Were you all worried we would go an entire week without a reference to comic books?
Well, fear not true believers! Today’s strip brings us back to that which makes the heart of Westview pump. “Comic books, comic books, comic books”… the beat hauntingly comes through the stethoscope.
The power of comic books is so great that Bernie doesn’t even need to go through the interview process that Maris and Logan did in order to join the staff of “the Bleat”. He’s in simply because he wants to review movies and comic books and believes he can score free comics from DC and Marvel by being a critic on a closed-circuit high school announcements broadcast (good luck with that, because it doesn’t happen… period).
I am curious about two things, though:
First, Marvel and DC but not Mega Comics? Bernie is, after all, a known fan of their signature property, The Amazing Mister Sponge.
Second, what is Les’ problem here? He left these two schmucks to do his job for him and now he wants to gripe about the results? Gimme a break. “I left these teenagers without direction or supervision and now they are pursuing their interests, oh they are so terrible at all aspects of life. If only there was a place where they could learn things and people there who could teach them…”
Maybe he’s just mad that they have clearly learned more from Bull than they have from him. Specifically, they want to score free stuff, which is Bull’s primary motivation in life.
And finally, after all of this exposition, Bernie had darn well better review the Starbuck Jones movie when it comes out… provided he hasn’t graduated by then of course.
Son of Stuck Funky 
“Wait, slow down, who told you you could do anything with non-comic book-related media?”
Is Les not a comic book fan? I
Impossible! Or do free review samples offend his journalistic ethics?
“These kids today and their darned comic books!” exclaims the guy who had a comic book-themed wedding. Just shut the f*ck up, Les. You’re part of it too.
A segment on comic books? What the hell are they babbling about? Comp lists for comic book companies? What? This f*cking guy and his comic books man, it just never ends. Too bad there isn’t anyone to take Guy McAuthor aside and gently tell him that comic books and comic book lingo are just not that entertaining to most people.
Then again, even if such a hypothetical person existed it wouldn’t matter, as his eyes would glaze over, he’d get that manic grin on his face again and he’d be off to the drawing board, madly sketching increasingly inventive and fanciful imaginary comic book covers like some sort of comic book possessed comic book making machine. He’s probably drawing one right now, in fact. “The Solitary Cowboy Guy”, “Denise The Troublemaker”, “Sgt. Rage And His Raging Rage War Troops”, “Generic Fifties Homage To Buck Rodgers But Not Exactly”, shit like that.
Yeah, it’s weird but hey, it keeps him out of trouble I suppose. Lord knows it could be worse. See “Lisa’s Story” for reference.
So – if there are three slots available for “The Bleat” and only students are interested in broadcasting it why did they have to be interviewed?
That should read “only three students are interested”
Yeah, because free comic books would damage the integrity of the morning announcements. People need to be able to TRUST the lunch menus and assembly schedules. When the children who read the announcements are getting free comic books, it makes a mockery of journalistic integrity.
None of the teachers at Westview are allowed to bitch about not having enough money if they have time and resources to spend on losers doing comic book reviews.
This isn’t 1/4 inch from anything.
And so we switch from Batiuk bitching about how his comics experience is being ruined by having it become mainstream and accepted to his bitching at his old students for not finding a crashing bore and self-absorbed monomaniac riveting.
Also, we have bitching about how the girls who used to not date him are idiots AND how the comics industry is horribly corrupt for telling him that his work didn’t meet their standards.
@oddnoc Quarter-inch from insanity.
That said, it’d be kind of genuinely nice if Batiuk decided for his final years to go ‘fuck it, we’re kicking it oldschool’ and take the comic in a genuinely whimsical direction. Like, take the old Star Trek computer out of storage, have Marvel/Mega comics get its merchandising hooks into the school to the point where superheroes start teaching classes, have a new Neidermeyer/Dinkle like teacher in charge of the Chess or Baseball club instead of another lame band comic, etc.
I suppose this week was his attempt to introduce the next generation of barely-seen high school students once Owen and Cody graduate. Bernie Silverman here has to be a comics fan in order to have him show up at Komix Korner under the “watchful” eye of Skunkhead John. The girl with the unfortunate hair and earrings will somehow be tagging along. The blondie of course will be the school queen bee.
Les sure is acting hinky.
Meanwhile over TB’s blog: “I was never much a fan of comic books trying to appropriate popular slang.” Talk about a mea culpa.
@Fred Blurt:
Was he ever a fan of anything that has the word “popular” in it?
Meanwhile over TB’s blog: “I was never much a fan of comic books trying to appropriate popular slang.”
I’m much more a fan of comic books trying to appropriate unpopular slang.
So these kids are trying to recreate “That Guy With the Glasses”?