Explain SMBC — the wiki for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

2013-11-12

2013-11-12 View on smbc-comics.com → 1 revision
You are viewing an older revision of this explanation (2026-03-15 13:21:41). View current version →
2013-11-12
Votey panel for 2013-11-12
This explanation is incomplete or may contain errors. It was generated by AI and has not yet been reviewed by a human editor.

Explanation

This comic tells a story about a child who says there's a monster under their bed. The father gets excited, saying a real "monster" (actually megafauna -- large prehistoric animals) is right there in the child's room. He launches into an elaborate fantasy about photographing it and becoming famous, with visions of book deals, movie deals, and fortune.

The father enthusiastically promises to be right back with the camera, calling the child "my little cherub." In the final panels, set "earlier," it's revealed the child had previously told their parents about the monster, and the parents dismissively said "Ugh, not again" and "Yes, but for the last time." The comic plays on how parents typically dismiss children's claims about monsters, but this particular father saw a financial opportunity rather than a parenting moment. The humor comes from the father's greed-driven enthusiasm contrasted with the earlier parental dismissiveness, and the implication that the father only cares because he sees dollar signs.

View History (1) Original Comic