Author: beckoningchasm

Pop Will Eat Itself

Link to today’s strip.

Well, in fairness, that’s typically how high school popcorn/candy sales work.  The parents will buy two or three, some relatives will be guilted into picking up a couple, and the seller doesn’t even have to stop lounging in front of the TY!   Watching Elvis the Pelvis!  You know, I think it’s time he had a haircut!

As I said, that’s how it usually goes.  Though it’s kind of sad to see how little Les thinks of his charges; naturally, none of them are going to put any effort into this…or into anything else, ever, for the rest of their lives.  Supposedly, Les is a teacher, and is supposed to inspire them.  Instead, he would just prefer to offer yet another highly-punchable smirk.  The man is a walking disease.

It’s surprising that he still has all his teeth.

Craigslist

Link to today’s strip.

I honestly don’t know anything about “senior class trips” so I don’t know if Craig’s question has a legitimate basis (“Can a senior still go if he’s in danger of flunking?”) or if this is just more “Today’s Kids–the Marching Morons” that this strip loves to toss onto today’s world.

A better question might be something like, “If you’re so gifted, Mr. Moore, why are all your students still idiots?”

As ever, the students are all clueless while the staff are cynical saints, weary of the impossible task of imparting knowledge.  Does anyone remember Funky Winkerbean back in the Act I days–wasn’t it the reverse?  The staff were all cynical tight-asses, dedicated to stopping fun, while the students were happy free spirits?  Has Mr. Batiuk’s dim view of high school aged along with him, so that the heroes have shifted sides?

It’s something to ponder, from a strip that offers pretty much nothing to ponder, other than “Why is this still happening?”

The Ghost Who Balks

Link to today’s strip.

Don’t know what I can say about this.  Frank Brunner is a really great artist, and that’s a heck of a cover–it makes me want to read the comic inside.  Too bad Tom Batiuk had to junk it up with his own stuff, the sad, miserable “creators” that live in his sad, miserable comic strip.  I think he should abandon the idea of a Sunday strip that references his characters, and just do comic book tributes every week.  Just the covers, no stupidity in the margins.  I’d like that; at least the artwork would be good, and we’d get less of these smelly, trollish creatures that proudly wallow in their own mire.

Once again, there’s not a joke to be had here, but I am amused that The Idiotwins think that “spongetonite” stinks as a concept, to the extent that it cannot be associated with…The Amazing Mr. Sponge.  Really, the dumbest non-parody superhero of all time, and apparently he’s just too good for “spongetonite.”  That is rich.

At present I have no idea what Monday will bring.  Possibly more of The Idiotwins tolling in comic-book Hell, with an unhinged Brady fuming that his ideas were squelched, although I would note this:  that would be something interesting, that would develop a story beyond just stating a concept and smirking…so that probably means we’ll get Les watching the “For Les” tape.  Or Funky at the gym, haven’t had one of those in a while.

We can be certain of only this:  it won’t be funny, it will be dull, and it will be excruciatingly padded.

Dung

Link to today’s strip.

Sigh.  So, tomorrow (Sunday) we get to look forward to another comic book tribute.  Hey, why not, it sure saves writing and drawing effort on Tom Batiuk’s part, and the artwork is usually not too bad.

Now, I’m no expert in comic books–thank goodness–but it sure looks like Cigar McBalding is holding a finished proof in his hands.  If he’s asking for a cover change at this stage, he’s either a moron or has so much money he can afford to throw lots of it away.  (Or, to be fair, both.)  This things is ready to roll off the presses–it’s a bit late to be making major changes.

This episode contrasts with the others this week.  In those, Cigar McBalding suggested “improvements” to be implemented in the future (at least he discusses it with the creative team, unlike the people at Cable Movie Entertainment who just present a list of demands).  In those episodes, at least he steered the folks toward what he wanted.  Today, he’s looking at something that (presumably) he approved, and wants changes made way late in the process.

Sigh again.  If Tom Batiuk’s fantasy world consists of crass publishers and beleaguered writers…man, that’s just too depressing to think about.   Imagine Sam Lowry from Brazil daydreaming about being buried under tons of garbage…and liking it.

Another example of a “who cares” episode, by which I mean more evidence that Tom Batiuk just doesn’t care any more.  It seems to be obvious that he would rather be eating cookies, drinking hot chocolate, and reading old issues of The Flash in the attic rather than put any time or effort into his work.  (This seems worrisome.  Is is possible for nostalgia to become a mental disorder?  I’m serious.)

There’s no joke here.  There’s no here here.  There’s also a deliberate blindness here.  If he’s so passionate about genuine creativity being pushed aside by crass mediocrity, why is his comic strip taking up space that could be used for something good?