While TB is clumsy at portraying genuine affection (think of any scene involving Les being romantic toward Cayla), when it comes to smarminess, he’s got that down pat. Frankie embraces Darin in panel 3 like a boa wrapping itself around a feral pig. Darin recoils as Frankie’s leering mug looms mere inches away from his own, exhaling a vapor of sour coffee, generic cigarettes, and last night’s beer.
31 thoughts on “Pierce a Pizza”
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Son of Stuck Funky 
It works now. And man, Frank’s facial expression does not change from one panel to the next. Also the look he gives Darin is a bit creepy. Anyway, Darin looks pretty ‘meh’ in the third panel.
Lastly, I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something about the position of Darin that bugs me. Like he’s almost in the right spot, but somehow not.
“So tell me, Son… Do you work here, or are you just hanging around? Oh. Both. Has a bio-dad ever been more disappointed in his sperm donation?”
Lastly, I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something about the position of Darin that bugs me. Like he’s almost in the right spot, but somehow not.
Well, the perspective concerning him and Jessica is more than a little problematic between panels 2 and 3. He’s behind and to the left of her, and then suddenly he’s basically sitting on her lap
It’s so funny how unsubtle Batiuk is. He can’t possibly take the chance of a reader thinking that Frankie’s on the up-and-up here, so he’ll have his face contorted into a sneer even as he’s trying to give Darin a fatherly hug. When it comes to subtlety, Batiuk is a monkey lobbing turds against a wall.
That’s our Pulitzer (nominee), pounding home that point until those ham-fists are so sore they can barely wrap themselves around a felt-tip to crank out one more hatchet-face before curfew. The eyebrows are a nice touch too, just a remider that we’re not dealing with your average everyday Westviewian sneering here.
Interesting how he needed to bring this sketchy Lenny guy with him to this very personal meeting. Maybe it’s a sign that this “plot” is finally going to lurch forward a little (although I would bet on that, either).
Eh, there’s some OK characterization in this one. I’d actually say Darin’s stone-faced “Mr. Pierce” is a good line.
Jessica seems pretty superfluous, though, and it looks like Batuik wasn’t sure what to do when drawing her. In panel 3 I’m pretty sure she’s copping a feel of Frankie’s sweet, evil Batuik Butt.
“There he is.”
“Mr. Batiuk.”
“Son of Stuck Funky!”
Hugs.
I think Comics Kingdom made a mistake, and ran the strip that’s supposed to run on July 20th.
After a week of the Idio-Clowns discussing whether or not to meet bio-dad, suddenly there all just there, in Montoni’s?
What happened to the week of getting in the car while smirking, the week of driving while smirking, the week of getting out of the car while smirking, the week of opening the door while smirking, the week of sitting down at the table while smirking, followed by five weeks of Frankie and Lenny doing the same, in parallel?
Talk about cutting out a vital part of the arc! This whole story makes no sense now, and no one can follow it properly.
“Hi Bio-dad. How about a bio-breakfast pizza? I can order it on my bio-cell phone using my bio-pizza app. Here, shake. Sorry I didn’t wash my bio-hands after taking a bio-dump.”
Ah So…..I see that some snarkers are double dipping under other names over at CK. I know I know…it’s not the same.
Since this arch began I just read War & Peace and am 1/2 finished with Crime & Punishment.
I prefer those quick action cheap novels to this drawn out work of great literature
Frankie the Rapist hugging Darrin might be the warmest display of affection we have ever seen in this strip.
So are we actually going to ever find out exactly who this Lenny guy is, or is he just going to continue lurking in the first panel of every strip for the rest of this story arc? All I can surmise so far is that maybe they are both involved in an evil production company, and his ancestors bred with sharks at some point in the past.
I can only assume the green pitcher is red today because it’s angry.
I am not sure whether that’s because it has to witness the Durwood/Bio-Dad reunion or because it’s been placed under Montoni’s wall of “celebrity” customers (Cindy, Les, John Darling, Les, Dinkle, John Byrne, Les, and Barry Balderman). Either one is understandable.
