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Lucky Max the Manatee exits this story and floats to freedom!

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Reader Be Ware of Eve Hill commented on the possibility of a decline in the art of this strip related to the resignation of Tea Fougner, Editorial Director of King Features Syndicate. I mentioned her departure on January 6. My current answer is “Got me!”  My understanding is that Fougner was instrumental in bringing Rivera in to update the strip. Given that the art has fluctuated over the past several years, I’m not inclined to believe a causal link to Fougner’s departure. I’m more inclined to think a new director will arrive and promote a different agenda, which might be a bigger concern. King Features owns the Mark Trail strip and Rivera is just the current hired caretaker, as was James Allen before her.

Rita refers to the “freshwaters” of Florida. Really!? This event must have taken place in the 1940s, since I read that these days the “freshwaters of Florida” are polluted from pesticide and fertilizer runoff, which has killed a lot of the sea grass that manatees depend on, and are a leading danger to the survival of the manatees in Florida.  Guess they missed that piece of information.

I think we’re all surprised to find that Max the manatee is actually still alive, after been ignored for most of this adventure. And I wonder how they got Max safely back into those “fresh” waters, as Rivera perhaps decided her readers do not need to know how much time, effort, and care is actually required to do accomplish this! So much for this strip’s focus on environment and nature.

First Question of the Day: Why does Rita ask Mark to take control of the kidnappers, since Skeeter already has the situation in hand?
Second Question of the Day: Why are Rita, Skeeter, and Mark facing away from Max in panel 3 as they see him off?
Third Question of the Day: Is this the end of the adventure, or does Mark go on to pursue Cricket Bro?

Now, don’t wait. Operators are standing by 24 hours a day by to take your comments!

Mark is unbearably confused. Nothing new.

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Burglars!? What is Mark talking about? And just who is responsible for this mistatement, Mark or Jules Rivera? Does Rivera make Mark say this for the sake of the alliteration or is Rivera, herself, confused?

Well, this “save the manatee” story has certainly taken a turn to the offbeat. And that is not necessarily a compliment. In spite of Rita’s environmental assertion (panel 1), this story has spent little time on actual environmental or biological issues. And that is not good for a strip like Mark Trail.

This story continues to focus on the fake hurricane conspiracy and the two conspirators. And today’s strip is clearly just an excuse for a lame anti-Florida “joke.” In short, no actual story development.

Art Dept. Fairly rough work. Mark looks out of proportion in panel 1 and is barely recognizable in panel 2. Perhaps that image supports the reason for depicting regular characters in the same clothes in order to assist recognition.

The Great Conspiracy conspiracy.

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This pivoting is confusing. First, it’s manatee-controlling weather. Then it is Rita’s climate change position. Now, it’s the weather again, but apparently from a secret government machine outsiders know about. Isn’t that the way it always is with these conspiracies!? Well, I’m not going to waste time going through this mess.

Art Dept. The one thing I will comment on is Rivera’s interesting use of perspective today, providing us a bottom-up view of Rita, Skeeter, and Mark in panels 1 and 4. Perhaps viewpoint is the more accurate term, as the lower view reinforces the illusion of foreshortening.

Frankly, Rivera could have produced a much better story that focused on the dangers to manatees from nature and human actions. I’m not going to expound on it here, but you can see my summary in the comments section for yesterday, as a response to an observation from commenter Daniel.

It turns out that even the two Bear Bozos don’t really care about Max the Manatee!

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RRRRRRIIPPPPP! That’s the sound of me tearing what’s left of my hair off of my head. Has Rivera lost the point of this simple storyline? Let me help you out, Jules. Here is a recap:

The Whether Men is a group of conspiratorial nutjobs who think manatees can control hurricanes, so they threatened to steal Max the Manatee for their own nefarious purpose. Rita and Skeeter hired Mark as their Protection Detail while they transport Max back to his watery home. They were first ambushed at a gas station by two conspirators dressed in bear costumes. Mark forced them to flee. Mark and his companions then drove to their destination and began unloading Max, whereupon the same two bear-bozos showed up again, demanding Mark hand over Max! Not Rita! Got it, Rivera?

