As Professor Fate used his powers to presciently foretell yesterday, it does appear that we are in for another week of a nebbish old maven and a klutzy shikse kvetching about kitschy comic schlock and schmoozing all schmaltzy while having a nosh. This shtick is dreck.
Am I the only one choosing to see this strip through a weird romantic lens? I blame the use of coffee. ‘Want some coffee?’ was the ‘Netflix and chill’ of the 80’s and 90’s. And the GTA: San Andreas Hot Coffee controversy only solidified this in my mind at an impressionable age.
And if Mindy weren’t engaged, and the other person weren’t roughly Pre-Cambrian in age, there wouldn’t be any other interpretation of this strip. Look at that side-eye smile Ruby is giving Mindy in panel one. By panel three things have already gotten physical! It reads meet cute!
I mean, if Mindy wants to leave Mopey Pete for some May-December, girl and granny, colorist on penciler action, I for one would be the first cheering her on.
Ruby didn’t get much credit or money in her heyday working in comics, but she’s still earning checks from the Coffee Achievers campaign. It’s a decent hustle.
She sits around the house watching Leave it to Beaver?
But there was a talking murder chimp!!!!!
I just cannot process the introduction of yet another dull old person related to comic books, when just a few weeks ago he introduced a talking murder chimp!!!!!!
MIndy: “So what would you like to talk about, Ruby?”
Ruby: “I was in the comic book business. I am a woman. You are in the comic book business. You are also a woman!”
MIndy: “Gee, you’re right! We really DO have a lot in common!”
Ruby: “That makes two of us! (dumb smirk)”
MIndy: “You’ve heard of the TV show “Comic Book Men”? Well, we are Comic Book Women! (dumber smirk)”
Ruby: (Smirk)
I imagine BatYak has way, way too many “real life” conversations that go just like this. I really need to meet that guy one of these days.
Be sure to ask for coffee. Black, hot coffee, by the potful.
Mindy engaged? She accepted a stuffed animal in lieu of a ring. Which her schlub of a man didn’t even win. This would not be considered binding outside of a kindergarten. So bring on the awkward sexual tension! Boioioioioioioioing.
Yeah, pretty sure Tommy prefers the fellas. Sets my Gaydar off whenever he talks.
And yet, it’s kinda obvious that Batiuk would be the picture of befuddlement when it’s pointed out that he’s yet again dished out a heaping helping of homoerotic subtext. Dick Facey’s blank, vaguely horrified glare when faced with an obvious thing that he’s too out of it and dumb to foresee is pretty much the artist’s self-portrait.
“Get coffee” is a euphemism? Well, that puts an entirely different construction on the Canadian strip “Between Friends”.
Ruby’s Dinklization seems basically complete.
“May-December, girl and granny, colorist on penciler action”…just when I think I’ve exhausted every combination and permutation of Pornhub searches…thanks CBH!!