Saint James Infirmary 255: The Ghost of Christmas Past, 1

[GodWilling]

The Boiled In Lead album Orb was recorded and released in 1990, so that rather suggests this can't be any earlier than Christmas of that year. Pearl was getting on for two years old by then. Jacqui's age is a mystery but I'm guessing she'd have been about 22 at that time.

The tattoo suggests a degree of continuity in her personality. I guess Grumpy Bear is hers, otherwise I'd suggest this could be someone else's room. I was hoping to see that lamp in the background somewhere.

Boiled In Lead formed in 1983. Care Bears became tangible objects in 1983. And, you know, Joni Mitchell, er, turned 40 in 1983. So it's all coming together nicely.

[Daphne]

The Boiled In Lead album Orb was recorded and released in 1990, so that rather suggests this can't be any earlier than Christmas of that year.

Top mark for placing the album!

Now, the release date thing... well, we have Death by Hipness here. BiL very first released Orb in 1988, on their own label. They then pulled it when it was picked up by Cooking Vinyl and Atomic Theory, and the "official" release is 1990. I don't expect anyone else in the entire world to know this, except maybe Drew Miller (who, if he is reading this, hi Drew!).

At least, that's my memory, and I'm declaring it canon for the purposes of this panel.

So, in any event, the alt text is correct.

[Daphne]

I still can't quite wrap my head around this.  I'd have thought she'd have an ax, a synthesizer and a full drum set, not an accordian, mandolin, and concertina.

Why choose?

[Daphne]

And in the Christmas spirit of giving, Jacqui is 20 in this picture.

[GodWilling]

Now, the release date thing...

I was going to suggest they'd commissioned the cover art far in advance of recording the LP, and Jacqui was acquainted with - I don't know - the artist, or someone.

I think an age of 20 is consistent with what we've been told in the forum previously. We were also told Pearl was born April 1 1988, so this is still post-Pearl and presumably post-Ezra - as this doesn't look like a room in a house she's sharing with him.

[jmundt29]

If this is her on her own post Ezra-fling, the instruments she has closest to her make less sense (unless the experience with Ezra temporarily soured her on rock).

Might I also note that just about any woman I've ever heard of would sign up to be even hotter at 39 (for the fifth time) than she was at age 20.  If this trend continues with the other members of the Harem (which it could, ya never know) it's almost scary to think about how gorgeous Erin and Dani could become later in life.

[Daphne]

We were also told Pearl was born April 1 1988 ...

Ah, that will teach me to make out-of-comic statements of fact. I'm afraid that birthdate can no longer be considered canonical.

[jmundt29]

What age is Pearl supposed to be at this point?  I forgot.  We had conflicting assumptions and then conflicting reports.

[Daphne]

What age is Pearl supposed to be at this point?  I forgot.  We had conflicting assumptions and then conflicting reports.

In the current chronology, in the main SJI story, Miriam is 22. This means that this page is pre-Pearl.

[GodWilling]

So...

If Miriam is 22 in mid-January 2012 then she was born between late January 1989 and early January 1990. I'm no expert but this picture suggests it wasn't too close to January 1989. Anyway, if Jacqui wasn't already pregnant by Ezra in this picture then that can't have come about much more than three months later.

Pearl identified herself as being 19 in g17. That could have been true at any time between late January 2008 and early January 2010.

Daphne had previously confirmed that g17-g20 took place in June 2007. Presumably June still holds because there's talk of Pearl having done her finals, but the year can't be right. So g17-g20 must now be relocated to either June 2008 or June 2009.

[Daphne]

G017-G020 are in June, 2008.

As always, what actually appears in the comic should be considered first-tier canon, and if it doesn't seem to line up properly, it's probably not important to the story.

[GodWilling]

if it doesn't seem to line up properly, it's probably not important to the story.

That thought did occur to me earlier today actually. I know I'm being a pain when I try to pin these things down. I suppose it's not for me to say that you should be flattered that I care so much.

[Daphne]

I suppose it's not for me to say that you should be flattered that I care so much.

You don't have to; I just commented that very thing to a friend.

Yeah, I didn't quite line up my notes on the character's birthdays properly. Oops. Oh, well, I consider it my version of where Dr Watson was shot in Afghanistan.

[peers]

It's all very timey-wimey.

[GodWilling]

It's all very timey-wimey.

It appears - or appeared - to be a story about "the Watchmaker".