I’ll see your bet, and I’ll raise you that Tom Batiuk never gets tired of patting himself on the back.
SoSF does the research so you don’t have to: today TB gives a shout out to Susan Cash, marketing manager of Kent State University Press, and Mickey Ciriello, the real-life Tony Montoni, owner of Luigi’s Pizza in Akron. God only knows why.
Wow. Les’ ego-fest just gets better and better. The years have not been kind to Mary Sue’s “most wanted bod”, and now Les, who in high school was such a nerd as to wear glasses in the swimming pool, can enjoy feeling even more superior to her. No “Hi, Mary Sue, thanks for coming, so nice to see you again!” Instead it’s “Really…what a surprise…you’ve gotten so…so fat. Muah-hah-haaahhh!“
“Hey kids! Feeling like nobody appreciates your talent? Looking to boost your self-esteem? Become a cartoonist! Then pick a character to serve as your stand-in, have that character achieve minor success, and then spend a couple weeks having other characters shower him with praise!” —Tommy Batiuk, Akron, OH
Obviously, this admirer thinks that everything is profound. And Les sure knows how to handle a compliment, huh? Try something un-profound, like “Thanks”.
It’s funny because she’s a blonde. I guess. I wish I had a nickel for every time Les came off like a smug, condescending, egotistical asshole.
Baby Hands Lady provides another allusion to Les’ Book that Somehow Got Published, as, out on the rainy sidewalk, Funky and Rachel distribute loaves and fishes coffee to the multitude. Meanwhile, today Apple Annie is tapped to serve as TB’s mouthpiece, spewing a profundity that no doubt Batiuk picked up from a mentor or a bumper sticker.
Son of Stuck Funky 