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Stingrays in the pool? Cherry puts her foot down!

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I am faced with the visual evidence that this water park pond has actual stingrays in it. Going along with the story, one has to wonder why anybody would open such a water park and think it will attact anybody but lawsuit chasers. Are the Cheddersons that out of touch with reality or are they playing a prank? These could be fake stingrays, as I suggested earlier, to add a bit of spice to a humdrum experience. I suppose these could be real stingrays that have had their venom removed, though that sounds rather expensive and dubious for a mere water park. In addition, what will Mark do when he finds out how stingrays are being potentially misused and possibly harmed, all for “a good time”!? I’m assuming this will all get back to Mark.

I reckon we’ll learn more soon, but wackiness is almost always on the Mark Trail menu of plot devices.

Art Dept. Rivera normally uses her standard “pendant symmetry” in a single panel, but today she spread it across panels 2 and 3 to frame the action. This is an exception to the issue I brought up yesterday, of characters not facing the people they are talking to or talking about. Instead, this is actually a clever composition:  In panel 2, Cherry’s profile in the foreground confronts Rusty questioning her, from the background. In panel 3, Rivera reverses the sequence, so that Rusty is in profile in the foreground, as Cherry stands in the background and replies to his question. Taken together, we also see Cherry and Rusty “facing each other,” as if they are both communicating in the same foreground. Like I said, a clever composition!

Cherry gets stung by the fine print.

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I’m thinking that Jules Rivera made an acute observation and delineated the surrounding countryside to show the effects of kudzu infestation, literally covering everything in its path as it spreads (panel 1). It’s even worse than Japanese knotweed! Some of you might remember the kudzu story with Cherry and Violet from 2023 (“Kudzu Crusader”).

Meanwhile, as we watch the Lost Forest Marionettes act out their lines today, I’ll direct your attention to the reader comments for yesterday’s strip in which was discussed the notorious Action Park in New Jersey, an amusement park that featured actual dangerous rides.

Art Dept. One thing I’ve noticed in Rivera’s work (well, one of many things!) is her tendency to show people looking toward us or towards the side, even when the object of discussion is behind them (panels 1 and 3). For example, why doesn’t Cherry actually turn and face the posted rules? I think we’re all intelligent enough to figure out who is ranting, right?

And if you want to criticize the way the water comes off the slide by itself, be my guest. If you want to discuss how the lake (?) seems to expand across the hill without benefit of lock or dam, yet appear calm, please do! I wait to be educated.

Before the golf puns begin, we get to cool off!

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Ed. Note: Mark’s current golf course investigation set off a (small) variety of opinions, pro and con about golf courses. Now, this is primarily a comic strip blog, not a specifically political or social criticism site. And I want to keep it that way. But I think it is good to have some healthy and respectful discourse on topics originating in strip. Jules Rivera was criticized (and also supported) for presenting a one-sided view on golf courses, based on Sunday’s nature strip. Sure. In part it is understandable, as Mark Trial has always been about the health and welfare of nature, wildlife, and people. However, as a comic strip, nuance can be difficult to get across without seeming like you’re trying to please everybody and nobody. On the other hand, it would have given Mark’s position a bit more reality and respect if there was at least an acknowledgement of some advances being made in golf course management with respect to the environment. Still, it’s hard to ignore the general land-grab effect of golf courses. But for now, let’s get back to our story . . .

Okay, let’s have a diversion! It’s been very hot and humid where I live, so a dip in a cool lake is always appreciated. But this water park seems more designed for dedicated thrill seekers, if Cherry’s understanding is correct. I’m going to go out on a limb—or dock, and claim that there are not actual stingrays here, but at most, manufactured gadgets that float around and act like rays. I don’t think any resort owner (even in a comic strip!) is going to risk lawsuits from families, environmental agencies, or the government. Besides, it’s just not practical! So, I think Cherry is just being portrayed as a stereotypical, over-reactive mother.

But I dislike this current presentation of Cherry. In fact, it seems to me that Rivera has been dumbing Cherry down over the past several years. Some of her original traits were her strength of character and strong personality, as well as her native smarts. Where did they all go?

Some people get to have fun, others play golf!

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For somebody who just learned about this golf resort about 24 hours ago in TrailTime, Mark somehow picked up on the quality of available beverages very quickly. Now, that is good investigating! Looks like that journalistic experience is paying off.

