If the comment is from a carnivore, the assumption is that Kevin is Kel’s dinner – a fairly common assumption in this strip when they dine out. If it’s from an herbivore, the comment ignores the apparent predator-prey pairing and just reflects envy of her large and handsome male.
I’m sure Bill Holbrook was thinking of When Harry Met Sally too. Maybe he wanted to see if he could do something different with the same punch line.
I think Usual John may be correct but it’s not at all clear. Holbrook was trying just a bit too hard here.
“Don’t worry in either case” means that he isn’t going to eat her, or leave her for someone he just met in a restaurant. Reassuring, I guess.
thinking of . . . ??
Usual John definitely nailed it — and so did Powers.
Andréa, Google “When Harry Met Sally” along with “I’ll have what she’s having” for the very-Arlo explanation.
On second thought, I probably don’t wanna know. MY thought was a visual I once saw of diner #1 saying, ‘I’ll have what he’s having’; the waiter grabs the diner #2’s plate and gives it to diner #1.
But the man here is a rabbit, an herbivore, and the woman appears to be some kind of canine, a carnivore, so who should be worrying?
I’m also sure that this IS a complete clone of the scene from “When Harry Met Sally”, set in Domain. That’s why Kevin is so confident.
“But the man here is a rabbit, an herbivore, and the woman appears to be some kind of canine, a carnivore, so who should be worrying?”
this is where “having read this strip from Day One” comes into play. The Rabbit (Kevin) and the wolf (Kel) have been married since 1996 (or so). The entire premise of the strip is about a mixed marriage between predator and prey.
I didn’t get that the person saying “I’ll have what she’s having” was talking about Kel. Usual John’s explanation makes sense but I wasn’t able to piece it together. Still not sure about the “if it was an herbivore” part…
“I’m also sure that this IS a complete clone of the scene from “When Harry Met Sally”, set in Domain.”
Kel is faking an orgasm? And she’s concerned whether the observer is carnivore or herbivore? Not sure I understand that.
Note that this cannot simply be a clone of When Harry Met Sally, because Kevin and Kel haven’t even ordered yet. It’s impossible for another customer to observe Kel’s excitement (which is not evident here anyway) and suppose that it might derive from her delicious food.
Her meal is sitting right across from her, as far as any carnivore would think.
‘ Still not sure about the “if it was an herbivore” part…’
If it’s an herbivore, they’re saying they want to bang Kevin. But since he won’t cheat or leave Kel, she has nothing to worry about.
I think the exact wording of “I’ll have what she’s having” is just an unrelated reference, like one of Bill’s subject lines (which also sometimes send us off on detours).
Kamino Neko: That would be Usual John’s interpretation which …. makes sense. But I’m with Powers that it wasn’t entirely clear and rather hard to parse. Even with the explanation I don’t feel it lies flat when you try to iron it.
The herbivore part of the explanation seems to flow well for me; it’s actually the carnivore explanation that I have more difficulty with. It makes more sense to tell your partner that they don’t have to worry about you cheating on them, as you have control over that, than to tell your partner not to worry that someone in the room has expressed interest in murdering you. In the latter case, I guess it can mean “Don’t worry, I can take care of myself,” but it still seems harder to process.
But I don’t read this strip, and am not familiar with the dynamics of a world where half the population regularly contemplates murdering and eating members of the other half.
Kevin is a rare rabbit who can, in fact, take care of himself in a situation where he can’t run. Not that Kell really needs to be told this, since she’s seen him take down more carnivores than most people (carnivore or herbivore) even meet, but reminding her she doesn’t need to be more on-edge than usual makes sense for them.
The joke doesn’t parse as well as it might, but I do think both alternatives sort of work, although neither works perfectly.
Carnivore: The carnivore assumes that Kevin is Kel’s dinner. That’s an established trope in this strip, so long-time readers would immediately think of that. Kevin is saying that he is large and powerful and can defend himself without difficulty against whatever carnivore made the remark. Caveat: Although it’s well-established that Kevin is an extraordinarily large and powerful rabbit who can easily defend himself against most carnivores, it seems like a possibility that the carnivore might be an apex carnivore that even Kevin would have trouble with.
Herbivore: The herbivore is envious of Kel’s date. However, Kevin is faithful, so she need have no concerns. Caveat: It has not previously been asserted that Kevin is particularly attractive, and you would not expect a random guest at a restaurant to make this kind of comment.
This reminds me of how much I liked the comic, ‘Urban Jungle’, and miss it now . . .
” Kevin is saying that he is large and powerful and can defend himself without difficulty against whatever carnivore made the remark. ”
He’s also very even-tempered. He knows how not get bogged down by petty comments from outsiders. He’s used to get anti-herbavore sentiments but refuses to let it bother him.
“But I don’t read this strip, and am not familiar with the dynamics of a world where half the population regularly contemplates murdering and eating members of the other half.”