So, what’s this revelation (panel 2) from NutJob #1 all about? Why would anybody kidnap someone because of a disagreement over their online posts? Clearly, Rita is not the only person posting scientific climate change information. Does Cricket Bro intend to kidnap everyone who disagrees with him? Sure, Cricket Bro is a duplicitous, self-serving conman, but there’s nothing in his character we have seen to suggest he would engage in felonious kidnapping. But I live to learn.

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Breaking News: There are unconfirmed reports that Max the Manatee was attacked and eaten by a 16 foot Burmese Python while lying unattended alongside a local shoreline. Max had been under the care of Storm Brain, a local science-based nonprofit organization. Security consultant Mark Trail could not be reached for comment. State and federal officials will investigate the situation.

Mark gets his ego bruised.

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As Charlie Brown always sighs, “Good Grief!” I reckon we can all just admit that poor Max the Manatee was never anything more than a prop, and the “save nature and wildlife” angle of Mark Trail seems to be a sham. Clearly, Mark is more concerned with his own petty feelings, rather than his job. Sounds something like real life.

Now, as I wrote earlier, I’m happy to see this story expand to include this mysterious connection with Rob “Cricket Bro” Bettencourt (even though I’d like to see new nemeses show up, in general). I state “mysterious” with regard to Cricket Bro, because Rob could not have known Mark was going to be on this assignment. However, I think Jules Rivera should complete the current Manatee Max story arc first.  If this was real life, Mark, Skeeter, and Rita would all be getting citations and federal court dates for mishandling a protected species.

Art Dept. Have you noticed those triplet lines emanating from Mark’s head in panels 1 and 3? Typologically, they reflect an emotional reaction. Mort Walker, in a half-joking book he wrote called “The Lexicon of Comicana” classified these emotive lines as plewds, a category of emenata. Cartoonists have used them since the early 20th century. They also appear in early b&w silent cartoons. Just a bit of cartoon history for you, free of charge!

Say, do you think Rivera has a ghost artist filling in for her? Some of these figures just look so different than Rivera’s usual work. But she can be quite loose with her representations, I’ll admit. And check out Mark’s pants in panel 3.

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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The Max the Manatee Story did not come to a conclusion as some may have hoped. All but ignoring Max, the story kept its focus on what regular commenter Daniel Pellissier called “a new low…the source of absurd conflict between dufus Mark and two fourth-rate henchmen for an internet grifter. ” A sterner critic than I, Daniel even rated the incompetent bear-boobs two additional levels lower.

As for this past week, after losing track of the bear-suited kidnappers earlier, Mark and his two companions drove on, talking about the thwarted kidnappers. We finally got a glimpse of Max in just one panel. But before the trio could set up the equipment to get the Max into the water, those two “fourth rate” henchmen suddenly showed up—still in costume!—to demand Max. We were treated to a rare, highly stylized display of Mark’s famed “Fists o’ Justice” and the opportune drop of a “frozen” iguana onto the head of one of the bad guys. Apparently forgetting about Max, Skeeter and Rita walked over to watch the fisticuffs.

Afterwards, Skeeter identified the two bear dudes (sans head masks) as employees of “Cricket Bro Inc.”, adding a new layer of distraction for Mark, clearly more interested in his personal achievement and the opportunity to once again confront “his old nemesis.” But what about Max the Manatee, you ask? Oh, please. The “good guys” aren’t really concerned, so why should you be? Just focus on the Bigger Picture!

And that was the week that was.

The smalltooth sawfish is found in sub-tropical and tropical waters, barely present in the United States, but found in southern Florida and the Keys, on the Gulf side. I’m not sure why Mark feels the need to issue a non-sequitur (panel 5) about their feeding habits. In addition to algal bloom, accidental or deliberate fishing, and net entanglements are major threats that helped put them on the Endangered list.

An old nemesis jumps back into Mark’s life!

