Exactly how was Winget trapped? Couldn’t he have just climbed that wall and swim out? I reckon that if he had a broken limb (which was not suggested), the rescue team would have taken care of it. But they don’t look like they are wet, suggesting Mark somehow got Wingit out of the cave. Since they did not bring along any special equipment, Wingit must have avoided broken bones. Too bad Rivera did not illustrate that part of the rescue. But that falls in line with Rivera doing her best to avoid any scintilla of drama and suspense.
Next, were those lions really being exploited? After all, they seemed to be in good shape, had plenty of food, and the run of the mansion and its grounds. Doesn’t sound much different than a zoo.
Exactly how did Mark assume authority to commandeer the lions and decide their fate? For all we know, Wingit leased these lions from a local preserve, and they are going to want them back.
Finally, what about that envelope?
BONUS QUIZ! What’s “different” about Mark in panel 1? If you have the time, look closely!
Okay, some phony drama in panel 1: “…a strange voice nearby…” Strange, as in, “it doesn’t sound human,” or that Sammy doesn’t recognize Wingit’s voice? As we have seen, this overall “bioluminosity”, or some other magical cave lighting, washes out any real semblance of mood.
Still, it’s clever of Mark—whom we saw in the James Allen days becoming quite the mountain climber—to let Rusty have the honor of climbing the wall and discovering Wesley. Now he can claim that Rusty did, indeed, function as his assistant. That should justify Rusty’s portion of the flight and hotel expenses.
Spotter is also spot on with his survival question in panel 3. But how does Mark (Rivera) respond? And what about that suspicious envelope alongside Wesley?
Art Dept. I’ll give Rivera credit for the dramatic perspective view in panel 1. Well done! I only wish the dialog had matched. And how about those kayaks!? Isn’t it interesting how closely the real Wesley matches Mark’s memory bubble that Rivera has shown several times?
What’s that hackneyed cliché, “the plot sickens…” That groan in panel 1 may lend some weight to regular reader Daniel’s quip yesterday about a possible guest appearance by former adventure story co-star and cave-clickbait, Caria. Mark might have second thoughts about Rusty looking into that convenient hole in the wall to see what is going on in the next passageway.
Meanwhile, Rivera continues pitching this comic strip to . . . uh, well, I’m just not sure who. This does not strike me as the kind of strip a “younger reader” would find appealing. For one thing, the Wackiness Level is just not high enough, if that is what Rivera is shooting for. Rivera’s early statement about wanting to get Mark involved in more current environmental issues has only intermittently been attempted over the life of the strip. Showing Rusty as some suddenly “aware” boy affecting a TV sitcom eyewink as he delivers his punchline (panel 4) strikes me as uncharacteristic of him and smarmy.
Interesting. A wave from nowhere rushes through the cave; a cave that seems well lit. Perhaps that’s just more artistic license. This sequence could have displayed some real drama, had the cave been dark and we could only see indistinct forms, thanks to the helmet lights.
But once again, any sense of actual drama is trivialized. To make the point, Rivera organized today’s strip in a joke-a-day format, as she often does (panel 4).
This is at least the second time Sammy Spotter has whined about only being a bird watcher, rather than the film’s animal wrangler, as he was originally described (can you guess the date?). Like me, you might also be wondering just what view Mark has seen that merits his excitement. Maybe he just likes dark cave entrances.
Some of us might be sitting around the digital fireplace right now (preferably Nick Offerman’s 10-hour marathon), pondering just how this Wesley Wingit character got trapped in the cave in the first place (assuming Mark is correct). Did Wingit get a foot trapped in a giant clam? Did a cave boulder suddenly roll atop him, with a rising tide? Maybe Wingit got lost in a maze of twisty passages, all alike. As this is a family strip, I doubt he will show up as a floater.
Anyway, if the rescue gets complicated, Rivera could resort to a Gilligan’s Islanddux ex machina, where the castaways simply made various props and costumes show up as needed.
Yes, now that Mark has taken care of his extracurricular, time-wasting duties, they finally get around to entering the cave where they assume Wesley is somehow trapped. By the way, did Mark and Sammy consider the possible reasonfor Wesley’s entrapment and the possibility that they, too, could get trapped for the same reason? If so, Rivera did not choose to tell us.
Except for panel 2, today’s strip is full of comments that are pointless or patronizing.
