Well, those of you who thought we were going to get more of Les’ genius today are in for a real treat! Because we don’t.
Instead, we have two boring characters chattering in an episode where the drawing is utterly irrelevant. The only thing of note is how Pete’s happy(esque) expression immediately morphs into a weary mask when his own work is brought up. Darin must know how much Pete hates his own stuff, as he lights up a rather predatory grin when switching subjects.
I can’t imagine why Tom Batiuk thinks we care at all about The Amazing Mister Sponge. So far as I am aware, we’ve never been allowed a single peek at the character, so we know it has to be underwhelming. Instead, we’re given a scene of two minor, dull characters talking about him. Wow, talk about action-packed.
And another week of crashing boredom gets fully under way.
Son of Stuck Funky 
I don’t know what on earth Batiuk could possibly thing is interesting or worthwhile about this strip. There’s no humor. There’s no character development. It’s not telling us anything that hasn’t been repeated over and over every time Pete’s shown up in Act 3. Seriously, this is like overhearing water cooler conversation between the two most boring people in an office. Except that someone thought it was worth publishing and they actually got paid for it.
Well, I’m sure it’s not nearly as “absorbing” as your little Les Moore picture book is, Boy Lisa, but at least Pete has a real job. Every year he does one of these Pete arcs and every year I forget Pete exists until he re-appears. Then, amazingly enough, I forget all about him again.
And of course he’s just as mopey and dreary as ever, because “writing” is hard and “success” is a double-edged sword and (zzzzzzzz). I like how Pete (no longer in Westview) seems genuinely happy for his friend, yet Boy Lisa (lives above Montoni’s) insists on cutting his old pal down with a bit of sarcastic wordplay with a big dumb smirk on his face as he gloats about his silly little Les Moore-authored doodle book. And they say New Yorkers are rude.
These two jerkoffs are in their mid thirties and still refer to Les as “Mr. Moore”.
I think all this is Batiuk’s way of taking a shot at the big comic publishers. When one of his adoring fans asks him why he’s never worked with Marvel or DC, he can just reply “Ha! You mean like that poor, downtrodden, peon Pete?”.
Welcome to the Funkyverse, where even if you get your dream job, you’ll still spend all your time complaining to your friends from high school about how miserable you are.
So it’s Mason Jarr talking with Pete about comic book creation, instead of Mason Jarr getting inside Cindy’s pants?
TFH: “Mr. Moore”…LOL. That’s your bio-step-dad you’re talking to there, son! No need for such formality.
“Hey man, you know that smug bearded asshole who was married to my deceased bio-mom? Yeah, him. I’m illustrating a graphic novel he’s writing as an anniversary gift for his wife!”
“Wow, that’s great man! So cool!”….said no one, ever.
@Epicus Doomus
If the protagonists of this strip weren’t such insufferable jerks it’d be a very nice display of family solidarity. How can a comic strip be so awful that it even makes outright syrupy displays of sentimentality cynical and mean-spirited?
It’s blatantly obvious that Batom® wants that gold watch from Brendan Buford when the strip turns 50 years old in 2022. So what if he turns out unreadable and unfunny crap like this on a daily basis? No one else seems to care but us… and that’s obviously due to sheer apathy.
Mopey Pete is probably depressed that Marvel is prepping a crossover between “The Amazing Mister Sponge” and “Starbuck Jones…” and that all of the “Starbuck Jones” issues he would need to read to understand the character are now located in Westview for absolutely no reason.
BTW, even for a lawyer-friendly name (Viacom wouldn’t waste any time before throwing a massive lawsuit Batom®’s way) “The Amazing Mister Sponge” is probably the dumbest name that he’s ever used. Yes, dumber than Mason Freaking Jarr.
Great. Another week wasted watching Pete/Batiuk moan about the horrible pressure cooker environment working for the comics industry that he’s NOT bitterly jealous of. This fits in nicely with his NOT being angry that he’d simply be chewed up and spit out by actual big cities.
“Wringing the life out of me” would have worked a lot better, no? So much for subtlety. (But then, did this strip ever have it?)
Not surprising that an underemployed MBA who, with his wife, spent over a year as Les’ houseguest would relate to a superhero named “Mister Sponge”.
The only thing that is stopping TB from actually showing us the Incredible Mister Sponge is a C&D letter from SpongeBob Squarepants.
Dear God, please no ‘Lord of the Late’ this week. That would make last week’s arc seem like slapstick comedy.
It’s funny because Mr. Pete’s “superhero” is a contraceptive.
Pete’s editors are killing him. Yep, that’s a thing editors do. Like TB has any experience with editors…
Again we see that working for a living as a writer is an unalloyed misery. Is this a subconscious cry for help from the author?
And oh yes the Mr. Moore is really jarring – I read the strip all the time and it took me a minute to realize who boy-lisa was talking about.
Well, Mopey Pete. Your up in a high story building. You’re cubicle is conveniently next to an easily accessible window. Just saying……..
Oddly enough, the “Mr. Moore” formality isn’t a big deal with me. Probably more out of sheer apathy for the strip than anything else.
After all, St. Darin the Fair Good is married to someone who ALWAYS has to bring up the fact that her father was murdered, regardless of the context or setting…
@Howard and Nester: “How can a comic strip be so awful that it even makes outright syrupy displays of sentimentality cynical and mean-spirited?”
It’s what happens when a comic strip is infected with Brooke McEldowney Syndrome… a terminal illness.
A crossover between “9 Chickweed Lane” and “Funky Winkerbean” would cause the entire comic strip industry to suffocate in endless smugness and non-stop smirking.
@TFH, you’re on a roll! I wanted to stuff the ballot box on the up thumbs.
About the Amazing Mr. Sponge (the name itself), I forgive the 11-year-old Tommy B. who came up with it. Not so much the self-indulgent sexagenarian who put it into tens of newspapers and onto the internet.
—A crossover between “9 Chickweed Lane” and “Funky Winkerbean” would cause the entire comic strip industry to suffocate in endless smugness and non-stop smirking.—
Dude! Don’t give either of them any ideas!
Well on the plus side..at least Brooke would draw Funky Winkerbean characters attractive…from the neck down at least.