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Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, 11/5/20

We all know that comics characters almost inevitably wear the same clothes day after day, and the practical real-world reason is to make them iconic and immediately recognizable by readers. Despite the occasional in-jokey nod to such fashion consistency being a reality for the characters themselves, there’s generally no in-universe explanation for it. But sometimes there are surprises: today, for instance, we learn that Jughaid doesn’t just wear a coonskin hat to denote that he’s a happy-go-lucky rustic, but also to hide his disturbingly small and misshapen head. His uncle’s skull is similarly malformed, and so we must assume this abnormality is endemic within the Smif bloodline, but to me it’s even more unsettling to see on a child, and it’s right and proper that he hide that noggin with a raccoon pelt. I’m usually strongly against body shaming, but Jughaid should be ashamed of his weird, gross body.

Marvin, 11/5/20

Hmm, do you think that if Jeff had gone to college, he would’ve been educated enough to not become a parent to Marvin, the worst baby in the world? I’m not sure that’s really how any of that works, but it’s fun that Marvin holds his father in as much contempt as I do, or, for that matter, in as much contempt as his father holds him.

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FOLKS! The Internet Read Aloud, America’s #1 Internet themed-show that takes place in Los Angeles but is now on Zoom and is hosted by me will be happening not once but twice between now and the end of the year! First up, the majesty of Thankszooming:

This show will feature a chill afternoon vibe: It’s on Sunday, November 15, at 1 pm Pacific, and features show favorites Patrick Susmilch and Sammy Mowrey, Rifftrax writer Conor Lastowka, and show newcomer Nina Butterfly! Here’s the Zoom link, for future reference, and here’s the Facebook event, if you find that helpful!

Then we slide into December with Zoomukkah!

This show is on Saturday, December 5, at 6 pm Pacific, and features Time Out LA comic to watch Katrina Davis, Jupiter Bardot (who hosts his own internet-themed comedy show, which makes this a superstar teamup), plus show newbies Laurie Bolewitz and Brian Bahe! Here’s the Zoom link, and here’s the Facebook event!

And if you find it helpful to get updates like this straight to your mailbox, you can sign up for the Internet Read Aloud mailing list!

Finally: You may have heard that there is a major and still unresolved U.S. presidential election that we’re in the middle of! Maybe you have been talking/arguing about it on other posts — I hope not! I haven’t read them yet, but that’s not what they’re for! If you feel you simply must talk/argue about the election on this website, I urge you to do so in the comments on this post. I will not be reading them! Good luck and God bless!

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Mark Trail, 11/4/20

Oh snap it’s Kelly Welly, everybody! Real Trail heads remember Kelly, who was sadly absent during the James Allen era, as one of Mark’s greatest foils, always trying to simultaneously steal Mark’s stories and get into his pants (or Bill Ellis’s pants, or the pants of whoever might help her write her next story). My friend Kaycee brought her to life years ago in the unforgettable Mark Trail Theater.

Anyway, while I think new-look Mark Trail has sometimes been a little too aggressive on the “look, we’re different now!” front, in the long run if the strip isn’t going to remain an anachronism, it has to come up with answers to the questions of “What would the Mark Trail characters be like if they lived in the year 2020,” and I think “Kelly Welly is a brash, nature-focused Instagram influencer” is absolutely a correct answer to that question.

Marvin, 11/4/20

You know what’s never going to change, though? Marvin, a comic strip that features babies chatting amicably about what kind shit-innable undergarments they’re wearing, They’re chatting about it now, and they’re going to keep on chatting about it, forever.