I guess that’s one of the tricks of the trade- ask a question without really asking a question.  Make a statement that can’t not be responded to in some way, measuring the reaction to said statement…  “it can be very expensive having your own island…”  Really Mark? And what would you know of expensive?  You have lived off the largess of “Doc” Davis now for your entire adult life… have you ever made out even a rent check??

Oh no!  Jessica was supposed to keep Mark “busy” for longer than this!!  What’ll she do?!?  Once Mark has camping on his brain, there isn’t much anyone can do!  What shenanigans will Mark walk into?  What will Jessica Cannup do to keep Mark “occupied?”  This is certainly awkward…

Immediately I think Cubans, Haitians, Dominicans, illegals!  Will Mark Trail dip his nib into the inkwell of immigration??  Is Marlin scouting for Major League Baseball?? Does he get an extra bounty for promising southpaws??  So polite, he is, saying “excuse me please, Mark…”  The little ellipse at the end of that sentence, that little hesitation says it all- he’s up to NO GOOD.  Chores my arse…  Thanks Marlin, for letting us in on what you are up to, otherwise we’d all be wondering…

But dinner’s over and they didn’t even touch the mashed yams or whatever that bowl of orange glop represents… Shame.  Lots of nutrients in every bite!!

Not sure who is delivering what lines in panel two, since the camera pulled back to reveal the house from the vantage point of a 200 foot tall Magnolia tree…  But it’s been established that Jessica and Marlin are “Just Friends” and unless they are involved in some complicated joint tenancy arrangement, one is living at the pleasure of the other in the big house on this “private Island…”  But Mark knows all about that, right??

It’s nice to see that they use the same coffee cups on the island as they use at Lost Forest…  what a comfort that must be for Mark, better for him to regulate his caffeine intake and not spoil his sleep cycle…  Looks like we are having roast for dinner too!  We can see the bare top of the tied-off hunk-o-meat at the bottom of panel one.  And of course, with Doc at the hotel, Mark could leave both him and rusty there to just stare at each other, wondering what to do next.  Not that any compunction has ever been shown around leaving Rusty alone for weeks on end… But it’s comforting to know that Doc is on the job, helping to look after the little guy…

You couldn’t just throw the damn thing in the deep freeze, thaw it out later stuff it and paint it??  First clue as to what’s “going on” here… A Taxidermist turning down work… something’s “fishy,” all right…  “I am in the middle of a few other things?”  What on earth does THAT mean??

And sure, Mark, just come on in!  Nice of you to wrap the fish in brown paper and tie it up with string, otherwise there would be fish juices dripping all over the hallway rug!!  Or are we in the workshop, judging by the tool rack in the background of panel three?  “Caught a Big Snook” is code for, well, catching a big fish called a Snook.  Sometimes things are what they seem…

And from the Comics Curmudgeon:

While Jessica Canupp may turn out to be virtuous, I definitely remain convinced that her boyfriend Marlin is up to no good, what with his constant suspicion of Mark and now his refusal to help make Rusty’s dreams of a mounted, taxidermied fish looming over his bed come true. In unrelated news, I’m an unrepentant city slicker and thus have no idea how one transports a game fish to a taxidermist, but if panel two is any guide I guess you wrap it tightly in a neat cylinder of paper? My first suspicions were that Mark had brought a freakishly enormous baguette to his hosts for dinner, or perhaps a giant novelty cigar for everyone to enjoy afterwards.

Not only do they catch fish wherever they go, but they came back just in time for the turtle hatch…  and I could be wrong, but doesn’t that typically happen at night?  Or is it the laying of the eggs?  Oh, no matter, we are about to weave together all the intricately boring elements of this plot in hopes of making it moderately interesting…

And Rusty, how do you know of such things as mounting fish?  Or was it the chance encounter on the dock where Ed the line-tender was running his mouth??  I still missed the part where Rusty accompanied Mark back to the ocean, and now Doc is making his escape from Lost Forest and will be leaving Cherry all to her own devices, feeding the big dog and watering horses…  fun, fun!!

Do Snook jump like Tarpon?  How knows? right??  Rusty is quivering with delight… he appears to be 8 years old again in the third panel, choking the life out of the creature that fought so bravely but ultimately succumbed to his Angling Prowess…  Based on what they are fishing for, I also realize that they are probably on the gulf coast of Florida… for those of you keeping track of their whereabouts…  And oh, I have more interesting news:  the 4.5 hour drive to Savannah or Charleston just turned into a 9 hour drive to the Gulf Coast.  I ask again (hopefully for the last time) how does Mark manage to commute to and from Lost Forest on this little Pelican caper???

