Mission: Impossible

For readers of a certain age, today's gag might not make any sense. For the rest of us, the gag might inspire memories like this.

Finding Laputania

Ah, the curse of teenage sisters!

Laputania

Alex Van Dyke finally gets to open his mission call and it's to a place no one has ever heard of. When I originally began drawing these strips, I was planning on sending my cartoon alter ego to the same mission I served, but ultimately opted for a fictional country--where I could create the cultures and norms as I saw fit. Laputania is a twist on the island of Laputa from Gulliver's Travels.

From Bad to Worse

Poor Alex Van Dyke. Things certainly aren't going his way.

A Rousing Start

It's interesting for me to go back and revisit these very first comic strips about Elder Van Dyke. By the time he actually gets out into the mission field, he's become the unflappable straight man to all of his mission companions with all their quirks and idiosyncrasies. But for now, he's the crazy one going to outlandish lengths to read the contents of his letter. I guess I didn't really have a handle on his character quite yet.

Still Trying to Decipher a Mission Call

Sometimes patience is the best course of action.

Sneaking a Peek

Poor Elder Van Dyke has to wait hours until his parents come home before he can open his mission call. Of course, this is no longer the case today.

Now when a mission receives his mission call, it won't get opened until he can gather dozens and dozens of his closest friends, a camera crew, and a sizable following on social media. Once all of that has taken place, the missionary can open his call.

Sheesh, kids these days.