Nick of Time

SoSfDavidO Here, and don’t even try and figure out today’s title, as it’s not punny at all, unlike In today’s strip. It’s the title to a Twilight Zone episode that freaked me out as a kid and I think is fairly appropriate of a comparison to Montoni’s. In it, a young William Shatner is held hostage by the idea he can never leave a little diner because of a tiny mechanical fortune teller that seems to have hold over him.

And here is Darin, almost seemingly stuck in a small diner he can’t escape from either! The mechanical band just seals the deal as far as reminding me of the Twilight Zone episode.

Can anyone ever truly leave Westview?

Feet Fail Me Now

SosfDavidO here! Aw, lookit! In today’s strip we get treated to Tombat’s take on the “someone who is dancing silly is interrupted by someone silently watching” schtick that was the mainstay of movie trailers in the late 90s. Cue up that record-scratch sound effect!

What’s the cause for celebration? He finished another book! Presumably the same book that Darin had given him an idea for only yesterday. Either he used 48pt font or I’m calling complete, utter, time-bending, reality-warping bulls*** on this!

Darin’ Choice

SoSfDavidO here, and I’m gawking at a well-trod troupe at this point, which is sort of like the pronoun game only the complete opposite. Today’s strip might as well have Darin turn and deliver the last line straight past the 4th wall.

Why does Tombat do this? Does he really think new readers are joining in and trying to follow this mess? In catering to them, he’s putting off his longtime readers with dialog that no one sane would ever speak aloud.

The gears in Les’s head are spinning like Darin just dropped some amazingly profound advice or something but it should be obvious the Lisa cash cow can still be milked. Sure, why not write about Lisa? Maybe it’ll get optioned for a movie!

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Re-Pete Teenage Years

Oh boy, everything in today’s strip not only unsurprisingly goes back to comics but even features what appears to be a 18 year old Pete getting the chance to haul Darin in to the clutches of the evil Hollywood.

“We’re ready to get started on the story boards, Pete?” I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t film first and then do storyboards later, given Tombat’s understanding of Hollywood.

So now we have Darin, an MBA, working at a pizza joint, raising a kid, developing apps and sidelining a job storyboarding for a major film for Hollywood. Yes, this is a normal person, sure. At this rate, by next year he’ll also be doing anesthesiology and training circus seals.

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Moore Moping

Really? A 4th plague is about to be unleashed upon the world in form of Les’s literary scribblings? Today’s strip is the first tease we’ve gotten at this, and Darin is grinning like he just saw The Last Guardian preview at comic-con. If his last books are any indication, this book could take years to write. Yep, we’ll probably be in for the treat watching Les deal with writer’s block, pushy publisher dealines and rewrites well into 2018.