Summer – Page 48 – Son of Stuck Funky

Loser! Crybaby! Loser!

Helskor
February 20, 2012 at 10:31 am
Beginning writers are told to show and not tell, but if Batiuk wants to tell us that Westview won the conference instead of showing them win via another week of excruciatingly boring basketball strips, he can go right ahead.

Well, today’s strip nearly accomplishes that. Three panels, three opponents, three wins, including payback to those nasty Blue Valley girls. TB achieves not only economy of storytelling, but also of color and detail. While the action poses are painstakingly ~~traced~~ “inked over”, the backgrounds, color palette and “supporting cast” are positively minimalist. The Annie-Goats (love that nickname!) unis have lost their red accent and are now just black and white; and every player not named Summer or Keisha is a generic blue-ponytailed girl.

Conference News

Oh, you forgot that Jinx was a “sports junkie“? You must not remember her excitement when step-mom Linda signed her up to play girls’ softball a few summers ago (and guess who she volunteered to coach?). The news of the She-Goats’ advancing to the state tournaments is greeted with utter indifference by everyone but Summer, Cayla, and Les, who is smirking up a storm. Jim the science teacher isn’t even looking at the TV; he just stares into space, contemplating retirement.

Pass-ketball

“Coach” Fairgood has really had an effect on the heretofore hapless She-Goats: watch today as they flawlessly execute a complex play that Ann has pulled out of nowhere, and which they have never run in practice. And check out how #31’s hair color changes from blonde to brown to blonde again! How the hell do you defend against that?

Merry Pookster
January 24, 2012 at 12:58 am
…The real story is how Sum-mor, a girl (?) can jump so high as to rest the backside of her hand 10 feet at the rim…. or do girls HS girls in Ohio play with 8 foot rims like we had in grade school?

If not, there must be a trampoline beneath the hoop! Girls from both teams are getting some serious air in that last panel.

Fishstick Annie Breaks It Down

Fishstick Annie has completely taken over the helm at this point, and Bull (“I thought I told you to sit! Sit!”) is reduced to just standing around, arms akimbo, looking like he even has a clue what’s going on. I’m surprised Ann doesn’t make him carry her clipboard. Meanwhile Owen (or perhaps his “Clowen”) looks on pensively.

Two Points

sourbelly
January 21, 2012 at 3:06 am
Weave screen? That’s pretty basic stuff. Wouldn’t exactly call it Old School, or any “school” really. Merry Pookster called it: It will work a couple of times before the other team figures it out, and yes, it’s only an offensive play.

I leave it to the more hoops-savvy snarkers (and there are quite a few among you!) to determine if the play happening here is a weave-screen (it could be the Old Dipsy Doodle). But I reckon it is, based on a.) the confident expressions on Kei$ha’s and Summer’s faces in panel 1, and b.) it results in a basket. Ann was right when she said the opponents wouldn’t be “coaching to defend it“: in fact, it looks like they have the same hapless blond player defending both Keisha and Summer.