However, we are stuck once again with one of Rivera’s ongoing attempts to merge gags into an adventure strip. I’m not going to waste time today reiterating my (hardly unique) feelings on the subject. Anyway, looks like Mark got the wife and the kid outta there so the men can conduct serious business under cover of a golf game!

Art Dept. And another day of slap-dash drawing, overall. But I spotted something I’ve never noticed before. I can’t tell if it is a printing mistake, Rivera’s mistake, or somebody at the syndicate. Did you spot it? It’s in panel 1; or rather, under the border of panel 1, where you can see two small lines jutting below Cherry’s legs. What are they? How did they get missed? But don’t just take my word for it; head over to Comics Kingdom!

Also, where are the golf bags? Or the golf carts? Or any other resort visitors?

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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On the links or in the rough? It’s difficult to tell. Jules Rivera’s notion of a golf course looks more like a DIY obstacle course with flags. After Happy Trail’s surprise invitation to spend time at the new golf resort, the Trails (minus Doc Davis) decided to stand outside the building for the entire week, chatting. Rusty was interested in the water park, yet spent all of his time just filling in the background. As did Cherry, who was apparently placed for eye candy appeal for Trailheads who are otherwise tearing out the rest of their hair over this story.

While Mark (who wore his backpack all week) and Happy (who did not) bantered about Mark’s journalistic interest in the resort, up popped Brett Chedderson, son of the resort owner, Chet Chedderson. Then Chet, himself, suddenly appeared. You remember good ol’ Chet, the shipping magnate with the zebra mussels infestation? This impromptu meetup sparked a short-lived conversation when Mark tried to question Chet about the lake pollution; but he was cut off by Cherry and Happy, for reasons unknown. Were they bothered by golfing rules of decorum? Did they fear for their lives? Were they afraid to see Mark get involved in another fight and land in jail?

As we finally arrived at Saturday’s strip, Rusty and Cherry were still hanging around. Chet invited Mark and Happy to a foursome of golf. In spite of his earlier lack of family support, Mark was even more determined to investigate! Cherry better start go-go dancing to keep the readership returning!

First of all, I don’t golf. I don’t even watch it. While all that Rivera/Mark says is true, it isn’t the full story, as I’ve been learning. In city/suburb settings, golf courses can provide some useful greenspace, given that parks can, as well. Golf courses are becoming more concerned about their environmental impact and are working to mitigate their negative impact. Results will vary. Some of the techniques I read discuss: better water handling through precision irrigation techniques and water recycling. Some golf courses use partially-treated effluent (treated wastewater), where the thick turf grass helps trap smaller waste particles allowing cleaner water to soak back the ground water. They are also investing in drought-resistent grasses (though Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah should probably cut back on courses!); some are using more native grasses where applicable (obviously for borders and roughs). Some are creating protected wildlife corridors along course boundaries. Some are looking for less harmful chemicals or replacements. Some are investing in renewable energy. Of course, not all courses are making all of these changes, and there are probably many holdouts. But it does appear to be a growing awareness, due in part to the cost savings over traditional course maintenance practices. Once again, money talks. But it’s better than no talking.

More questions than answers!

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I must have studied Italian way, too much, because this isn’t making too much sense to me. Of course, my opening statement also doesn’t make much sense, but that’s just to clue you in on the collapsing state of my brain’s synapses.

Chedderson owns a shipping company. That isn’t being a builder.  There is a peacock running amok on the golf course. Either this peacock is quite the runner or the Sunny Soleil Society is a stone’s throw from this resort. That makes it even harder to believe Cherry didn’t know of its existence. Mark is going to play golf with his backpack still strapped on. And taking a cue from Cherry, Happy is also making excuses for Mark. It’s as if they are all in on a secret and don’t want Mark to figure it out. That doesn’t seem too difficult. A few of you readers probably golf, yes? Looking back over the strips this week, I’m not sure I’ve seen a course that looks like this one.

This is the end of the second week for Mark’s storyline. By tradition, we should be heading back to a week of the dramatic story of Violet and the Lost Peacock. That might mean some time-travel for Cherry to get back into her work clothes and hunt down the peacock that we seem to be viewing in today’s strip. But, maybe this particular peacock is one of those feral peacocks known to roam through various southern states, as I mentioned last Sunday. Is it? As I wrote earlier, are these two storylines even on the same chronological timeline?

