So on 17th December, we good folks at Bencomic were making new comics about hilarious, semi-injokey IRC quotations, when we found this message in the SC message box:
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TO: Bencomic
FR: Sergeant Scott McGowan
Williamstown (MA) Police Department
RE: Pine Cobble School Massacre
DT: December 17, 2007
Dear Bencomic,
Good afternoon sir, my name is Scott McGowan and I am a Sergeant with the Williamstown Massachusetts Police Department.
Presently, I have been assigned to investigate an internet posting titled “Pine Cobble Massacre” dated May 28, 2006 where you, Bencomic, are the submitted author.
I am confident there is a reasonable explanation as to why you posted this material; however, I will be unable to confirm that until I actually speak with you.
I am leaving this message on Monday December 17, 2007 at approximately 3:10PM. I will be returning to my office on Friday December 21, 2007 at 7:00AM.
I would strongly suggest you contact the Williamstown Police Department immediately after receiving this message and leave me a voice mail with your contact information.
Failing to respond to this message will leave me no choice but to contact the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office with assistance in obtaining a subpoena for Stripcreator to provide me with this information. I would hope I do not have to travel that path.
I thank you for your time and look forward in speaking with you to clarify this matter. My contact information is as follows.
Sergeant Scott McGowan
Williamstown Police Department
[contact details omitted]
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I've checked up on this guy, he seems to be for real (unless the message is someone pretending to be him). The comics in question were made 18 months ago by an Australian member who has since left us, so really this is a less than timely response. That aside, our one American updater is apparently a pussy who won't call their voice mail, and I (the writer of this post) live in Britain and I don't want to make an international call over this. I sent the guy an e-mail explaining the deal (basically "we were joking, we have no official connection to the school and do not intend to blow it up, none of us even live anywhere near massachussets, also the comics are old", but more official), but I'm pretty sure he wants a voice mail, presumably to check we're not terrorists.
So anyway, my question is, has this happened on SC before? Any suggestions beyond our current actions? I'd rather not have SC caught up in any silly cyber-legal matters over a ridiculous comic making fun of some guy who used to attend a school.
The comics in question:
[Click to view comic: 'THE PINE COBBLE SCH*OL MASSACRE - PART 1']
[Click to view comic: 'THE P*NE COBBLE SCHOOL MASSACRE - PART 2']
[Click to view comic: 'THE PINE COB*LE SCHOOL MASSACRE - PART 3']
[Click to view comic: 'THE PINE *OBBLE SCHOOL MASSACRE - PART 4']
[Click to view comic: 'THE PINE COBBLE *CHOOL MASSACRE - PART 5']
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lol