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Sometimes I fear that I am descending into a Pit of Snarkiness, that this blog is becoming just an extended version of one-offs, such as we find on ComicsKingdom. Not that some snarkiness is bad. I enjoy a well-crafted dig. But I don’t want to get to the point where all I’m doing is taking potshots. So, do let me know if you find me losing my focus. Don’t hold back. I can take it!

Now, on to today’s silliness episode!

As Mark winds up his defense of Max, Rivera continues to turn this story from the rescue and rehabilitation of a manatee into a story about two second-rate kidnappers and their conspiratorial nonsense. Meanwhile, Max (remember him!?) has as much screen time in this story as the box of tools on the shoreline. Remember that?

So how did Skeeter and Rita know about the falling iguana if they were supposed to be busy with Max? No way that job is already completed, even in Comic Strip Time! What I’m trying to say here is that I believe a better approach would have been to show Mark fighting the kidnappers as we observe Rita and Skeeter feverishly working in the background to launch Max to safety. It could have been dramatically depicted in a single panoramic panel. Somehow, I just don’t think that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will give this story its stamp of approval.

While I always like to see new opponents and bad guys show up in this strip, it is curiously amusing to see Cricket Bro reappear. What could be his connection to a conspiracy about manatees controlling storms? There has to be a financial payoff involved in this grift. So I hope this plotline gets fleshed out in a meaningful way. For once.

Okay, you got any observations or snarks?

Max is shoved aside once again so we can watch Mark fight.

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Oh dear. Where to start? We get confirmation that Max the Manatee is just an excuse for the story and not the focus of the story. The idea that people would start a fist fight while dressed in clumsy bear costumes could only happen if they were:  a) drunk; b) stoned, or c) stupid. If Rivera’s intentions are to treat this sequence as a cheap parody of Vintage Mark Trail, then she succeeded.

This “rescue from ambush” (by a falling iguana, of course) is an old movie and TV trope. Rivera used a similar setup before (“Thanks-alotl for the E-Waste “,7/2/24 & 7/3/24), when Mark was fighting the E-waste dumpers in Lost Forest and was about to get brained by Honest Ernest after Connor snuck up from behind to trap him. But Andy was the surprise “frozen iguana” who bit Connor, breaking his hold and allowing Mark to continue fighting.

Tip for Rivera: Narration boxes look less clunky when they are stretched to fill the width of each panel, especially where there is no dialog.

Max is moved while Mark and the Bears face off

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Update: Readers Downpuppy and Be Ware of Eve Hill each provided a reasonable correction to some of my interpretations from yesterday. The covered box on the ground in panel 1 likely contains the tools to get Max out of the truck; not Max, himself. And the gesture of the bear bozo on the right in panel 4 was more likely the familiar “hit-the-palm” gesture suggesting impending physical violence. I always appreciate readers taking the trouble to keep me grounded in reality. Now, on to today’s strip!

Note to Mark: Histrionics and name-calling won’t convince those dudes, Mark, especially when your explanation employs another thing they probably don’t believe in! And a fist fight won’t do much more than put them out of action for a bit. Education would be a better approach, but as we saw in your fishing survival school, Mark, teaching is not a strong point. Maybe those two goofs are true believers who find facts and logic inconvenient. If so, you might as well go ahead. Knock the stuffing out of their costumes!

Moving on:  I’m impressed with the ability to get Max the Manatee out of the truck and on the ground without visible equipment. But maybe it was used and is already moved out of the way.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, too:  How much time actually passed between yesterday’s strip and today? Because, realistically, getting a manatee out of the truck and safely on the ground would probably take at least a good 30 minutes, excluding the time needed to set up the equipment. Perhaps the two “Bear Bozos” were too amazed at how complex the process to move a manatee actually is and just watched. But only now did they recover their wits. Otherwise, I’m stumped.

Art Dept. Less said, the better.

Even the Spanish Moss could not hide Max from his abductors!

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If all that gray stuff in the trees isn’t Spanish Moss, it might just be a lot of sleeping sloths, able to maintain their arboreal perches. Pretty sure they aren’t cold iguanas.

