Yes, gorillas do have intelligence, and the one in panel 1 seems to hold the opinion that getting away from these human nut jobs is vital to its health and wellbeing. I can’t disagree.

Well, let’s try to be fair here. Jules Rivera has taken Mark Trail and his family out of its 1950s “Father Knows Best in Lost Forest” scene and put it into the modern world with its modern complexities and contradictions. And the characters have reshaped themselves, accordingly. So Mark finds himself now caught up in family matters (there were rarely “family matters” before), where he is sometimes out of his depth. Okay, that happens in his reporting assignments, too. (Warning: The rest of this post is just more philosophizing gobbledee gook. Feel free to ignore it!)

And we have Rivera’s “indie” comic style which  is more in tune with younger people who follow online comics and graphic novels. If you have looked at “indie” comics (ex. graphic novels or online independent comic strips), you’d see a great variety of styles. “Realistic” drawing is often opposed as being inauthentic, sterile, and non-emotional. You old farts like me may likely remember the Hippie comic books of the late 1960s (ex. Zap Comix and Furry Freak Brothers) which had a similar philosophical and artistic opposition to the “corporate” comic strips in newspapers.

Indie styles are to traditional (“corporate”) comic strips what the Abstract Expressionist painters were to naturalistic 20^th century American and European art. “Authenticity” of expression and emotion is more important than authenticity of illustration. Accidents in drawing are accepted as part of the creative act (just they were in 20^th century Surrealism).  

PS – I didn’t see any increase in viewers following my clickbait title from June 8 (“Isn’t anybody worried that a gorilla is on the loose? But I can see why…!”), meaning nobody fell for such an obvious ruse or nobody knows this blog site exists. That’s okay, I reckon.

Can’t anybody get their priorities straight around here? Did Mark drive Happy to the sanctuary so he could spend his time asking about gorilla enclosures or was it to find out where Happy’s money went (see May 30)!?  I could make a joke about the apparent disappearance of fencing in panel 2 as a point about Mark’s questioning, but we all know that this is simply how Jules Rivera shows animals and people behind cages, fences, and jail cells. Frankly, I don’t know why it matters to Rivera to draw it this way, but that’s how it is.

As a matter of form, if Mark is curious about the gorillas and the grounds, maybe he should have been asking how Gail got them, where all the paperwork is, and what professional staff she keep on site.

Anyway, I reckon my hair would also turn white like Mark’s (panel 3) if my dad blindsided me by going all Movie rom-com on a strange woman whose personality was faked (as was his). Even Guyler, whose slacks changed from white to blue (as of yesterday!), looks gobsmacked by Happy’s actions. Seems like bringing Happy along was a really bad idea!

It’s a heck of a cliffhanger, I’ll give Rivera that! I can imaging Gail thinking “This sucker couldn’t make it any easier than if he just showed up with handfuls of cash and handed it over. Hmmm, I wonder how much I can get for that ring…?” And Mark must be thinking “There goes my inheritance!”

Now we know why Cherry doesn’t mind when Mark goes away

Man, what a pill. How can somebody go on and on and on about things he knows little about? For example, gorillas are very social animals and hang out in groups known as troops (panel 2). It doesn’t mean they are crowded together from lack of space.

I suppose being annoying may just be a tactic of some sort, but Mark sure is annoying! It’s like dealing with a precocious ten-year old. I’m not sure what the real goal of such a tactic would be, other than getting thrown out of the sanctuary. But even I might confess to being Lizzie Borden if that would make him shut up. At least the tactic seems to be working on Gail.

Once again, the text doesn’t mesh with the picture. In panel 1, Mark can’t wait to see the sanctuary, even though he is standing directly in front of it.

Yeah, this is starting to look like a rehash of the Tiger Touch Petting Zoo (or whatever it was called) story, run by Tess Tigress. Of course, Tess didn’t have a kid assistant who looks like he works part-time at a 1940s soda fountain, or possibly as a stand-in for Randy, the smart-alecky marionette on Pee-Wee’s Playhouse (panel 4).

Jules Rivera isn’t much for subtle buildups in her stories, either. Mark and Happy jump right in with innuendo and interrogation. Well, maybe just Mark at this point. It’s not that they don’t have any justification, but from a story-building angle, it would be nice to have them lead up to the drama, to try and break down the defenses they must know Gail and Guyler have prepared.

Mark, especially, comes across as presumptive and arrogant,  as if he knows anything about keeping gorillas or what the “code” mandates. Of course, the sanctuary will not meet code! That’s a given. And Guyler probably wishes he actually was pouring malts about now. In fact, I’d love one, myself, with lots of malt.

