Get ready for a showdown between a Great Depression-era science fiction hero and an ineffectual villain whose evil superpowers nobody can understand. And in the middle of it all is “Pro-Crastinator” Pete, whose superpower seems to be his ability to shape-shift from pencil necked geek, to man with boobs, to today’s Chris Christie-like proportions.
Author: TFHackett
Bursting with Inanity
Pete’s concept of gravity and space appears to be on a par with Wonder Woman’s understanding of how rockets work. Objects in space don’t need bubbles or anything else to keep them “afloat”. But Batiuk’s on a roll here, so let’s let him have his fun, I guess.
Go Ask Alex
Everyone say hi to Alex, Westview’s only comix fangirl (since Chien vanished) and mopey Pete’s biggest admirer, in her first strip appearance in over five years. Owen and his usual sidekick Cody are apparently on the outs since that yearbook photo remark, and anyway, what does Cody know about gurlz? The Chullo’d One, like Pete, just cannot understand why women don’t find him appealing. Alex responds to Owen’s plight not with empathy but with teasing. Poor Owen is a geek even among geeks.
Park and Rocket
Erich
March 15, 2013 at 10:56 am
So, Batiuk is paying homage to Alex Raymond…by treating Raymond’s characters like idiots. Sounds about right.
Today’s strip would have actually worked very nicely had it ended at “I’m amazed you found a parking spot in New York City.” But TB’s committed to portraying Flash and Dale as a 23rd century version of “The Lockhorns”.
Rusty
March 14, 2013 at 12:06 am
…Does Flash look like Darin because [Batiuk] can only draw a few different faces…?
That’s very possible. In panel 3, Flash looks a lot like Dan from the Kilimanjaro trip…
Dale Ar-dumb
And so, 400 miles from the few friends he has, and unable to find companionship in the big city, Pete succumbs to his curiously outdated, retro fantasy. Flash and Dale have come to enlist the Pro-Crasturbator’s help against the Lord of the Late. Since LotL is known as the nemesis of comics writers on deadline, it’s unclear why Flash Gordon would have a beef with him.
Son of Stuck Funky 
