Tom Batiuk doesn’t care about stroke victims. The discussion of Fred’s day-to-day existence is relegated to the Sunday “throwaway” panels up top (which don’t appear in all newspapers). The former Westview principal exists these days merely to generate cheap pathos or cheaper marble-mouthed speech gags. TB is much more concerned with his special “Coda to Lisa’s Story”.
“I’ll be happy if we can just be half the parents you and Dad were.” Way to set the bar, Darin. Never mind that Fred wasn’t even half a parent to Kerry, the daughter he wasn’t even allowed to see, and the older half-sister that you (and we) only recently learned about.
Back at the motel, the world’s nosiest desk clerk continues feeding straight lines to the mystery man, who is revealed to be none other than Frankie, clean-shaven and slavishly copied from the model sheet.
Son of Stuck Funky 
Wow, consistency from the modeling sheets!
“In town on business?”
“Yes, I’m here to sell my weird tiny car. I researched it online and discovered weird tiny cars have maximum value in Westview for some reason.”
Dun-dun-dun-dunnnn-dunnnnn-DUNNNNN! It’s Supervillain Frankie, The Rapist! After a brief interlude with Ann and Mumbles to remind us that the previous arc where it was implied that their marriage was always a loveless sham was “before” so it doesn’t count now, the story…uh, “moves” so to speak as SFTR begins to…uh, “foreshadow” whatever his moronic Batiukesque scheme is, God help us all.
I’m always wrong with these predictions, but looks to me like SFTR fakes interest in Boy Lisa, concoting either a false story or phony remorse regarding his sainted mother. After ingratiating hinself with Derwood and the nitwit, an angry, bitter Les discovers new information Lisa conveniently left behind that implicates FTR and foils his con, which was to somehow get Les to give him money??? I guess???
Darin: “Your example is all I need, Mom! We’ll base the raising of our offspring on lies, convenience, and unvoiced, festering resentment!”
Jess: “…”
Ann: “Well, um, hooray?”
Darin: “Already, I hate our unborn offspring for ruining my dreams of becoming a WRITER!”
Ann: “….”
Jess: “You wanted to become a writer? Since when? And there ARE many successful writers who also have families.”
Darin: “Since SHUT UP, that’s when!”
**************************************
“Any movies for your room, sir?”
“Yes, I’ll be watching anything and everything you have in the form of made-for-TV movies about cancer victims.”
“…I’ll just turn on Lifetime.”
“This time it’s all about family!” Doesn’t that sound like the tagline from a really bad summer action movie?
Don’t worry Dumbwood… I am positive that you & Jessica will in deed be half the parents…. that’s how Westview dumbs down the gene pool
Is it terrible of me to say that Frankie is INSTANTLY my favorite FW character? And that I hope he grasps control of Westview away from Anthony Fremont, aka Les Moore, aka Tom Batiuk? OH MY GOD the cornfield…
i’m loving this Frank dude ,noway he’s not Durins dad just look at that smirk
Oh, good. I can continue not caring for another week.
I’m hoping every other appearance of Frankie is also photoshopped directly from one of the model sheet expressions–can he be Angry, Curious, Squinty, Incredulous or Sleepy all the time?
Count me in re: the Frankie Admiration Society. Easily the most interesting FW plot development in years. Hopefully this isn’t the high point although let’s face it, there’s a pretty fair chance it is. But the guy has potential, it’s nice to see a FW character smirk with some malice for a change. Usually it’s either contempt (Les) or wry semi-bemusement (everyone else). But FTR looks like he MEANS it. Let’s see if Bat Tom can live up to that potential (and that awesome last panel).
If Dick Tracy and Popeye had a kid: Frankie.
please don’t do a rape story please don’t do a rape story please don’t do a rape story please don’t do a rape story please don’t do a rape story
You know, it’s OK if Lisa gave consent! Lots of teenagers practice abstinence, but lots don’t! Sometimes they even get preggers, and it doesn’t make them bad people. Are you listening Batuik, Lisa can still be perfect without being raped.
I am really confused now (so I guess TB wins). Exactly, what is in “Lisa’s Story?” I mean is it: 1) a complete biography (birth to death) or; 2) Lisa’s married life with Les? Since it was written after Lisa’s death, Les would be a fool to claim Lisa was raped (and name the rapist) without legal, verifiable proof if it’s a complete biography. Just because Lisa had Frankie give up all claims to Darrin, doesn’t mean Les gets to call him a rapist (or repeat what Lisa may have told him) in print without proof.
I bet Frankie sues Les and his publisher for calling him a rapist because I think Les wrote the complete (and now inaccurate –thanks TB) biography. The Fairgood family discussions are just red herrings. The real target is Les. And I’m with Inkwell on this. TB doesn’t have to do a rape story to keep St. Lisa perfect – but sadly I suspect he will – again.
Frankie will come in to establish a relationship “Darrin – I am your father.” This cause an incensed Fred to rise from his wheelchair and enhance some Fairgood-style justice: He will drive Frankie around Westview showing him all the places he used to live.
So, good days and bad days, but mostly good. What kind of a day is it when he can only croak out “Nv br bee?” If that’s a good day, is a bad day when Fred masturbates like a wild monkey in front of company and vomits on their shoes? I don’t think I want to know. Truth is, to Fishsticks McMuppetmouth, a good day is when Fred just leaves her the fuck alone.