I’m starting to get confused (a common occurrence, I’m afraid). Apparently, Guyler has done some online research and thinks that Mark is an investigative journalist. Okay, I reckon that is more or less accurate. But why does Gail state that they will get Happy’s cash (panel 2)? Didn’t Happy already send it to her? Else, where’s the problem?

By the way, I like the way Guyler peeks through the venetian blinds, like a mobster in an old film noir crime movie watching out for the cops. Was this an intended reference?

And why does Jules Rivera state that Happy and Li’l Abner, I mean Mark, are now approaching the sanctuary (panel 3) when they are already there? Well, perhaps she means “entering the building” or something like that. My wife says I sometimes get too nit-picky (but most of the time, just the opposite).

Nevertheless, this fake Dreama sounds like she means business, and I do mean bad business. Yeah! I hope this isn’t just hot air on Rivera’s part. Let’s get to some real action! At worst, I hope this parent-child grifting duo doesn’t turn out to be just another Cheddersons act.

Seems like animal sanctuaries in the world of Mark Trail have a habit of being run by female con artists. Now check out this Gail (aka Dreama) character! She certainly looks more like a conniving crook than she did when we first saw her on May 28^th (go check her out!). It’s like a real Jekyll-and-Hyde act. But I, for one, am glad to finally see a new crook in the Trailverse. Aren’t you!?

Note: If I had a gripe—and I do—it seems most of Mark’s opponents fall into a narrow band of swindlers and fraudsters. Where are the poachers, arsonists, kidnappers, and animal abusers? When are they going to get their fair share of Mark’s time?

So who names their son “Guyler”!? That’s the kind of name that gets a kid beat up in school on a regular basis. While the name is more common as a last name, I don’t see it used much for given names. However, I think Jules Rivera is actually being clever in an old-school way. The noun “guyler” derives from an old French noun (“guileor”) that means “cheat” or “fraudster.” And guyler is actually old British slang for a deceiver or con artist. And that, boys and girls, is the anthroponymy lesson for today! Well played, Rivera!

Editor’s Note: Once in a while I’ll add a fake title to a post just to see if it really draws Internet Searchers to this site looking for something else. That is, do clickbait titles work? I’ll let you know later this week. But I pledge to not make this a recurring habit; it’s just when I’m feeling a bit cynical. Okay, that might be too often. I’ll work on that.

So we put Rusty and Rocky into comic suspended animation as we return to the Happy Trail Internet Scam (sponsored by people who have heard of Lincoln Continentals), as Jules Rivera is still trying to figure out how to draw a car that looks like it is moving. That can be tough. I reckon putting it alongside a tortoise at least gives an illusion of movement? But it makes sense that this gorilla sanctuary is somewhere in the area, because driving across the country would be plain silly.

Speaking of silly, when did Mark change into a short-sleeved shirt? He always wears long sleeves, and has been doing so throughout this story. And where is Niecy? She’s been instrumental in discovering this scam and trying to resolve it, before heading up to fetch Mark. Seems like she should be in on the big reveal. Perhaps she really is in the car, too, but is just not depicted for lack of drawing space. We’ll see.

Editor’s Note Redux: Well, in case some “Internet Guardian” gets huffy, Abraham Lincoln did not like to talk about having to bail out his shiftless brother-in-law from one financial fiasco after another. But he did, finally, cut him off as an act of Tough Love.

I’m not sure what is more perplexing:  Jules Rivera believing it is possible that a raccoon can somehow track down or follow somebody driving away in a truck and locate their home; or making Rusty, growing up in a forest filled with raccoons and other wild animals, believe in this tomfoolery. This is not “Lassie Come Home” or “Homeward Bound.”

Well, perhaps I have it all wrong. Maybe Rivera knows this is not realistic, but is deliberately making Rusty seem like some “naïve city kid in the country” in order to make a certain point. But then, why does Rivera state in panel 1 that this is, in fact, “Rocky”? If Rivera was in on the gag, she would have written something like “Rusty reunites with what he believes to be Rocky the Raccoon.”

Sorry; I’m not buying it. This cannot be the same raccoon. I think this raccoon will just as soon bite Rusty.

Otherwise, what we see here is Rusty running away once again. Perhaps not yet a pattern, but it is suggestive. And he’s only 11. Or maybe 12. So he’s really too young to act maturely. I say we give him a break and let him try to work it out on his own. Jules Rivera might have a different idea.

Notice how I ignored Rivera’s lame joke in panel 4!? You can do it, too. It just takes a bit of practice and … GAH! I accidentally read it.

Like I wrote on Monday, dinner time is not the time for these kinds of talks, as it invariably ruins the dinner and the mood. If we’re lucky, maybe Rusty will find Robbie and deliver his own version of Mark’s “Fists o’ Justice.” At the very least, he should make Robbie confess the deceit to his father.

