PHOEBE: I want to become a recluse.
I want to suddenly and mysteriously wall myself off from the world.
Everyone will WONDER: “What’s HAPPENED to her since her disappearance? What’s she been UP to?”
But nobody will know.

PHOEBE: People will become OBSESSED with the lack of information. They’ll try to hunt me down, and write BOOKS about how they got OH SO CLOSE.
MIKE: So you’ll never talk to the public again?
PHOEBE: Oh, I’ll grant an interview once a decade or so. But each appearance will only DEEPEN the enigma.

PHOEBE: For I’ll reveal the strange principles I live by! I’ll make cryptic references to half-completed masterpieces!
By playing hard to get, I’ll become a LEGEND–in a way I NEVER could by shoving myself in people’s faces and letting them see my flaws!

MIKE: But why would anyone CARE that much about you? You’d have to capture the people’s ATTENTION first.
PHOEBE: First I will ASSASSINATE A KING.

#592; A Strategic Retreat transcribed by in

PHOEBE: I want to become a recluse.
I want to suddenly and mysteriously wall myself off from the world.
Everyone will WONDER: "What's HAPPENED to her since her disappearance? What's she been UP to?"
But nobody will know.

PHOEBE: People will become OBSESSED with the lack of information. They'll try to hunt me down, and write BOOKS about how they got OH SO CLOSE.
MIKE: So you'll never talk to the public again?
PHOEBE: Oh, I'll grant an interview once a decade or so. But each appearance will only DEEPEN the enigma.

PHOEBE: For I'll reveal the strange principles I live by! I'll make cryptic references to half-completed masterpieces!
By playing hard to get, I'll become a LEGEND--in a way I NEVER could by shoving myself in people's faces and letting them see my flaws!

MIKE: But why would anyone CARE that much about you? You'd have to capture the people's ATTENTION first.
PHOEBE: First I will ASSASSINATE A KING.

ANYONE can manage ONE masterpiece.

#592; A Strategic Retreat

— February 2nd, 2010

[ Tags: marketing, narcissism, regicide, threats ] Permalink: https://wondermark.com/c/592/

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Applications open for Genius Northwest – an IRL gaming competition

May 8, 2026 by David Malki !

Last year, I participated in Genius Northwest, a gaming competition inspired by the Korean gameshow The Genius and its ilk.

It’s a reality show without the cameras — a 3-day, all-inclusive weekend retreat structured around a series of challenges and puzzles, in which personalities and dealmaking matter as much as playing games.

It’s truly a remarkable thing. I came in dead last in the competition, but I still had a great time participating.

The event is held annually in the Pacific Northwest (hence the name) and applications are now open to participate in the 2026 competition!

Learn more — and apply — at GeniusNW.com.

Comic Transcripts

#592; A Strategic Retreat

— February 2nd, 2010

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