More of Batty’s trademark exposition repetition in today’s strip. Monday’s and Tuesday’s panels showed these two driving up to a building clearly marked Hollywoodland Studios. Today Les reminds us verbally, and anyone whose interest is piqued (doubtful) enough to zoom in on that little shingle under the LISA’S STORY sign will see the studio name yet again. Ponderous, man, @#$% ponderous. Anyway, panel 2 is the first time we’ve seen a happy expression on Les since back in April when he and Cindy reminisced about their chaste New Years Eve.
Honest Stories of Working People as Told by Rich Hollywood Stars
Filed under Son of Stuck Funky
Son of Stuck Funky 
Those are the same buildings he photographed for that blog of his. As usual he’s squarely focused on the most trivial parts of his little story…the parking lot, driving around Hollywood, uninteresting buildings and signage. Maybe tomorrow Les will check the occupancy code certificate, then marvel at the fire exits.
“Hey! These emergency doors are just painted on!”
“Yep, Hollywood is so phony!”
So Mason’s recon for the shoot was basically what Batiuk did for this arc. And his avatar, Les, chastises Mason for being too intrusive. Huh.
Les’s first emotional connection to the project: a dour white-on-black sign.
LOL they couldn’t even spring for a sign in the “Lisa’s Story” font. Plenty of cash on hand to stage fake chemistry reads, though.
Ah, those reads were staged just so Mason could kiss a bunch of young actresses. He knew Marianne would take the part.
I see the film has apparently morphed into Lisa 5 Story, the newest addition to the Short Circuit cinematic universe. That should be an improvement. I assume Marianne is still voicing Lisa 5.
Hey, what kind of signs are those supposed to be? Where’s the scotch tape?
“And now it’s real”? In case you’ve forgotten, Lester, this is the second time you’ve been down this book-to-film road. And in the past eight months or so you’ve gone through discussions with Masonne you hated, Hollywood meetings you hated, “chemistry reads” you hated, and apparently the hiring of a titular actress you hated. And now a sign on a post gets you giddy? Please open that door and walk inside tomorrow, so we can all experience the depressed and depressing Les Moore we’ve all come to know and loathe.
It’s amazing how Batty invests so much of his own anger over his own failings into his alter ego, Les, who, as a trope, marvels at the movie which will never happen in the real world and for which there is no award forthcoming. It’s as if Batty is running the bases while simultaneously yanking himself off and crying.
“AND I HATE IT! I HATE IT FROM THE VERY SHALLOWS OF MY HEART! FOR HATE’S SAKE I SPIT MY LAST BREATH AT IT!”
Nice Firesign reference, by the way!
Shoes for Industry Comrade.
Kill Fee! Kill Fee! Kill Fee?
And yet again, Batiuk reminds us that he never understood what was going on around him back when he was sabotaging the Crankshaft project. It’s like how he made a hash of everything Stan Lee told him when he said “Your work need work, buddy.”
That sentence in the first panel reads as clunky out loud as it does in my head.
And why for the love of all that’s holy does Batty feel the need to be SO. DAMN. WORDY. when he describes/mentions something/someone?
Gee Mudhead, Marianne Winter’s will make a swell Bottles! C’mon, Porgy, “Bottle’s Story” is serious theater!
Les is either feeling up the building or doing jazz hands.
I like the knowing smile on Mason’s face in the last panel. “Wow, that’s what did it for him? I’ve been kissing this guy’s ass for months, and he wets his pants at a sign? Note to self, budget $10,000 for cheap marketing trinkets, and print ‘Lisa’s Story’ on all of it. We’ll buy this asshole’s compliance yet.”
I look forward to next week. When they’ve finished filming, editing, scoring and have already sent the prints out and we can enjoy the premier.
Oh don’t we all wish this would happen just to bring a swift end to this miserable story arc…
Then again, it could. I mean, Cindy won an Emmy for her Cliff Anger documentary and I don’t think Jessica was even halfway finished editing it.
And then they can go to New York City so Les can sign the shopping agreement!
what I’d like Masone to say is as follows:
No Les it isn’t real – we’re actually doing a comic book film but we don’t want the internet fan boys going wild just yet so we are using this title. We figure if someone finds out we’re shooting and investigates the title they will assume the film is a hallmark channel piece of bathos filled dreck – not the Justice Society the movie -i’m playing Hawkman by the way and Marianne is Hawkgirl.
Sorry old man it was all smoke and mirrors to keep the fanboys at bay – they might not like some of the things we’re doing sooo the longer we keep them from filling the internet with howls of anger the better. Here’s a check for your time and plane ticket home. I can’t say it’s been fun working with you and frankly I’m relived that we’re not doing Lisa’s Story. If we were, if i’d have to listen to your pathetic whining all the time and that prospect is just too depressing for words. And oh yes living in Ohio eats.
And the title “Lisa’s Story” is so generic it’s perfect for this purpose. “What’s on Stage 8 today? ‘Lisa’s Story’? Ha-ha, no seriously, what are they really filming in there?”
I can’t wait for Greg Turkington”s On Cinema On Location segment for this movie.
So TomBa thinks TV shows in front of a studio audience and movies are filmed exactly the same way??
The dumpster is right were it should be…next to where they are filming.
Why didn’t Batiuk show the dumpster? Doesn’t he know how to draw a fire?
Before I put on my reading glasses, I swore the sign was Adult Weedland Studios.
Dammit, now I’m seeing it too!
Me too. It would certainly be an improvement.
Did TomBa’s LA area tour include San Fernando Valley?