Okay, the message is fine. It fits into the format and purpose of the strip. But Trichinosis is only one of the dangers these wild pigs can spread. To be clear, I’m repeating and summarizing information I found on reputable medical and nature/animal websites. But don’t my word, alone. Look it up.

There are over 30 infectious diseases and even more parasites linked to these wild hogs. On the other hand, trichinosis can come from any uncooked or undercooked pork, even the chops you buy at the supermarket, though they have a very low risk these days. While a kid, my mother was always concerned when she cooked pork chops, so she always overcooked them, out of caution. Maybe that was why “smothered pork chops” were so common.

Pig farmers are more concerned that the razorbacks may reintroduce swine flu. There is no upside here, so I don’t discount the concern and anger Rivera expresses through these women. But Tess is not exactly blazing a new trail, as she seems to suggest (panel 2). Wild hogs have been hunted for many decades.

Art Dept. This is a day for odd faces: At first look, Mark’s head in panel 1 resembles somebody who had a serious accident. Looking more closely, it appears to be just a slip of the pen. But it’s more interesting to see the transformation of Tess from a “beauty pageant” looking redhead in panel 1 to an angry wild hog vigilante in panel 3 (yes, I know Shania is the one with the actual pageant experience. Still…). Even the shape of Tess’s head changes from a rectangle with a soft v-shaped chin and mounds of red hair framing the face like some kind of hood, to a squared-off, determined face with a hard, flat chin. I wonder if Tess uses a cartoon stunt double for her “vengeful hunter” close-up images. We’ve seen this vision of Tess Tigress’s personality before, and I’m content to remain on this side of the strip, thank you!