Ziggy Pig - Silly Seal Comics is a 2018 one-shot Comic Book published by Marvel Comics. It was written by Frank Tieri and John Cerilli, with art by Jacob Chabot.
A long time ago, in The Golden Age of Comic Books, Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal were two of Timely Comics' most popular Funny Animal characters. But the team broke up decades ago, with Silly Seal becoming rich and famous on his own while Ziggy Pig sank into obscurity. However, a recent scandal with Deadpool has renewed public interest in the duo, and now Doctor Doom has summoned them for a reunion at his castle in Latveria.
Upon hearing that he's listed as a beneficiary in Silly's will, Ziggy Pig decides that this trip would be a perfect opportunity for Silly to have an "accident" so Ziggy can inherit his fortune. But can even Ziggy endure Silly's Cloudcuckoolander antics long enough to carry his plan to fruition?
Ziggy Pig - Silly Seal Comics demonstrates the following tropes:
- Accidental Unfortunate Gesture: One of the ways Ziggy tries to get Silly in trouble is to have Silly pose for photographs while making "funny" (read: offensive) gestures in front of monuments to Doctor Doom.
- All Part of the Show: Ziggy and Silly are saved from Doctor Doom's ire when Roxanne arrives and tells Doom that all of their subversive shenanigans were part of a prank for their comeback special. Doom happily signs a release form so he can be a part of the show.
- Captain Oblivious: When Silly Seal is facing a line of Doombots who've raised their hands in preparation to open fire, he concludes that they all want high-fives and starts planning which end to start from.
- Celebrity Cameo: Method Man appears at the Alley Behind A Closed-Down Laundromat Comic Con to get an autograph from his favorite cartoon character — Toughy Cat.
- C-List Fodder: Most of the guests at the Alley Behind A Closed-Down Laundromat Comic Con fall into this trope. Attendees include Brute Force, Wundarr the Aquarian, Captain Ultra, Spider-Ham, Combo-Man, Forbush-Man, Mosquito Man, the Phone Ranger, Hawk-Owl and Woody, Obnoxio the Clown... and Frank Tieri.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Silly Seal is oblivious to Ziggy's various attempts to get him killed, is cheerfully excited when a squad of Doombots drag him off in the middle of the night, and mistakes a firing squad for fans wanting high-fives.
- Defacement Insult: One of Ziggy's ways to try and get Silly killed is to deface statues of Doctor Doom with insults and then sign Silly's name to them.
- Failed a Spot Check: Deadpool dismisses a crowd of reporters by saying he's busy helping The Wasp get back into Avengers Mansion — but fails to notice that "Wasp" is actually Baron Zemo wearing an off-the-shelf fairy costume.
- Fan Convention: Desperate for money, Ziggy Pig agrees to appear at the Alley Behind A Closed-Down Laundromat Comic Con.
- Felony Misdemeanor: Doctor Doom had Ziggy Pig brought before him in the middle of the night for the unforgivable crime of breaking into Silly Seal's Facespace account and "unfriending" Doom."One does not unfriend Doom!"
- Humiliation Conga: When Toughy Cat tells a crowd of people that Ziggy Pig made Silly Seal cry, everyone proceeds to boo him, pelt him with garbage, and shout horrible epithets at him."I'm wishing five different forms of violent death on you as we speak! And one of them involves a blender!"
- Inheritance Murder: Ziggy Pig sees their trip to Latveria as an opportunity to have Silly killed so Ziggy can inherit Silly's fortune.
- Interspecies Romance: Silly Seal is married to Roxanne, his sexy supermodel-Nobel Prize-winning Lady in a Power Suit.
- Jerkass: Ziggy Pig is this crossed with Jaded Washout — he starts the story impoverished and forgotten, bitter at the world and respected by no one. He blames his problems on everyone else, and doesn't hesitate to plot his ex-partner's murder just to have a chance at inheriting his fortune.
- "Kick Me" Prank: While sightseeing in Latveria, Ziggy puts a sign on Silly's back that reads "I went to hell in a handbasket with DOOM'S MOM!"
- Killer Outfit: When Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal finally meet in Latveria, Ziggy gives Silly a reunion gift — a Fantastic Four T-shirt.Silly: Never taking this off! Wearing this until the day I die!
Ziggy: Heh, now yer gettin' the idea... - Kitsch Collection: Doctor Doom has a Shrine Wall devoted to all sorts of Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal memorabilia — mint-in-bag comic books, music records, cereal boxes, plush toys, novelty telephones, Pez dispensers, cookie jars...
- La Résistance: One of the ways that Ziggy tries to get Silly killed in Latveria is to make Silly look like a rebel against Doctor Doom's rule, plastering "Free Latveria" stickers everywhere.
- Loser Protagonist: The comic starts with Ziggy Pig as an unmitigated loser — he lives in a hovel, he eats dubious food from gas stations, and women only date him in hopes of meeting Silly Seal. He's even featured on the cover of Loser Weekly magazine.
- Money Dumb: Part of the reason Ziggy Pig is perpetually broke is that he's careless with his money. He didn't invest in a tuna cannery with Silly Seal (despite Silly begging him to be his partner), thus missing the opportunity that Silly built into a fortune. Later, after Ziggy returns from Latveria and is flush with money, he invests it all in Oscorp, even as the disgraced CEO is locked up in an asylum and the stock is in freefall..."OSCORP STOCK SOMEHOW PLUMMETING THANKS TO LONE IDIOT STILL INVESTING IN DEFUNCT COMPANY"
- Never Mess with Granny: Ziggy Pig's mother practices boxing at Fogwell's Gym against a burly boxer twice her height. She knocks him out with a single right hook.
- Ocular Gushers: Silly Seal cries streaming tears when he appears on television, recalling the good old days with Ziggy Pig.
- Plane Awful Flight: To reach Latveria, Ziggy takes a tiring roundabout flight on Air Doom. It required over 24 hours, several body cavity searches, and the only "bathroom" was a Doombot with a bucket.
- Pooled Funds: Silly Seal has a vault full of money that he swims in.
- Retcon: The story reveals that the "Silly Seal" who hired Deadpool to kill Ziggy Pig (in Deadpool volume 5 issue #8) was actually Silly's Evil Twin Willy Seal.
- Severely Specialized Store: Discussed by Silly when he asks Doom where he got his royal throne."Where do you even get a throne like that? Thrones 'R' Us? International House of Thrones? Throne Hut?"
- Shout-Out: Silly Seal has a vault full of money and swims in it every day, just like Scrooge McDuck.
- Stink Bomb: Ziggy Pig attempts to get Silly Seal in trouble by sending a rotten stinking fish to Doctor Doom in Silly's name.
- Tour Guide Gag: Ziggy Pig's mom gives herself a tour through the Sanctum Sanctorium, and snaps a selfie with herself, Wong, and Doctor Strange.
- Trophy Room: Doctor Doom has a wall where he keeps trophies of his defeated enemies. In addition to spaces reserved for the Fantastic Four, he has The Nurse Who Gave Doom a Shot Once (ONCE!), Doom's 5th Grade Math Teacher (Doom Hates Fractions!), and A Butt.
- Undying Loyalty: Even though Ziggy Pig has completely ignored and avoided Silly Seal during their decades apart, Silly remains a loyal and loving friend to Ziggy, and has kept Ziggy as a beneficiary in his will after all these years.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Silly Seal is married to Roxanne, a sexy brunette supermodel and Nobel-winning CEO of Silly Seal Enterprises.
- Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Subverted; when Mephisto calls Ziggy Pig "the worst person," Ziggy casually agrees and ignores him.
