When It Rains We Snores…

Sourbelly: Meanwhile, you’re not missing anything in this strip. More “jokes” about high school marching bands marching in bad weather. For the TRILLIONTH time, I have to ask: Why is this supposed to be funny???

Sorry, Sourbelly, it looks like you’re going to have to ask a trillion and one!

It’s raining during another Battle of The Bands. Because band competitions happen outside, when it rains, marchers get wet. Somewhere there’s humor in this, or at least, 35 years ago, it was somewhat able to elicit a slight chuckle from the hardest core of band directors who have had rain affect any band competition they may have been in.

This sort of thing might be cute in a local band fundraising coupon flyer or something but for the most part it’s retread over schlock. Bill Watterson and Gary Larson are looking more and more like geniuses for leaving at the top of their game.

Too soon, too soon…

Tombat’s ability to uncannily dredge up natural disasters and acts of terrorism just as they’re happening in real life is in full force in today’s strip! With the official US death toll of Hurricane Sandy rapidly approaching 100, today’s little romp seems poorly timed. Most casual readers don’t know Batiuk writes these strips a year in advance; the whole thing just comes across as rather tasteless instead of the usual unfunny.

Happy Fillereen!

Cory is undergoing a life-changing event by starting his post-high school career in the military. What does Tombat decide to focus on? That woeful sad-sack of an absent father, Funky.

At least I’m guessing that’s what Wednesday’s strip is about. I’ll be at a Halloween party when this thing goes live.

I think Cory would have had a better chance at a happy life if he’d been raised in a war-torn third world country. Or heck, even a troupe of smelly baboons. Anything besides the World’s Lamest Dad.

EDIT:

My mistake, Snarkers! I thought that TomBat would dedicate more than just two days of filler to the title character’s son shipping off to a life in the military, seeing how there was a month-long arc about a kitten we’d never met before that was adopted by a character that was a complete stranger to us.

In today’s actual strip, apparently there is still a Westview High school! You’d think Summer graduating the school would just shutter its doors and windows but it appears life, however dreary, goes on.

*Bzzzt* "It's me, Cory. We're still backing out of the driveway…"

Private Winkerbean! Other than maybe Private Dancer or Private Parts it’d be harder to think of a worse last name to have if you’re about to go to boot camp. Ma and Pa Pizza are somehow able to muster up some half hearted musings as their son goes off to start a life in the military.

Given Wally’s track record in the military I’d be a little nervous too, Funky. Hopefully he isn’t aiming to beat Wally’s decade long POW record.

They're heeeeere…

Well well! Another opportunity to catch up with Westview’s own Dennis the Menace, Cory Winkerbean. Following in the footsteps of his uncle-cousin Wally, Cory appears to be headed off to start a life in the military.

Military snarkers– first off, I salute you. Secondly, is this how it all goes down? The mood is pretty grim; like they’re about to send him to a firing squad. Is this how it goes down? I was always under the impression recruits went to a bus station or flew to wherever their basic training was.

Note to Backache– this is not the best time to draw Cory as a 12-year old kid again.