But yes, all things considered, a big snore.  C’mon, Elrod, let’s get with the evil making here…  what do you bet that they take Mr. Snook in and have him filled with sawdust??

The Tarpon.  The fish that drove development to Southwest Florida.  The fish that, until the late 19^th century, could not be conceived of being caught by rod and reel…  And so with the magic of the transitional / locational / time bending / plot moving box in panel one, Mark and Rusty are on the water…  fishing!  Remember the good old days, ladies and gents, when Mark would almost seemingly take fiendish delight in promising to take Rusty fishing, only to be called away on another “assignment?”  Well, that tension (alas) no longer exists and now he is not only wetting his line, he is traveling to fisheries that the common working man may never get to see in a lifetime… Do I sound jealous?  Maybe just a little…

I guess I will stop asking about the whole space-time conundrum…  The authors clearly feel they can violate those laws with impunity.  So let’s revel in the fact that Mark is offering up a modest fist-pump at the sight of Rusty hooking a Tarpon  (which seems to have turned the boat, or at least Rusty, around…) and wait patiently for this story to reveal its evil side…

As I may have pointed out, Mark is a good 4.5 hours away from Lost Forest right now- to be anywhere near salt water and Pelican habitat- yet he’s going to “take Rusty fishing” today?  Totally don’t understand that one…  and are we inviting Rusty to dinner, or does he go back in the trunk with the catch of the day?  And besides, Rusty who?  It’s not like Jessica has been introduced to the entire trail clan…

Oh, Marlin’s not going to be happy about supping with Trail.  Clearly Jessica has been drawn in by Mark’s outdoor nature writer wiles, and can barely resist him by standing there arms akimbo, chest thrust forward, asking him to dinner…  Rusty?  Rusty who??

So endeth the lesson…  Really?  I mean who the heck doesn’t know, by now, that throwing trash into the water is a big non-no??  But then I am reminded of my own experiences… going out bluefishing off the Jersey shore and watching the crew of the boat tossing can, bottles, cardboard, anything and everything off the back of the boat as we headed back in to port…  And the island of trash in the Pacific that is the size of Texas…

Mark is truly in his element here, judging by the look on his face in panel one.  “This story ought to write itself!” he must be thinking… But what evil lurks behind this eco-façade??  There must be something, otherwise why would Marlin and Jessica have exhibited such caution, bordering on paranoia??  We should know in a couple of weeks…

Especially the sail variety… the look of awe and reverence in the last panel gives away her passions… unless she had a spicy rigatoni last night, she is breathless in the face of such stuffed and mounted natural beauty…

But the phrase “work on Injured birds” leaves me a little cold… Minister to, nurse back to health, heal, anything but “work on…” Having your bird hospital share space with the tools of the taxidermy trade seems a little off-putting, unless of course one figures that whatever doesn’t get saved gets stuffed and sold.  I guess that’s what Henry Ford would call “vertical Integration,” like when he purchased rubber plantations on a distant continent so he could ensure the supply of rubber for the tires that went on his Model T…

And apparently you have hands made of asbestos or some other heat shielding material…  as Mark grabs the Ol’ #8 cast iron skillet by the bare handle…

Jessica:  Mark Trail, impervious to time and space, has been writing stories since before you were a gleam in your father’s eye…  and will continue to do so as you pass into old age and beyond.  Anyone rooted in the trailverse does not age.  All casual characters come and go like regular folks- even do prison time when appropriate… right, Jeff?  right, Jared?  Have you met anyone interesting in stir??

Well, Mark, enjoying a cup-o-Joe, head resting in your free hand, talking to your faithful companion Andy, who listens to your every word with heartbreaking loyalty…  “Spoil his little island”  what a funny phrase…  Mark seems almost miffed by the idea…

Meanwhile Marlin is putting finishing touches on… Oh My God, what IS that??  Looks like a fish, but it’s not anything that would look good hanging from a nail… We have yet to see anything that might be worth hiding from the outside world… but I need to be patient.  All will be revealed in the fullness of time.  We are barely into this story, I just need to let it unfold…

But what is he surprised about??  The fact that Marling does not like them, or the fact that Mark actually picked up on subtle, non-verbal cues???

