Explain SMBC — the wiki for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

friend

2026-01-27 View on smbc-comics.com → 1 revision
friend
Votey panel for friend
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 plays on the trope of demonic summoning rituals, but gives it a lighthearted, socially awkward twist.

In the first panel, a dramatic demon-summoning scene is underway, with someone declaring: "With this sign, of the man-goat, I summon Boodongo, the imp from the demon-realms!" A large, horned demon named Boodongo appears in flames.

But rather than a terrifying encounter, the conversation immediately becomes mundane and socially awkward. The summoner says "I am gone" (possibly a reaction of awe or fear), and Boodongo responds with casual friendliness: "Wow, that was epic, dude!" The summoner admits "I don't have a lot of friends," and Boodongo enthusiastically replies asking if they can "hang out and go to malls and gossip."

The comic then takes another turn: Boodongo says "Oh no, I just heard my mom call me. Time to blow out the black candles!" -- revealing that this fearsome demon is essentially a teenager who has to go when his mom calls. The summoner, left alone, says "That happens" with resigned familiarity.

The humor works by subverting the horror genre expectations of demon summoning. Instead of a pact with dark forces, it's more like two lonely people trying to make friends, with the demon turning out to be an enthusiastic but ultimately unavailable buddy who has to go home when his mom says so. It captures the universal experience of social awkwardness and the difficulty of making friends, transplanted into an occult setting.

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