Westboro Meets Westview

“So what’s up with all of this?” Turns out that Roberta is not the only intolerant jerk in Westview. She’s merely the ringleader to at least a dozen others, and boy, are they pissed! It’s an ugly mob in every sense of the word.

Doesn’t like gays, but has huge purple polka dots on his sleeve.

“GOD HATES
THE FLINTSTONES”

What’s Lisa
doing here?

And I am very surprised at
Kevin the Midget.

Eff this guy.
Seriously.

Look out! She’s got
the crazy eye!

Fortunately, who should happen by but Summer Moore, defender of the defenseless, who instantly springs into action to organize a counter-demonstration. Hell, instead of a cellphone, why doesn’t TB have her pull a can of spinach out of her hoodie, gulp it down and then proceed to beat the crap out of the demonstrators? She’s that awesome! Oh, right… we still have three more weeks to fill…

Rotten to the Cor-y?

‘th hell happened to Cory? Early in Act III, he really had the potential to be an interesting character: son of an alcoholic/workaholic father who had no time for him, Cory was by turns a thief, a vandal, and a test cheat. Readers still wonder what went on at the New Year’s Eve party he threw while his parents treated themselves to a Caribbean vacation. Nowadays, his sole purpose is to serve as a wisecracking foil to his hapless teachers. Maybe that experience wearing the pizza costume succeeded in finally breaking his rebellious spirit.

Paper View

Cory cares not a rat’s ass about climate change; he just enjoys being a shit-disturber. What I find disturbing is the hit-or-miss quality of the artwork in today’s comic. Check out the grotesesque grinning mug at the far right of panel 2: what’s he smiling about? And I recognize Summer by her blue hair, but has her face melted? What dread, degenerative disease has caused Rana’s droopy mug in the penultimate panel? And Cory seems to age about 15 years between panels 4 & 5. He morphs, mid-harangue, from a dopey child to a sardonic hipster.

Wouldn’t recycled paper be the most eco-friendly option? I’m not sure how cutting “farm-raised trees” has less of a carbon impact than cutting trees that are, uh, free range? It’s like telling a vegetarian that it’s ok to eat that burger because it came from a farm-raised cow.

Say Cheese

Taking the senior class photo has changed? Because it’s being taken with a cellphone? Wow, progress, huh? Something else that’s changed is TB’s draftsmanship, if indeed it is he who drew this. I have no idea who the old gent taking the picture is, but I guess he’s another throwaway teacher, or maybe a passerby who the class asked if he would oblige. But this whole strip looks like it took ten minutes to draw. We recognize Maddie by her hat and red hair, and Cory by his shifty demeanor. But is that supposed to be the Capitol dome in the background? Might as well be Podunk City Hall.

Flashback to the 2007 Washington trip…Chien is still a drip…

Quarant'anni di Montoni's

Finally, a special occasion that actually deserves to be celebrated at Montoni’s. The joint hasn’t been this packed since Darin discovered breakfast pizza. Everybody’s here…of course, Becky and Wally have to slave away back in the kitchen, and Khan’s been a persona non grata since opening up his own eatery nearly a year ago. Holly and Donna are in the same shot, proving they are not the same person; ditto Summer and Pete (wasn’t he leaving town?). Dead Skunk Head John and Bull are either gazing lovingly at one another or have just finished sharing a joint.