I never thought I'd get to see these characters again and gosh this was so lovely and beautiful. I love them all so much and I love this story so much.
Wow 2017 was 4 years ago… and how much has changed! It was so wonderful to see these characters again and how much they've changed against the backdrop of the pandemic. Thank you for this Meredith!! <3
It felt good to read a comic about people going through this like me, I don't always want escapism. Not comics with just some jokes about how much it sucks, but some real stuff about living life in bubbles.
really, really small bubbles
Thank you so much for this little peek into their lives now, Meredith… It feels kind of bittersweet! Seeing them go through what we do right now, their lives that are still a little messy in addition to that… There's also a lot of things here I feel like I don't understand, but I think that's to be expected. It was so different to read OP in my teens and then rereading it in my twenties… I can't wait to read this little epilogue again in a different time in my life.
It felt good to read a comic about people going through this like me, I don't always want escapism. Not comics with just some jokes about how much it sucks, but some real stuff about living life in bubbles.
Octopus Pie had always been one of those pillars for me, something you could count on. Even when it was over it put on a rerun. It's great to see it again.
Oh my god this is… this is beautiful! What a lovely thing to see where they all are now, especially the way Hanna and Larry fell into one another's orbit. Just… fantastic.
Feels like a much more important extension of the ideas the comic presented than I initially expected at the start of this read. Really love how the characters stress about relationships while still maintaining what they choose, showing that it hasn't gotten harder and only seems that way. Also love everything else of course. Really great stuff 🙂
A couple years ago, I said hi to you at SPX, bought a book, and stammered about how cool it was to meet you, because of how much reading Octopus Pie helped me. I found it practically months after it ended, and I didn't have half the life experience of the characters within. But the way their lives wove together, how they figured things out together (or apart), how it was a loving mix of sad and happy and profound… I could feel their experience imparted onto me, and whenever that happens I deeply appreciate it.
It's almost 5 AM, I'm in the middle of an all nighter, I found out you'd uploaded this and came straight away. I'm about to graduate in a month. I still don't have much life experience. I'm terrified of the future. But looking into this world again, seeing the way you deftly design its emotional path, seeing the level of sincerity and truth you put in… it made me breathe easier. The real world sucks, and I will love it.
I'm sorry for never sending a follow-up email. I'm grateful you're still creating. Thank you.
Thanks for this, Meredith. Octopus Pie has always been just slightly in the future for me, life-wise. This update gave me exactly the same feelings as reading along the first time.
Nearly 5am here too, just read the whole epilogue or whatever this was. So beautiful. I can sleep happy now if sleep decides to come at all. Glad you went realistic pandemic, not seen anyone else doing it in my many feeds. Thanks Meredith <3
thank you so much for this meredith. i’m now the age that eve, hanna, and everyone else was when octopus pie first started. as a young teen reading for the first time, all the friendships and jokes that filled the original chapters of the story brought relief to a kid who wasn’t ready to really be alive yet. in the places we are now, reading this update felt like hanging out with an old friend.
Thanks for giving us a little more time with these wonderful characters, and helping make this insane ongoing moment feel a little more shared, a little more communal. This story was a real treat.
I'm stone cold sober but emotional in the way I don't usually get without a couple beers. What a journey, what a gift. What a comic. It just kept going! And it's so. so. good.
Thanks, Meredith. This was the best unexpected gift 2021 has given so far. Thanks for giving us some more time to spend with these characters and see how they've grown. All the stuff with Gwen and pregnancy and envisioning disaster hit extra hard because it's so true. And I still don't know WTF you're supposed to do with receiving blankets.
You remain one of the all time greats Meredith. You ability to capture the feeling, the truth of things with just a few words is unmatched. Those two pages with Eve in the playground is just so damn real. Talking about the fear, the impossible decisions, but also trying to give away kid stuff at the same time… that hit me hard.
Aw jeez, somehow this whole thing had gone past me until I saw the tweet about the print version today! Thank you for this Meredith, it made me so, so happy in a time I really needed it. Feels just like meeting friends after a long time, I hadn't even realized how much I'd missed them :')
Years from now, if anyone asks what living through this time was like, I can just point them in the direction of this comic. It captures the past year and a half perfectly. And offers a beautiful window into the lives of the characters, who feel more real than ever, having lived through the pandemic with us.
