PLANTING SEEDS
overwhelmed by questions? bedeviled by doubts? don’t know where to turn in the search for truth? how can you know? whom do you call? well, here’s whom ! call the
Episode 3
PLANTING SEEDS
created and drawn for the big history project by
larry gonick
our heroes find themselves chained to the floor of a cygnusian prison cruiser.
Episode 3
PLANTING SEEDS
don’t play dumb with me! you’ve been caught helping a dangerous criminal escape! as if you didn’t know...
what? who’s a criminal?
and I am legi-logi magistogi, scientific authority personified! high authority on cygnusian law! hey, i’m
it takes more than words to convince me!
our heroes find themselves chained to the floor of a cygnusian prison cruiser.
I DON’T SUPPOSE this looks like a rescue... nope. nope.
nope.
nope. if only we knew what’s going on...
zyx-27 has violated the laws of cygnus epsilon and fled the planet to escape capture!
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
so you say!
where’s the evidence?
oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you were authority too! I should have known by your hat!
you are associates of a known lawbreaker! by law, you must share the criminal’s fate, which is banishment to the orchards of cygnus epsilon!
2
all right, if you say so. I have spoken.
it’s good! i’m hungry again!
at least they’re sending us to some orchards! how bad can that be?
this is more like it!
with all due respect, big guy, have you taken leave of your senses?
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
sshhh, vera! you have to respect authority! didn’t you see that hat?
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
let’s eat!
no, jesse! no!
3
no! not without a digestion
how does that work?
a license? to eat food?
our dictator, the high guardian orx-30, commanded our scientists to modify the genes of all food crops to make them
“but the government only issues digestion licenses to some of us. those with licenses get an injection, and everyone else is out of luck.”
poisonous.
license!
“he also ordered the development of a medicine, an antidote, that enables our bodies to digest the food.”
how is anyone going to know whether I have a digestion license or not?
and who gets the license and the anti dote? who gets to eat?
they don’t have to know! without a license, the fruit is poisonous!!
WHAT AN AMAZiNG STORY, ZYX! CROPS THAT ARE genetically engineered TO HURT PEOPLE—OR WHATEVER YOU CALL YOURSELVES!
only cygnusians loyal to the high guardian orx-30! “all cygnusians must apply to get this antidote.”
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
4
ok, the fruit’s bad for birds and cyg nusians, but what about for humans? I wonder...
we can test it!
the quickest way would be to eat some fruit! if we drop dead, then we’ll know! i’ll pass, thanks...
frankly, I trust zyx, though i’m not sure why... just a hunch!
we’ve followed her this far... I guess we keep going...
but where?
across those moun tains to the land
of the unlicensed!
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
there’s one thing about your
story I don’t quite understand, zyx: why do the unlicensed cygnusians let orx-30 get away with it? why don’t they stop him?
because, Brianna, the unlicensed are weak, and orx-30 is strong. I think you’ll get the picture once we reach the top of this rise and look back...
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
good question! they would seem to have a
choice in the matter!
wow! what a view! perfect evidence, brianna, of the power of agri
yeah, how could all those cities and roads and space ports exist without the food to feed the cygnusians who built them and use them?
culture!
5
agriculture does more than grow population! farming grows surplus food—more than people can eat when it’s harvested—so the people who control that surplus gain power over the others.
welcome to the land of the unlicensed!
whoa! nastylooking!
they’re not nasty, jesse, just poor and hungry...
like whoever ran the grain warehouses in the temples of ancient sumer and india!
with power comes wealth, and with that wealth leaders can organize big projects like irrigation systems, building construction, and roads. to make this work, people become specialists: architects, engineers, cooks, scribes, soldiers...
zyx!
the friendly greeting is evidence in her favor, wouldn’t you say?
zyx!
zyx!
Zyx! so agricultural societies can grow complex, highly organized...
popular girl, zyx!
I see what big sci means, though, about hunting and gathering instead of farming: there aren’t a lot of unlicensed cygnusians in the neighborhood! the shortage of food keeps the numbers down! I may be able to help with that...
and what about people without agriculture?
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
6
a few months, and many grubs and roots, later my backpack just happens to be loaded with seed packets for a school gardening project. why don’t we plant ’em? these are genetically engineered to be extra nutritious!
logically, more cygnusians should be able to live here now! here’s your surplus!
do I have to get permission from anyone to do this?
yes, but we have to think about some practical things, too, like setting aside seeds for planting next spring, getting volunteers to guard the seeds... oh, and a cleanup committee! see? like I said! things are getting organized already!
wow!
no, we’re not that organized.
and here they come, flocking from all over the unlicensed zone!
maybe these guys will get to eat something besides grubs and berries after all!
wow! best picnic ever!
population can grow by immigration as well as reproduction. too bad orx-30 is marching over the ridge at the head of a well-fed army of licensed cygnusians!
this could be a test of big sci’s claims about agriculture!
let’s eat!! to be continued...
