Month: May 2014

Hagglemore Manor

Wow, for a comic that can take a week to show a character opening a letter in a mailbox this week’s pacing is breakneck. After arriving at the mansion featured in “Eyes Wide Shut” in today’s strip, Holly braves a quick buzz of the intercom, which is really there just to alert the Dobermans that someone’s arrived and it’s time for a mid-day snack.

Where is she? I have no idea. New York? Back in Ohio? Paris? Who knows? We may ever find out if this arc is just dropped again like Les’s “The cleaning ladies have some ideas for my script.” arc.

Serious Monet

I don’t recall Pete looking like an impressionist work of abstract art but he certainly has some strange proportions in today’s strip as he hands her something that looks like chimpanzee cranked out in 5 minutes.

Maybe I should give Pete a break, since he’s a WRITER and not an artist, or is he suddenly an artist now? I think the blobby mess he just handed her indicates at least someone needs more art school.

Well, while we’re comic art geeking out, might as well share The 40 Worst Rob Leifeld Drawings for at least some laughs.

The Dork Funk Returns

Once again, technology, not limited to and including digital cameras, emails, faxes, overnight packages and scanners don’t exist in Westview, necessitating a long car ride for Holly to visit Pete to look at some original art of Mister Sponge that she thinks she can trade for the last couple Starbucks Jones comics she needs. Wow, as today’s strip, shows, this stuff writes itself!

Actually, this isn’t a bad ploy, Holly.. not a bad ploy at all.

I mean, I someone I sort of knew showed up at my doorstep having just driven 800 miles and said their adult son who is in the military collected comic books and hey, could I give up my signed George Lucas Lightsaber so she could trade it for the last two comics he needed, I’d have to have a heart of stone to say no.

I’m betting Holly’s lip can quiver with the best of them when faced with the prospect of driving back to Ohio without the original Mister Sponge art she needs.

All of this sounds convoluted and insane. How do we even know Hagglemore *likes* or *wants* anything to do with Mr. Sponge? Sorry, lady, I only collect D.C..

You would think Holly would have at least spoken with the guy before driving across the country to hassle Pete.

Sponging Off Friends

Oh, DeadSkunkHead, do you not know what “owes a favor” means? You helped Pete move out of and into his squalid apartment. That doesn’t quite qualify for a “can you send me a $8,000 piece of original comic art?” Crazy Harry looks as punchable as Les ever did in today’s strip. What happened to the “comics aren’t exclusive” arc where it was preached that the more fairer sex should be completely open to comics as a hobby? Crazy Harry is looking at her like she’s roadkill.

Mr Sponge Worthy

Back to Starbuck’s Jones’ arc! For those of you just joining by popping in on today’s strip, Holly is the mother of a US Army Solider that’s currently deployed in the Gulf and retconned into collecting Starbucks Jones comic books. Despite coming out in the 1970s, apparently these comics are so rate getting the last 6 key issues is about impossible, or would be, for most collectors. More than a few times collectors that had the issues Holly needed just rolled over and gave it to her for free, or for “a buck” because her son is in the military.

It looks like the favor well has run dry. The last issue she got by winning it on eBay (A 6 day arc, seriously) and now she’s about to trade a piece of original comic art for the chance to buy the uber-rare Starbucks Jones issue.

Original comic art sold at Heritage is serious business, way out of Holly’s league. Would Cory even get $9,000 worth of enjoyment out of it? I’m sure the thing is slabbed in a tomb, never mean to be read. A single crease on the cover from a carelessly turned page could cut the comic’s grade (and value in half).

Me, I just look forward to seeing yet another maniacal comic collector depicted in Westview.