Looking forward to finding out how Swishy Tom defeats FTR and gives him his comeuppance. You know that will happen. This guy soiled The Blessed Saint Lisa. The Universe will take its revenge. By the way, Hitler just called — Said Frankie looks like one evil sonuvabitch.
I have the sinking feeling that like Lynn Johnston before him, Tom equates having a stroke with becoming demented.
And, of course, the MANY ways developed IRL to aid stroke victims in communicating will be ignored, as it’s more angsty to have Ann as his sole window to the outer world.
I’m a little confused. When was it changed to where Frankie raped Lisa? On a side note, most likely anyone new to this strip will be confused as to who this is.
Any story arc that leads to Les whimpering behind Cayla’s skirt is a solid one in my book.
So are we to think that this sinister jackass with the Big Hand is coming to town to work Les over with that big smacker of his, or will he merely sue on the shakiest grounds ever? What role could Dogfood and that long-faced Sheila have in this? Will we finally get that long-overdue gunplay? A gangland style shootout at Montoni’s? Somehow the image of Funky in an apron with a shotgun seems perfectly normal.
I must say, I find myself strangely interested in this arc, a truly awkward sensation. I know this much for sure: if it does come to a gun battle, my money is on Cayla mopping up the place with her twin Glocks.
Gee, just what this strip needs, another troll. There are already too stinking many of them in this cast. About the only likable person left is Holly.
T.F. I hope you reprint Frankie’s last appearance in this strip. About the only thing I know about is his one-night stand with Lisa.
DSH Frankie will probably just hang out in Montoni’s throwing Tater Tots(R) at Les until he (Les) cries.
Frankie drives a Yugo? Not particularly menacing…
It’s nice to see Tony Isabella has a gotten a two-day cameo as the desk clerk.
Is Westview Motel some checkpoint for U.S customs or something? Jeez, why all the questions? I’m suprised he doesn’t ask him if he’s carrying any fruit.
“You tell I’m one crazy sonofabitch because I’m not even looking at you while I answer your question.”
I could care less about the Fairview segue — I just want to see more Frankie. If he has to be the bad guy of this strip, then I hope he rapes one Funky Winkerbean cast member per day, until he’s broken all their souls completely. Helpful tip: Get Skunkhead John on your side immediately, and the rest of the dominoes will fall into place accordingly.
“Enjoy your stay with us, sir. Ice machine and vendos are on the 13th floor.”
Maybe Les framed Plantman, and Frankie is not only a rapist but the REAL killer of John Darling.
While we’re kicking all of this around, I’d sure like to know what’s the deal with BatArt and weird hair. You have DSH, the Goth Gurl, and even Goatee Boy’s Nixon hairdo. When Frankie was slammin’ brews in his trailer, he had this strange black hair on top and gray (white?) hair halfway down the back of his head. Is that really the pattern as me go gray? I haven’t paid a lot of attention to this sort of thing, but it sure doesn’t look right. BatOld is going bald AND gray. You’d think he’d know how this all works.
Whoops, never mind. Frankie isn’t graying any more. Shocker.
And why does Thurgood look like he’s 12 years old in the first panel?
Batty, if money is a problem, I’LL PAY for that art course you need so badly.
I’d sure like to know what’s the deal with BatArt and weird hair.
It’s just laziness. He knows he should have more than one color on some characters because it just makes their design more realistic and/or distinct, but he doesn’t want to spend any more time on it than he would have if he made every character’s hair monochromatic.
I love how Batiuk needed to forget the stroke storyline and the things he revealed about Fred and Fishstick in order to write today’s strip. For a guy who seems as full of himself over his “art”, he really doesn’t seem to spend too much time reflecting on it.
Has it ever been established that FTR knows that Boy Lisa is his son? I mean otherwise, how would he know? I mean I realize there are ways he could find that out for himself but is that knowledge “official” FW canon? Because if not, it makes no sense. This arc is really fascinating to me because whatever scenario I dream up to explain it seems way, way too ambitious and involved for a FW storyline. So I can’t help but feel that this will either be a very out-of-character arc or a drippy sap-fest of immense proportions.
True EP.. reality based story told in a thought provoking and sensitive manner would have FTR not knowing anything about Darrin.. since he is not on the birth certificate (which Darin got in the mail that took one week)…. So his target has got to be less and the book.
Not even fred/annie would know (about lisa Or FTR) through the adoption agency.
Another absurd story like when Wally came marching home to the sound of one hand clapping
Odd, isn’t it, how of all the people from Westview High, only Les and Frankie have aged gracefully. Neither one looks like an unhealthy glob or a walking skeleton. Odd, too, how they both have the same hairstyle. It’s almost as if there were a transporter accident, splitting one normal guy into Compassionate Passive Les and Violent Aggressive Frankie.
Of course, we know this arc will go one of two ways. 1. Frankie will flounce about town, disparaging Lisa while Les helplessly cowers, afraid of a lawsuit, until Darrin punches Frankie in the chin. Frankie proves to be a feckless coward who slinks back off to his trailer park, all of his threats vanquished.
2. Batiuk will just drop the matter. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Monday’s strip just drops us into the Komix Korner with another stupid “Comics are art, damn it” storyline. Remember the thrilling conclusion to the Becky-Finally-Confronts-Roberta story? Me neither.
@George in Indiana: I laughed till I had tears in my eyes at your comment. Drive Frankie around – pure gold!!!!!