Even the bullies are nerds in Westview! In fact, they out-nerd the nerd they’re picking on: their costumes are much more authentic than Little Billy’s t-shirt attire. Weirdly enough, this is not the first time TB has referenced “Conan the Consensus Builder”:
(Above: 9/1/2009 strip)
Son of Stuck Funky 
A joke so nice, he used it twice. More anon-o-characters, Generic Bullyjock and Hapless Dweeb (dear Lord please spare us THAT kid’s back story because I know where that’ll lead). Imagine if today you happened to read FW for the very first time. Man, would I like to remember what that’s like again.
I’m increasingly weirded out by the distinctly (for FW) lite n’ breezy tone this strip has adopted ever since Les’ lumpy proposal in Cancer Park. Knowing FW, I have to believe all this half-baked jokery is prepping us, the readers, for an epic-scale tragedy and/or “based on reality”-style “prestige” arc in the not-too-distant future. Like, for example, Les’ upcoming wedding (which will no doubt be a long, long arc) or maybe that mountain climbing thing he’s mentioned in interviews.
Or, less likely, perhaps TomBat was depressing and/or boring himself with all that ponderous claptrap about movie options and John Darling and Lisa to the point where even he had to pull back on the reins a little. As if. Not that I’m complaining about it, mind you, it’s been almost refreshing to see FW take things less seriously, even temporarily. But it is definitely strange. Ever since Les’ infamous proposal it’s been: premise setter, joke, joke, single panel and/or flashback filler 2x and Saturday’s “is this still going on?” capper.
If it wasn’t possible to “peek ahead” I’d suggest a pool, where we take guesses on when the shoe finally drops and we get back into a “very serious” arc about Les learning how to love again or someone dying or whatever. Winner gets a Les Moore coffee mug. Runner-up gets two.
Great job exposing the recycled “Conan the Consensus Builder” joke, TFH! I was going to mention that this was a direct ripoff of The Simpsons’ “Goliath the Consensus Builder” joke, but that now seems redundant. So I guess today’s punch/slug line is a ripoff of a ripoff of a ripoff, or something.
Also, I agree with E.D. It’s high time for more over-the-top tragicomedy.
And one last thing. Why are all these 40-year-olds picking on this poor high school dweeb?
When I was in high school, I wore these big, round glasses and an orthodontic retainer with an Apple logo printed on it. A senior, who I mostly remember for slacking off in computer lab by downloading Weird Al songs off of Napster, picked a fight with me one day.
It was less nerdy than this.
Why are they so surprised that Bull walked away? Listening to Les speak for more than a few seconds would make anyone walk away with ennui.
Epicus, clearly Batiuk is better is better at writing jokes than he is at plots. It’s the same reason Gallagher smashes watermelons instead of writing dissertations on centrifugal force.
Sourbelly’s right about the 40-year-olds – the one that bothers me the most, though, is Cardinal Richelieu to the far right with the number 6 nose and the fuzzy hat. He appears to completely sinister and watching for a sign that his, yes, creation is going to go all Van Damage on this cheap Thor dude. “Remember the soft tissue , Toby, just like I showed you in Spanish Inquisition class.”
I think the guy on the far right stole Conan’s chin. Pretty sure.
I’m beginning to think this strip is BNFN (By Nerds For Nerds). I have no idea who Ben Reilly was, and those supposed bullies look like they’re getting ready for some LARPing.
In other words, ditto what TFH wrote in the opening sentence.
“Or, less likely, perhaps TomBat was depressing and/or boring himself with all that ponderous claptrap about movie options and John Darling and Lisa to the point where even he had to pull back on the reins a little.”
No such luck, I’m sure. More like TB found his meds and is back to being high-on-life. It won’t last. From the height of Kilimanjaro will the mighty fall back into depressing stupor.
One day it’s all gags and wordplay: then tomorrow they’re airlifting Summer out of a crevasse (“Summer?!!! NOOOOO!!!) and she’s coming home with two brand-new titanium legs. He lulls the reader into a false sense of security with a few months of weak, light-hearted jokery then he buries the axe into your back without warning. Such a diabolical man.
FW is always such a baffling conundrum. When it’s “dramatic” it’s just so incredibly annoying and depressing that you cannot resist tearing it to shreds, but when it tries to be funny it’s so boring and much less interesting, you know? It’s all so confounding.
I think he should just go with all anon-o-characters, all the time. No one cares about his ridiculous “regulars” anymore anyway. He can call it “Act IV: I Can’t Do This Anymore”.