Art Dept. I like panel 2, a raw image of Rusty’s anger, reinforced by those radiant lines and dark green background. A good combination! But I can’t abide the way Jules Rivera drew these water glasses in panel 3. They look like glasses encased in silicone blocks. And I don’t know what happened to Cherry’s face, either, but it looks like her mouth is falling out of her head.

Wow! That previous sentence I just wrote reminded me of an episode in an old TV show (Night Gallery, I believe) where a deceased grandfather showed up at the dinner table to the shock of his son and family who just came home from his funeral (I think!). The deceased father starts to literally fall apart onto his dinner plate. Perhaps one of you remembers that? Or maybe it’s my memory that is falling apart.

This sounds like a repeat of yesterday’s strip, because that’s how these discussions go: Repeat and revise the same thoughts, over and over, until the other side caves in or storms off. Most parents and kids have suffered through these family talks.

Well, sometimes parents can be real dicks dense. Cherry sounds like one of those useless online life coaches that pop up here and there. It’s as if Rusty’s point of view and feelings mean nothing. I’m not only picking on Cherry, specifically. A lot of parents pretend there is this abstract “brotherhood” of cooperation and understanding they want to preach to their children, even if it doesn’t exist in their own lives. Never mind that Rusty feels genuinely betrayed by his own friends. “Why, that’s only kid talk, Rusty! It will blow over, really.”

Still, Rusty has some obligation. I agree with Cherry that Rusty should have a talk, a real “tough love” talk with these so-called friends—especially Robbie—but be prepared to write them off and walk away if necessary. Life is too short and too precious to waste it on fair-weather friends. Maybe that cougar is manifesting Rusty’s rage for him.

Robbie, with his impossibly thin neck (panel 4), has a point. Parents forget how easily kids insult each other and how easily the one insulted sometimes take the insults seriously. Part of growing up, as we know. It’s no surprise that Cherry’s advice is rejected out of hand by Rusty, because when boys express ill feelings toward one another, they sometimes work it out when one or both of them winds up with a black eye.

Meanwhile, Rusty’s dinner gets cold, as I predicted. Dinner is not the time for this kind of talk. If parents really want to have a maximum impact on their child, hold that talk during the dessert.

Art Dept. Notice the muted background colors? Subtle reflections, I think, of Rusty’s dour mood.

It’s nice to get away from the chaos and tearful confessions down in Florida for a bit. I refer to Happy Trail’s chaos, not Florida’s. Also good to see what appears to be realistic, if not naturalistic, flora in the foreground. So, here we are, ready for a tough talk, are we? And during dinner!? That sounds like a bad idea to me, because it’s likely to cause indigestion in one or both parties. That’s not very healthy and doesn’t help the enjoyment of the food! A tough talk is often best handled afterwards. Just my opinion as a parent.

So I reckon it means that this week will consist of Cherry and Rusty hashing out his feelings about his being passed over for a nature photo merit badge; his feelings about friends not sticking up for him; and maybe also his feelings about letting himself be gulled by Cherry into not submitting his Las Vegas nature photos so he could get that badge he feels he deserved.

Art Dept. Panel 1 has several interesting points: First, the dialog balloon, with its tail terminating in a four-pointed shape. Normally, a dialog balloon’s tail simply points toward the house, which is enough. So, why the splotch? Perhaps it is meant to suggest a strong emotion in the statement? If so, that can be done by modifying the shape of the dialog balloon or the lettering.

Next, it’s interesting to see the greenhouse show up again. It was there at the beginning, in Jules Rivera’s first story, but disappeared and only reappeared a few times, since. I’m also wondering where the steep staircase is that was a feature of the cabin in the story “It’s the Pitts” back in late 2024-2025.

“George, you’re such a geek! You’re taking this way too seriously It’s just a cartoon.” Okay, but the cabin, itself, is drawn way too small to house a family of four people and two dogs. If we assume there are at least three bedrooms, a kitchen, dining area, and living room. This kind of “scale indifference” happens again and again, as if Rivera is drawing objects merely as symbols, not pretending they are meant to fit into a normal environment. Or, she is just not interested in these “small details.”

“What four people?” I hear some of you ask. Yes, this count includes the frequently-missing Doc Davis, Cherry’s dad, who still works as a veterinarian in this Neo-Trail reality. I’ve brought it up before and have no new hypotheses on the subject. Just still interested in his whereabouts.

This double-sided catfishing fraud unravels, but there are still questions that need answering, as Mark is well aware of. But Panel 1 clearly demonstrates why Mark wouldn’t let Happy make this phone call. He’s kind of going off the deep end, right? But, then why is Happy holding his own phone and also talking to Gail? Did Mark set up a group call in between the panels?

I’ll give extra Brownie Points (redeemable for a virtual pat on the back) for a good (or creative) explanation for whatever is happening to Happy’s epaulettes in panel 1.

