Maybe the costume horse head came from the prop department of “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” which occasionally trotted out Secretariat, the dancing horse. Just a thought.

Yesterday’s reader commentary noted the suspicious omission of smartphones from the general discussion, in spite of Ernie’s apparent attempt to use a tracking app on his (I’m not sure why I forgot  his name the other day). The more important comment may have been the general dismissal or concern for smartphones in order to justify Mark’s intervention as he arrived to “save the day.” Taking on the role of hero is Mark’s calling, of course. He just can’t stop himself.

In Rivera’s version of Mark Trail, his attempts at heroic posturing often result in minor catastrophe or at least, setbacks. As I noted in the past, I think this is just fine. It makes him more human. In the pre-Rivera iterations, Mark was always just a trifle too righteous, too honorable, and too dang smug. However, many readers (I suspect) consider Mark’s current image has been pushed too far to the other side, making him appear more foolish than just more human. I think Rivera also kept the old “smugness.”

Did you see anything noteworthy in today’s strip?