Rivera’s style has been heavily criticized both for not upholding the traditional storybook style pioneered by Ed Dodd, and for its inconsistent quality. But it’s clear to me that she is taking more time in her compositions and execution. I think we’re seeing better quality and consistency, at least since the Texas roadside zoo massacre story ended back in December. And this a good direction to be moving in.

And as I (or we) suspected, gig-worker Mark took this boat trip to gather data for a story he will shop to his editor(s). His angle will likely be the effects of climate change, while hopefully excluding the erroneous notion of Arctic pack ice and rising water. Regular reader and commenter Downpuppy has provided knowledgeable comments on this point. But another reason for northern migration of alligators is loss of habitat due to human development.  

You know, if this was a pre-Rivera story, it would almost certainly center on illegal gator poaching. That’s still a significant problem and it would be great to see Rivera combine the two.