Squirrel gravy.

April 4, 2009


Panel 1: Maybe. Or maybe he’s a camera collector who recognizes a precious relic of a simpler time when toothpaste came in metal tubes, when the Beetles still had short hair, when Mom stayed at home where she belonged, and where digital cameras could only use memory cards once.

Panel 2: Those are some smart fucking trees right there. And one puzzled-ass squirrel, trying to figure out when trees learned to talk. Clearly, he’s unfamiliar with Ents.

April 6, 2009


Panel 1: English, goddamit, English! Tortured grammar aside, can we conclude from this sentence that if the man wanted the camera for something besides the pictures the Elf took in the restaurant (e.g., to sell the camera), the Elf would not wonder why. Does the Elf doubt his own picture-taking abilities so much that he wonders why anyone would want pictures he took? If so, this may be the first hint of self-awareness we’ve had from any character in this strip.

Panel 2: You know, I don’t think I’ve spent enough time considering the premise of this plot line. I had to go back and re-read the strips and figure out, yet again, why Stringy and Turtleneck want the Elf’s portrait of them so badly. March 17th seems to hold the clue:


There you have it. S and T are visiting the Elf’s town. Their visit is, in the parlance of property lawyers, open and notorious. Anybody could, in theory, see and recognize them. Clearly, they weren’t too worried about being recognized when they planned their fabulous weekend at their lake house. Yet, someone takes a picture of them and they suddenly get worried. Why? Their picture isn’t going to get them recognized any more than their actual presence will. It’s not like some random kid is going to make a billboard out of a picture he took of his parents. There’s a huge logical disconnect there. To avoid the repercussions of that disconnect, the JS has to make them go and do something stupid, like stealing a camera from a 9-year old, that will bring the picture to the attention of someone who matters, like the sheriff. I know this is Mark Trail and we’re in comic strip land, but how hard would it be for the JS to dream up a remotely plausible scenario dealing with cameras, felons, and “used” memory cards?

Panel 3: Mark is filing his nails. There’s a plate of chicken beaks on the table. Cherry is serving coffee. It must be breakfast!