When I first saw Gooigi, a puzzle-solving Luigi clone made of goo who first appeared in the 3DS remaster of Luigi’s Mansion and will also be in Luigi’s Mansion 3, I had a few questions about him. Namely: Is this a fetish thing? Perhaps I was being a little too adult and cynical at the time. In this very sweet comic by Vaugh Pinpin, this pile of goo is Luigi’s closest confidant.
That doesn’t mean Luigi isn’t still having a hard time. In one strip,, his pal melts into a pile of goo before he can work out the issues he’s having with Mario.
These strips, which began on July 5 and just finished up over the weekend, are a charming and empathetic look into the green-outfitted plumber. The year of Luigi is long over, and Mario’s reign has returned. Feeling overshadowed by a family member or friend is a feeling that lots of people experience in real life. Who’s to say that Luigi doesn’t get lonely, too?
Pinpin said on Twitter that he originally planned on compiling the comics into a zine but had gotten so many donations that it felt unfair not to share the happy ending with the world.
“It felt weird not to just put the ending up here as a thank you for people’s generosity,” Pinpin wrote. I appreciate this generosity, made in the spirit of Luigi, at the start of the work week’s grind. Remember, if you don’t have a friend to talk to right now, you can always make your own.