The Way It Is With Reindeer was a comic illustrated by Ted Phillips during December 1998. It was finally colorized and released on December 31, 2022.
The overarching story structure is inspired by Simpsons scenes involving educational film reels and Troy McClure appearances that purport to teach a Billy, Jimmy, or Bobby. Ted had also recently learned about caribou from a daily calendar featuring animals.
In the comic, Mr. McSorely is the name of Teddy's teacher, who happens to be a robot with green hair. In December 1998, Ted Phillips's sixth grade homeroom and Social Studies teacher was named Mr. McSorely, who also had green hair.
While historically it has been common for people to wear clothing made from animal skins or furs and to fashion tools or other useful items from various body parts, the comic takes the concept further. Teddy depicts his own father John Phillips, who was a military veteran, wearing one that was made by an elderly navy command officer, rather than from the clothing store called Old Navy.
At the end, Ted adds a reference to the Green Day song "Brain Stew," which was his favorite song at the time, having recently been introduced to it by the official soundtrack to the 1998 film Godzilla.
The Joke
Most generally, the comic depicts the destruction of childhood innocence by perceived inhuman authority figures, adults. Specifically, this comic is an example of the ruining of the magic of Christmas.The overarching story structure is inspired by Simpsons scenes involving educational film reels and Troy McClure appearances that purport to teach a Billy, Jimmy, or Bobby. Ted had also recently learned about caribou from a daily calendar featuring animals.
In the comic, Mr. McSorely is the name of Teddy's teacher, who happens to be a robot with green hair. In December 1998, Ted Phillips's sixth grade homeroom and Social Studies teacher was named Mr. McSorely, who also had green hair.
While historically it has been common for people to wear clothing made from animal skins or furs and to fashion tools or other useful items from various body parts, the comic takes the concept further. Teddy depicts his own father John Phillips, who was a military veteran, wearing one that was made by an elderly navy command officer, rather than from the clothing store called Old Navy.
At the end, Ted adds a reference to the Green Day song "Brain Stew," which was his favorite song at the time, having recently been introduced to it by the official soundtrack to the 1998 film Godzilla.