Inside ball
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Phantom, 8/10/25
One of Phantom‘s many charms is its meticulous attention to aviation history. That doomed B-17F Flying Fortress is the Miss Nonalee II, captured and looted by the Luftwaffe at at the end of 1943, then repainted with German markings for clandestine operations. Phantom’s raceplane is F-ANPY, one of two de Havilland DH.88 Comets sold to the French and last seen in poor condition at Étampes, France, on 16 June 1940, the day the Germans invaded. So these particular aircraft could plausibly have wound up in this Phantom timeline.
But I’m worried about the Walkers’ marriage. Look at the guy, fully suited up at breakfast, pecking at his miserable egg and millet with his mind clearly on work, no eye contact (no eyes!), cryptic communications, keeping secrets until there’s no turning back yikes. And “Remove the …? !!–the canopy!?” sounds to me like Phantom will indeed be flying with Diana tonight, but she’ll be landing all alone.
Next: New Adventure—Savarna Comforts the Ghost-Who-Grieves
Crankshaft, 8/10/25
Plenty of local detail here to justify a sweet tax deduction for the author’s “research” trip to Winnipeg: mascot Boomer there, Coach O’Shea’s beard, and #86 wide receiver Kennans Clercius. The embedded joke is that this is an actual stunt play that could work to shake off tight coverage: the slot back moves before the snap to misdirect defenders; QB hands the ball off to the slot back, who hands to Clercius, who flips to the running back, who throws to the QB. The curl “sluggo” (slant-and-go) route is a misdirect by the split end to open a seam for the QB to run through after the catch. It works in Canadian football because pre-snap motion (the “waggle”) is permitted and the field is wider, so there’s time and space to spread out the defenders.
But the funny part is seeing the Crankshaft frog-marched off to prison, just like the author will be once the IRS learns that Boomer’s #00 jersey is gold, not blue. Hey, it would work in Slylock Fox and Dick Tracy, why not here?
Luann, 8/10/25
Ha, ha, the DA pushed for “intent to defraud” and Brad didn’t plead out. Saved seventy-eight cents; got five years. So I ask: is a year of Brad’s life really worth sixteen cents? Let’s have a reader poll!
Dustin, 8/10/25
“Paparazzi, Fitch? What about that guy in the corner with the sketch pad and colored pencils? He thinks I don’t see him, but I do … always. My life is not my own. You think it’s the camera that makes paparazzi intrusive?”
—Uncle Lumpy
21 replies to “Inside ball”
Phantom:
Devil appears to be staring off-panel for cues rather than paying the remotest attention to his master — you know, just like Lassie used to do with Timmy on the old TV show.
MW:
“Lucius! The barn’s on fire! The barn’s on fire!”
— Emperator Nero Claudius Caesar Augusts Germanicus, d/b/a “Emperor Nero”
Six Chix-That’s the joke.
MW-Mary is giving off lots of creepy groomer vibes in this story.
MW-“And here’s to avoiding a list.”
RMMD-“Now then how much money do you need?”
Slylock Fox-Slylock’s extensive knowledge of armor was used to determine it was the armor on the left.
FC-“And here is where we will have a red wedding.”
Luann-And it took a fox and his mouse sidekick to bring Brad down.
Speaking as a Canadian, I have never seen a literal “Mountie” in my life.
I see cops in typical cop uniforms. But never a Mountie, and security at a football stadium would wear, you know, standard stadium security uniforms. Right?
…I forgot to mention, hahaha Crankshaft is finally being arrested for being the horrible person that he is!
MW:
The last panel’s “CLINK” is appropriate onomatopoeia for where they should be throwing both Mary and Olive.
@The Rambling Otter:
Wait a minute — you’re telling me that “Sergeant Preston of the Yukon” wasn’t real?
MW:
“In other words, Olive, just keep being and acting weird, and your problems will solve themselves!”
@Bob Tice: Like that Doctor Who episode, where he insists the schizophrenic kid in the class (temporarily) not take her meds because they block psychic waves that they need her to read to save the day. Or something like that, can’t fully remember.
Edit: It’s even weirder actually, she hears voices when off of her meds, but the voices she hears at that moment are actually the earth’s trees trying to tell them something and The Doctor wants the girl to tell him what they are saying. Because it’s crucial for the survival of earth.
Yeah…
CS: Ed Crankshaft is the first time that Canadians unanimously voted in favor of the death penalty.
Dustin: Your life sucks, Dustin, but at least you can say that you’re not Fitch.
MW: Olive is bullied by her classmates, ignored by her parents, thinks she has “unique gifts,” and her best friend is a creepy old woman who refers to them as “kindred spirits.” She’s going to make a therapist very, very rich one day.
MW: I can’t wait for Mary to take a page out of Wilbur’s book and reveal to Olive that she remembered her pocketbook but she forgot her debit card and now her “kindred spirit” has to pay for the meal. Oops!
Mary Worth Mashup: One little speech bubble changed…
Slylock: A happy Max looks at the small suit of armor. “Bugger me, will ya!”
Mutts: Rookie mistake, McDonnell. If you’re referencing Popeye, it’s ‘I yam what I yam’. ‘I am what I am’ references La Cage aux Folles.
Dustin: Today’s depiction of a bar scene with men and women happily interacting serves to assure the readers that the actual number of involuntary celibate males in society has not reached the dangerous levels the comic sometimes implies.
CSh: Non-Canadian readers might assume that it’s the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that is escorting Ed off the field, but check the uniforms: more purple than scarlet. No, that’s the infamous Matheson Marauders, a paramilitary outfit established by the Blue Bombers to deal with ageing American interlopers.
@The Rambling Otter: Also, Winnipeg has City of Winnipeg police force with ordinary navy blue uniforms, the RCs wouldn’t be involved. Yet another reason to reject the artist’s tax write-off!
CS: Would have preferred to see this story played out during the Stanley Cup finals. All those sticks, Ed’s bare head.
RMMD: Nice pasties you got there, Truck.
RMMD: “Uncle Cody? What kinda weird name is that? Doesn’t even start with a L!”
JP Sit down and discuss misunderstandings? Is that allowed?