Tag: Summer

You guys already covered the whole “how the hell would a kitten survive a trip to Africa in a duffel bag thing“ yesterday. So today I’ll share an SoSF Exclusive: meet the real-life Dan. My trusty Google skills led me to this article on the Staten Island Advance website about Danny Messina, who was part of TB’s Kilimanjaro climbing party in February of 2010. Dan is senior vice president and COO of the CentraState Healthcare System, and is on the board of directors at Seton Hall University (where I found his headshot, above). The article gives some details about the trip, and there are some photos, too, including this one of Messina with the “Pulitzer Prize-winning [sic] cartoonist”.

“Dan” has not been been having the best luck with the local wildlife. Yesterday a baboon made off with his passport, and now today another critter invades his tent. Make that three critters: a black cat (oh, great) and Summer and Les, who barge into Dan’s tent and proceed to go through his luggage.

Note: today’s post title was suggested by TB’s blog entry from 10/29/11.

Last week Les magically teleported from Africa back to Westview to check out Funky’s new car. And at first glance, it looks like  today Funky has materialized in Africa. Actually,this is “Dan”, whose carefully rendered mug in panel 2 suggests that, like James, he’s based on another of Batiuk’s fellow travelers on his real-life Kili konquest.

“There’s one on every climb…” And on this climb, Les is gonna be The One. One of what? James is too polite and professional to say, but Summer understands only too well: Les’ latest attempt at humor turns her panel one smile completely upside down in panel 2. The camp may be primitively drawn, but it certainly doesn’t suggest Bedrock, and anyway, James probably wouldn’t pick up on the Flintstones reference. But Les can’t help but make his lame little joke while making his lame little smug face.

“I presume” you’re wondering why the journal page in today’s panel 1 is dated “FEB. 12 FRIDAY“. It’s not Batiuk playing fast and loose with continuity (for once). “I presume” that it’s a page from Batiuk’s journal of his own Kili trek in February of 2010. “I presume” that James who we meet today is based on Batiuk’s guide, who is seen in the Kilimanjaro pic from the official FW site’s Archives page. And “I presume” that Les fully intends to make good on his promise to say “I presume” “every five minutes” on this trip, in which case, fasten your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen: it’s going to be…an “African massage”.