A Third Set of Lumps Trivia Quiz

Answer: A desk magnet

Eben and Snooch accidentally got locked in Mom's laptop carrier/briefcase and taken to her workplace. Once they escaped, Eben tried to make Snooch stay still until Mom realized they had stowed away, but Snooch was not keen on that idea. During his visit, Snooch ate a desk magnet, drank an entire carafe of coffee, and completely wrapped himself up in Scotch tape.

Answer: Murgatroyd the cockroach

The first spirit was Cholera the cockroach, who Snooch had recently squished. He informed Eben that he would recently be visited by three spirits. Spike, the Ghost of Christmas Past, took Eben to a Christmas in which he was kind and shared with his brother, but Eben explained that this happened because he had recently gotten back from the vet and was "sedated out of [his] gourd." The Ghost of Christmas Present took the form of Nightmare, who Eben had attempted (to no avail) to make his girlfriend.

She showed Eben that Snooch still believed that Eben was spending all of Snooch's allowance on gifts for Mom, when in reality, he was spending it on himself. She hinted that even childlike innocence can be destroyed by too much disappointment. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come showed Eben his future, in which Snooch hated Christmas due to many years of Eben's selfishness, and Eben's constant spending sent Mom into credit card debt, which forced her to work overseas and send Eben and Snooch to a kennel.

The ghost turned out to be a cat carrier, which Eben knew would be his future if he didn't change his wicked ways.

Answer: Sashimi

When Snooch told Eben that he was playing sashimi, Eben corrected him because he thought Snooch meant sudoku, a Japanese puzzle game based on numbers. As it turns out, Snooch really was playing sashimi...that is, he was playing chess against a Japanese dish of raw fish.

Answer: Potpourri

The first two panels of the comic compared Snooch to a mummy, awakened from his nap of many centuries, "the dusty scent of his preserved remains preceding him in a choking cloud". This was compared to a real-life occurrence when Mel found the lumps frantically licking a bowl of potpourri. They hadn't quite eaten any yet, but it was enough to make Mel question their sanity.

Answer: An automatic can opener

The automatic vacuum cleaner chased after Eben because he was a "dander source" and needed to be exterminated. Eventually, Eben was able to open the top and control the vacuum manually, using it as a steed. He had plans to use it to take over the world, but when Snooch wanted a turn, it was "crushed by a 20-pound cat butt."

When Mom bought an automatic self-cleaning litterbox to ease her duties around the house, it turned out to be possessed by a demon (as it turns out, all automatic self-cleaning litterboxes are). Eben and Snooch were able to short it out with a bucket of water, so the demon was sent back to Hell, where it was hinted at that he might be needed for the next release of Windows.

In a most bizarre turn of events, the mop Mom bought turned out to be Cthulhu. He terrorized Snooch and attempted to do the same to Eben, who was unfazed. Eben was able to get Mom to throw the mop away by peeing on it. Rather unorthodox, but it worked.

Answer: Hand grenade

When Mom's catsitter bailed out (her mom's gerbil had a cough), Mom was forced to take Eben and Snooch to New Orleans on vacation with her. After she left, they both escaped from their hotel room in an attempt to find her. Snooch started complaining about the heat, so Eben told him to eat some ice. About three seconds later, Eben realized his horrendous mistake, but by that time, Snooch already had his head stuck in a hand grenade bottle.

Even if it is not obvious exactly what kind of glass was on Snooch's head, in the commentary on this comic in the book "I Would Lick It for Hours", Mel recommends that the reader try a hand grenade "(served in the distinctive bottle Snooch has on his head)" if ever he/she goes to New Orleans.

Answer: Pollock

Mel offered this as an explanation for why cats always choose the lightest-colored parts of a carpet to throw up on. J.'s theory, though, was that cats hate unblemished carpet.

Answer: A dead baby possum

Indeed, Snooch brought him a dead baby possum. This comic was written by J., who usually draws the comics, when Mel (the usual writer) was down with the flu. He stated that this was not his best work.

Answer: Shar Peis

He obviously intended to order Sherpas, the famed Nepalese mountain guides, to help carry all the gooshyfood. However, he didn't know how to spell "Sherpa", so Eben and Snooch were greeted at their door by a horde of barking dogs.

Answer: "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M.

Snooch was worried about the dogs that were running loose, as well as who let them out in the first place ("They don't even know who!"). Snooch was also alerted to the uprising of the group fighting for their right to party, and the firemen who wouldn't put out the roof that was on fire, but stood around "waving their hands like they just don't care".