They’re agents “planted” either by the authorities or rival gangs. So he was betrayed by them. Seems unnecessary to tell him that after blowing his brains out, though.
One gangster flower (Tony) shot another flower because he discovered he was a ‘plant’ from the gov’t or whatever, infiltrating the gang. The flower sitting down asked why he did that (let’s call him ‘Lefty’).
Lefty: Yo, Tone. What was that all about man?
Tony: He deserved to eat lead! He was a plant!
Lefty: Well Tony, the truth is we’re all sorta “plants”.
Joke lies between the figurative and literal.
That makes more sense.
When I read it, I figured the one that was shot was no more a “plant” than the rest of the plants, and was just unlucky when Tony got paranoid. I’m not sure if we can distinguish between this and Stan’s interpretation.
I guess “plant” was easier to literalize than “canary” or “stoolie”.
My impression was the same as Arthur. There’s nothing obvious that he was the other sort of plant.
@ Mitch4 – I’m not sure which of the three terms would be easiest to grasp linguistically, but I think the primary consideration was that for the typical family newspaper, vegetarian carnage is more palatable than “shredded tweet”.
“I figured the one that was shot was no more a “plant” than the rest of the plants, and was just unlucky when Tony got paranoid.”
“There’s nothing obvious that he was the other sort of plant.”
I like your line of thinking, but if that were the case, then why has Tony only realised that only one of the bunch was a ‘plant’, and not all of them, resulting in an Al Capone style massacre? (allegedly) They’re pretty much identical, so what would distinguish the unlucky guy from the rest?
It seems to me that it’s an easy assumption to make in this scenario that he had some inside info on the dude he off-ed. It’s a classic mob-movie trope.
The fact that ‘Lefty’ said “sorta” backs this up, I think. He knew that Tony was talking figuratively.
Ok, I’m guessing that I might get some blow-back from the Al Capone comment. I know he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger during the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, but he allegedly orchestrated it and he’s the only mobster who came to mind. I’m not really up on my mobster lore or cinema.
If that comment is making you itch, pick your favourite real or fictional mobster who went ape-sh*t and killed a bunch of his associates in one go, and insert that name above.
@ Stan – I hereby nominate Bela Oxmyx, who was willing to do anything that would lead to a bigger piece of the action.
OK, I get it. But how long before we get some rocks together to complete the trio of yuks: “We’re all sorta ‘minerals’.”
The question here isn’t so much “What’s the joke?” but “How lazy was Scot Hilburn?” and the date on the strip answers that one.
Comics I Don't Understand 
They’re agents “planted” either by the authorities or rival gangs. So he was betrayed by them. Seems unnecessary to tell him that after blowing his brains out, though.
One gangster flower (Tony) shot another flower because he discovered he was a ‘plant’ from the gov’t or whatever, infiltrating the gang. The flower sitting down asked why he did that (let’s call him ‘Lefty’).
Lefty: Yo, Tone. What was that all about man?
Tony: He deserved to eat lead! He was a plant!
Lefty: Well Tony, the truth is we’re all sorta “plants”.
Joke lies between the figurative and literal.
That makes more sense.
When I read it, I figured the one that was shot was no more a “plant” than the rest of the plants, and was just unlucky when Tony got paranoid. I’m not sure if we can distinguish between this and Stan’s interpretation.
I guess “plant” was easier to literalize than “canary” or “stoolie”.
My impression was the same as Arthur. There’s nothing obvious that he was the other sort of plant.
@ Mitch4 – I’m not sure which of the three terms would be easiest to grasp linguistically, but I think the primary consideration was that for the typical family newspaper, vegetarian carnage is more palatable than “shredded tweet”.
“I figured the one that was shot was no more a “plant” than the rest of the plants, and was just unlucky when Tony got paranoid.”
“There’s nothing obvious that he was the other sort of plant.”
I like your line of thinking, but if that were the case, then why has Tony only realised that only one of the bunch was a ‘plant’, and not all of them, resulting in an Al Capone style massacre? (allegedly) They’re pretty much identical, so what would distinguish the unlucky guy from the rest?
It seems to me that it’s an easy assumption to make in this scenario that he had some inside info on the dude he off-ed. It’s a classic mob-movie trope.
The fact that ‘Lefty’ said “sorta” backs this up, I think. He knew that Tony was talking figuratively.
Ok, I’m guessing that I might get some blow-back from the Al Capone comment. I know he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger during the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, but he allegedly orchestrated it and he’s the only mobster who came to mind. I’m not really up on my mobster lore or cinema.
If that comment is making you itch, pick your favourite real or fictional mobster who went ape-sh*t and killed a bunch of his associates in one go, and insert that name above.
@ Stan – I hereby nominate Bela Oxmyx, who was willing to do anything that would lead to a bigger piece of the action.
OK, I get it. But how long before we get some rocks together to complete the trio of yuks: “We’re all sorta ‘minerals’.”
The question here isn’t so much “What’s the joke?” but “How lazy was Scot Hilburn?” and the date on the strip answers that one.
Nice one Kilby!