Not to give Rivera too much literary credit, but this temporal conundrum (largely of my own making!) reminds me a tiny bit of Kurt Vonnegut’s great book, Slaughterhouse 5 and how the book’s protagonist, Bill Pilgrim, time-traveled through various times of his life, as if time was not linear at all (this was also a great movie, by the way).

Art Dept. There is another visual puzzle depicted today, featuring what might appear to be a continuity problem. But is it? Can you spot it? And I don’t mean the bad inking job in panel 2 where it only looks like Mark is wearing a ball cap. But you wouldn’t be too far off.

Cherry undercuts Mark’s questioning Chet Chedderson.

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So, why aren’t Cherry and Rusty at the water park, already? Pretty sure they are not going to do any golfing.

It seems clear that the blatantly cartoony direction this strip keeps taking is an attempt to merge a gag-a-day format onto a continuity strip in order to soft-sell light, environmental/nature-oriented stories. If so, who is this directed at? Do adolescents read this? Is it even in enough papers and online sources to matter?

By most accounts, young people are already much more attuned to environmental issues, having grown up around an increasing global awareness and desire to do something positive. But the traditional Mark Trail strip, as carried on by James Allen, was not drawing new readers and was likely shrinking. Does that mean readers no longer cared for serious stories or traditional illustration-based drawing? I don’t know if King Features ever looked into it. They don’t publish information like that, anyway. Yet I don’t see how Rivera’s approach works much better. Then again, I’m not an under-40 reader.

As for the current story, once again Rivera gives us the Trail Family standing around in a row like guilty elementary school students being admonished by their teacher. And once again (panel 4), Cherry acts like the dutiful wife, all blushes and gushes, confessing what a goofball her husband, Mark, actually is. And Mark still has his backpack on, like he’s ready to go on a hike! But why is Cherry so defensive in the first place? It’s not as if Mark just claimed Chedderson is a criminal. He’s just pushing Chedderson to get a reaction.

Club Rule: If your ball lands in the rough, just take a lost ball penalty and play on!

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Well, I left enough hints for you all, so I hope you are not too surprised by the connection to Chet Chedderson, though I didn’t figure on a son being in the picture. And a son who seems to know Happy Trail! That is not good news.

And what’s with Cherry’s extravagant self-introduction? Is she reverting to some kind of high school fantasy and getting hot flashes for a dude who could have been an offensive tackle on the varsity football team? It just seems out of character for Cherry. In fact, since Happy showed up at the cabin, Cherry has been submissive, clingy, and quiet. What happened to her!? Shouldn’t she be back at the Sunny Soleil Society looking for that peacock?

If that’s a golf course, I’m Arnold Palmer.

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Heh!Heh!Heh! Just some good old fashioned father-son camaraderie from daddy Happy, who was the “Mark Trail” before the current Mark Trail, according to current legend. “What legend?”, you ask.

As Rivera outlined in her first Mark Trail adventure, Happy Trail preceded our current Mark. And Happy was preceded by his father, and so on. It was like the dynasty of Walkers who successively donned the purple costume to take their turn as The Phantom, the Ghost Who Walks. Rivera’s visual mythology was actually a clever way to pay homage to the three artists who preceded her:  Jack Elrod/Tom Hill; Ed Dodd; and James Allen. I think Rivera did okay mimicking their styles. Yes, I also realize a lot of readers wish she had continued to pay homage by adopting one of those earlier style(s).

This is not the place to get in yet another talk/screed on styles, but I will say that Rivera adds elements the other artists rarely dreamed off. For example, in panel 1, Rivera does a good job of composing a panel showing Mark looking back over his shoulder at his dad, seen from just below eye-level. It’s a subtle difference from how a similar composition would usually be defined, as seen here in this Jack Elrod submission from 2013.

Regarding the current story, Happy’s advice is wrong (panel 1)! In fact, Mark really needs to get off his routine of nut-ball stories and get back to some actual nature journalism. And Rivera needs to get off of her gag-a-day comic strip kick and focus on building stories, not jokes.

Happy Trail begins to realize he has been bamboozled!

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Okay, one of the less-than-obvious oddities this week is that Mark and Cherry are wearing backpacks. Why are they doing this? After all, they just drove down the road to the resort. Maybe that’s the only kind of luggage they have. However, why are they still carrying their backpacks, since it appears they have already checked in?

