At least Rusty managed to squeak back in at the end of the story to remind us (and Mark) that this adventure was supposed to be his adventure, not Mark’s. Or was it? It sure would have been nice to have Rivera spend a bit more time on Rusty’s paper and presentation where he could have demonstrated some his research to enlighten us. After all, this comic strip is supposed to feature nature and our relationship with it, right? So, how do e-waste toxins affect the environment? No idea so far, but then, maybe Mark will take that over as well and tell us this Sunday.

We’ll give an “Attaboy!” trophy to Rusty, but Mark always gets top billing, and that means Rusty’s primary role is priming the pump for daddy Trail. Mark my words.

Art Dept. I dunno about that seated Mark reading the shrinking book in panel 1. He looks uncomfortable and oddly built, though maybe it’s just Mark’s expression that gets me. But compared to the past several days, today’s drawing presents a better sense of organization and craft.