For The Lulls

Join me, please, as we travel back through time. No, wait; sorry! I meant, "as we retread old ground." Or, maybe, "as we see that I apparently thought about updating within the past week, yet didn't." Exciting! Sorry for the long entry, but it's a numbered list -- if that helps. I'm not even going to render more than a single sentence on my thoughts regarding September 3rd's strip. It was abominable, reveals that father and son are both shamelessly self-centered bastards, and finally destroys the last vestiges of any purpose behind their having actually gone to a convention. (Source) The next strip was emotionally-driven (I hope), so the lack of any actual joke is... well, it's something to read if learning more about the characters interests you. However, the dialog is boggling. Cole caves right in to his father's "TV is a time-waster" statement (Which is being used to support the fashion in which Cole dispatched a fan of Mr. Richards, as well as whatever unfathomable motive he had for doing so) with the supporting argument of "I guess it all does seem pointless on the surface." So, Cole's saying... what, exactly? He doesn't want to admit that the show his father was in was a waste of everyone's time, unless he couches it within the fuddy-duddy-honored tradition of declaring television to be devoid of intellectual stimulus? But, wait! He's couched even THAT admission behind an "I guess"! So what does Cole really think of the whole thing, what does he really want to say, and how has he forgotten so quickly that they're really talking about why it was justified for them to both lash out at a fan? We'll never know, so it's time to move on and conceal this part with a throw rug. Next, the humorous reveal: Mr. Richards never misses an episode of Buffy. Wait, what? Present tense? Buffy hasn't been on the air in six years! Maybe we are going back in time? Did Mr. Richards mean that he never misses a repeat? Does he not know he's watching repeats, meaning we now have further evidence for the emotionally-scarring existence of his rapidly-deteriorating mind? Cole doesn't help us out by chasing this appealing rabbit, but he does seem surprised when he clarifies that Mr. Richards is talking about Buffy. We don't KNOW that his surprise isn't because there are no episodes of Buffy that Mr. Richards could "miss". Still (And I'm just joking; clearly Cole is just surprised that his father watches a popular and vapid television program), he leaves well enough alone and drops the subject. And then they laugh. Oh, how they laugh! I've gotta say, the silhouette always proves to be visually appealing at the price of reduced artistic effort. It's a great tool among the arsenal of an artist. I've also gotta say this: This was ABSOLUTELY the wrong panel to choose to silhouette. Of the five panels, only this one would have showcased the biggest possible emotional payoff in Cole and Mr. Richards' expressions. It's the dramatic equivalent of an action scene where two badasses harass each other until the situation escalates into a fight that you KNOW is gonna be sweet -- and then the big double doors slam shut in front of the camera, and you get to stare at a doorknob as you are treated to some interesting sound effects that teabag your ears with all of the glorious visual payoff that you were denied. Frustrating? You betcha. And then, the final line: "We should do this again, sometime." It's baffling. It has nothing to do with their situation, because Mr. Richards can't possibly mean any such thing. Their experience was absolute hell for them both, apparently, right up until the previous ten seconds. Is it a form of the "Sure... I'll, uh, I'll write you" footnote to the typical ends-in-disappointment relationship? On the surface, it seems like a form of hope for their future. But it's impossible that the words genuinely mean, "We should spend time laughing together again, sometime" -- the words can only mean, "Well, enough of that." And Cole's expression, plus Mr. Richards' turned-away face, reinforce the tragic truth of their relationship. This is the worst happy ending ever. Is it supposed to be? I have no way of knowing! The events that just transpired are too subtle and too screwball for me to believe I really know how they were intended. (Source) The next strip is happier, even if you interpret the previous strip as happy. So, take a moment to ponder Cole's eyelids. It's an existential problem, so don't bother taking it too seriously. When we see Cole's eyes from an angle that doesn't place his glasses between them and us, they are (And this is where the problems begin: They are not always) solid black ovals. Near-ovals, anyway; they tend to resemble the top bits of exclamation marks. No whites to them (Except when Cole's eyes are widened -- apparently, "wide, completely black eyes" was much too creepy). The frames of his glasses have traditionally stood in for his sclera, and when they aren't around his real eyes must fend for themselves. But to circle back to the point, what, then, is the meaning of the "eyelids" we see through his glasses? Will they show up without the glasses there? If they are squinched cheeks, why doesn't Cole have cheeks when he's seen from behind (And why do they... run directly into each other)? Your father is wise in the way of the cheeks, Cole. Learn much from him, you can. His glasses are also better. And his collars. Sorry, Cole, your dad is just cooler than you. I've wanted to point out this aspect of Cole's design for a while, now, so here it is: The shots of Cole's collar that make it look like he has a stiff, white rectangle jutting into midair above his shoulder are not good. Sometimes it only barely juts out, in which case I can easily imagine that there's a barely-hidden curve to it that goes behind Cole's neck. Sometimes it's a plank hanging over an abyss that Cole's tie could go take a long walk off of, and it's way too obvious that there is no curve hidden behind its structure. Nothing new, but it helps get the mind off of his tie. Now, Cole is surprised and dismayed to see that Bill Amend (<3) has written "Colt". Oh, Cole, you inattentive gadabout! Plus, I don't think he really looks like a horse. Don't worry, though, Cole! I'll fix that right up for you! Trust me, this is even better than if Amend hadn't misinterpreted your very-normal name as a fairly-unusual name: No, nothing serious here. Just some bad jokes. (Source) On a final note, here's the first of several (?) guest strips. How do you hide a ponytail? It's very interesting to see Brent without one, though (And that it's for a video game! Lots of video game references when the guest artists come out, it seems. Are they trying to send a message?). Also, how is the blind guy (Reggie) going to be the drummer (Ringo) for Rock Band? I think that they're setting themselves up for disappointment, there.