Comic #128: Fred the Boot (Patreon)

Originally published: Feb 3rd, 2008.

I love this comic. I'm usually pretty critical of my own work, but I remember loving it even when I came up with the idea and after I finished.

I just loved the idea of getting the gear's perspective for a change. Something is funny to me about how entitled we are about our gear, and the idea that our gear has no agency over the crappy person they get bound to tickles me.

This is also my first f-bomb!

I remember really struggling with whether or not to have Fred say "Fuck" at the end. Given that I had never sworn in the comic before I was worried about doing it for the first time. In the end I simply realized that no other word would be as funny in that situation. Especially considering it was the first time I had ever used it, and how unexpected it would be.

I've never outright said it... But I've always thought that Donald still wears those boots. Actually, you know what? I'm the creator of this comic. It's canon. Donald still wears Fred. I mean, I draw Donald with untied shoelaces every time we see his feet, so it makes sense. Poor guy. I know Fred has shown up on his own in later comics, but let's just say that Fred represents some random boot drop from Black Temple, and everyone can get one. There are many Freds.

Man the possibilities. I should do a comic lore deep dive into Donald's poor boots. The past 16 years of torture he must have endured. How many times was he broken and then repaired? Wait... does Donald even repair his gear? So many questions. Poor guy probably dreams of being disenchanted, only to be sold to a vendor and have to sit on a shelf for eternity as a 20g cost common item.