Flipping it back on you: you get assigned a 6 issue Stanley and His Monster mini. You can choose to use any of the existing canon or create your own retcon.

What set up and backstory do you use, and what’s your storyline about?

Mine would be called "Stanley and His Monsters" I have a very distinct image of the opening: a young Nameless One running around hell, doing nice things, until Lucifer gives him the boot, 3000 years ago, leading directly to a parallel with the usual opening of the overactive Stanley. That first issue would set up the status quo, essentially the same as the original run (only now Spot was kicked out of Hell, and then made to feel unwelcome everywhere else. No wonder he's nervous telling Stanley the truth). The first half would introduce villains, a pair of government agents meddling in everything, and Stanley's three other monsters (the two fae would be a Gremlin, breaking stuff, and a Tinker, fixing it. Great synergy but they bicker like an old married couple).

In the second half, we'd reveal the agents work for the Institute of Monster Research, and recreate the dream sequence finale in issue #4-5 and having the consequences of running away to break Spot out of government containment be the final issue. The stinger would probably be some angels discovering a demon has mucked up human's operations and planning to send him "back where he belongs"

One other change I'd make: Stanley wouldn't be white. Like I said earlier, I think immigration is the unexplored theme a lot of the title revolves around, and I think the power of metaphor to explore these things is a little less powerful then we'd like. Plenty of bigots are X-Men fans. So I'd like Stanley growing to understand Spot's position to parallel his parents having to teach how the world isn't kind to people like them.

how?? just how?

TINY WRLD (2020)

I've started a very important list...

do you have a postive cantal tilt

O DEAR ME-- for as we speak, the Royal Society of London, (c. 1865), has just sent a telegram-- and they say that their Grand Head Phrenologist Emeritus, Phr.D., has gone missing ! We must return you POST-HASTE ! ! !

@thebibliosphere I had to repost this for both of us because OOF

He’s kind of slaying

I think the most fun part of monsters inc is boo calling sulley “kitty” and mike wazowski by full government name

name them. now.

i wish i could look at this… and feel Normal™️

CIRCLE OF GIACOMO CERUTI (MILAN 1698-1767)

Pike and pig's head

Oil on canvas

Christie’s

i learned about Tim Wong who successfully and singlehandedly repopulated the rare California Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly in San Francisco. In the past few years, he’s cultivated more than 200 pipevine plants (their only food source) and gives thousands of caterpillars to his local Botanical Garden (x)

A 90s version that repeatedly references Vertigo titles and reimagines Spot as a demon, even!

Another Stanley and His Monster fan??? I literally thought this would never happen. I've got like. A reimagined amalgation of the characters that exists solely in my head by now.

For some bizarre reason I feel like I've always known about the concept, though I can't spell out how, where or why I found out about them.

I think they're delightful, if in particular the 1960s run is very much proto-Calvin & Hobbes without the same level of craft or delivery of commentary. They're both drawing from the same base, Bill Watterson is just a marvel of storytelling while as you put it, original Stanley and his Monster is a lot of unrealised overlooked potential.

It's also amusing to me that they got a gritty do over in 2001 after managing to to get through the most Xtreme portion of the 90s with a new storyline and all it is is charming light hearted storytelling.