All Your Hot Water Bottles Are Belong To Us

Dan, you pathetic, cringing little milksop. Nobody thought it could be done: you have officially out-pussied Les. “I’ll take six” hot water bottles; in other words, “the other five of you sitting at this table can freeze tonight! Nobody told me it gets this cold in Africa!” If Dan is in fact based on a real person that TB met on Kilimanjaro, I hope he’s a good sport, because he really comes off as a complete douchebag here.

Dapper Dan

“My kid brother looked like a tick about to pop!” – Ralphie, A Christmas Story

With Les following his daughter’s lead in becoming acclimated to conditions on Kili’s slopes (they don’t even need gloves today), it now falls to Dan to serve as the expedition’s weakest link. His bulky form in panel 1 makes Summer look svelte by comparison. Even Les allows himself a smirk at overlayered Dan’s expense.

Grace-Les

Wow! “Leaving our footprints/pawprints/buttprints in the snow of Kilimanjaro!” Tell it to Neil Armstrong and (New Jersey’s own!) Buzz Aldrin. The footprints that they left on the moon 43 years ago this month? They’re still there. Footprints in the snow of Kilimanjaro (or anywhere else on earth)? Not so permanent. Still, anytime Les is made to look like an even bigger fool, it’s all right with us.

That's So Raven

Well, Dan sure looks like he’s enjoying himself, eh? I’d be a little down in the mouth too, if I’d spent a bundle on a Kilimanjaro expedition and then had to spend it babysitting a kitten. Let’s see how Backpack Kitty “holds her own” vs. that white-necked raven. Quoth Wikipedia:

Most of this bird’s food is obtained from the ground…it has been seen to drop a tortoise from a height onto hard ground, preferably on rocks, and then swoop down to eat it, or even pick it up again if not sufficiently broken.

Maybe Dan was looking on waiting for Kitty to meet its fate (“It was an accident!“) and is annoyed that Summer has interrupted.

Con-tent-ment

Today the ever-erudite Batiuk tips the Funky fedora to Papa Hemingway. Say what you will about Summer (and you do!) at least she’s cheerful about camping in a snowstorm. No doubt that the other tent contains Les, swaddled in his sleeping bag in the fetal position, whimpering and cursing fate for having brought him here.