Regular reader and commenter, Mark (no relation), brought up a comparison between Rivera’s work and that of Ed Dodd, the creator of Mark Trail.  It’s a stark comparison, to be certain; but they come from totally different times, artistic traditions, and visions. I have an equally dramatic comparison between Early Rivera and Current Rivera. Here is an early example I quickly grabbed from our 2020 archive (the screen capture quality is not great):

It’s a dramatic difference from today. This attention to detail, composition, and naturalism did not last long. I have no real idea why Rivera changed from this more polished and impressive style. These early strips glaringly emphasize how simplistic and even amateurish the current strips sometime appear. Heck, there is even a difference in quality between panel 1 and panel 2 in today’s strip, where panel 1 looks like it was inspired by a cartoon wrapper of Bazooka Bubble Gum. Why this change? I have no real idea.