Either Sammy Spotter (panel 1) is really slow in finally figuring out whythey rented all of that gear or Rivera believes her readers are! On the optimistic assumption it is the former case, perhaps we might have to change our mind about Sammy being the criminal mastermind that I theorized last Friday. And Mark asking if Rusty is ready to explore the cave is a bit late in the game. That question should have been asked back at the beach, where Rusty could have declined and retreated to the hotel.
Panel 3 shows Mark patronizing Rusty, who is just a kid enjoying an adventure. That doesn’t mean he isn’t mindful of what they are doing. Rusty’s comment in panel 2 is quite appropriate for a kid his age. Rivera got that part right. If Mark wanted Rusty to express an “adult” point of view, why did Mark treat him as a kid and leave him back at the hotel beach in the first place?
Anyway, Mark is only “rescuing” Wingit because he is getting paid to do it. Apparently, that is the rightreason. Lesson learned?
Two hands clapping to commenter Daniel for his clever geographic pun in Saturday’s comments. Moving on to this story’s progress: Mark revealed to Sammy Spotter that he found a camera and a production script in the mansion, both of which might hold clues to Wesley’s whereabouts. Mark said nothing about the lions to Sammy, which is surprising, given their physical and geographical status.
Sammy’s review of camera photos led them to a nearby cave on a nearby waterway, suggesting Wingit might be inside. This hypothesis was reinforced by notes in the production schedule. Whether Sammy should have had his own copy of the production schedule was never brought up. In any event, they discussed the situation while at the cave’s entrance, whereupon Mark found some keys he believed were for the mansion. This was more confirmation for their cave hypothesis. And then crazy set in.
Mark realized it was time to pick up Rusty from his surfing lesson! That’s strange, as earlier in the story, Mark was content to let Rusty stay on his own at the hotel. But he didn’t mind letting Wesley sit/float/sink in his cave while he retrieved Rusty. Sammy thought this was odd. So do I.
This brings up an important point: Is Mark taking this assignment seriously or maybe just doesn’t know how to set priorities? The situation sounds ludicrous: Mark investigates a house filled with lions while his son takes a surfing lesson near (I presume) their hotel. In the middle of his assignment, Mark has to leave to get Rusty (Butwhat if the lions ate him!?) and then bring him back to the site of the mansion. Now all three of them are going to explore an unknown water-filled cave to look for Wesley Wingit. What could possibly go wrong with that!?
Today’s nature supplement is straightforward and interesting. The normally customized title panel has a sleek look to it. Heck, Mark even forewent the usual lame-o bad pun ending for an acceptably groaning dad joke. Still, it’s an improvement.
Okay, so being trapped in a cave is not a really big deal for Mark, huh? We can interprete his behavior in different ways:
Mark is a super dad and cares for his own kid above anybody else, even his assignment
Mark is an irresponsible dad and thinks it is just fine to bring Rusty into a possibly dangerous environment
Mark figures Wingit made his own mess, so feels no great responsibility to save him
Since Wingit is no longer in the mansion, Mark’s primary mission is complete, anyway
Who knows which is right and whether another reason will float to the surface of this turgid pool?
Art Dept. Today’s strip displays signs of assembly line drawing, though I might be misreading things. Mark’s face in panel 2 looks like it was put together from stored parts, like an identikit or Mr. Potato Head, especially the mouth, which doesn’t quite fir the angle of the face. By the way, Mark’s watch in panel 1 disappears in panel 3. In fact, panel 1 is the only time Mark’s watch has even appeared.
Less obvious is the “lineup” composition that Rivera likes to use (panel 3) for groups. You can find numerous examples in the strip if you care to go back and review. Of course, part of the reason for this is important: Rivera needs to visually clarify which characters are speaking in a group. One downside is that the composition can sometimes look unnatural and awkward.
Today, Mark and Sammy stand side-by-side in the foreground, talking to Rusty and the surfing instructor standing in the middle ground. This arrangement forces Mark and Sammy to look back over their shoulders. Clearly, a more realistic and still clear composition would have been to show Mark and Sammy facing Rusty, with their backsides to us. Not a difficult composition, even for Rivera.
Also, how and why did Rusty change his clothes from the relatively short time ago when he began his surfing lesson?
