Tag: chullo

They’re Wafer-Thin

Link to today’s strip.

You know, I don’t think it quite works that way.  When you report to your homeroom that you’ve sold a box or two, but your profits aren’t money but cookies, the folks in charge are going to frown at you.

Imagine the scene when the class goes to the bus station to begin their journey.

“Hi!  So you’re the crew that’s going to Washington, DC!  Great!  Can I have the check, please.”

“Well, we’re not paying with money, of course not!  We have lots of boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, though!  Surely their value will allow us to purchase tickets for an interlude of fun!”

“—”

In terms of actual humor, this reminds me of a “Beavis and Butthead” episode in which they were supposed to sell candy bars, but ended up using the same dollar to buy each others’ bars in turn, ending up with all the bars gone but with only a dollar to show for it.

I’m sure Tom Batiuk would be horrified to know that his work reminds people of “Beavis and Butthead”…but that’s kind of a bonus, isn’t it.

The artwork in this one has a number of nice touches.   I’m sick of seeing that chullo, but it’s quite intricately detailed–obviously, Tom Batiuk put some time and effort into it.  And the girl scout’s badges and sash were clearly drawn with care.  The neighborhood is well-depicted, too; you can actually catch the character of the area.  You know the time this is happening; that’s nicely done.

I especially like the detail of the footsteps in the snow–it’s actually used to tell the story, showing where these two were just moments before.   It also has a sense of, for lack of a better word, ongoingness.  You get the sense that these two have been going from door to door for some time during the day, rather than just starting out.  The only false note in the art is the way Chullo’s hand is bent, but I can chalk that up to Tom Batiuk’s desire to show the front of the box

Things like this are what puzzle me the most about this strip.  Tom Batiuk clearly has the tools to tell stories, and he’s capable of the odd subtle yet important touch.  So why doesn’t he put more effort into the actual substance of the strip?  Why add these things only on rare occasions? Today’s strip tells me that he could make this strip at least readable (if unremarkable), but he’d just rather not.

But the odd touches make me think he still…kind of cares about this thing.  And if he still cares, perhaps he could set another goal, other than getting his strip to that 50 year anniversary.  Perhaps a goal that might, you know, engage him a bit.

I mean, six years is a long way to go on autopilot.

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Link to today’s strip.

Well, once again I can kind of see the joke here.  If Owen was slightly likable, it could have worked, though in the main it seems like a joke well past its prime.  I recently unearthed a whole slew of BC paperbacks I’d put in storage, and this seems like a joke BC might have used back in the 70’s.  Peter would be leaning up against a rock painted “Peter’s Popcorn Emporium” and BC himself would ask about flavors and be given the same spiel, with the same response.

Although, I think BC would have…phrased…the final question somewhat better.  “Do you just have any plain popcorn” is really awkward, almost desperate; it would be far better said “Do you have any just plain popcorn” but I guess if you’ve been out of the joke-telling business for a decade or two, the ol’ muscles get a bit rusty.

And yes, I can also see the attempts at humor in the flavorings–sushi, gruyere-porcini, et al.  If Tom Batiuk really wanted to kick it into “funny” territory, the last entry would be “spam.”  But I guess that was a bridge too far.

By the way, those old BC paperbacks were pretty funny.  Amazing what could be done with some rocks, some odd tunics, ants, a Fat Broad, and a Cute Chick.

Pop Will Eat Itself

Link to today’s strip.

Well, in fairness, that’s typically how high school popcorn/candy sales work.  The parents will buy two or three, some relatives will be guilted into picking up a couple, and the seller doesn’t even have to stop lounging in front of the TY!   Watching Elvis the Pelvis!  You know, I think it’s time he had a haircut!

As I said, that’s how it usually goes.  Though it’s kind of sad to see how little Les thinks of his charges; naturally, none of them are going to put any effort into this…or into anything else, ever, for the rest of their lives.  Supposedly, Les is a teacher, and is supposed to inspire them.  Instead, he would just prefer to offer yet another highly-punchable smirk.  The man is a walking disease.

It’s surprising that he still has all his teeth.

Craigslist

Link to today’s strip.

I honestly don’t know anything about “senior class trips” so I don’t know if Craig’s question has a legitimate basis (“Can a senior still go if he’s in danger of flunking?”) or if this is just more “Today’s Kids–the Marching Morons” that this strip loves to toss onto today’s world.

A better question might be something like, “If you’re so gifted, Mr. Moore, why are all your students still idiots?”

As ever, the students are all clueless while the staff are cynical saints, weary of the impossible task of imparting knowledge.  Does anyone remember Funky Winkerbean back in the Act I days–wasn’t it the reverse?  The staff were all cynical tight-asses, dedicated to stopping fun, while the students were happy free spirits?  Has Mr. Batiuk’s dim view of high school aged along with him, so that the heroes have shifted sides?

It’s something to ponder, from a strip that offers pretty much nothing to ponder, other than “Why is this still happening?”