Proof Positive · No. 14

Meets Expectations

The daily comic from Hooray News, by Frankie Ragan. October 29, 2026.

Four-panel comic in the back yard. Goldie holds an empty dish: Breaking News got out. Ansel draws a search circle on a notepad map based on the tortoise's top speed. Over the fence, Delphine silently points down. Breaking News is right at Ansel's feet, wearing Ansel's missing slipper.

Four-panel comic on a back porch. Goldie reads that Finland's puppy cam got 6.5 million page views, and Ansel notes Finland has 5.66 million people. Goldie points at their tortoise, Breaking News, and says she put a camera on him. She reports the cam has two views, and Ansel casually asks who the other one is. With a smirk, Goldie says it was him, for three hours yesterday. Ansel raises a finger and insists the motionless tortoise was building up to something.

A four-panel Proof Positive comic set at the kitchen table during morning coffee. In panel one, Goldie happily reads from her phone that two crows answered a test in 235 milliseconds, and Ansel, holding his PROVE IT mug, flatly says nobody answers anything that fast. In panel two, Goldie points to the plate and asks if she can have the last muffin; Ansel, wide-eyed and already holding it, instantly says yes. Panel three is a silent close-up of Goldie with narrowed eyes and her chin on her hand. In panel four, Goldie side-eyes him with a smirk and says that was about 235 milliseconds, and Ansel, eyes serenely closed with the muffin in hand, replies that nobody was even rushing him.

Four-panel Proof Positive strip in the kitchen. Goldie, holding a paper shopping bag, tells Ansel that Fenwick's Nursery closed and she grabbed a few things. Ansel asks how few. Eleven tulip bulbs, she says, and he calls that very reasonable. "And their greenhouse," she adds. Ansel asks if it fits in the bag. Beaming, Goldie answers: "The deed does."

Four-panel Proof Positive strip set in a kitchen. Goldie, squinting at her phone, tells Ansel her phone has a crush on him. He asks what that's based on. In a close-up, she gives him a sideways look and explains that autocorrect turned 'pick up mulch' into 'pick up Ansel.' In his own close-up, Ansel looks smug over his PROVE IT mug and says, 'Smart phone.' In the last panel Goldie smirks and adds that 'manure' also became 'Ansel,' and Ansel, now deadpan, says, 'That's not a crush. It's a review.'

A four-panel Proof Positive strip set before dawn on a Saturday. Goldie, dressed for work in overalls and holding a coffee mug, whispers to Ansel, who is in pajamas with his eyes closed: 'Hon? You up?' She leans in: 'Ansel. You awake?' Eyes still shut, he frowns: 'It's Saturday.' Her whisper grows into huge letters: 'ANSEL. ARE. YOU. AWAKE.' Without opening his eyes he asks, 'Why are you whispering?' In the last panel Ansel finally opens his eyes, heavy-lidded, and Goldie smiles sweetly and whispers, 'Didn't want to wake you.'

Four-panel comic in a living room. Goldie asks Ansel how his review went. He says he meets expectations, the same as every year. Goldie cheerfully says she'd want 'meets' from a bridge, and Ansel mentions that a coworker named Rick got 'exceeds.' Goldie says 'Good for Rick,' and Ansel, deadpan, says, 'They're looking into Rick.'

Read the transcript

PANEL 1. Living room. Goldie and Ansel stand side by side holding mugs. GOLDIE: How'd the review go? ANSEL: Meets expectations.
PANEL 2. Goldie gives him a sideways look. GOLDIE: Same as last year? ANSEL: Same as every year.
PANEL 3. Goldie smiles, trying to cheer him up. Ansel glances at her, flat. GOLDIE: Well, I'd want "meets" from a bridge. ANSEL: Rick got "exceeds," though.
PANEL 4. Goldie, eyebrows up, mouth in an O. Ansel, lidded and deadpan. GOLDIE: Good for Rick. ANSEL: They're looking into Rick.

Start your day with four reasons to smile.