I would’ve bet anything that my Google skills would uncover a real-world “Saffron Indian Restaurant” in Hollywood (or even better, somewhere in Ohio’s Western Reserve) that served as a model for the restaurant in today’s strip, but I came up empty handed. Meanwhile, Les has yet another of his Hollywood illusions shattered when he discovers that the “script doctor” in whose hands his masterpiece wound up moonlights as a waiter.
15 thoughts on “I’m Just Mad about Saffron”
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Son of Stuck Funky 
Way to talk about a guy who’s two feet away from you like he’s not even there, Les.
The truly amazing bit of dialogue in this one belongs to Les: “Say, isn’t that…?”
As in Say, isn’t that the guy I’ve been working with over the course of a day or two? Obviously I’m not sure because I never really glanced at his face much. Takes away too much of my me time.
BatBrain sure has some balls. A guy whose claim to fame is authoring some of the most heinous drivel ever penned is depicting cable TV writers as being a bunch of no talent hacks who get their gigs via dubious, meaningless and decidedly non-artistic connections. Glass houses and all that.
What I think is funny is how this is starting to mirror Les’s own life. His best friend is a restaurant owner, and I’m sure Les bounced ideas off him when he was writing. And Les himself has a second job working in food service.
I guess Batiuk thinks jeans, sneakers and a sport coat is Ohio hip. At least Les left the yellow shirt at home.
spacemanspiff85: Good points. The difference is that Les was involved in the pizza business and pizza, in addition to being the manna of the gods, is a good wholesome solid (but not flashy) working class food for humble honest Ohioians who like comic books and know how to appreciate a good cancer book. They’re not impressed by fancy-schmancy coffee and those weird trendy ethnic dishes, unlike the cancer book-disrespecting Hollywood scumbags Les is being forced to endure.
I wonder if he’ll ever do a story exposing the bizarre and seedy underbelly of the syndicated comic strip business? You know, like an arc where a young character develops a hilarious new strip but can’t get it published because a bunch of washed-up hacks are hogging all the space on the funny page with strips that were old and tiresome decades ago. Or maybe one where that character visits Syndicate HQ only to find an office building full of coma patients. Or maybe one where we see how much effort the comic strip writer puts into his craft and how hard he strives to make it worthwhile and coherent. That sort of stuff. Somehow, I doubt it.
Now see, this is the kind of thing that just fuels anti-intellectualism. Because when you start throwing around this “What could he, a mere waiter, possibly know about Real Art and Writing?” crap, people resent that, because you both insult their intelligence and deny the validity of their opinions in one fell swoop.
I seriously hope everyone in the kitchen spits in Les’ tandoori chicken.
@TheDiva: Well, we knew that he was setting up straw men to demolish. I thought it would take longer BUT having the man hacking Les’s script to bits have no valid opinion because he waits tables (despite Les ALSO working at a restaurant to pay the bills) will do as an appetizer.
I bet Les hates spicy food too. Probably considers ketchup too spicy.
If this arc ends with Les Moore learning that it takes a village to produce even something thought of as humdrum as a TV movie and also admitting that not only do some things get lost in the adaptation but that they can also be changed for the better, I’ll gain some small amount of respect for Batiuk. Not a lot because this arc would still be overly self-indulgent, but some.
@Flummoxicated, “I bet Les hates spicy food too. Probably considers ketchup too spicy.”
Don’t get him started on how could anyone stand the heat of mayonnaise.
Les had a bad experience with crustacean ketchup.
Why is Clay acting as Les’s nursemaid? Was letting Les hang around him on their off-hours a part of the contract Les demanded?
While most artists would use the classic 3/4 view of a relatively unknown character to make him instantly recognizable, Batiuk has evidently pioneered the use of a more limited 1/4 (1/8?) view of Ken Casey, relying instead on Les’ asshatery to make the identification.
Well, if it’s a choice between 1) showing enough of a fairly new character so that the reader can identify him, or 2) shoving him nearly off the frame so that more of Les is visible…we know which choice Tom Batiuk is going to make.