The second Red Ring of Death still stands as one of the most important political strips of its era, and one of the most important strips in Shawn’s career. In the middle of the contentious Iraq War, not enough people were bold enough to state that perhaps BOTH sides were wrong, and that the answer lay somewhere in the middle. Or that, perhaps, neither side was worth their time – the only thing that truly matters is games and gaming! Shawn understood this, and wasn’t afraid to say it.

Some folks might point out that Portal, the game referenced here, didn’t come out until 2007. This is a discrepancy that has never been explained by Shawn nor anyone else. Best to not dwell on it and enjoy a good laugh.