Ah well, we can only hope that Rusty’s story will at least continue on in the format of Cherry’s stories: 1 week for Rusty, and 2 weeks for Mark.  So, gird your loins and settle in, dear readers. And it seems that the Crypto Bros are grilling at night! Is that even permissible!? I’m sure that Steven Raichlen must have some kind of rule about that in one of his books.

Regarding the current storyline, let me shout “NOW HOLD ON THERE!” Happy Trail is suddenly au fait with crypto terminology and related BS? Wasn’t he the grieving sad sack back in Florida, realizing he had been taken advantage of by his “new” family members? And here he is now, shilling for them, like some kind of TV infomercial tout at 2 AM. And Mark, who should at least have a modicum of understanding by now, once again reacts like the country rube he portrayed in his Palm Springs adventure with Reptilionnaire and Cricket Bro. Yet Mark was the one lecturing Pappy Happy on the dangers of NFTs, crypto, and block-chaining!

A few notes on the art:  Some good, if subtle, touches in the art today: 1) the balcony seems to sport a semi-transparent wraparound, so the lower bodies of the people are realistically obscured. The panel shows a composition with the surrounding forest (except for the owl). In panel 2, the Bros and Happy are at the far end of the balcony and looking at us, like a faux “break the fourth wall” kind of thing. It simply means Mark shares our viewing angle. Nice concept!