So, that box on the shore must contain Max, yes? The box is not even open! Didn’t anybody bother to check on Max’s condition? What kind of manatee minders are these clowns? Also, I wonder what hardware Mark is referring to in panel 2 that is different than the hardware they had to have needed to lift the box out of the truck and set it safely on the shore?

Am I being too picky here? Possibly, but if Rivera is going to have Mark suddenly get all technical, why skip over details? For example, how did they get the box out of the truck and onto the shore? Unless Max is a baby manatee, these animals get big and very heavy, requiring a bunch of people and special equipment, as we see in this photo of a manatee being transported from Miami to SeaWorld Orlando in 2023 for veterinary examinations.

Sure, this is just a comic strip, not a documentary. And I’m being a picky know-it-all. But as I wrote previously, Mark Trail (the strip and the person) is based on the love and protection of nature in all its aspects. You can’t just wave your hand and declare “Let there be a deus ex machina!”

Now, as far as the plot goes—and it seems to be moving once again—the so-called “Bear Bozos” return for a second attempt. Apparently, neither Skeeter nor Rita bothered to check the highway behind them! Probably because they were too busy browsing the Internet.

By the way:  Does anybody know what the “Bear Bozo” on the right is holding? Is he attempting to shoot a spitball at Mark? Throw a Japanese shuriken? Or maybe throw a kiss to Mark? Get ready for action!!

For the source of the photo and related article, see https://tinyurl.com/6ywf7d9d)

Do you think they would notice if Max fell out of the truck?

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If they have already located a proper location to return Max (see yesterday’s strip), why are they still wasting time inside the truck looking up bear costumes? And wouldn’t those “whether men” post on their own conspiracy group’s web site?

Given that the photo in question (panel 2) is two people in full costume, I don’t see how any identification can be made, even if names were attached. Anyway, this distraction does not move the story along one iota.

Why does Rivera continue to focus the story on the would-be kidnappers while disregarding Max the Manatee? These three have all the concern of a moving crew delivering furniture. To me, the real drama is Max’s current health. What if Max’s condition worsened as a result of the dawdling, jostling, and negligence? Isn’t that worth focusing on? It provides sufficient suspense and drama for this story.

Keep in mind that Mark is the guy whose very existence is based on preserving nature and wildlife. It looks as if Jules Rivera has lost sight of Mark Trail’s Prime Directive!

Art Dept. Rivera continues to swing back to her sketchy, barren style. She must have been watching StarTrek when drawing this, because in panel 3 Mark looks like that early version of Mr. Spock when Capt. Pike was in charge of the Enterprise. Minus the five o’clock shadow, of course!

Mark, Rita, and Skeeter pick a place for Max to skedaddle

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Several readers await the return of the “Vintage” Mark Trail, meaning the work of Dodd and Elrod. Keep waiting, people. On the other hand, other vintage strips are online at ComicsKingdom, including Krazy Kat, Thimble Theater, and Rip Kirby, the latter being one of the best strips for drama, adventure and superb drawing in the naturalistic style. All three strips have also been reprinted, at least in part, in lavish hardcover books, though several volumes are currently out of print. No such books have been made for Mark, though!

And so we are back … in Florida. The amateurish handling of Max the Manatee that we have observed continues as the trio seems to have extemporaneously decided on a spot to release him!

I realize that Rivera has to simplify things somewhat for the sake of the story and format, but shouldn’t Max be a more significant part of the story, rather than just a reason for the story? In reality, there are only a select number of facilities authorized to rescue and transport manatees in Florida, all under the supervision of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Yet, there have been no people from either of those agencies present, nor have they been mentioned. Thus, my comments at the start of this adventure on why these two characters could have been from one of those agencies, which would provide more authenticity. Much of the story could remain the same, including the goofy kidnapping attempt. Some extra time and space could have been allocated for the characters to discuss and demonstrate proper handling and supervision of the manatee, including how they select the best spot to reintroduce Max into his watery habitat.