How do I know this? How come you don’t?! 😉 Well, Cherry has changed her clothes, as has Rusty. Compare July 19 and July 21. And Mark is looking more casual than normal. Even his arms are looking like they want to be somewhere else (panel 3).

So, Mark is thinking the obvious:  Fertilizer runoff. Apparently, the resort must be pretty near the lake, yet Mark and Cherry failed to notice it when they were down there. However, I reckon there could be a stream feeding into the lake, so the resort could be around the bend. Ranger Shaw’s comment about contamination from wastewater is a general response to any number of possible sources, including the fertilizer runoff that Mark is hypothesizing. How come he wasn’t more specific? Either his analysis was insufficient or, once again, he is hiding information for a reason.

Somebody, please turn off the syrup dispenser!

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[edited] This seems like yet another wasted day with nothing happening except for the same drippy dialog now taking place in front of the golf resort/water park. Rivera lays on the “doting helicopter parents appreciating the granddad-son moment” trope as if the strip has been hijacked by the Hallmark Network.

But behind all of this schmaltz lies a clue to what I believe is really going on. Did you spot it?

Hint #1: Panel 1.
Hint #2:  The Zeeba Mussels adventure (8/12/2021- 2/4/2022)
Hint #3: Duck Duck Goose Shipping
Hint #4: No idea! I don’t even like cheese!

The next question is whether Mark has seen the clue and figured it out.

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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Sometimes an investigation comes about obliquely. Such is the case of the contaminated swimming hole. This is like a Classic Mark Trail story. After getting shut out of a swimming afternoon, the Trails retired to Ranger Shaw’s backyard for an impromptu party. Some friendly questioning of Ranger Shaw failed to produce anything useful regarding the source of the lake’s contamination. This inspired Mark to take control of the situation and investigate on his own. Good thing, too, else we’d still be reading about Cherry and Violet looking for her mom’s runaway peacock!

Now, did Mark hop on the case immediately? He might have, but Happy Trail just happened to call and tell him about a new golf course opening up near Lost Forest. Mark immediately saw a connection to the lake contamination. Quick thinking like this saves a lot of unnecessary time spent researching and  scouting the area for possible causes. Since complexity and story depth are not a hallmark of most comic strips, including Mark Trail, we can count on the golf resort being the guilty party.

Anyway, before Mark could do anything on his own, Happy came up from Florida and showed up at the cabin! He invited (most of) the family to a weekend at the new golf resort, which he had just joined and booked rooms for everybody. Golfers can be a bit crazy, I reckon.

But it’s all very convenient for Mark, who now has a legitimate reason for showing up at the golf resort! And Rusty was thrilled to see Happy and get a chance to play in the resort’s water park. That should set him up really swell with his friends.

There may be a strategic reason to put the Peacock discussion here, in the middle of Mark’s two-week storyline rather than during Cherry’s week. But I don’t know what it is. Maybe just a scheduling issue at the comic syndicate. In any event, the composition and execution of the title panel today is well-conceived. The curious focus on reflection is explained in the strip. It’s an effective top-down view that includes different shading techniques that are rare in Rivera’s work.

I was not aware there were feral peacocks in the US, apparently due to careless pet owners and people of questionable character who deliberately release them into the environment. These feral peafowl seem to predominate in Florida (home to all manner of released exotic animals), Texas, and southern California. So if you live in the Midwest or Eastern Seaboard, you are probably not going to see any peacocks, except in a zoo.

And I’ll give Rivera credit today for not even trying to draw a peacock in full plumage. There are some paintings and drawings that pull it off, but in a comic strip’s limited format, it would be most difficult to try.

Wrapping up the week with some warm beer.

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Recent reader, observantdonutad36129846, made the good observation that, once again, Doc Davis has been left out of the family invitation and this story. Perhaps there is a bit of jealousy between the two granddads? I don’t really know. Far be it for me to spread rumors. But Doc only shows up about once a year, anyway.

Moving on, today is something of a slush day, in that the story doesn’t really progress, but coasts along with casual repetition and padding. Now, working out a storyline to fit 6-day weeks should be common practice for Rivera by now. Instead, we have desultory dialog along with one of Rivera’s favorite tricks: The final panel punch line, which begs which phrase is getting parodied:  Batter up? Butter up? Bulk up?