Nice find, Sherlock! I wonder if Mark used keys to get into the lion mansion? We did not get to see that particular action, nor were keys mentioned earlier. Of course, such trivial items are not usually a subject of discussion in a story like this, unless they turn up in an unusual spot. I checked back and in the September 14 strip the narration says Mark broke into the mansion. I must have been distracted by other matters to not notice that detail. How did he break in? There didn’t seem to be any damage to the door. Does Mark carry burglar tools?
Still, I’m suspicious. It seems that Sammy has been directing Mark the entire time, including to this cave. Part of that is to be expected, of course. As Sammy discussed back in the August 29 strip, Wingit’s movies are just a scam for studios to take tax writeoffs, while earning him a good payoff. Sammy complained that the discovery of lions in a house of actors would create a studio-ending scandal. But this is surely false, because the tradition in Hollwood is any publicity is good publicity. Well, except when people really get killed.
Why does Sammy have no idea what the movie production schedule is, in spite of the fact that he is part of the production team? That is strange. And today, they just happen to walk to a spot where Mark spots a set of house keys on the ground.
Art Dept. The “moonlight” reflection effect in the water is nicely done, but not very convincing, considering we are looking at the entrance to a (dark) cave. Hmm, panel 3 shows us part of the lion mansion in the background. That’s interesting, considering that the mansion was also in the background of yesterday’s strip, when Mark and Sammy were on the other side of the water, above the cave’s entrance.
Sure, Mark. You must investigate this rash assumption in order to earn your fee. But there’s no need to yell!
Why should people assume Wesley Wingit is trapped in a cave? First he’s believed to be trapped in a mansion; now it’s a cave. What’s next, trapped in the wait line to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland!? What is this obsession with a “trappedWingit”? Is Wingit some kind of a Wingnut? (Okay, I beat Rivera to that pun I’ve been saving up.)
But maybe all of this is just bad press from Wingit’s detractors. Or detractor! Sammy Spotter is the only person from the movie studio we have heard from or seen. As I recall, he was Bill Ellis’s sole contact for this assignment! It could very well be that Spotter is behind some kind of unexplained criminal scheme. Or maybe this is a revenge conspiracy. Mark does have several enemies in California, including the wealthy Rob “Cricket Bro” Bettencourt, who could be financing this operation.
(Wait, Sammy did not use Wesley’s full name in Panel 4. He may wind up with a reprimand and a fine from SAG for his improper name credit.)
I confess that maybe I’m guilty of suggesting a level of subtlety and complexity not present in this silly story. Maybe I’m just wishing that there was something more, something complex and devious. Something interesting.
The guys seem so fascinated by director Wingit’s full name that they can’t help but repeat it in-full, every chance they get. Somehow, Mark jumps to the conclusion that, because Wingit would be shooting a scene in a cave, he might now be trapped in it. Why would he think that?
The cave reference Rivera refers to in panel 4 is to a “Journey to the Center of the Earth”-style adventure of a pursuit that took place in a southwest Texas cave. It appeared between Dec 2015-June 2016 when the strip was drawn by priorMark Trail artist, James Allen (refer to our story category “Arachnid, Ho!”). The adventure has since become an in-joke for its many cliffhangers, inane dialog, and seemingly unending length (the story and the cave).
It turns out that there really are numerous natural caves on Catalina Island, though most seem to be shallow. On the other hand, there are also several now-inactive mines of greater depth cut into the island rock to retrieve minerals such as silver, lead, and zinc, such as the BlackJack Mine. There is also a shallow “cave” blasted into the mountain below the landmark Holly Hill House. The town of Avalon initiated this to force the original home’s owner to allow public access across his land to the beach. Perhaps one of these will feature in Mark’s search.
What ho! The first thing out of the mouth of a smiling Mark Trail has nothing to do with layabout lions or missing actors, but bragging about his finds like a kid at an Easter Egg Hunt. Useless animal wrangler, Sammy Spotter, is positively giddy that he can discover where Wesley Wingit might have already been (assuming this is really Wingit’s camera).
Now, is Rivera getting philosophic on us? “We have to know the past in order to know the future.” In Panel 3, Mark’s comment completes the second half of that axiom. Nevertheless, it is possible to speculate on future actions based on past events. Except for future investment performance, of course.
