Author: TFHackett

Funny as a Crutch

Click to view larger

The bald guy in panel 2 has that look on his face because he just spent the last four hours on a plane listening to Les abusing the flight attendants. And now Les is walking behind the poor guy and muttering to himself.

I guess Les’ cellphone battery died again, because he doesn’t know if his superstar daughter’s team won tonight’s tournament game. By the way, Panel 3 Les: the momentum would take the team into the next round, not vice-versa.

Les arrives home (didn’t need to be picked up this time?) not to the expected victory celebration, but to be greeted by the sight of his golden girl on crutches. A tip of the SoSF porkpie hat to the many FW followers who predicted a career-threatening sports injury to Sum’ Mo’.

Ronnie, We Hardly Knew Ye

http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/showComick.mpl?date=20110205&name=Funky_Winkerbean

Having served as a soft-focus lens through which we glimpsed young, sensitive, yearning College Les, Ronnie takes her autographed copy and leaves us, never to be seen again. Hopefully the next person in line isn’t another college buddy, else we’re in for another week of  Les-turbation.

Way to Go, Ohio

http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/showComick.mpl?date=20110204&name=Funky_Winkerbean

Young Les, who retroactively grows handsomer by the day, gazes out over the mighty Cuyahoga and plans his “getaway”. This would be much more poignant if we didn’t know that his post-college trajectory would land him right back in Westview!

Bonus Location Footage! Our Kent, Ohio correspondent crisis du jour has once again provided pics of the actual locations in today’s strip! Les’ reverie unfolds not very far from the KSU campus.

Pufferbelly Restaurant
(behind Les in p1)
(click to view larger)		  

The old Bisslers building and the bridge
over the Cuyahoga (panel 2)
(click to view larger)

Moore than This

http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/showComick.mpl?date=20110202&name=Funky_Winkerbean

Tom Batiuk Les Moore and his old college pal share a sepia-toned memory. Ronnie’s present-day wizened appearance belies the fact that she once was a hipster coed who drove a bitchin’ VW Bug.

Les’ comment in panel 3 sent me to look up the definition of “cocksure” (I’ll leave the dick jokes to everyone else):

  1. feeling perfect assurance sometimes on inadequate grounds
  2. marked by overconfidence or presumptuousness :cocky

…so the “punchline”, while not funny, certainly has the ring of truth.

Update:
Reader “crisis du jour” has very helpfully pointed out that today’s scene plays out on the campus of Kent State. He even included a picture of White Hall, the building in the background.