of weeks! Tune in tomorrow when Beckoning Chasm
takes a turn in the SoSF wheelhouse.
I was tempted to go with a “dark/light” theme in the post title, but thought better of it. Whatever other complaints can be laid at Batiuk’s doorstep, he’s always presented the biracial aspect of Les and Cayla’s relationship in a matter-of-fact style (of course, his eradication of almost all her racial characteristics is another story). But Cayla has spent most of her nearly five years with Les competing against rivals living (Susan) and dead (Lisa), while Les remained completely oblivious to her devotion. That’s why when TB decides to show Les and Cayla getting romantic, it just rings totally false.
Notice Les’ face in panel 2: instead of a contented smile, he offers a haughty, sidelong glance as if to say, “Good Lord, woman, what are you talking about now?” Cayla is observing the end of Daylight Savings Time (Crankshaft is observing it too, in a strip that at least tries to be funny). Les musters what little charm he possesses, and he shares with his Cayla what he likes about the early dusk: it allows him to sit with her in the dark and imagine he’s with Lisa.
Son of Stuck Funky 
Look at him there, with that cynical sidewards beady-eyed glance, like he’s casting down judgment on the banal, very un-Lisa-like jabbering Cayla is trying to pass off as conversation. He’s such an oily, slithering piece of shit. The fact that his smug, sneering visage is going to be polluting our nation’s many landfills for decades to come makes me want to vomit with rage and disgust. What a dick.
Re: Cayla’s “metamorphosis” over the course of Act III. I’ve always felt it was an “artistic” thing. I remember how inconsistently he used to draw her (especially the hair), “train-wreck” would be putting it nicely. He had to generic-i-fy her into a more Westviewian-looking character, he never could have handled drawing her regularly otherwise.
Her (relatively) “new” generic look suits her though, because she couldn’t possibly be any more boring than she is now. Cayla only exists to prove that Les is “normal” (ha) and to give him someone to set up his horrible puns and terrible “domestic life” gags.
And hey, Cayla doesn’t have to look at his smug-ass face, so this is a rare win-win situation for both of them.
At first I read that as “smug ass-face”. Which is more accurate?
So Cayla only initiates physical intimacy with Les from early November to late April? That’s what I’m getting from this strip. Can you blame her though? Too much exposure to Les Moore’s can be fatal! Lisa can attest to that. So, a word to the wise young comic readers. Much like a solar eclipse, don’t look at Les More’s smug face for too long! Let trained professionals like us SOSFers ease you of that burden.
Inkwell. Both are perfectly acceptable IMO. Everyone else gets the same face but not Les. Oh no, unlike those lesser characters Les is allowed to have a full range of emotions, everything from “smug asshole” to “unfunny ass clown” and all stops in between. It’s just another reason to hate him even more.
Remember a few years ago when Cayla and Les were a weird sexless couple who’d been “dating” for a few years and Susan was the “big threat” who’d throw herself at Les and squeal over everything he said? But none of it mattered because Les was really still in love with the pillar of pure white light at the heart of the universe….errr, I mean Lisa? Remember how he’d run off and talk to HER whenever life was getting him down? Remember how sad he was when two women were vying for his affections? Remember how TB resolved all that when Les & Cayla made crazy rainy-day love? Umm, wait. Scratch that last bit there.
As viscerally repulsive as the notion (and sight) of Romantic Les may be, let’s be glad that TheAuthor sometimes doesn’t resolve things and just sort of forgets about them, hopefully forever. Because as wretched as this is, it really could be worse, believe it or not. I’m just saying is all.
Lucky, lucky Cayla- one whole snuggle a year. The smoke alarm gets twice as much fondling.
Well, this helped to remind me of Daylight Saving Time, so there’s one plus…?
Crankshaft goes to church? And when he does, does he still wear that goddamn cap?
The boring conversation is accurate, but it would never turn toward romantic intimacy between any normal couple, much less these complete strangers.
How is it possible that the few scribbled lines that make up Less in Panel 2 can provoke such intense loathing and rage in my heart and mind??!
Tom Batiuk definitely seems to have tapped into some primal source of loathing in his depiction of Les Moore. Some despicable, disgusting terror from the days of the earliest men must have had a goatee, and smirked incessantly. Deep down, we all remember this in the center of our lizard-brains.
BC: Well put, there’s just no way he can be drawn in a way that doesn’t generate intense hatred and loathing. It simply is not possible.
I am going to bet that Batiuk is trying to push against the people who complain about the total lack of romance in Les’ relationship with Cayla. Will Batiuk actually learn that this needs to be a consistent presence in a relationship and something that influences a character’s actions, or will he decide that two or three strips a year is all that’s needed? Vote now to find out!