Incredibly, as a millennial, and a huge fan of web comics from the late 90's to the late 2000's – Octopus Pie (somehow) passed me by.
I've just read the whole thing in a week and I am absolutely bowled over by the quality of the art, the writing, the jokes. THE COMPOSITIONS. Sweet merciful lord – how good some of the layouts are!
This whole thing is just an incredible, almost peerless achievement.
I better go buy Perfect Tides! (and when I get paid, all the OP books!)
49 thoughts on “#38”
Virus Visal
This was beautiful an sad, I'm so happy to get an update on these guys <3
Zeem
That was beautiful. Thank you!
Nick
OMG GRAN
Julian
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i cannot believe that we were so lucky to get this
it really means a lot, right now, to get to read this
thank you so much
mr. steal your ears
It's so wonderful. It's been a rough time, but little things keep popping up to remind me it'll be okay, and this is one of them. thank you so much.
Jeen Park
this was so gorgeous and potent. i loved being able to catch up with these characters! this was just what i needed, thank you.
Olivia
I'm gonna die, I am so happy to see my friends again T_T
Lulu
I never thought I'd get to see these characters again and gosh this was so lovely and beautiful. I love them all so much and I love this story so much.
Violet
This hit me so hard. Thank you, Meredith.
Jas
Wow 2017 was 4 years ago… and how much has changed! It was so wonderful to see these characters again and how much they've changed against the backdrop of the pandemic. Thank you for this Meredith!! <3
Chelsea Miller
It felt good to read a comic about people going through this like me, I don't always want escapism. Not comics with just some jokes about how much it sucks, but some real stuff about living life in bubbles.
really, really small bubbles
Noah
Thank you for this- still as timely and poignant as ever <3
Jenny
Thank you so much for this little peek into their lives now, Meredith… It feels kind of bittersweet! Seeing them go through what we do right now, their lives that are still a little messy in addition to that… There's also a lot of things here I feel like I don't understand, but I think that's to be expected. It was so different to read OP in my teens and then rereading it in my twenties… I can't wait to read this little epilogue again in a different time in my life.
Chelsea Miller
It felt good to read a comic about people going through this like me, I don't always want escapism. Not comics with just some jokes about how much it sucks, but some real stuff about living life in bubbles.
JennyB
THIS, a thousand times this
Alex
What a fucking treat this was
ilvos01
Octopus Pie had always been one of those pillars for me, something you could count on. Even when it was over it put on a rerun. It's great to see it again.
TRG
What a wonderful surprise to catch up with these characters.
A Big Old Skeleton
Oh my god this is… this is beautiful! What a lovely thing to see where they all are now, especially the way Hanna and Larry fell into one another's orbit. Just… fantastic.
Teo Suzuki
Feels like a much more important extension of the ideas the comic presented than I initially expected at the start of this read. Really love how the characters stress about relationships while still maintaining what they choose, showing that it hasn't gotten harder and only seems that way. Also love everything else of course. Really great stuff 🙂
Michael
Wow. Just wow. This was beautiful.
yitz
what a gift. what a gift
msdalfo
Thank you Meredith.
Ricky
Hey,
A couple years ago, I said hi to you at SPX, bought a book, and stammered about how cool it was to meet you, because of how much reading Octopus Pie helped me. I found it practically months after it ended, and I didn't have half the life experience of the characters within. But the way their lives wove together, how they figured things out together (or apart), how it was a loving mix of sad and happy and profound… I could feel their experience imparted onto me, and whenever that happens I deeply appreciate it.
It's almost 5 AM, I'm in the middle of an all nighter, I found out you'd uploaded this and came straight away. I'm about to graduate in a month. I still don't have much life experience. I'm terrified of the future. But looking into this world again, seeing the way you deftly design its emotional path, seeing the level of sincerity and truth you put in… it made me breathe easier. The real world sucks, and I will love it.
