“Back in the fall“?!? No, Les, it was Christmastime, for cryin’ out loud, when your non-bio non-stepson took time off from his “work” (oh, please) to hang out with you. And as far as we know, he appeared at the signing only because you were not home at the Taj Moore-hal when Boy Lisa showed up there unexpectedly. “Legs of the book tour” my ass. You wanna talk about legs? Check out Les’ pins in panel one. It’s a wonder they can support the weight of his body plus two tennis rackets!
Tag: Darin
By Your Powers Combined!
What powers would ‘soggy superhero comics’ give? I don’t get it.
On Friday, commentator Erdmann made the guess: “Anyone else suspect there’s a comic book cover Sunday strip headed our way?”
To which Bobanero replied: “It would be the longest lead up to a Sunday Comic Book Cover strip in history.”
Kudos for both the prediction and the comment. Indeed this entire meandering, yet linear, arc over the past three months seems to have been building to this end.
And by ‘this end’ I mean Batiuk establishing some of his protagonists in a new comics related field so he can keep getting his precious commissioned covers whenever the mood strikes. He obviously had gotten all the Starbuck Jones covers he wanted, and is preparing to branch out.
Interesting that we don’t get a tip of the Funky Feltpen directly on the strip. The name on the bottom of the line art says Fairgood. Honestly interested in who drew this.
A Dam Failure.
On March 20 of this year Chester laid out the raison d’être for Atomik Komikkkkks: “I want the stories in Atomic Comics to be heroic and uplifting! And there will be no gratuitous deaths unless we are absolutely convinced it will help sales.”
So of course, Pete’s first idea is an origin story involving thousands killed in a catastrophic flash flood.
And Darin is so casual, leaning back, smiling. As if he’s begging Pete to write him like one of his French comics. “Je serai Milou si tu vas être Tintin.”
Don’t Eat the ‘Magical’ ‘Pepperoni’.
Today’s strip is finally up.
“Waterlogged comics! Mixed with moldy discarded pizza toppings! And mildew! That’s our hero.”
Darin stares blankly at Pete.
“It emerges from the basement: a sentient mass in the vague shape of a man, but grotesque and lumpy. An abomination of pulped paper, and smeared three-color inks, held together by black mold and marinara.”
Darin doesn’t speak.
“But there’s this beautiful woman, see and she is entranced by his doughy nature, his strange charms. Even though they can’t be together in a traditional sense, she is willing to do anything, try anything, to feel in every cell of her being the deeper spiritual connection pulsing between the flawless woman and the eldritch Comicmuck Thing! All in a homage to Swamp Thing 34! You know, Alan Moore? Rite of Spring?”
Darin reluctantly puts his pencil to paper… “Okay Pete, if you’re sure you’re okay with us using your love life that way.”
Or You Could Just Die, Either Or
Once again BatHole’s vast “writing” ineptitude is on full display. If you were reading the events of this story in novel form you’d have laughed and casually tossed it into the fireplace already, just to spare yourself the embarrassment of having it in your home. So just like that this Flash guy is leaving? Does he work there or was he just brought in specifically to wish Pete well with his new job? It’s such a weird and inexplicable tangent, all for a really sad and pitiful payoff too.
“Hello, Flash? This is Chester Hagglemore. I own a new comic book company based on Batom Comics. Do you remember the ol’ Eaton Building where you used to work? Well, I bought it and…”
“What? Hello? (buttons on keypad being pressed)”
“Mr. Flash, I bought that building and one of my employees is a big fan of your old work and I thought…”
“What? Hello? Who’s this now? Comic books?”
“Yes sir, I was wondering if you’d let me stash you in the building to surprise this Pete fellow, it’d really mean a lot to him and…”
“Hello? Brady Wentworth, now THERE was a REAL SCUMBAG! Still OWES ME MONEY!! Hello?”
(phone rustling noises, yelling)
“This is Mr Flash’s nurse. You’ll have to call him back, the “Diagnosis: Murder” with Tim Conway and Harvey Korman is on. After dinner is fine, say 3:15 or so.”
I mean come on. And Pete has been in the comic book game for years now, while being flattered by McFlashowitz’s praise is all well and good that grotesque star-struck look on his face is way out of proportion with the events that just took place.
Son of Stuck Funky 
