Ladybird

Bug. Cartoon. What Fresh Hell is This?  Topically relevant.

Noticed in this thread, where the cartoonist has a brief profile and where this comment caught my eye.

A revolting level of skillz
'click'

With O.Henry-level irony. That is irony in cartoon form. It could be anything, rabbits, snakes, badgers, what have you, here it is bugs. I wondered how do you characterize this and I cannot slot it but while looking at definitions of morality plays I found this bit interesting on wikipedia.


Protagonist representing humanity is met by supporting characters that are personifications of various forms of good and evil.

Originally in English dramas Justice is a character with theological virtue or grace concerned with divine pronouncement of judgement of man. Justice develop over time into judge administering justice himself rather than divine pronouncement. That is Justice becomes a civil force and not a theological one.

Another change develops in morality plays during this same period in the sixteenth century where Equity replaces Justice and assumes the judiciary duties previously performed by Justice. This occurs when Equity declares that his brother Justice has been banished from the country and that he (Equity) will from now on take on the duties of former monarch, Justice.

This is portrayed in the morality play Liberality and Prodigality where Equity serves Virtue in the detection, arrest, and punishment of Prodigality for the robbery and murder of Tenacity.

Pre-reformation plays reinforced the doctrine of the Catholic church. Post reformation plays sought to destroy the credibility of the Catholic church by linking it with Vice (always Catholic).