It’s taken very stoically and existentially. Murder and consumption is just a daily inconvenience one should do ones best to avoid. A bit like traffic tickets and fender benders. But somedays you get dragged into the bushes and your children are left parentless. … It happens…
Do carnivores typically bring prey to a restaurant and have them sit across the table while perusing a menu? I would think the restaurant would frown you bringing your own food at the least, let alone bloodily dispatching a patron in front of a mixed clientele. I could see if Kevin and Kell were out on the streets or something.
What if it was an omnivore?
Brian in STL:
There was at least one Kevin and Kell strip, many years ago, where they went to a restaurant and Kell was asked how she would like her meal prepared.
The idea being that one could bring one’s still living prey to a restaurant and let their expertly trained chefs and assistants do the messy work, and you could enjoy a gourmet meal.
woozy:
In the scene, Harry and Sally are eating and Sally fakes an orgasm. A nearby, older patron says “I’ll have what she’s having”. I’m saying Kevin and Kell are sitting at a 3rd table where Kevin has been looking at the scene, possibly far enough away that Kell didn’t notice the Sally character’s sounds (I attribute that to comic strip physics or maybe even to real wolf sensitivities (I mean, they do manage to sleep in packs :-) )).
I assume that anyone who enjoys the herbivore/carnivore dynamic in “Kevin & Kell” has already seen “Zootopia” (called “Zoomania” in Germany and “Zootropolis” elsewhere in Europe), but just in case anyone missed it, it’s well worth watching.
@Andréa – “a visual I once saw of diner #1 saying, ‘I’ll have what he’s having’; the waiter grabs the diner #2’s plate and gives it to diner #1.”
I remember seeing such an image and I think it was in MAD magazine in about 1967.
Not surprising – I was always a fan of MAD Magazine. In fact, my high school library was the ONLY library in the school district that subscribed to MAD and ROLLING STONE. We drew the line at HIGH TIMES, tho . . .
I wonder why “Zootopia” is called “Zoomania” or “Zootropolis” in Europe. It is a pun on “Utopia” which is Greek for “nowhere”. Is Thomas More’s “Utopia” available in a Greek translation? If so, is it titled “Utopia” or “Utropolis”?
It’s Zootropolis in regions where they couldn’t trademark Zootopia. (It’s Zoomania in Germany, as both Zootopia and Zootropolis were unavailable.)
Just because a being is an carnivore does not mean that it eats every kind of meat – especially one that it is it’s spouse.
Comics I Don't Understand 
If the comment is from a carnivore, the assumption is that Kevin is Kel’s dinner – a fairly common assumption in this strip when they dine out. If it’s from an herbivore, the comment ignores the apparent predator-prey pairing and just reflects envy of her large and handsome male.
I’m sure Bill Holbrook was thinking of When Harry Met Sally too. Maybe he wanted to see if he could do something different with the same punch line.
I think Usual John may be correct but it’s not at all clear. Holbrook was trying just a bit too hard here.
“Don’t worry in either case” means that he isn’t going to eat her, or leave her for someone he just met in a restaurant. Reassuring, I guess.
thinking of . . . ??
Usual John definitely nailed it — and so did Powers.
Andréa, Google “When Harry Met Sally” along with “I’ll have what she’s having” for the very-Arlo explanation.
On second thought, I probably don’t wanna know. MY thought was a visual I once saw of diner #1 saying, ‘I’ll have what he’s having’; the waiter grabs the diner #2’s plate and gives it to diner #1.
But the man here is a rabbit, an herbivore, and the woman appears to be some kind of canine, a carnivore, so who should be worrying?
I’m also sure that this IS a complete clone of the scene from “When Harry Met Sally”, set in Domain. That’s why Kevin is so confident.
“But the man here is a rabbit, an herbivore, and the woman appears to be some kind of canine, a carnivore, so who should be worrying?”
this is where “having read this strip from Day One” comes into play. The Rabbit (Kevin) and the wolf (Kel) have been married since 1996 (or so). The entire premise of the strip is about a mixed marriage between predator and prey.
I didn’t get that the person saying “I’ll have what she’s having” was talking about Kel. Usual John’s explanation makes sense but I wasn’t able to piece it together. Still not sure about the “if it was an herbivore” part…
“I’m also sure that this IS a complete clone of the scene from “When Harry Met Sally”, set in Domain.”
Kel is faking an orgasm? And she’s concerned whether the observer is carnivore or herbivore? Not sure I understand that.
Note that this cannot simply be a clone of When Harry Met Sally, because Kevin and Kel haven’t even ordered yet. It’s impossible for another customer to observe Kel’s excitement (which is not evident here anyway) and suppose that it might derive from her delicious food.
Her meal is sitting right across from her, as far as any carnivore would think.
‘ Still not sure about the “if it was an herbivore” part…’
If it’s an herbivore, they’re saying they want to bang Kevin. But since he won’t cheat or leave Kel, she has nothing to worry about.
