Does The Horse Die?
Does a cat die?
Yes
No
A cat dies 9 times.
Does the dog die?
Yes
No
The dog cannot die.
Does an animal die?
Yes
No
Animals, in general, are magnetically drawn towards death.
Are animals abused?
Yes
No
Animals are abused by other animals.
Is there dog fighting?
Yes
No
Is there a dead animal?
Yes
No
Does a horse die?
Yes
No
A horse dies but it gets better.
Does a pet die?
Yes
No
It's arguable if any of the animals are pets.
Does a dragon die?
Yes
No
Are there spiders?
Yes
No
There could be spiders in any room.
Are there snakes?
Yes
No
I haven't seen any but it's possible.
Are there bugs?
Yes
No
Bugs tend to be found in places.
Is a child abandoned by a parent?
Yes
No
Alex's family leaves him to his own devices.
Does the abused become the abuser?
Yes
No
People hurt themselves and that hurts the people around them.
Is a child abused?
Yes
No
Implied in flashbacks.
Is there domestic violence?
Yes
No
Implied in flashbacks.
Is someone gaslighted?
Yes
No
No intentional gaslighting occurs, but the reality is subjective and people fight about it.
Is someone stalked?
Yes
No
Acorn is followed by a wolf.
Does someone use drugs?
Yes
No
All kinds of drugs are used and abused, from medication to recreational.
Does someone abuse alcohol?
Yes
No
It's less obvious than the hard drugs but it's there.
Is there addiction?
Yes
No
Alex refuses to quit stimulants. Josie is on a cocktail of drugs they are having a hard time weaning off of.
Is someone raped onscreen?
Yes
No
Is someone restrained?
Yes
No
Josie is carried away after they die.
Is someone drugged?
Yes
No
Depends on your opinions on the healthcare system, but nobody directly drugs anyone else.
Is someone sexually assaulted?
Yes
No
No explicit depictions, but trauma from previous relationships is the only explanation for a lot of both Alex and Josie's behavior.
Is someone held under water?
Yes
No
Does someone break a bone?
Yes
No
It might happen.
Is there shaving/cutting?
Yes
No
Josie has to keep that thing trim.
Is there a hanging?
Yes
No
Is there eye mutilation?
Yes
No
Is someone tortured?
Yes
No
Xander and Josie have to get tortured for eternity tomorrow.
Does a head get squashed?
Yes
No
All heads remain intact for now.
Is there Achilles Tendon injury?
Yes
No
Is there amputation?
Yes
No
Xander is a surgeon.
Does someone asphyxiate?
Yes
No
Alex experiences respiratory distress multiple times.
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
Yes
No
This story is not secretly about circumcision.
Does someone becomes unconscious?
Yes
No
Consciousness is more like a sine wave individuals are phasing in and out of.
Is there finger/toe mutilation?
Yes
No
There is mutilation by fingers, though.
Is there body horror?
Yes
No
I prefer to call it body postmodernism.
Does someone fall down stairs?
Yes
No
There's 9 floors of stairs. Somebody probably stumbles at some point.
Does someone fall to their death?
Yes
No
Does someone struggle to breathe?
Yes
No
Is there cannibalism?
Yes
No
Marigold thinks surgeons eat people's organs.
Does someone have a seizure?
Yes
No
Are any teeth damaged?
Yes
No
Xander is also a dentist.
Is there excessive gore?
Yes
No
It depends on your definition of excessive.
Is someone crushed to death?
Yes
No
Several characters go through an impossibly narrow tunnel called Executive Function, but nobody dies.
Is someone burned alive?
Yes
No
It's not depicted, but Acorn does get barbecued.
Is someone buried alive?
Yes
No
Josie is put into a filing cabinet and spends their time watching Shrek on the back of their eyelids.
Is a minor sexualized?
Yes
No
Is an infant abducted?
Yes
No
Does a kid die?
Yes
No
Does someone sacrifice themselves?
Yes
No
Alex does it like he's being paid to.
Does a non-human character die?
Yes
No
I think we established that one already.
Is the R word used?
Yes
No
Does someone overdose?
Yes
No
Does someone cheat?
Yes
No
Lamzy has some interesting ideas about relationships.
Is a child's toy destroyed?
Yes
No
Does a parent die?
Yes
No
A parent nearly dies.
Is someone kidnapped?
Yes
No
Attempts are made.
Are there ghosts?
Yes
No
There are zombies, though.
Is someone possessed?
Yes
No
Are there razors?
Yes
No
Josie does need to shave.
Is there a shower scene?
Yes
No
Josie struggles with "basic" self-care.
Are there jumpscares?