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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Rivera brought us back to Lost Forest this past week to catch us up on Cherry’s mini herb basket assembly project and the travails of sisters Olive and Peach. With baskets assembled, the sisters arrived at the local farmers market ready for selling. Cherry introduced her sisters to their older BIG brother, Dirk, who seemed to be unknown to them. Cherry had invited Dirk to come sell his feral hog poetry. (I’m really hoping Dirk will recite some of it before he disappears back into the Trailverse Closet of Bit Characters.)

So how is it that Olive and Peach did not know Dirk, you ask? It was never stated, though it might have been due to a possible early departure from the homestead by Dirk. Maybe Peach and Olive were too young at the time to remember. It’s a mystery.

In any event, this family convergence was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Peach’s ex-boyfriend, Rick. Peach rejected his pleas for forgiveness and reunion, leading to Rick’s increasingly erratic behavior. Brother Dirk finally stepped in to make known his own intentions regarding Rick’s immediate future and health. That sent Rick sullenly on his way. However, Rivera let it be known that the ex-boyfriend probably isn’t heading back to Florida any time soon. And that’s where things stand in Lost Forest.

Rivera gives us another animal talk geographically linked to current stories, along with another inventive title panel. But unless you visit or live in Florida, you will likely only see iguanas in zoos and in homes as pets (a role they are not suited for). The iguana is considered a harmful invasive species in Florida. Their existence there is probably due to people abandoning them, especially when they grow up to 6 feet long! Florida is truly America’s favorite dumping ground for abandoned exotic and dangerous pets, including Burmese pythons, boa constrictors, Nile monitor lizards, African monkeys, Cuban tree frogs, peacocks, caimans, and out-of-state college students. Florida: It’s more than just orange juice and beaches!

 Bombs Away!

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Nice owl! Well, the gift wrap is quickly falling away from Rick, and Peach is not happy with the present. I’ll leave it to you to look up the phrase “love bombing”, if you don’t already know it. I had to look it up, so why should you get off easy!?

That said, do you think Rick’s pleadings are sincere acts of contrition and love? He sounds desperate!

From my angle, Jules Rivera has drawn Rick’s gestures and expressions in a way that dispels any notions of sincerity and caring. Once a narcissistic control freak, always a narcissistic control freak. To her credit, Peach isn’t buying his act. And speaking of acts, I think this is Dirk’s cue to step onto the stage and deliver a performance that will have Rick exclaiming “Exit, stage left!”

The elements of this morality play are quickly falling into place. I would be stupefied if Rivera pulled a fast one and changed the expected outcome.

Special Tip: If you also read this strip in the newspaper, feel free to get a marker and blacken out the narration box in panel 4. I hereby give you permission to do that to all future narration boxes that are irrelevant, redundant, or pretend to be humorous. I’d do it here, but I’m stopped by the pledge I took to maintain an accurate record for posterity.

The arrival of a totally expected visitor

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Yep, right on schedule, but with a plot twist:  Rather than revenge, Rick expresses remorse, which is a good start. He might be sincere, but his violent temper is not something that will magically disappear like a box of cookies on my desk.

But what will happen over the next two days?

Art Dept. Maybe you noticed this, already. In panel 4 Rick holds Peach’s hand with his own right hand. Yet it appears that we can see his thumb! I’ve heard of double-jointed people, but this is something else.

While you’re here, please enjoy the animatronic squirrel!

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Sheesh! You know, I was gonna snark on how Rivera still can’t draw beards because they look so fake. And then I thought:  Maybe it is meant to be fake! Dirk is into the whole “avoid government” thing, paranoid about government surveillance, global conspiracies, etc. So why wouldn’t he choose to disguise himself from the hidden agents in the sky and in the trees?

Then again, why wouldn’t Dirk just grow a real beard? Doesn’t take much effort, unless he is one of those dudes whose DNA missed out on the beard gene. We’ll have to wait for additional information. But it sure looks like one of the hokiest, fake beards I’ve ever seen; like those fake beards the prison escapees wore to disguise themselves in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou?

Otherwise, good ol’ boy Dirk must have left the Pitt/Davis household while the younger Pitts were just wee seeds, since Cherry sees fit to make introductions. But will we get to see some of that feral hog poetry? Could be interesting!