Art Dept. I want to highlight some comments made by regular reader Downpuppy the other day for the May 26 strip. He focused in on some funny goings-on. Downpuppy suggested Jules Rivera was indulging in humorous “hidden” images buried in the drawing of the tip of Niecy’s nose. This is similar to what we used to call Easter Eggs in computer programs and games. You’ll need to go back and look at the actual strip to make sense of this. Here is what Downpuppy saw regarding the tip of Niecy’s nose:

I admit that I’m still confused about the apparent contradiction of Niecy and Mark claiming there is no information on the Glamor Gorilla web site about Dreama, followed up by Mark’s inspired idea to do more research on Dreama on the same site. I’m sure there is a logical point that I’m missing.

Were you confused by the illustration in panel 1 in relation to the content of the narration box? I mean, there is nothing in the illustration to show anybody talking on the phone. It seems like a disconnect to me. The scene, itself, would be fine except for Jules Rivera’s continued parodying of the tradition of including random animals in the daily strips. It is certainly a parody because Rivera did not have to make the toad so large that it crowds the composition.

Mark Trail often seems to have the weirdest way to hold a phone, as if he is a waiter delivering a somebody’s lunch plate. But why is Mark calling and not Happy? We might expect Happy to make the call and help unmask the false Dreama; but this is Mark’s comic strip, so he gets the glory. And just maybe, Mark doesn’t trust Happy to not flub the call.

Mark might have Gail already trapped, so I’m eagerly awaiting the expected cliff-hanger on Saturday!

Well, this little morality play is becoming more interesting. I totally overlooked a comment from the May 21 strip where Happy remarked that Dreama works for a gorilla sanctuary. Of course, I saw the comment, but laid it aside (i.e. I forgot it was mentioned), when Niecy said she would consult the Glamor Gorilla web site. I made the wrong conclusion that it was some kind of dating site. Hoo boy! You all should have reamed me on that slip-up! (And to think I’ve read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories many times over!)

But this does bring up the question of how these two hooked up in the first place? Did Happy just decide to call this gorilla sanctuary on his own? Niecy’s original concern was that Happy was taking the money he had pinned to a certain animal sanctuary to turn over to some online crook who had conned him. Well, we don’t know yet if that is still a valid concern. But it turns out Happy is donating his money to a gorilla sanctuary, instead.

Well, this is an interesting twist in the story. It turns out that animal welfare is a significant part of the story’s context, providing a better tie-in for Mark than the original online catfish plotline that Jules Rivera led off with. I reckon Rivera threw us a curve ball in this story, which I have to tip my head to.

Yes, there is still fraud on both sides.  We also don’t know yet whether Gail is a con artist like Tess Tigress was with her phony lion petting therapy zoo. We don’t know if Happy was targeted by this Gail character, or whether it was just an interesting coincidence. But frankly, a place named Glamor Gorilla Sanctuary sounds fishy, unless Gail’s last name happens to be Glamor.

As regular reader Daniel Pellissier pointed out, I forgot to upload today’s strip! I reckon I went to sleep last night a tad too early!

Happy Trail’s redemption from self-loathing, selfishness, and possible racism was the main subject of Jules Rivera’s first Mark Trail story. Since then, his character seems to have evolved into a gullible fool, an easy mark for every huckster that crosses his path. And now we can add the charge of lecher or sugar-daddy. Well, we don’t really know the age of this “Dreama” character, either. She could be as old as Happy. Makes no difference, because Happy seems to believe she really is 28, a point in favor of Rivera’s presentation of Happy as an old, gullible fool.

Next, I don’t follow Mark’s logic here. Yesterday, he and Niecy stated the web site has no profile on Dreama. Today, Mark wants to search the site for more information on Dreama. It can’t be both! Am I crazy? I feel like that android on an old Star Trek episode (“I, Mudd”) which self-destructs after failing to resolve Kirk’s logic puzzle.

And that photo Niecy references looks more like Little Orphan Annie with gray hair, which is probably Niecy’s point, right? She is apparently an older woman who had AI photos made of herself. This kind of lying is nothing new in dating (or getting jobs, college entrances, etc.). But AI makes the cheating and lying so much easier and more convincing.

There is no long-term value in such deceptions, so I try to avoid them. For example, I make no pretense about myself. I’m an old, retired, overeducated wastrel who finds writing blogs about Mark Trail a fruitful use of my time.

I do have to be careful in some regards; because of my extremely buff physique, I have to restrict my typing to two fingers. If I try to do standard “touch typing”, the combined muscles in my fingers literally crush keyboards, even mechanical models.

I also don’t like to waste time and effort on those awful, cheap “membrane” keyboards that have all of the tactile quality of overcooked broccoli. And that includes laptop keyboards, as well.