Okay, what about that production schedule document? Since Wesley Wingit is the director, surely the producer(s) and studio also have copies of it. So they could have looked it over to check for location shots and send people to scout them out on the specified dates, right? Will the guys finally realize this? Did the producers even think about it?
<Sigh!> One thing we’ve learned for sure: So far, Sammy Spotter has proven to be about as relevant as “Gadzooks!”
After a week’s hiatus, a reminder strip is not out of line. Interestingly, it is something of a “redo” of the Saturday, September 21 strip as seen from the point of view of Sammy Spotter:
Sammy Spotter’s fear is groundless, given what we know. But since he has been portrayed as a handwringing worrywart the whole time, there is no real drama. And no real suspense, except for the mystery of how and why the lions are allowed to be outside.
I reckon that we are supposed to assume Mark explored a lot of other rooms in this mansion, even though we did not see them. Too bad, as they might have led to some interesting situations.
Thus, Rivera missed another opportunity to build drama and suspense. Wait, I take that back. There is the mystery of the whereabouts of the actors who were supposedly locked inside the house along with the lions and the director. How come neither Mark nor Sammy seem at all concerned about them?
At least last [!], we have a story with some plausible drama and surprise. And it happens to be one of Cherry’s stories! Rivera could and should do the same for Mark, and do it often.
This week Cherry and Violet met up at the Sunny Soleil Society to confab about the kittens, with Violet exhibiting an allergy to cat fur. Doc Davis then popped in (as they do in family sitcoms) to lend support and pledge birth control services when it is the right time to do so.
Suddenly, an imperious woman also popped into the room with a take-no-prisoners attitude and demanded that Violet and Cherry remove the kittens forthwith. It seems that she owns the Sunny Soleil Society. In Saturday’s strip, Rivera landed a second hit by revealing she is Violet’s mother! Finally, mom gave Violet 24 hours to remove the kittens, or else!
As far as I can recall, there have been a few prior moments of drama in Cherry’s stories: When she first tangled with Violet regarding the survival of her plantings, and when Violet threatened to terminate a hive of bees stuck to a commemorative statue in the Society’s garden. Yet, these few examples seem to beat Mark’s score.
That’s about it for the week. You’ll have to scroll through the dailies to pick up on my usual critiques of the art and story elements. Otherwise, we should be returning to Mark’s story on Monday. Until then, enjoy today’s Sunday nature outing.
Most people get nervous around any snakes, even harmless green snakes in their back yard. It’s a fear bred into us over the millennia. I’ve known people who moved out of a state because of snake sightings in their yard. But pit vipers (rattlesnakes, water moccasins, cottonmouths) are not to be trifled with.
The information today is good, if obvious. But sometimes, we need to be reminded of the obvious! Maybe focus more on the topic (safety around rattle snakes), itself, and skip the gratuitous “why they are important” stuff. For example, what should you wear when walking in areas where rattlesnakes proliferate? Or how about a tip on what not to do if bitten. Rivera can devote another Sunday sheet on the positive benefits of snakes.
Well, Violet did mention her mother in Monday’s strip; but it is something of a surprise to learn this crank is her mom. Here I was thinking that purple is just the company’s official color. But it does clarify the company’s ownership: The Sunny Soleil Society is a family affair.
Perhaps that might also explain the mysterious, solitary appearance of an old man during Cherry’s first meeting with Violet (4/29/21).
In this sequence, Violet had a flashback where she was seated next to an older man reading Mark’s email. Note his clever reference to Mark’s “two fists o’ justice.” I didn’t know for sure who this man was, but it now makes sense that it is her father. Maybe we’ll find out for certain when Cherry’s adventure resumes. But, I have to give credit to Rivera for dishing out her own two days o’ drama. About time!
Art Dept. A big “Yuck!” for panel 1 in today’s strip. It’s as if Rivera is deliberatelytrying to destroy the drama she has finally been able to create with this obnoxious, cloying composition.
Who knew the Sunny Soleil Society was owned by one person!?! Well, I suppose it could be. This is a new wrinkle in the story. I reckon Madam Drama showed up, after all. It’s not often we get to see a new character. Victoria Vex is certainly correctly named.
