A quick Google search turns up the following: “Brenda Harpy – “a reporter with a heart of gold…cold and hard.” these days Brenda’s given up the news game to go into “promotion and consulting,” positions which I guess don’t require a whole lotta tact.
13 thoughts on “Oh Harpy Day”
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Son of Stuck Funky 
I’m starting to get the idea that there are MANY suspects for John Darlings death.
But really, what is Jessica expecting to learn here? That her father was such an immense asshole that people would rather drink Drano than talk about him for even a milli-second?
And even if she gets some interviews..they’re just going to be disgruntled co-workers voicing the numerous greviences against him.
Though to be truthful…”My father…the asshole.” would make a pretty neat “My Dinner with Blassie” type of faux-documentary.
Obviously to get this joke you’d need to know that Ms. Harpy was a recurring character in the old “John Darling” comic strip. It’s obvious to us because we have a limited understanding of the inner workings of the Batom Inc. brain-trust, thus we’re able to conclude that this is yet another case of TheAuthor paying homage to himself via one of his long-forgotten characters from a long-since retired comic strip no one remembers. But what will his “regular” (chuckle) readers think? What about the younger readers whose issues the strip frequently addresses? How will THEY know what’s going on here, huh?
Seriously though, gags that reference a comic strip that ended twenty-three years ago? Big “JD” fans who still read FW every day…that’s a really small cross-section of people to be aiming a joke at, no? This is classic Batiuksturbation, engaging in self-amusement while he thinks no one is watching.
What does it say when the most relatable character in this strip is surnamed Harpy?
“And now in the local news, Jessica Fairgood, bio-daughter of John Darling, recently completed an epic docudrama about the murder of her father. I understand we have a clip to show?”
“Um, yeah, but it’s on VHS. We’re trying to find a working machine. Wait! Just remembered the player we had underneath the table leg in the Vendo Lounge!”
*CLICK WHIRRRRRR*
A FILM ABOUT THE MURDER OF JOHN DARLING
Jess: “I’m the daughter of my father, John Darling, who was murdered.”
Les: “I wrote a book about John Darling!”
Skyler: “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Jess: “For many years, I’ve been working on this documentary about my father, John Darling, who was murdered.”
Les: “I wrote a book about John Darling!”
Skyler: *whimper*
Jess: “My father, John Darling, was murdered.”
Les: “I wrote a book about John Darling!”
Skyler: “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Jess: “Thank you for watching my film about John Darling, who was murdered.”
Skyler: *GLOM*
Les: “I wrote a book about John Dar-* HOLY SMOKES, are you nursing on camera?!?”
U JUST WATCHED A FILM ABOUT JOHN DARLING, WHO WAS MURDERED
*CLICK*
“…..”
“……”
“….what was that, then? A trailer?”
“No, that was the entire film.”
“….that does it. I’m leaving.”
“Leaving?!? But what are we going to show?”
PLEASE STAND BY-
o/` Oh she’s a SMALL WONDER o/`
Oh good, I was hoping for another week of characters I’ve never heard of being bitchy. Also note the lack of tripod means this documentary will be filmed in shaky cam – another reason people will feel like throwing up while watching “My Father, John Darling, Who Was Murdered.”.
Given the way this documentary is finally starting… I can’t wait for the inevitable interview with Jessica’s mother, Jan Darling, who will spend 25 minutes fumbling for words as she tries to justify marrying such a dim, vainglorious, and generally unlikable man.
” interview with Jessica’s mother, Jan Darling”
Jan Murdoch Darling
1) Happy 4th — it’s always good to know there are others who get as annoyed at this strip as much as I do.
2) Jessica- where’s the baby?
What I want to know is: WHERE THE F—‘S THE KID! I’m hoping Jessica dumped him in a garbage pail–well, maybe not, since he was the most likable character in the strip.
It’s really sad to imagine that Tom Batiuk thinks people will look at today’s strip and say, “All right! It’s Ms. Harpy! I haven’t seen her in years–this’ll be great!!”
—-What I want to know is: WHERE THE F—’S THE KID! I’m hoping Jessica dumped him in a garbage pail–well, maybe not, since he was the most likable character in the strip.—-
The real sad thing is that being dumped in a garbage pail is the best thing that could happen to Baby Skyler. I’m pretty sure the bums and crack addicts that find her would provide a better life for her than she would have in Westview.
Wow, no tripod, no cameraman, no external audio equipment, no lights, and filmed in extreme-nose closeup cam. This is going to be stellar.
“Now, if you don’t remove that antique camera from my lips and retrieve your child forthwith, you will most certainly taste your own blood. Also, I’m calling child protective services, because I saw where you left the infant.”