The lives of his creations were in his power. If he drew them into the cartoon strip they lived. If he eliminated them they ceased to exist. Of course they would do anything to keep him keep them.
Seems very appropos to current times. The prodons seem to believe without chump they have no lives. Their very being is conditional upon him. So they are desperate to keep him keep them by supporting whatever he does/says because with a stroke of a figurative pen he can annihilate them. Undraw them. Uncreate them. Mebbe?
