I’ve taken some artistic license with my personal history in this strip. Here is what is true: I wasn’t allowed to see The Exorcist. My mother used Tammy Cox as an excuse, and that is represented in the strip, verbatim. What I can’t remember is which movie we ended up going to see instead. I also can’t remember if it was my father or my brother Randy to whom my mother gave the instructions. I do remember going to see The Sting with the entire family. And since The Sting came out within weeks of The Exorcist, it makes for good story continuity. What is also true is I didn’t see The Exorcist in its entirety until shortly before my 50th birthday. Like most of the public, I’d seen snippets of the most famous and parodied scenes. And like most of the public, I let that be enough to carry me through the years. However, after having seen all the sequels, it seemed only proper that I put some time aside to experience The Exorcist in its entirety, and I’m really glad I did. It has a pace that you don’t become aware of until you’re halfway through, at which point you realize that it’s relentless—and won’t let up until it’s over. Everything about the movie is well-honed. By the end, every scene feels like it will cut you in some horrible, unending way. Maybe I wouldn’t have slept for a week if I’d seen The Exorcist in 1973, but it would have been worth it.