I'm sorry for never sending a follow-up email. I'm grateful you're still creating. Thank you.
yay
I'm not crying you're crying.
Thank you for this
vilhalmer
Thanks for this, Meredith. Octopus Pie has always been just slightly in the future for me, life-wise. This update gave me exactly the same feelings as reading along the first time.
Doug Moen
OMG this was incredible. Thanks for making Octopus Pie and thanks for making this epilog. It has meant so much to me.
Franki
Nearly 5am here too, just read the whole epilogue or whatever this was. So beautiful. I can sleep happy now if sleep decides to come at all. Glad you went realistic pandemic, not seen anyone else doing it in my many feeds. Thanks Meredith <3
leaf
thank you so much for this meredith. i’m now the age that eve, hanna, and everyone else was when octopus pie first started. as a young teen reading for the first time, all the friendships and jokes that filled the original chapters of the story brought relief to a kid who wasn’t ready to really be alive yet. in the places we are now, reading this update felt like hanging out with an old friend.
Nat
Same sentiment here exactly. Lots of love for your work, felt lots of emotions reading through this. The feeling will linger with me for a while.
Caroline
Thank you for this! 🙂
abligh
Wonderful to see where they all are and have a glimpse into the lives they have been having while I have been having my own.
Jay R
Thanks for giving us a little more time with these wonderful characters, and helping make this insane ongoing moment feel a little more shared, a little more communal. This story was a real treat.
jeybork
This is so so so so good.
I'm stone cold sober but emotional in the way I don't usually get without a couple beers. What a journey, what a gift. What a comic. It just kept going! And it's so. so. good.
Thank you
Betsy
Thanks, Meredith. This was the best unexpected gift 2021 has given so far. Thanks for giving us some more time to spend with these characters and see how they've grown. All the stuff with Gwen and pregnancy and envisioning disaster hit extra hard because it's so true. And I still don't know WTF you're supposed to do with receiving blankets.
JennyB
Catching up with this story made me so happy, even while I was blinking away tears. Thank you Meredith, you spoil us <3
Reddy
Beautiful. Thank you so much for this timely gift.
Ohoee
This is just the greatest! Can you please keep updating us with these little windows into OP every few years?
Bill
You remain one of the all time greats Meredith. You ability to capture the feeling, the truth of things with just a few words is unmatched. Those two pages with Eve in the playground is just so damn real. Talking about the fear, the impossible decisions, but also trying to give away kid stuff at the same time… that hit me hard.
I needed this today. Thank you.
claredragonfly
OMG, this was amazing. All the characters are so perfectly themselves and so perfectly of the time. Thank you.
peter
crying!!!!!
J F
So grateful for your amazing work! Please keep making comics!!! Also, you might enjoy the philosophy of Martin Buber.
Kyle H.
Somehow I missed all these updates when they were initially uploaded, but I'm so happy to see them!
Thanks, Meredith – you're still the best! ??
aleksi
Aw jeez, somehow this whole thing had gone past me until I saw the tweet about the print version today! Thank you for this Meredith, it made me so, so happy in a time I really needed it. Feels just like meeting friends after a long time, I hadn't even realized how much I'd missed them :')
Adam
Years from now, if anyone asks what living through this time was like, I can just point them in the direction of this comic. It captures the past year and a half perfectly. And offers a beautiful window into the lives of the characters, who feel more real than ever, having lived through the pandemic with us.
KBode
What a treat. Thank you. I missed everyone
Kathleen
rereading this again in the middle of my first love/ long-term relationship and i am overcome with tears.
ItsSneakums
Incredibly, as a millennial, and a huge fan of web comics from the late 90's to the late 2000's – Octopus Pie (somehow) passed me by.
I've just read the whole thing in a week and I am absolutely bowled over by the quality of the art, the writing, the jokes. THE COMPOSITIONS. Sweet merciful lord – how good some of the layouts are!
This whole thing is just an incredible, almost peerless achievement.
I better go buy Perfect Tides! (and when I get paid, all the OP books!)
Jill
I feel like the last few panels speak to my emotional experience a lot. This was excellent! I honestly can’t get enough of all these characters.