Even though Wally’s PTSD is kept in check thanks to Buddy, he’s still not immune to midlife doubt and regret. Today he muses about how life “should be” for him and Rachel (and presumably her little boy Robbie, wherever the hell he’s been since January 2011). Or given his absent-mindedness around Rachel (see Wednesday’s “chick magnet” strip), perhaps the “we” Wally’s speaking of is him, Becky, and their two children, stolen away from him by Dead Skunk Head John during his captivity in Iraquistan.
20 thoughts on “Home Sweet Trombone”
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Son of Stuck Funky 
I gotta agree with ya there Wally old pal, but here’s the thing: you’re a third-rung character in a wildly overpopulated little comic strip, thus we’re only going to “catch up” with you once, maybe twice a year if that. So naturally the events of your life are going to appear to be happening kind of…slowly, let’s say. Not that we’re missing much in the meantime, but still.
Rachel once again plays the part of condescendingly supportive and infinitely patient Westviewian female to a tee as she strolls through Wistfulness Park over by that f*cking gazebo, aka “the other FW location”. And that “homework” joke is as stupid as FW “jokes” come, just terrible.
Yes, that’s exactly right, Wally. Education ends when you turn eighteen, mid-twenties if your ambitious. Nobody else has reason to go to class and learn anything, ever. Yeesh.
Indeed, Wally only shows up once or twice a year, so it’s completely escaped my knowledge that Wally has any association with a trombone.
It occurs to me: Has the Westview Community College ever turned up before? Are there any ancient, obscure characters established as already being there? Because since Tom apparently would rather DIE than do strips about The Evil Westview Seniors at college, he’s decided to focus on Wally.
So, unless he decides to Tell, Not Show (quite possible) Tom has written himself into a situation where he’ll be forced to create NEW CHARACTERS. Something he’s been VIOLENTLY avoiding for the past five years.
(“Fred needs a speech therapist? Um…Ann can do that. Teaching basketball means you know all about helping stroke victims vocalize!”)
If actually bites the bullet and does it, watch out! I’m betting the potential snark material will be GLORIOUS.
(But, hey, we’re probably never going to hear about this again until 2016.)
Remember that time Wally showed up John at the fair by winning a carnival game or some other nonsense, which his adopted daughter Rana(?) really appreciated? Batiuk doesn’t either.
Viet Cong Guellirra Readel say: “Warry wourd you rike to pray some soritaile? Do you see the Queen of Diamonds? Good! Now go KIRR KIRR KIRR Res Moole! KIRR him with file!”
Man, with his white dress shirt, dark dress pants, crew cut hair, trombone case with unknown contents in hand, purposeful walk to a bell tower shaped facility………………there’s something absolutely Charles Whitman-ish about Wally!!
Since this is another “homework” joke, I have to assume that the August 2012 issue of “Pun Weakly” has arrived at the Batiuk Comic Castle.
I was originally going to say that perhaps actual home ownership was a little out of Wally’s range, but then I realized this is Westview, where you can probably get a decent house on a fair-sized lot for like $600 or so, right? So dare to dream Wally, dare to dream.
Rachel: “Hey, you’re working hard on your PTSD…you know?”
Gosh, Wally. If there’s something you feel you ought to be doing instead of going to school, what’s stopping you from doing that? If you don’t want to spend your time going to school, don’t go to school. Stay home and do yardwork or watch TV or feel sorry for yourself or whatever the hell it is you do, then!
I can’t help but laugh when they show the trombone, because it reminds me of that totally ridiculous sequence where Becky piled him out the door after she basically told him to go screw himself because she ran off Gross John and took his children with her. It was so over the top absurd that it goes all the way around to hilarious.
Conform. Conform. Conform. Then die.
JRClark–your “Viet Cong Guellirra Readel” shtick is, how you say, racist, insulting and not in the least funny.
Please Cease and Desist.
If I was Wally, I’d carrying that instrument around town sad tromboning every pun Rachel, Les, and Funky dished out.
TB’s continued treatment of Wally has grated on my nerves since he brought him back from “death.” I don’t think TB has gotten one thing right with Wally since his return. Wally is the type of veteran the VA is currently designed to help the most. He’s entitled to mental and physical health care, educational benefits, disability compensation, home loans, life insurance and vocational rehabilitation and employment. I’m glad TB has Wally using his educational benefits, but if TB is looking for “world-wide recognition” for his depiction of Wally and the plight of veterans, he is going about it the wrong way.
Bill makes a great point about Batiuk’s treatment of Wally. I’d compare it to the veterans in “Doonesbury”. Garry Trudeau has obviously done his research and actually talked to vets. He handles their issues realistically, sensitively, and with humor. From Day 1 of “Funky Winkerbean” Tom Batiuk has copied the surface aspects of “Doonesbury” without capturing the nuances that have made it a truly great comic strip.
FW Instruction. Dwell on what “should be” instead of what “could be” or even “is.” Wash, rinse, embrace defeat.
Viet Cong Guano is not only racist and not funny – it’s completely inept. You can’t just transpose “L”‘s and “R”‘s and expect it to sound like a stereotypical Asian rant. I grew up in a WWII Vet’s household and I heard my share of “So solly” type shit, and, hear me now and believe me later, this Viet Cong is a rank amateur at Asian stereotypical insults. Actually, he has all the language skills of Batboy plus a real hateful streak. Uncalled for and unwelcome.
As for Big Wally on Campus, he’ll probably pick up even more chicks with that trombone, once he gets his Ska band together.
Of course, at her age, Rachel should be doing something a lot better than slinging pizzas at the local pizzeria. What’s her excuse for never having gone to school and gotten herself a better position in life? It seems she’s been content to live off the sub-minimum wage salary and 12% tips from Montoni’s all these years.
What’s her excuse for never having gone to school and gotten herself a better position in life? I–
Why she’s waiting to become the 3rd Mrs. Les Moore, of course!
Isn’t that the dream of every Westviewian lady?