Leaving that flotsam aside, this whole week has been strange to me, with what seems to be a family parody: We have a clingy wife; a husband standing erect in contrast to his more cursive mate; and the young son, so very eager to spend time with his granddad, er, “pappy.” That’s an odd nickname for a grandparent.  I always thought “Pappy” was reserved for dads. Well, that’s what Popeye called his own dad, after all.

Now that I mention it, I’m trying to figure out when Rusty started calling him “Pappy Happy.” Back in the 2022 story, Oregon Trails, Rusty called him Grampy Happy. In truth, Happy Trails has not been in too many stories, and fewer where he interacted with Rusty. No wonder Rusty is always so excited to see him! Anyway, I’m thinking this week may be the first time Rusty called him Pappy Happy. Maybe Rusty’s having “daddy” issues with Mark? Well, drop a comment if you recall an earlier occurrence of “Pappy Happy.”

One big Happy family?

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Just whose whole family gets invited? That is, are Olive and Peach also invited or just Mark and his family?

Regular viewer Be Ware of Eve Hill made a suggestion that Cricket Bro might have yet another brother, Golf Bro, the implication being that he is connected with this new golf resort. Along with Cricket Bro and his other brother, Crypto Bro, they could be a modern version of the three Marx Bro’s. This could turn out to be a difficult situation for Happy Trail, who was caught in an NFT scam cooked up by Cricket and Crypto Bro a while back(see “Oregon Trails”).

As for now, Happy has turned into a real impromptu, at-the-moment guy; so he thinks everybody else should be like that. But I’m sure you are really wondering about his eyes (panel 2). It’s possible that the little circled pupils are supposed to be the same color as his hair, but they come off as little white pupils, instead. Eerie looking!

Finally, what’s with this breaking the fourth wall business!?

But first, a few words from our sponsor.

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Happy Trail is pretty hot for this new golf resort, delivering an infomercial to Mark worthy of selling non-stick copper-coated cookware. Mark, on  the other hand, seems stupefied and finally, disillusioned by the irony. But thinking back, how is it nobody in Mark’s family knew about this place!? I’d at least have expected Rusty and his friends to hear about it, given his appreciation for water activities!

Mark has already convinced himself that this golf resort, or its construction, is the culprit. Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. But Mark isn’t bothered much by nuance or possibilities. That would take too much time and space to process! Not that Mark would go after an innocent party, of course. I think Mark and Jules Rivera have an understanding: Whoever Mark picks to go after will be the guilty party!  Still, it’s always great when Mark faces down a new culprit, rather than one of the usual clowns who seem to always find ways to avoid jail sentences. I bet Mark has seen the inside of more jail cells than Cricket Bro or Professor Bee Sharp, combined.

Happy drops the other shoe

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And why would Mark know about this new golf course, since he supposedly spends so much time on assignments? And why didn’t Cherry know about it? Anyway, it turns out that Happy Trail is not only a golfer, but a member in good standing at a local country club. This new golf course must be a lollapalooza of a course if a bunch of dudes down in Florida are talking about it.

And why build around Lost Forest? Why not? The Lost Forest area is mostly (I presume) a picturesque tableau of mountains, waterways, and wildlife abundant. What better place to put an 18-hole golf course that needs about 200 acres of land and requires lots of specialized chemicals to convert the land into a golfing paradise? Let’s remember that Ranger Shaw said the lake contamination problem was from wastewater! Maybe Ranger Shaw was gaslighting Mark once again.

Happy’s holding back

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So, Mark has no idea what’s going on? Perhaps I’m jumping the gun about that golf course connection. Happy doesn’t say which resort he is in, but there must be several. Being a fisherman, maybe he’s at the De-Bait Fishing Lodge, home to Mark’s friend, Cliff. Or maybe at a golfing resort. In any event, this story is moving along pretty slowly, about the rate of your standard soap opera strip.

Art Dept. Well, what can we say about it? The drawing looks simplistic and rushed. Composition is not a term has much bearing on today’s strip. I’m curious about how Rivera draws shirt pockets. As we see in panel 3, Happy’s pockets are really small, not practical. But his pockets in panel 2 look much more plausible. Sure, it’s a minor detail, but sometimes that’s where the fun is.

