Epicus here filling in for the evening. I have to admit I didn’t see this coming, I thought the annual cancer fun run thing was confined to that horrible Sunday strip. But nope, BatBrain dropped Owen’s grand moment on the big stage just to run yet another ponderous “Lisa’s Legacy” promotional arc featuring the Wistful Widower and his fat trusty sidekick, Near-Death Man. Couldn’t this drivel have waited for a week? Or for eternity?
So I guess the timeline continuity just kinda comes and goes at TheAuthor’s convenience, eh? Don’t even get me going on that whole timeline conundrum thing again. Check out the dick with ears, strutting around with that #1 on his back, acting like a big shot just because HIS wife died making the annual fun run possible. What a dick.
And it’s official: here come the leaves. That means Westview’s annual three month long blizzard is right around the corner. Time really does fly, I suppose.
Son of Stuck Funky 
I’m glad I’m not writing with a pencil, ’cause about now I
d be jamming in in my ear reading this crapola.
What does Crayola think about all this… has she learned how to spread peanut butter n’ Jelly yet?
Of course Les reserves number 1 for himself.
“Yeah, when Lisa died I was hoping to milk it for two, three years tops, but this is the gift that just keeps giving!”
If Les was an art teacher, his students would draw Funky Winkerbean strips to turn in as their assignments, just as a way to demonstrate how much they hated him.
“It goes fast, doesn’t it.”
That is what people say about their children growing up, and/or about their own lives as they age. That is what people DO NOT SAY about the time since their spouse has died!
This author has such little understanding of the human experience.
Or maybe he does have understanding of the human experience. In fact, he probably does!
I will reword my statement: This author has such little understanding of how to convey and express the human experience.
So what’s going on at Sally Forths?
Um, this isn’t the slightest bit poignant, or even bittersweet. It’s just painful.
What’s the funniest about the numbers is that Funky’s #35. I’m assuming the numbers were in order of registration, so it makes sense, since Les of course of was first. But this would mean that thirty-three other people signed up before Les’s supposed best friend.
About the only people we’ve seen here are Les, Funky, and Blondie McBimbo’s family. I thought attendance at LisaFest was mandatory, and everyone who doesn’t attend is stoned to death.
And how many years has LisaFest been going on? Has Batiuk put out any other signs through the years? It’s been 17 years since Lisa’s death (presuming Batiuk hasn’t screwed up the continuity–what am I saying?)
And another story engine that goes unused: what happened during Jump 2 (or Jump 1, for that matter).
@Doug Puthoff: The problem is that wondering what happened between jumps is something Batiuk can’t be asked to care about because it’s boring showing How We Got Here.
It’s Lisa’s Run but Les is the one! Wonder what number #2 wife’s got? Oh yeah, she’s put to work handing out water bottles and picking up trash somewhere out of sight, no doubt. While Les stares up at the banner and holds center court and basks in the glow of fond reminiscence.
Comics Kingdom must be having a problem. The “comic” I see ends after panel 3 and Less smiling about time going fast. There has to be another panel, right? Nobody is that bad at their job, are they?
I’d say it is nice to see a little bit of self-awareness from TB, but he’s proven in the past that a little bit of self-awareness is a dangerous thing in his hands.
15th annual, eh? So this means the first Lisa’ Legacy run depicted in the strip was the 7th edition, which I guess means that the first one occurred 3 years after Lisa’s death. It goes fast… sure. Sure.
Is Batiuk mentally capable of drawing facial expressions in a moment of mutual agreement between two people that DON’T involve one party cocking an eyebrow and the other party displaying either a dull smile of approval or a smug, self satisfied “knowing” glance at the person speaking? Seriously. Same for Ayers and Crankshaft.
It goes fast doesn’t it – well compared to the drift of continents yes. otherwise no.
Also, this post jump mess of a nonsensical timeline is like when on old 80s/90s/ sitcoms such as Growing Pains and Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the producers/writers would have a new baby would be born in a desperate attempt to boost ratings then after just one or two seasons the baby would all of a sudden transform into a blabbering, unfunny, insufferable 9 year old kid that wouldn’t shut up.
The way I always read the time jump was that it was a device TB used to shift the focus of Act III toward the Summer character, to demonstrate what a fine young Lisa-like woman she’d become, along with Les’ attempts to “get over” Lisa. But now, seven years later, Les is remarried and Summer is barely in the strip anymore, so it’s all kind of pointless now. I have no idea why he suddenly marginalized the Summer character, unless it was because she’s always been a totally one-dimensional cliche who existed as an excuse to work Dead Lisa back into the strip as needed.
^^^
Yeah, when the last jump started back in Fall 2007 (right?) after Lisa’s death and introduction of Summer and the new students, that’s what I thought too. Not even shifting time and space itself will the citizens and children of Westview a fresh start. They’re forever stuck in the Les & Lisa nexus.
Meant to say “Not even shifting time and space itself will give the citizens and children of Westview a fresh start.”
Typo, forgot a word there.
Let’s be honest, Batiuk might as well write “I’ve got nothing”. I swear i have seen this exact strip published several times before.
@billytheskink So this year’s LisaFest should be the 14th. Batiuk can’t add, either.
Wait, Les is wearing #1? I thought that was reserved for Lisa’s ghost.
taoofluxlisbon: We’ve ALL seen this schtick before, the world’s youngest elderly person complaining about his rapidly-deteriorating health while his “friend” Les bemusedly looks on. Either that or it rains.