Tag: Westview HS Band

Who’ll Stop The Rain

Link to today’s strip.

Gah, six panels to extol some piece of software–not long after Harry decided that software was worthless for anything human beings do.  Tom Batiuk must be really impressed with some app he’s recently downloaded, because otherwise this episode would end with a smirking Dinkle saying something like, “Well, you could just look outside,” or “My system of yelling at them is better,” or some terrible pun.  That’s the best thing about today’s strip–Loathsome Dinkle doesn’t get a single line of dialogue.

I recall (from comments here) that the Battle of the Bands was always rained out.  So we’ve gone from showing a running gag every year to just talking about a running gag?  Huh.

Dedicated Shenanigans

Link to today’s strip.

So, it’s another Nice-Naughty contrast thing.  It’s also boring beyond description but let that pass.

Nice’s idea does sound like the sort of thing that a high school-level journalism class would go ahead and produce.  It’s positive, it boosts the school, it encourages participation, and shows the value of hard work.  Yeah, she’ll probably blow all that by choosing Chullo as her subject but until that moment it’s golden.

Naughty, on the other hand…she’s been at the school for a week, maybe, and they’re already letting her into the administration offices to check the finances?  Wow, she is a) either a really fast worker in the charm department, or b) more likely is just making it all up because it’s sensationalistic and will be the talk of the school.  Likelihood of getting the green light?  Yeah, sure, a project that attacks the staff.  She’ll be lucky if she’s not deported back to Crankshaftberg.   Say…maybe she should do a sensationalist piece on how some cartoonists are still getting paid the big bucks while barely phoning it in!

I assume that both of these projects are for the journalism class, and would likely be viewed only by members of that class.  What little we’ve seen of “The Bleat” doesn’t really seem to cater to this sort of format–it’s school announcements, sports scores, cafeteria and probably lost and found.  I know I’ve said that several times, but I really think it bears repeating.   It’s not a news channel.   So Naughty might get a good grade on technical aspects, but if she thinks she’s gonna bust this school wide open, she…will fit right in here at Westview High.

Another note on the artwork.  Naughty and Nice are both dashed off haphazardly, while Les is delicately detailed.  It is nice to see the word-balloons not stuffed with empty space, though.

Say, isn’t that Cindy’s old news desk in the back?

Enrolled Up Sleeve

As the first students to move TO Westview in decades, Emily and Amelia are receiving the red carpet treatment from the WHS staff. See today’s strip, where Principal Nate personally escorts them to Lefty’s band room to get them involved in the school’s only extracurricular activity. Nate was so excited to be showing new students around that he didn’t even check to see if Dinkle was lurking, waiting to make Crankshaft look good by comparison, before bursting into the band room.

Strip #4 with Emily and Amelia, and we’re almost kinda sorta getting some insight on their personalities. Emily, the “cup-is-half-full” one, wears pink and plays the flute. Amelia wears black turtlenecks, “shreds” a “pretty mean” “guitar”, and says so while standing in a sassy half-akimbo pose (or whatever that’s called).
I haven’t seen character traits summed up this succinctly since the third season theme song of Sister Sister.

The Candyman Can

Link to today’s strip.

Wow, well you look at that!  Glasses is so psyched to get a sale, he’s actually going beyond expectations–as if he’s actually trying to achieve something, and improve his lot in life through his own efforts.

Compare and contrast that with Les’ endless whining about Hollywood, Dopey Pete’s endless whining about writing–horrible crybabies who want the world handed to them, and assume a smug self-righteousness when no one acknowledges their needs.  In both cases, it just makes you want to throttle them over and over.

Nice going, Glasses.  It’s possible he may become…gasp…a likable character after all.

(I’m not really betting on it, but there’s always hope.)

A Harry Little Christmas

Today’s strip, and this whole past week really, is brought to you by the letter Y.

As in why did this happen? Why are so many things explosively offensive in Westview? Why did no one at the syndicate read this before allowing it to be printed? Why did TB decide that Nate should suddenly become Carl Moss, except without the humor or incisive commentary on modern American public school administration? Why is there not even an attempt at a punchline in today’s strip? Why are there so few notes in the opening of “I’m Dreaming Of A Rainbow Holiday”? Why is the allegedly retired Harry Dinkle at the high school? Why hasn’t Lefty changed the locks to the band room? Why, if all music is sacred to Harry, do attempts to censor it not bother him? Why would I rather listen to an Elmo and Patsy record for 24 consecutive hours than continue asking “why” questions about this comic strip?