Nice that Mark’s “equipment included a full size AX…  good lord, where were you hiding that, Trail??  Never mind that you should probably hop on down to the farm and fleet and pick yourself up a propane stove and a canister or two…  that way you won’t be leaving the ugly fire scars everywhere you “camp…”

And shouldn’t you birds be a-roosting by now?  Don’t you normally take your cues from the sunlight, or lack thereof?  Something is certainly amiss on this island…  I could draw upon a LOST reference, but I will resist the temptation…

I mean, Mark Trail WROTE THE BOOK (or at least a number of articles) on respecting and preserving nature… And Marlin, what has given you the impression that Mark wants to HURT anything?  This is so stupid.

In the second Panel we see that Mark has a few inches of height on Marlin, and it also appears that he has filled his chest cavity with air so as to appear larger than life.  This is the natural response of any number of species when confronted by a threat- puff up and out and make yourself appear large and scary…

…exchanging glances…  well, Marlin, you might be a great taxidermist (or not?) but you are a lousy spook.  That is unless you wanted to be found out.  While Mark is trying out his infrared / night-vision camera gear, Good Ol’ Andy detects the presence of an interloper and the gig is up!!  And then the two men engage in small talk… “This is a nice spot for it!” Marlin offers nervously/ excitedly…  Anything to drag the story line out…

Once more the stilted quality of the dialogue is revealed in the inaccurate bolding of words…  should not it be “What are you DOING, Trail?” as compared to “WHAT are you doing, Trail?”  I swear these guys don’t listen to their own dialogue before it goes into the can and onto the printed page…  by the way, that’s a great look on Mark’s face in panel two.  A neutral treatment of the lip-line gives away- what? Who knows.  I just don’t remember ever seeing Mark with this level of emotional non-commitment.  Or may we have, whenever Rusty and Cherry are around…

At Zero-Dark-thirty??  Seriously?  And it looks more like Old Mr. Raccoon is busy adding to his rock collection, not searching for food.  Although it’s safe to say that he’s doing that or maybe looking to hook up with Miss Raccoon…

But with Marlin lurking in Rhododendron, what are we to think?  Making sure that Mark is exhibiting all the behaviors of a nature writer/ photographer?  And what are those exactly?  Impeccable grammar?  Go Good?   Go well?  Go big or go home??

Does God have a speaking role in the Trailverse?  And does the Heavenly Host play the supporting cast?  The words seem to be coming out of the clouds, and the second balloon has more than one callout…  And PRIVACY… yes, Mark, that’s what they want and now are not getting by virtue of your presence… duh.

I am beginning to get seriously concerned about Andy’s tongue…  Is it that he can’t keep it in his head?  And Mark, I certainly hope that you will be cleaning up after yourself, scarring the earth with your campfire, not to mention the giant dog’s potential leave-behinds…  An inauspicious start to the week, that’s for sure.  Would have been better suited to a throwaway Saturday strip…

Forget everything I might have implied about not displaying any outward signs of evil…  Squinty eyes tell lies… every time!!  Better wrap up your conversation, Jessica.  As Mr. Wood Duck (Common Grebe?) looks on in panel two, Mark is heading toward you and might hear…  obtuse, nosy, clueless, trusting, imposing, thy name is Trail…

Sure, Mr. Trail, stay awhile, we wouldn’t want you to suspect that there is anything to HIDE here…

We are reminded again that it’s Mark obtuse nature and inability to empathize with his fellow human being that places him in the middle of things…  I mean, if he had picked up the phone and called Jessica Canupp, asked for permission to visit, this story would have been over before it started…  Yet here he is.  Little did Eddie the Dock guy know that Jessica and Marlin are UP TO NO GOOD!!  I mean how else could they afford to keep up the ante bellum mansion in the shadows behind them in panel one?  Trust fund?  Maybe, but my money is on Marlin trafficking heroin inside his stuffed creations…

The crazy thing is that Marlin and Jessica don’t fit the profile of bad people- no facial hair, no unprovoked belligerence, they form full sentences and seem to adhere to all manner of social propriety and decorum…  But there’s Mark, picking up his “equipment” and moving right in.  If there was ever a guy who couldn’t pick up on a subtle sign or hint, it’s him!