Well, at least I was correct in calling out the White Ibis. It would seem that the daily installments drive the Sunday Lesson… I actually like the strange and not obvious reference to a Plague Mask… Masks with beak-like protrusions that would be filled with aromatic elements meant to protect the wearer from the Plague… More like protect the wearer from the miasma being generated by the rotting and decaying flesh of the many corpses lying about…
Going back a a ways, there was talk of Manatees… I stumbled on this clip (or not, considering the way that the internet works) and thought it fantastic… Mother Manatee with twin calves…
But let’s return to the scuffle…
Who is this guy anyway? One of Mark’s Dad’s Henchmen? And I though Mark had ruined the boat a while back by running it into a pier?
And who are we rooting for here? Mark? Not a very sympathetic character these days…
Daddy is pissed and sending in reinforcements…
Feel like I am watching an old Batman scuffle… Where I learned how to sound out all my short vowels- BAM! BIFF! SOCK! Not to mention the odd diphthong- POW!
So with a quick grab and flip, Baldy is going to get eaten by shark(s)?
And Mark, pray tell, where exactly is home these days? You options seem to be dwindling…
The Daily Trail 
Cool video, Dennis!
As for the onomatopoeic sound effects, I think Jules is yanking our chains a bit: “Sock!” and “Vshhh!” (and just barely, “Splash!”) are fine, but are we to take “Grip!”, “Reverse!”, and “Grab!” seriously!? For example, does the act of grabbing create a sound effect unique to grabbing, as opposed to gripping? Does it even have a sound? Is there something missing in the actual drawing here that even requires a sound effect to describe it? This is pure parody. Next, we can expect to see “Inhale!”, “Exhale!”, and “Involuntary Erection When Cherry Shows Up!”
But I’m sure you know that Markey will see the shark (or hear the dude scream ‘SHARK!”), turn around, and “GRAB!” the henchman out of the water just in time. That is to say, I doubt that even “Marky” would do a “Tarzan” and fight the shark in its own territory.
Finally, do you think Daddy Trail is looking more and more like Robert Culp?
I sent an email to King Features. I gave them my opinion on Jules feeble attempt at taking over Mark Trial. I’m sure it will be ignored. I asked them to either retire the strip or find a cartoonist who will attempt to emulate the spirit of the strip. As I’ve said, the current strip is geared towards 12 to 24 year olds who do not read the paper nor look at the comics. So this strip is nonsensical. People who follow it are not Millennials. My fear is, unless a new cartoonist is selected, newspapers will drop it completely. The people who have read it are 50 or older. Those are also the people who get newspapers delivered to their driveway each morning. Again, in my humble opinion, the artwork, story line and disjointed delivery is beyond awful. Sorry Jules. If you Trail Heads disagree let me know what I’m missing.
As you can see, my posts are not “Daily” as the Blog Title would suggest… I look at each day’s offering and have to give it another day, until finally the muse might strike. I have (had?) an open mind, but you are correct. This is a bit difficult to follow and maintain attention. What’s great about our country is that people are allowed to walk with their eyes and their feet. Either in or out, it will be interesting to see where this lands. For the record, I get my newspaper electronically, but have heard from those that get the “paper” version of a paper, this strip is almost unreadable in black and white form. I wonder how many other emails KFS will receive?
Dennis, from what I’ve seen online, quite a few! 🙂 And yes, in the paper it is unreadable, so I look at online as well. Your blog is always one of my “go to” sites in the morning with my coffee. Along with James Lileks blog, CNN, Calvin & Hobbes, and others. A good way to start the day. I enjoy & appreciate your notes and commentary greatly! A bit of a struggle I’m sure the past month or so!
I can’t keep my yap shut, I reckon. Well, Mark, I think you are correct in many ways. The strip IS no longer made for old farts like us; pretty much like most programs TV these days. And readership is probably dying as its readers do, with fewer new readers to replace them.
From the point of view of KFS, rebooting Mark Trail is a small gamble with a larger payoff, as it is currently syndicated in only 150 or so papers, worldwide. By contrast “Baby Blues” appears in at least 1200 newspapers, worldwide! (And that, alone, bothers me)
But “Mark Trail” has longevity, a brand name, and has been a real cultural force for the environment for some 70 years. So, I think they are rolling the dice to see if they can grab a lot of younger readers who are probably more environmentally aware than we were. We all realize this, right?
And by the way, can you remember these five words: Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV?
So, out goes the old “White-Bread Action Hero Protecting Nature Single Handedly But Anxious To Get Back Home to His Patient, Dinner-On-The-Table Wife” image. Out goes old-fashioned good guys and bad guys adapted from old TV westerns. Out goes dialog balloons where every statement uttered ends with an exclamation point! And in comes a whole new slew of social tropes, unsure heroes, families with issues, and in-your-face art. “Mark Trail” is dead. Long Live Mark Trail. Darn, I think I forgot those five words.
George, we’ll just sit back and watch the show. God, I guess I am an old fart now! Seems like yesterday I was 24 listening to Neil Young…..
Hear that, “old man”!