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
7
Episode 3
PLANTING SEEDS
created and drawn for the big history project by
larry gonick
our heroes find themselves chained to the floor of a cygnusian prison cruiser.
Episode 3
PLANTING SEEDS
don’t play dumb with me! you’ve been caught helping a dangerous criminal escape! as if you didn’t know...
what? who’s a criminal?
and I am legi-logi magistogi, scientific authority personified! high authority on cygnusian law! hey, i’m
it takes more than words to convince me!
our heroes find themselves chained to the floor of a cygnusian prison cruiser.
I DON’T SUPPOSE this looks like a rescue... nope. nope.
nope.
nope. if only we knew what’s going on...
zyx-27 has violated the laws of cygnus epsilon and fled the planet to escape capture!
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
so you say!
where’s the evidence?
oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you were authority too! I should have known by your hat!
you are associates of a known lawbreaker! by law, you must share the criminal’s fate, which is banishment to the orchards of cygnus epsilon!
2
all right, if you say so. I have spoken.
it’s good! i’m hungry again!
at least they’re sending us to some orchards! how bad can that be?
this is more like it!
with all due respect, big guy, have you taken leave of your senses?
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
sshhh, vera! you have to respect authority! didn’t you see that hat?
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
let’s eat!
no, jesse! no!
3
no! not without a digestion
how does that work?
a license? to eat food?
our dictator, the high guardian orx-30, commanded our scientists to modify the genes of all food crops to make them
“but the government only issues digestion licenses to some of us. those with licenses get an injection, and everyone else is out of luck.”
poisonous.
license!
“he also ordered the development of a medicine, an antidote, that enables our bodies to digest the food.”
how is anyone going to know whether I have a digestion license or not?
and who gets the license and the anti dote? who gets to eat?
they don’t have to know! without a license, the fruit is poisonous!!
WHAT AN AMAZiNG STORY, ZYX! CROPS THAT ARE genetically engineered TO HURT PEOPLE—OR WHATEVER YOU CALL YOURSELVES!
only cygnusians loyal to the high guardian orx-30! “all cygnusians must apply to get this antidote.”
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
4
ok, the fruit’s bad for birds and cyg nusians, but what about for humans? I wonder...
we can test it!
the quickest way would be to eat some fruit! if we drop dead, then we’ll know! i’ll pass, thanks...
frankly, I trust zyx, though i’m not sure why... just a hunch!
we’ve followed her this far... I guess we keep going...
but where?
across those moun tains to the land
of the unlicensed!
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
there’s one thing about your
story I don’t quite understand, zyx: why do the unlicensed cygnusians let orx-30 get away with it? why don’t they stop him?
because, Brianna, the unlicensed are weak, and orx-30 is strong. I think you’ll get the picture once we reach the top of this rise and look back...
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
good question! they would seem to have a
choice in the matter!
wow! what a view! perfect evidence, brianna, of the power of agri
yeah, how could all those cities and roads and space ports exist without the food to feed the cygnusians who built them and use them?
culture!
5
agriculture does more than grow population! farming grows surplus food—more than people can eat when it’s harvested—so the people who control that surplus gain power over the others.
welcome to the land of the unlicensed!
whoa! nastylooking!
they’re not nasty, jesse, just poor and hungry...
like whoever ran the grain warehouses in the temples of ancient sumer and india!
with power comes wealth, and with that wealth leaders can organize big projects like irrigation systems, building construction, and roads. to make this work, people become specialists: architects, engineers, cooks, scribes, soldiers...
zyx!
the friendly greeting is evidence in her favor, wouldn’t you say?
zyx!
zyx!
Zyx! so agricultural societies can grow complex, highly organized...
popular girl, zyx!
I see what big sci means, though, about hunting and gathering instead of farming: there aren’t a lot of unlicensed cygnusians in the neighborhood! the shortage of food keeps the numbers down! I may be able to help with that...
and what about people without agriculture?
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
6
a few months, and many grubs and roots, later my backpack just happens to be loaded with seed packets for a school gardening project. why don’t we plant ’em? these are genetically engineered to be extra nutritious!
logically, more cygnusians should be able to live here now! here’s your surplus!
do I have to get permission from anyone to do this?
yes, but we have to think about some practical things, too, like setting aside seeds for planting next spring, getting volunteers to guard the seeds... oh, and a cleanup committee! see? like I said! things are getting organized already!
wow!
no, we’re not that organized.
and here they come, flocking from all over the unlicensed zone!
maybe these guys will get to eat something besides grubs and berries after all!
wow! best picnic ever!
population can grow by immigration as well as reproduction. too bad orx-30 is marching over the ridge at the head of a well-fed army of licensed cygnusians!
this could be a test of big sci’s claims about agriculture!
let’s eat!! to be continued...
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
CLAIM TESTERS: EPISODE 3: PLANTING SEEDS
7
