Cartoon: The G Word – Industrial Worker

Editors note: This is the ninth issue in the “Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat” series. Today, the workers envision a world where they don’t have to beg for scraps from the bosses’ table.

A twelve-panel comic strip entitled “Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat in the ‘G’ Word”
In the first panel two workers, Bella and Cade, stand facing each other in a large warehouse. Behind them
workers push large crates around on palette jacks. They hear the words of their boss. “Listen up crew,” he
says, “You’re going to want to hear this.”
In the second panel we see that the boss is a giant rat wearing green suspenders and standing atop a palette
like a soap box, looming over the workers. “To show our generosity,” he says, “the company is giving all
employees a bonus!”
Standing before the boss, two more workers, Mattie and Daniela, in collared shirts and heavy smocks,
face each other. “I love the sound of that!” says a smiling Daniela, as Mattie raises his eyebrows.
In the third panel Daniela and Cade cross paths as they each push a palette jack, moving palettes loaded
with boxes. “We’re so lucky to work for such a generous company,” says Daniela, “and I can for sure use
extra money!”
“Generous?” asks Cade. “We’re generous to work for them.”
In the fourth panel Daniela stops in front of Bella and with her hand on her hip says “Sorry, but I was
raised to show gratitude.”
In the background Cade, hands behind his back, says “Uh-oh, you didn’t just use the ‘G’ word in front of
Bella....”
“Gratitude?” asks Bella. “To the company for paying us?”
In the fifth panel all four workers are present, with Daniela standing between Bella, Cade, and Mattie, all
of them facing her. Bella extends her left hand. “Are you grateful if someone steals your phone but returns
the battery?” She asks.
Cade holds out his right hand. “Are you grateful if someone steals your car but returns the tires?” He asks.
Daniela looks at the floor and says “No.”
Mattie, looking up into her face, asks “Why be grateful to a company that steals your life but returns just
enough to keep you working?”
In the sixth panel Cade motions to a loading dock where workers work through the night to load palettes
of goods onto semi-trucks. “Workers produce everything we need to live a healthy, comfortable life,” he
says, “but we aren’t allowed to have it.”

In the seventh panel Cade completes his thought “Only the capitalists are entitled to it.” A young capitalist
in sunglasses and a close cropped beard carries a gym back as we walks past a private jet and a fancy
sports car on an airport tarmac. He towers over Bella and Daniela, who are talking in the foreground. “So
we ask you,” says Bella, “how do they get away with it?”
“How?” Asks Daniela, her arms folded at her chest. “I mean, it’s just the rules. We have to work.”
In the eighth panel Daniela appears much larger than the capitalist now. She looks to the sky as she places
a finger on her lips and thinks out loud. “If we didn’t work, if we just stopped, the things they need
wouldn’t get made. Maybe things could change.”
The capitalist looks up at Daniela’s back, his eyes now visible through his glasses, his palms together as
when praying. “Please,” he says, “please go back to work.”

In the ninth panel the boss is again on his soap box, palms up and eyebrows in a scowl. “That’s it,” he
says. “Cut out all this ungrateful talk! How do you wobbly scumbags expect to live if no-one works?”
Off panel a little ant reminds us “probably should have had this conversation outside of work.”
Bella, standing in front of the boss, smiling, her eyes wide now, says “Good question! I guess we don’t
stop working altogether, just stop working for the bosses.”
In the tenth panel all four workers, plus many more, are standing arm in arm. To their uniform of work
shirts and smocks they’ve added red and black caps, and they stand before red and black flags. Some
workers hold hands, and Cade raises his right fist into the air. In the background the silhouette or a large
cat can be seen. Daniela says “workers could produce enough to take care of each other, without wasting
time producing profits for capitalists. We could spend the leftover time enjoying life!”
In the eleventh panel Pacey Pratt, wearing a goofy leather jacket and black jeans, steps up to Daniela and
says “sounds like a dream come true, fellow worker.”
“It’s Pacy Pratt,” says Daniela.
“The sabo cat!” says Mattie.
The boss, looking smaller now on his soapbox cries out “you wobblies just think it’s so easy!”
In the final panel Pacey Pratt gets low to the ground and begins chasing a now tiny boss rat, who scurries
across the warehouse floor. “It isn’t easy,” says Pacey, “but all it takes to organize a general strike is
work.”
Daniela, standing in the foreground, finishes Pacey’s thought by saying “and we do that anyway, so we
may as well work for ourselves.”
The End.
Cartoon by x423931

This comic originally appeared in the 2025 Autumn print edition of Industrial Worker.

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