I think the exact wording of “I’ll have what she’s having” is just an unrelated reference, like one of Bill’s subject lines (which also sometimes send us off on detours).
Kamino Neko: That would be Usual John’s interpretation which …. makes sense. But I’m with Powers that it wasn’t entirely clear and rather hard to parse. Even with the explanation I don’t feel it lies flat when you try to iron it.
The herbivore part of the explanation seems to flow well for me; it’s actually the carnivore explanation that I have more difficulty with. It makes more sense to tell your partner that they don’t have to worry about you cheating on them, as you have control over that, than to tell your partner not to worry that someone in the room has expressed interest in murdering you. In the latter case, I guess it can mean “Don’t worry, I can take care of myself,” but it still seems harder to process.
But I don’t read this strip, and am not familiar with the dynamics of a world where half the population regularly contemplates murdering and eating members of the other half.
Kevin is a rare rabbit who can, in fact, take care of himself in a situation where he can’t run. Not that Kell really needs to be told this, since she’s seen him take down more carnivores than most people (carnivore or herbivore) even meet, but reminding her she doesn’t need to be more on-edge than usual makes sense for them.
The joke doesn’t parse as well as it might, but I do think both alternatives sort of work, although neither works perfectly.
Carnivore: The carnivore assumes that Kevin is Kel’s dinner. That’s an established trope in this strip, so long-time readers would immediately think of that. Kevin is saying that he is large and powerful and can defend himself without difficulty against whatever carnivore made the remark. Caveat: Although it’s well-established that Kevin is an extraordinarily large and powerful rabbit who can easily defend himself against most carnivores, it seems like a possibility that the carnivore might be an apex carnivore that even Kevin would have trouble with.
Herbivore: The herbivore is envious of Kel’s date. However, Kevin is faithful, so she need have no concerns. Caveat: It has not previously been asserted that Kevin is particularly attractive, and you would not expect a random guest at a restaurant to make this kind of comment.
This reminds me of how much I liked the comic, ‘Urban Jungle’, and miss it now . . .
” Kevin is saying that he is large and powerful and can defend himself without difficulty against whatever carnivore made the remark. ”
He’s also very even-tempered. He knows how not get bogged down by petty comments from outsiders. He’s used to get anti-herbavore sentiments but refuses to let it bother him.
“But I don’t read this strip, and am not familiar with the dynamics of a world where half the population regularly contemplates murdering and eating members of the other half.”
It’s taken very stoically and existentially. Murder and consumption is just a daily inconvenience one should do ones best to avoid. A bit like traffic tickets and fender benders. But somedays you get dragged into the bushes and your children are left parentless. … It happens…
Do carnivores typically bring prey to a restaurant and have them sit across the table while perusing a menu? I would think the restaurant would frown you bringing your own food at the least, let alone bloodily dispatching a patron in front of a mixed clientele. I could see if Kevin and Kell were out on the streets or something.
What if it was an omnivore?
Brian in STL:
There was at least one Kevin and Kell strip, many years ago, where they went to a restaurant and Kell was asked how she would like her meal prepared.
The idea being that one could bring one’s still living prey to a restaurant and let their expertly trained chefs and assistants do the messy work, and you could enjoy a gourmet meal.
woozy:
In the scene, Harry and Sally are eating and Sally fakes an orgasm. A nearby, older patron says “I’ll have what she’s having”. I’m saying Kevin and Kell are sitting at a 3rd table where Kevin has been looking at the scene, possibly far enough away that Kell didn’t notice the Sally character’s sounds (I attribute that to comic strip physics or maybe even to real wolf sensitivities (I mean, they do manage to sleep in packs :-) )).
I assume that anyone who enjoys the herbivore/carnivore dynamic in “Kevin & Kell” has already seen “Zootopia” (called “Zoomania” in Germany and “Zootropolis” elsewhere in Europe), but just in case anyone missed it, it’s well worth watching.
@Andréa – “a visual I once saw of diner #1 saying, ‘I’ll have what he’s having’; the waiter grabs the diner #2’s plate and gives it to diner #1.”
I remember seeing such an image and I think it was in MAD magazine in about 1967.
Not surprising – I was always a fan of MAD Magazine. In fact, my high school library was the ONLY library in the school district that subscribed to MAD and ROLLING STONE. We drew the line at HIGH TIMES, tho . . .
I wonder why “Zootopia” is called “Zoomania” or “Zootropolis” in Europe. It is a pun on “Utopia” which is Greek for “nowhere”. Is Thomas More’s “Utopia” available in a Greek translation? If so, is it titled “Utopia” or “Utropolis”?
It’s Zootropolis in regions where they couldn’t trademark Zootopia. (It’s Zoomania in Germany, as both Zootopia and Zootropolis were unavailable.)
Just because a being is an carnivore does not mean that it eats every kind of meat – especially one that it is it’s spouse.