Woody Woodpecker meets Mark Trail

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As happens once in a while, both Mark’s and Cherry’s storylines take place in Lost Forest. But are they simultaneous? In the past, that was the case. But today, I’m not so sure. See the problem?

How is it that Cherry is hanging around with Mark and Rusty at their (too-tiny) log cabin to welcome Happy Trail, when she is supposed to be helping Violet find her mother’s lost peacock and get ready for the Summer Banquet? Cherry doesn’t even have her work clothes on!

And in a rare event, Jules Rivera has drawn the expected “animal of the day”—a pileated woodpecker in this case—not staring at you and me! And it looks like Rivera spent more time on drawing it, as opposed to just pasting in an image from the web. One thing I discovered: Those are really big birds! Look them up. They have a magnificent wingspan in flight, when seen from below.

Panel 3 suggests Mark didn’t update Cherry on the phone call from Dad while they were at Ranger Shaw’s house. But did he know whether Happy was really coming to visit or was he just feigning surprise?

And yes, the blog’s title today is not just click-bait (for the most part). The image of the Woody Woodpecker cartoon character (who first appeared in the 1940 animated cartoon, Knock Knock) was inspired by the pileated woodpecker. Woody even has his own Wikipedia page.

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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It’s hard to be tough on Cherry and her stories. I believe they are deliberately designed to be minimally consequential, such as human interest stories you might find in any B or C section of your local newspaper or any episode from an unlamented sitcom rerun on ME TV.

At first, this seems ironic, given Jules Rivera’s personal belief in strong, independent women. Why isn’t Cherry out there, rooting out real substantive problems and spending less time holding Violet Cheshire’s hand all the time, or foiling Honest Ernest’s incompetence? One possibility could be that Rivera thought it might be a bridge too far to turn Cherry from the homebound “waiting for Mark to return” wife and mother into a mirror image of her husband, Mark.

So Rivera took a middle course, giving Cherry something to do outside of the home, but with manageable hours, less risk, and time to be a mom. At least, there is still an element of nature or wildlife involved in her stories.

Cherry’s current adventure began—where else?—at the Sunny Soleil Society, helping Violet get ready for a Summer Banquet, possibly that same evening. The time was never specifically mentioned, but the storyline suggests it.

Violet was overwrought with planning for the banquet, since her Mother (who actually runs the Society) has high expectations and demands. Since this drama is unfolding the day of the event, Violet’s mother may have a point. Violet is not a young gal by any means, but still has no idea where to find a beauty salon for herself. Cherry brought in her sister, make-up nerd Peach Pitt, to give her the works. Violet remained dubious. Meanwhile, Cherry learned she was expected to build a special cage for the prized peacock (peafowl) belonging to Violet’s mother. But when Cherry went outside to see the bird, the travel cage that Honest Ernest brought over was empty, and the peacock was gone. So was Honest Ernest. We’ll have to wait three weeks to see what happens next.

Yeah, I know. It would have made sense for Rivera to do a peacock topic for the Sunday page. Maybe she is saving it up for another Sunday. Anyway, for you Mark Trail History aficionados, Mark discussed gila monsters at least twice in the past: Once on February 2, 1969 (Tom Hill) and then again on September 2, 2018 (James Allen). A few points from the older Sundays: Gilas are very sluggish and can go for months without capturing and eating prey, because it stores its food as fat in its stubby tail. Its bite and venom are considered to be extremely painful, though not usually fatal to humans.

You can find Allen’s Sunday page on this site by its date. Hill’s Sunday watercolor is harder to track down. I found it in a Google search using the criterion “Mark Trail comic gila monster”, then clicking on the Images category and scanning the results.

A case of fowl play: Did the peacock chase off Honest Ernest?

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I’ve been watching peacock (more accurately, peafowl) videos to hear what they sound like and act like. They appear to have several different calls: one like a cat, one like a chicken, one like a trumpet trying to sound like a car horn, and yet another like a kind of crow sound. Overall, have some 11 different calls and yells. Check them out on YouTube.

I found a few videos of peacocks screeching out something along the lines of what is depicted in panel 4. As varied as their calls are, it’s quite a sight to see them when they raise their tail feathers (or train).

Well, if this isn’t going to be a variant on the Banjo Cat and the Harpist cat hunt story, I wonder if they really resolved that problem of Banjo Cat running free and chasing down birds? A matchup may not go too well for ol’ Banjo Cat!