Today’s strip was not available for preview. Odds on potential happenings in the strip are posted below:
3-1 Cindy’s exclusive interview with Mason begins
1-1 Les, hanging around despite having no role in said interview, smirks
7-1 Appearance by the green pitcher
27-1 Appearance by the Montoni’s pie case
6-1 Starbuck Jones is mentioned
12-1 “Lust for Lisa” is mentioned
250-1 A cameraman will be present to record the interview
0.5-1 Nothing
1,000,000,000,000,000-1 Humor
“Sitting on my mind” is a rather odd turn of phrase, and it’s a rather odd perspective in panel 1 that makes it appear that Cory’s face is smooshed into Funky’s backside. Today’s strip gives the answer to those of us puzzled by how a middle aged man who jogs regularly and goes to the gym manages to maintain the physique of a couch potato. He’s beaten booze, only to replace that addiction with one to food: he eyeballs that leftover turkey the same way he contemplated that leftover bottle of bubbly a few New Year’s Eves ago:
“Nice to have you home son, even if it could potentially trigger an alcoholic relapse!” Props to Funky for being painfully candid with Cory about his condition (“…when my self-esteem bottoms out”? Lawd!). So ol’ Wade is still around…he was not looking so good when we last saw him at Christmas 2011.
Today’s strip is a lot more fun if you imagine “the best Christmas present” is not Cory’s return, but rather the sight of Funky clutching his chest, ready to keel over. Like, this:
I happen to be a sucker for those “returning soldier surprises his [blank]” videos. My two older brothers both served in the armed forces, and I still remember the joy my family and I felt upon their safe return. So I guess I won’t beat up Batiuk over having Cory pulling the old stealth maneuver for the second Christmas in a row. Though it is kind of fun to remember that Cory’s training and experience afford him the ability to sneak up on his parents and take ’em out before they knew what hit ’em.
Son of Stuck Funky 