I’m guessing this cartoonish Victoria Vex symbolizes the popular perception of HOAs as authoritative and unsympathetic. Remember that the Sunny Soleil Society was originally defined in this strip (see 4/27/21) as managing the HOA for the local Lost Forest village. Violet is the overseer of the company. Looking back, Violet, herself, was more imperious and decidedly more capably “hands-on” than she appears these days (see 4/30/21).
Art Dept. As in most comic strips, the main characters get refined or redefined over time. It is a natural evolution. For example, here is what the Trail family originally looked like back in an early publicity drawing from late 2020 (click the image to see better details):
These are not quite the cartoonish characters they appear as these days, with the possible exception of Doc Davis. Unfortunately, these characterizations did not last very long.
Wednesday. Somebody get Violet some nasal spray! Is this a reverse of the Stockholm Syndrome, where Violet identifies with her captives? Does she think a fox or another cat-eating varmint will mistake her for a kitten? Well, at least Doc Davis appears to be doing his part by volunteering to fix the kittens. They won’t be able to breed if they are returned to the wild, but they will still be predator bait, right? Okay, so this story has less suspense, drama, and action than a Hallmark movie, but at least it makes sense.
Thursday. I see a parallel with Mark’s ongoing story: Cherry wants to find a home for the kittens and Mark has vowed to find “homes” for the lions.
This is the kind of insightful analysis that people pay real money for, but you get it here, for free.
Cherry shows her concern for Violet’s discomfort and health by bringing the kittens to her house (a building which seems to change size from one day to the next). Cherry’s dad, Doc Davis, is doing his job as Mr. Deal Closer to ensure that Cherry and Violet don’t realize he is the one best qualified to care for the kitties!
I know what you are thinking … actually, I really don’t, but I’m just using this opening line as an excuse to slip in some specious blather that I’m passing off as inspired analysis. Anyway, as I was saying, you’re probably thinking “Rivera gives Mark Big Lions to tangle with, while Cherry winds up with a bunch of helpless little furballs.” But as we’ve seen, the lionesses have so far proven to be docile and harmless; while the kittens are more active and (innocently) harming Violet. No idea if that observation leads us anywhere.
But I’m also trying to figure out where this story is heading. I could speculate, but that requires a modicum of thought and imagination. At the moment, I have none, so I’m just going to ride along
Art Dept. Often when cartoonists show an encircled figure apparently floating in space, such as Violet in panel 1, it is meant to highlight an action or expression taking place in another area outside of our immediate view. The point is to provide the readers with a larger scale view of the environment in which the dialog or activity is occurring. In this case, it is the Sunny Soleil Society’s HQ and grounds, where Cherry and Violet are inside. We understand this encircled image is not a physical ball of some sort, floating around the yard. It is just an artistic device and a longstanding trope in comics.
Here, Rivera pokes fun at the trope by having Violet’s hanky fly outside of the circle as she sneezes, thereby suggesting that it actually does inhabit the outside space, alongside the snake. The illusion is enhanced by having the snake look at Violet (or her hanky). Without that flying hanky, the effect of the joke is less dramatic. So props to Rivera. But the less said about Violet’s image, the better. On the other hand, Rivera does a fine job depicting Violet’s suffering in panel 2. Looking at her makes me want to grab for my own nasal spray!
Leaving editorializing aside, here is what happened the past week in the Trailverse. You’ll have to read my daily posts to see the editorializing parts.
Jules Rivera reprised the scene of Mark Trail entering the “lion mansion” filled with docile lions (mostly female). He saw lions open a chest freezer and eat meat stored in it. In another room he spotted papers on a desk that he discovered was a production schedule. While holding the schedule, some kind of wind blew the paper out of his hands, out of a nearby window that was open, and down into the backyard where it landed at the feet of a recumbent lion. When Mark went outside to get the schedule, it was under the lion’s feet. Mark was able to retrieve the schedule without trouble. Holding both the paper and a video camera he had earlier found, Mark walked around to the front of the house to inform Sammy Spotter about his discoveries.
Interestingly, today we have a Sunday topic that is not related to either the current story or to the locale of the current story. It happens. This bird is widespread across most of North and all of South America, but its year-round status in limited to parts of the United States and all of South America. They don’t seem to be big fans of Canada. Go figure. The turkey vulture apparently has no syrinx (bird vocal chords), but it may hiss, grunt, or cluck. The bird is also a protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Hey! How did I get so smart? The way many of us do, I suspect: Google!
The Daily Trail 