#1130; In which an Era departs

Comic Transcripts

[[This comic is displayed through photographs. A pilot in some sort of raincoat sits in an early airplane, apparently from the early 1900s. Text is displayed in the style of A Softer World.]]
Narrator: If you love something

[[Zooming in a bit on the pilot, who is smiling.]]
Narrator: let it go.

[[A view of the plane itself.]]
Narrator: Let it climb

[[Children point at the airplane, which is now aloft, in the distance.]]
Narrator: to its own heights

[[Zoom on one of the children.]]
Narrator: Let it navigate by the stars it finds.

[[Zoom on the other children.]]
Narrator: Its smell in your clothes
Narrator: is yours to keep.

{{header: as soft as WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: When the wind is in your face, you’re either moving or being blown at.}}

#1130; In which an Era departs transcribed by in

[[Zooming in a bit on the pilot, who is smiling.]]
Narrator: let it go.

[[A view of the plane itself.]]
Narrator: Let it climb

[[Children point at the airplane, which is now aloft, in the distance.]]
Narrator: to its own heights

[[Zoom on one of the children.]]
Narrator: Let it navigate by the stars it finds.

[[Zoom on the other children.]]
Narrator: Its smell in your clothes
Narrator: is yours to keep.

{{header: as soft as WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: When the wind is in your face, you’re either moving or being blown at.}}

#1130; In which an Era departs transcribed by in

[[Zooming in a bit on the pilot, who is smiling.]]
Narrator: let it go.

[[A view of the plane itself.]]
Narrator: Let it climb

[[Children point at the airplane, which is now aloft, in the distance.]]
Narrator: to its own heights

[[Zoom on one of the children.]]
Narrator: Let it navigate by the stars it finds.

[[Zoom on the other children.]]
Narrator: Its smell in your clothes
Narrator: is yours to keep.

{{header: as soft as WONDERMARK.COM}}
{{alt-text: When the wind is in your face, you're either moving or being blown at.}}

When the wind is in your face, you're either moving or being blown at.

#1130; In which an Era departs

— June 2nd, 2015

[ Tags: aviation, guest comics, nostalgia ] Permalink: https://wondermark.com/c/1130/

The great webcomic A Softer World posted its final strip yesterday. Joey & Emily started their comic in February 2003, just two months before I started Wondermark. When I first happened across their strip, I felt a certain kinship just because it was someone else making comics without laboriously drawing everything (like a sucker). I think too few creative people develop the discipline to end things when they’re ready to end them.

If you haven’t read A Softer World before, you have a treat waiting for you. The melancholy is greatly flavored if you picture Joey’s wolfish grin as you read.

Buy a Print

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

#1130; In which an Era departs

— June 2nd, 2015

Recent blog posts