That was Frankie’s first big mistake. Nothing makes Westviewites suspicious like expressions of unrestrained joy.
See, if I was a normal person, and I’d just contacted a lost relative who made it clear that he did NOT want to meet me, I’d be real hesitant about the “full body” hug we’re seeing. Probably more like a handshake and a “Well, I think there are some explanations I need to make.”
Not so Frankie. Charges right in there and gives the unwanted hug, because he’s so certain that he’s right in all things, and that his way is of course the best way, and all who do not agree are at best just riddled with errors.
You know, there’s another Batiuk creation who has the exact name mindset. What’s his name again? Oh yeah.
Les Moore.
In P3, Jessica is giving serious thought to looking for her father, John Darling, in Australia. Alone.
Is it possible Batiuk caught onto us and had Comics Kingdom cut out a vast swath of filler?
Can’t sleep – Durrin’s scary face in the header will eat me!!
Batiuk would never have a week or two of filler cut out, he would lose his precious “year ahead of deadline.”
Changed the interior, the green jug is now red. BatHack is always so cutting edge on interiors.
“So, David, what I had in mind was that we’d–”
“It’s DARIN, dillweed!”
“OK, Darin Dillweed; how’s about my partner takes your little wife in the back room to show her where babies come from while you and I discuss the best way to get a kidney donation from a sullen, uncooperative nobody!”
Gah, about that masthead face. I can’t be specific (because I don’t want to think about it) but you just know that’s Darin raging about Frankie’s treatment of Saint Lisa. Guaranteed.
Since Batiuk knows how to draw no face but the smirk (second only to the famous Tim Buckley B^U), the “Angry Darin” face looks more ridiculous than angry. Especially with that beaked nose.
Rachel: ‘Hey, it’s that guy who asked about the Funky Winkerboard!”
Jess: “Um, that’s Darin’s Bio-Dad.”
Rachel: “His WHAT?!?”
Jess: “His birth father.”
Rachel: “Then why didn’t you just say THAT?!?”
Jess: “Hmph. That’s not important. What’s important is that I thought it was important that he meets his bio dad, whether he wanted to or not!”
Rachel: “Well, I….*….um, why is Darin’s birth father palming Darin’s fanny?”
Jess: “….um…maybe he’s from Europe?”
Rachel: “…yeah, that’s the way fathers hug long lost estranged sons in Europe. Are you EFFIN’ INSANE?!?”
Jess: “No, I’m a documentarian. Did you know I’m making a docudrama about my murderd father, John Darling?”
Rachel: “….I think I’m needed back at the Funky Winkerboard. Bye!”
This toucing story will be re-enacted on stage by the renowned Westview troupe- Lurk, Smirk, Sneer, Snarl and Grimace.
Man that masthead face is Nightmare Fuel.
Yikes, the face that launched a thousand pizza apps.
Jeez, the Story Of Boy Lisa’s New Nose has been covered already, but yikes. If the word “creep” is not involved somehow in this arc, I for one will be amazed.
I think Darin used it last week, actually.
Speaking of nose, Darin’s nose job should be covered in a flashback, but I bet Batiuk just forgot he had a “ski nose” at all.
I’m a little bit late for this, but darn it, J.R., you made me crack up. XD
Darin’s Nose: 2007 vs 2013:
AHHH! Warn us when you’re gonna do that, TFH! I wonder what happened to Boy Lisa during the time jump that turned his once-Lisa-esque pointy nose into a Funky-like schnozz? He leaves lots of details about Derin up to the readers to fill in, you know? So in classic retcon FW style, I’m going to assume he was involved in some sort of “altercation” while he was off MBA’ing in the Big City, probably brought about due to his constant, annoying smirking.
I almost never read the CK comments but today I gave them a glance. Made me appreciate our merry band of SoSF regulars even more. What a debacle that whole scene is, even by internet standards. Whoever thought it’d be a good idea to allow comments under the daily funnies was sadly mistaken.