2009-12-28
Explanation
This single-panel comic has a caption across the top reading "It was a mistake to intervene in my brother's suicide." Below, a man holds a gun and looks at another man who appears identical to him (his twin brother). The gunman says, "Oh my God! We look exactly alike! Which twin do I kill!?"
The comic takes the dark subject of suicide intervention and gives it an absurd twist. Instead of a heartwarming scene where one brother talks the other out of self-harm, the suicidal twin becomes so confused by seeing his identical twin that he cannot figure out which one of them he was trying to kill. The title text ("It was a mistake to intervene") comes from the perspective of the intervening brother, who now finds himself at gunpoint because his identical appearance has created a bizarre logical dilemma for his confused twin.
The votey panel shows someone offering the gunman sleeping pills, saying "Can I interest you in some sleeping pills?" This darkly comedic addition suggests a bystander is trying to de-escalate the situation -- or perhaps make things worse -- by offering a less violent alternative, adding another layer of absurd dark humor to an already pitch-black premise. The comic is an example of SMBC's willingness to find humor in uncomfortable territory through sheer logical absurdity.