Is there another Pitt family reunion in the making?

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I dunno , why would Peach respond to Cherry’s remark about Dirk with the exclamation “Older Brother??” instead of something like “Dirk? Here!?” Did mummy and daddy forget to inform the younger sisters of his existence?

In case you forgot (or didn’t know), older brother Dirk was introduced back in 2021 in the story we labeled “Can’t Spell Whoa without HOA.” Back then, Dirk had a rust-colored beard and looked like a wilderness version of Hagrid.

While I’m in a questioning mood (and when am I not?), I’m always wondering just what the Sunny Soleil Society (SSS) is all about. Those of you who were here at the start of Jules Rivera’s tenure may remember that the SSS was originally tasked as managing an HOA for a local neighborhood. At the time, Violet Cheshire was an imperious, strict, rules enforcer capable of physically throwing Cherry out of her office. Which she did.

Since then, Violet’s personality has gone through several modifications. Cherry went from Society Enemy Number One to trusted contractor. The job must be good enough that Cherry no longer seems to need other customers for her lawn and landscape business (assuming that still exists).

And we recently learned Violet’s mother is really in charge of the Society. But what does it do? Why does it solicit membership? In those earlier days of the strip, the Society had the appearance of some kind of selective southern country club with members dressed in stylish outfits and broad-brimmed hats. These days, the SSS seems more concerned with its gardens and public events.

We now return to normal people.

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After two weeks of bungling amateurs down in Florida, it’s a comfort to return to a place of normality, tranquility, and bundles. Even the artwork has improved!

Cherry might want to back off of her excitement just a bit, because she only brought eleven baskets, based on the content in panel 1!  Olive Pitt’s cynical comments on being in the sticks is ironic, given the trailer court where they grew up (that is, trailer courts tend to be isolated pockets of civilization).

So, will this peace last through the week? Given the reason for Peach and Olive’s visit (see my posts for the week of 12/ 16/24) and the fact that we usually only get one week of Cherry’s stories at a time, I’m going to predict that trouble will make an appearance very soon.

It’s an interesting symmetry, if it pans out:  Mark flies down to Florida to find trouble. Trouble comes up from Florida to find Cherry and her sisters.

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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Reader Downpuppy brought up a good point that “Bear Bandit” could be understood as shorthand for “Bear-Suited Bandit”, thus invalidating yesterday’s grammatical criticism. Well, perhaps. I also think the alliterative rhythm of the name may have had a role in its use. English is flexible.

Last week a bear-bandit attacked Rita and Skeeter when the team stopped at a gas station for snacks. The action continued this week as Mark predictably chased the attacker. Of course, another bear-bandit showed up to steal the unlocked manatee truck holding Max the manatee. Mark turned around in time to pull the second kidnapper out of the truck. Like a mother bear, I’m told.

When Rita and Skeeter conveniently showed up after Mark thwarted the attackers, the team used the manatee truck to pursue the bear-bandits instead of delivering Max! This disregard for Max’s health was further exacerbated: After the crew failed to catch the kidnappers they thought it was a good idea to stop along the way and report the incident. I’m sorry, but is there any valid reason for Jules Rivera to make Mark appear so clueless and unconcerned about Max?

Conclusion: An attempt to interfere with the transportation of Max by the Whether Men was certainly an acceptable part of the story that could provide some drama. Rivera’s contrivance of having the team stop for snacks and leaving the truck unlocked and be assaulted by inept conspiracy nuts in costume was more comical than suspenseful. Once again, Rivera ignored drama for absurdity and juvenilia.

Art Dept. This was not a week of noteworthy drawing. I won’t bore or infuriate you with details. If you have time and fortitude, scroll through the prior days.

Mark admits his own manatee adventure is just so much seaweed as he discusses more realistic effects of storms and hurricanes on manatees, to say nothing of the effort and care that are really required to care for a displaced manatee. Mark provides good discussion (and artwork) here, even as some kind of bug apparently got into his eye (last panel). But it would also be great if Mark followed his own advice more closely.