick AND good.
posted by Artw at 12:12 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Comic Sans!
posted by mmrtnt at 12:19 PM on November 3, 2010

If the talking dog comes with the deal, I'll step in if that chick won't marry him.

$_$
posted by not_on_display at 12:20 PM on November 3, 2010 [5 favorites]

*waiting for heartbroken comic artist to post on AskMe because Niki never answered*
posted by Cranberry at 12:22 PM on November 3, 2010

This is the second proposal I've seen today. This one in my twitter feed seems like a fake viral (be warned but its on youtube and one youse guys linked to it, confess harlequin)

What gives? is it a discount on diamonds day today?
posted by The Lady is a designer at 12:23 PM on November 3, 2010

I hope she didn't find it tl;dr.
posted by vidur at 12:24 PM on November 3, 2010

Well that beats the pants off my propsal. (My husband got really, really drunk and proposed to me on one knee in the canned food aisle at the local 24 hour minimart coming home from the pub one night. The romace was caught on CCTV.)
posted by DarlingBri at 12:32 PM on November 3, 2010 [5 favorites]

How to propose on the internet (if you know a bunch of talented comics artists).
posted by NoraReed at 12:38 PM on November 3, 2010 [2 favorites]

How unromantic. He could have at least down it in the candy aisle.
posted by nomadicink at 12:38 PM on November 3, 2010

Beat you to it, NoraReed!
posted by Gator at 12:49 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm bad at this game.
posted by NoraReed at 12:53 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Is douchebag the high road? I only ask because clearly the guy is an asshole.
posted by djduckie at 12:54 PM on November 3, 2010

Gross. Be a man!
posted by electricsandwich138 at 1:00 PM on November 3, 2010

I like how he goes from shifting and searching in his pocket to SUPERNOVA OF SPARKLY LOVE all in one panel.




Is douchebag the high road? I only ask because clearly the guy is an asshole.

What do you mean?
posted by Theta States at 1:01 PM on November 3, 2010

I'm loved the proposal/honeymoon series of guest comics that Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics showcased back in August:

I love weddings! It's someone else's party and I can cry if I want to!

MR. TUSKS HAS BEEN MADE MAYOR OF TINY TOWNE!

i proposed with this comic, you guys

I'm just heading out to meet him for dinner now.

I DO I DO I DO

This is making me barf.

Is there ANYONE on this Earth who can love me?

My name is KLUG. (my favorite)

Insects and animals, looks like you just got burned!

No more breaking shit, OK?

THAT WAS. THE CRAZIEST. DREAM YOU GUYS.
posted by Rhaomi at 1:03 PM on November 3, 2010 [3 favorites]

Is douchebag the high road? I only ask because clearly the guy is an asshole.


Tabbed browsing strikes again.
posted by found missing at 1:04 PM on November 3, 2010 [6 favorites]

I liked the older version better, its something of a keepsake. The one in the FPP is just a tad too smug. (the talking dog, the babies etc)
posted by The Lady is a designer at 1:11 PM on November 3, 2010

maybe it's because i'm still a newlywed, but i just can't see this as anything but completely adorable. i like all the linked proposals so far. of course, i'm feeling schmoopy today - just listened to january wedding a couple hours ago for no reason besides i love my husband.
posted by nadawi at 1:16 PM on November 3, 2010

Wait a minute... Sulu wasn't proposing to Clint McCance?
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:16 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Real men do it in person. End of.

Of course, some real men wish like hell they'd never done it all.
posted by Decani at 1:35 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Real men who can't draw do it in person.
posted by Zed at 1:45 PM on November 3, 2010

How to propose on the Internet (if you are friends with a MeFi Music contributor)
posted by eritain at 2:03 PM on November 3, 2010

In the meantime, still no comments on the blogpost ...

the suspense is killing
posted by The Lady is a designer at 2:04 PM on November 3, 2010

Comment moderation has been enabled. All comments must be approved by the blog author.

Either the happy couple is too busy celebrating to deal with comment moderation (hope!) or dude is out drowning his sorrows with his pals Jack Daniels and Glen Fiddich (sad!) right now.
posted by Gator at 2:11 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Real men do it in person

Animators do it 24 times a second

and so on and so forth, insert your favorite do it bumper sticker here
posted by davejay at 2:15 PM on November 3, 2010

Marriage proposal gimmicks like these make me feel deeply uncomfortable
posted by King, in the hall of the mountain at 2:53 PM on November 3, 2010

Do you need to be held?
posted by found missing at 3:04 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

I DO
posted by Gator at 3:05 PM on November 3, 2010

showoff
posted by The Lady is a designer at 3:12 PM on November 3, 2010

has anyone mentioned Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier's "How We Got Engaged!" yet? It's what you do when you're BOTH talented comic artists.

(it's really adorable, and not one sided-awkward)
posted by sawdustbear at 4:25 PM on November 3, 2010 [3 favorites]

Back in MY day, we didn't have the Internet to propose on! I had to propose to my wife the old fashioned way! IN MY NEWSPAPER COLUMN.

And we LIKED it.
posted by jscalzi at 4:56 PM on November 3, 2010 [3 favorites]

I have no idea how, but i apparently posted on the wrong one. This guy is not a douchebag or an asshole. Just let the record show.
posted by djduckie at 5:00 PM on November 3, 2010

i saw this when i got home from school and thought it was supercool and sweet - but there were no comments. now it is five hours later...i am getting a sinking feeling, guys...
posted by janepanic at 5:34 PM on November 3, 2010

Ah, but did he send her the link? Confirm that she's reading his RSS? Or hoped she'd notice it virally via MeFi?
posted by The Lady is a designer at 5:39 PM on November 3, 2010

Well, I'm an old curmudgeon, but I really believe that public proposals are seriously inconsiderate of the other party. YMMV, of course.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 6:15 PM on November 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Good thing, too. Nothing worse than getting a couple years into a marriage before realizing your spouse is a spambot.

I was hoping someone would pick this up and run with it... Something like:

"How's the marriage treating you, Joe?"

"Oh you know, not bad... But I guess it's just not what I imagined. At first she was all about the CHEAP VACATION PACKAGE HAWAII MAUI TODAY, but now all she talks about is BUY V1@GR@ NOW and ENLARGE PENIS FAST!
posted by inedible at 8:20 PM on November 3, 2010 [2 favorites]

davejay: "Animators do it 24 times a second"

Most traditional animators do it 12 times a second, actually.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 1:14 AM on November 4, 2010

I never realized this kind of proposal idea would rub so many people the wrong way.

Back to Jumbotron proposals for me.
posted by Theta States at 5:54 AM on November 4, 2010

Do you think the comment box text is set to comicPro black?
posted by The Lady is a designer at 6:33 AM on November 4, 2010

And the answer was...
posted by Zed at 6:46 PM on November 4, 2010 [2 favorites]

See, that's how you can tell it *isn't* Comic Sans.
posted by Artw at 6:52 PM on November 4, 2010