Yes
No
Some full-page images could be upsetting.
Are there mannequins?
Yes
No
Are there clowns?
Yes
No
Lamzy evokes both faceless mannequins and clowns.
Does someone vomit?
Yes
No
Alex is prone to nervous vomiting.
Is there audio gore?
Yes
No
Does someone wet/soil themselves?
Yes
No
What?
Does someone fart or spit?
Yes
No
This is a really weird question.
Are there 9/11 depictions?
Yes
No
Shrek came out on DVD after 9/11.
Is there copaganda?
Yes
No
Is there bisexual cheating?
Yes
No
Is electro-therapy used?
Yes
No
Does someone have cancer?
Yes
No
No one has cancer, but Josie believes they have a terminal illness, which could be upsetting for the same reasons.
Are needles/syringes used?
Yes
No
Is there a hospital scene?
Yes
No
The entire story is a hospital scene.
Is there a mental institution scene?
Yes
No
Is there autism specific abuse?
Yes
No
Implied in flashbacks and how others treat Alex.
Does someone self harm?
Yes
No
There's no graphic 'cutting' scene but nobody is taking good care of themselves.
Does someone die by suicide?
Yes
No
Does someone attempt suicide?
Yes
No
Does someone suffer from PTSD?
Yes
No
Is there body dysphoria?
Yes
No
Alex and Josie both experience severe dysphoria.
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
Yes
No
This probably happens at some point.
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
Yes
No
Most of the driving scenes are claustrophobic, agoraphobic, or both.
Is there body dysmorphia?
Yes
No
Is a mentally ill person violent?
Yes
No
Marigold is very violent, but for understandable reasons.
Does someone have an eating disorder?
Yes
No
Alex eats the same food over and over, and Josie hates food altogether.
Is there misophonia?
Yes
No
There is no audio, but it's discussed.
Are there anxiety attacks?
Yes
No
Alex has debilitating anxiety that causes him to have at least one panic attack per chapter.
Does a baby cry?
Yes
No
Is there shakey cam?
Yes
No
There is no camera to shake.
Are there flashing lights or images?
Yes
No
Some of the bonus pages have animated images.
Is there obscene language/gestures?
Yes
No
Fuck yes.
Is the fourth wall broken?
Yes
No
The fourth wall got torn down to make space for the Perkins and the Timberlodge Steakhouse.
Is there childbirth?
Yes
No
Does a pregnant person die?
Yes
No
Is a baby stillborn?
Yes
No
Does someone miscarry?
Yes
No
Are there babies or unborn children?
Yes
No
Somewhere in the world there is a baby. You just have to find it.
Are there abortions?
Yes
No
Does the black guy die first?
Yes
No
Are there n-words?
Yes
No
Is there ableist language or behavior?
Yes
No
Is there hate speech?
Yes
No
Are there fat jokes?
Yes
No
Alex is not very nice to himself.
Is there antisemitism?
Yes
No
Is there aphobia?
Yes
No
Are there homophobic slurs?
Yes
No
Does an LGBT person die?
Yes
No
Alex and Josie both die multiple times.
Are there "Man in a dress" jokes?
Yes
No
Josie is not a joke.
Is someone misgendered?
Yes
No
Is there a large age gap?
Yes
No
Are there incestuous relationships?
Yes
No
Is there sexual content?
Yes
No
Xander is sexually content.
Is there bestiality?
Yes
No
Are there nude scenes?
Yes
No
People have to remove their clothes in order to wear other clothes. It's terrible, I know.
Is someone sexually objectified?
Yes
No
Alex and Xander struggle severely with their history.
Is a male character ridiculed for crying?
Yes
No
Is there dementia/Alzheimer's?
Yes
No
Josie is probably convinced they have early-onset Alzheimer's on top of everything else.
Does someone have a chronic illness?
Yes
No
Does someone have a stroke?
Yes
No
Are there fat suits?
Yes
No
Alex is all natural, baby.
Is someone homeless?
Yes
No
All of the characters have been living in the hospital for years.
Does it have a sad ending?
Yes
No
Is Santa (et al) spoiled?
Yes
No
Drew personally tells all the little children that Santa does not exist, and they cry and attack him.
Does a car crash?
Yes
No
Does a car honk or tires screech?
Yes
No
There is a fight in a car.
Does a plane crash?
Yes
No
Shrek was released on DVD in November 2001.
Is someone hit by a car?
Yes
No
Is there gun violence?
Yes
No
There are no guns.
Does someone drown?
Yes
No
There is a lot of drowning.
Is there a nuclear explosion?
Yes
No
Is there blood/gore?
Yes
No
There sure is.