Tag: Summer

Now the First of December Was Covered with Snow

Many, many thanks to David O for handling author duties over the last fortnight!

Epicus Doomus
November 28, 2013 at 11:11 pm
…I like how Summer just decided to keep wearing the hoodie straight through the year until it was weather-appropriate again. I assume she has an entire closet full of them and not just one…at least I hope she does.

Reckon she’s not only got a closet full of KSU hoodies, but she’s got ’em in blue and gold! Weather-appropriate? Guess so, since it’s all Summer needs to protect her against snowflakes the size of Montoni’s meatballs.

You’d think, though, that a young woman who could shell out $54 for a sweatshirt would spend a little more on a baby gift for her nephew. Instead, Auntie Summer comes bearing “Small Bear”, a cherished toy from her own kid-hood. “Here, “bro”: give this moldy, raggedy old thing to your newborn to play with!”

And Mr. Batiuk, please do a little research into what an infant carrier looks like: that little cameo in panel one looks like nothing so much as a baby reposing in a propped-up coffin!

Weekend At Baby’s

What faraway place is Les at tonight? Does Cayla even has to ask? Les is with his dead wife of course! Today’s strip has Les spending more quality time with Lisa’s ghost as he ponders what-ifs. At some point he probably realized that he wouldn’t be a delicate genius author if she’d lived, so he’s probably glad things turned out the way they did.

Babybabybabybabybaby

There’s a scene in the holiday classic movie “Gremlins” where the Gremlins all break into a bar and start smoking, drinking, cussing, gambling and swinging on ceiling fans. It’s great fun for the first minute but the bit goes on for about three minutes longer than it should and you’re left thinking: “Can we get back to the plot now?”

Today’s strip is a lot like that. Okay, you had a baby. It’s cute, apparently, we’ll just have to take your word for it, Westviewites, because it looks like a Mr. Potato Head toy from here. But can we get on with the strip!?

Moia Summer, Moia Problems

Today’s strip.

Get yer Funky Winkerbean tropes here! Let’s see how many I can list:

  • The world’s greatest videographer once again has no camera and no one documenting her big event (Roberta’s dad is a better videographer, in that he occasionally shoots some video).
  • A lame pun!
  • The falling leaves…
  • The artist suddenly forgets how to draw a character (Der-hey! He suddenly looks like Conan O’Brien in panel 1).
  • The smirking moai, usually an act of Les, is now Summer’s turf (panel 2, left).

This one’s not a trope (yet), but what has been going on with that banner? Its right side is suspended by—magic? a ginormous protrusion from Derwood’s occipital skull? writing?

Westview’s Only Growth Industry

Today’s strip

According to a UCSF study, when it comes to funding medical research

Depression ($719 M), injuries ($691 M), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ($613 M) were the most underfunded.

If you visit this NIH funding report and click on one of the table headings to sort by actual funding, you’ll find that cancer research is well funded. Given how depressing this serious serial art form is, I might have a suggestion for a more worthy target for Funky Winkerbean’s charitable efforts.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to encourage donations to fund cancer treatment and research. It’s a generous and kind thing to do. But the constant droning of Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa… mentally drowns out the actual cause.

Not to mention poor Cayla (I thought I said not to mention her!). She’s barely visible in the background of panel 1, joyfully carrying a carton of T-shirts bearing her predecessor’s name, all the while about to be struck by a no-doubt suicidal falling leaf. At least the colorist remembered to use Fall colors for the leaves this time. Cayla’s daughter, of whom Cayla is the mother, is a barely differentiated smudge against the backdrop of The Gazebo in Westview (panel 2).

The titular character appears today, prominently displaying the effects of the contextual reality field that ensures he’s trim enough to run whenever the plot requires it. Don’t fret, though: he’ll be 75 pounds heavier the moment he returns to work at Montoni’s.