Westview High School – Page 85

Me and You and EMU

Epicus Doomus
March 20, 2012 at 2:03 am
For anyone who’s ever wondered if TB becomes enamored with some bit of idiotic wordplay and then builds some sort of half-assed arc around it, I present this week, which exists solely for the sake of doing a gag based on EMU.

billytheskink
March 20, 2012 at 11:48 am
…[Eastern Michigan University] are a Mid-American Conference Opponent of TB and Les’ Kent State Golden Flashes and Cayla’s Akron Zips. The EMU in this strip is probably a placeholder for them or any other MAC school that isn’t Kent State or Akron plus… flightless bird joke!

Make that a flightless bird joke right between the eyes, for the benefit of the handful of readers who didn’t see it coming. No one will accuse EMU’s recruiter of lavishing their prospect with expensive gifts, that’s for sure. A ringer tee? You shouldn’t have! No, seriously. You shouldn’t have.

Don't Stropp Believin'

Once again,
Les’ upper lip has retracted under
his mustache

Sunday’s strip got my hopes up that we would at last be done with BasketBull. However, today Les’ mention of that damn highlight reel triggers in Bull a sepia-toned flashback. Well, not a flashback, because Bull wasn’t there. The coach (he’s the one in panel three wearing the t-shirt that says coach) is the late Jack Stropp, who not only fostered Bull’s athletic development but also passed along his gift for malapropism.

Whale Meet Again

Oh thank God, no basketball.

I strongly suspect that today’s strip was originally supposed to run last September. Mainly because Mr. Moore is assigning his language arts class their “first book” of the year…a week before the beginning of spring? Also because said book is Moby-Dick, which you’ll recall figured in Maddie’s plagiarism arc six months ago. I’ll let this go, though, knowing how much Batiuk hates it when his readers pay more attention to his strip than he does.

Hide Yo' Ballz

A puffy-looking Les congratulates his old tormentor on the AnnieGoats’ championship bid. Bull responds with an inane story about his “old coach”. Aren’t there enough “old coaches” in this arc? I guess the “hidden ball” “gag” is “funny” because, well, gosh, a basketball would be kinda hard to hide. Beyond that, it’s hard to see what application a ploy to deceive a baserunner would have in the game of basketball.

Up Against the Wall

Beanie Wanker
February 21, 2012 at 3:07 am
What the Hell is the band going to do? March on the court and do a halftime show?

I searched in vain for a YouTube clip of the homecoming parade from Animal House; specifically the part where Stork grabs the drum major’s mace and directs the marching band down a blind alley. There’s a great overhead shot of the trombones bending as they mindlessly march into a brick wall. That was the image that came to mind as I imagined the Marching Scapegoats attempting an indoor “script Westview” (two mentions of “script Westview” within a week?). Wanna bet that Owen was one of those band members that were “shaken up”?