Railroading Stinks is a Furry Webcomic which launched in March 2023. Set on the real life California & Western Railway (known in branding as The Skunk Train), the comic also takes a heavy influence from the much older Sabrina Online with a black & white hand-inked newspaper comic style.
The characters of Railroading Stinks had their origin with the introduction of Sally Skunk on the Facebook Rail Enthusiast meme-page "The Memelord Foamer Hype Train" in 2022. The rest of the cast was filled out on the spin-off Twitter account "Crazy Ass Moments in Railroad History
" where Simon Skunk, Samantha Skunk, Grandpa Skunk, Rebeca Ringtail and Mr. Moose were introduced through-out 2022 and 2023.
The comic proper launched in March 2023, with a flashback story showing the first meeting between Sally's parents Steven and Wanda.
The comic's archive can be found here.
Railroading Stinks contains the following tropes:
- Canon Immigrant: The jackalope and deer seen in the background of some of the author's pieces on Twitter are Maverick and Scofield from the short lived Snap Track series. The macaw seen as well is a Shout-Out to Hyce.
- Cool Train: Natural to a comic set on a railroad. California Western M100 is prominently in the background of Strip 1. The introduction of M100 to the California Western in 1925 was the origin of the line's "Skunk Train" name due to the railcars pungent smell.
- Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My!: The pre-strip piece showing Sally kidnapping the Author Avatar to hijack the "Crazy Ass Moments in Railroad History" account is her only interaction with a human character so far, otherwise the strip is set in a World of Funny Animals.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Both Tunnel One and the line's steam locomotive #45 are both referenced as being out of service in Mr. Moose's character bio, true to the California & Western at the start of 2023.
- Shout-Out: Strip 2's title references The Killers song "Dustland Fairytale." A pre-strip sketch depicts Sally recreating the cover of The Killers Sam's Town album while another sketch shows Rebecca Ringtail listening to The War on Drugs as well.
- Wanda's hometown is Columbus, Ohio; the setting of Sabrina Online.
- Through a Face Full of Fur: Steven's reaction to meeting Wanda.
- The Stoner: Samantha. Her character bio states that 420 is almost religious to her.
