Being a millionaire means you can paint your house whenever you want to. And maybe change its size. I’m looking back at the strips from October 15 and 16. This place just can’t be the main house, so it must be a guest house. If you are too relaxed to look, the original home is so much bigger, painted red, and sits alongside a large lake.

Here is Mark, first overwrought with the idea that the hunting trip will give Tess another opportunity to take a pot shot at him; then he goes into a grand funk over an oncoming storm. And he’s worried about it!

Quick-thinking Mark doesn’t get it. He doesn’t realize the storm is the perfect excuse for not going hunting, thus avoiding the possibility of friendly fire. So why is Mark keeping the weather report a secret!? Is he afraid that they will call off the hunt and he’ll have to fly home and not get to eat any more tasty pork chops? Okay, you are caught up on the plot, so let’s get this story moving once again!

Art Dept. For once, the animal of the day isn’t looking at us. Maybe the squirrel is looking for an exit.

Quiz Results. I was flooded with responses…at least from Be Ware of Eve Hill. And she had some good responses. Yes, the dialog of family members, such as Rusty, is often more engaged, sometimes witty, and sarcastic than before Rivera.  He certainly comes across as a more normal, authentic version of a kid. Be Ware talks about examples of “breaking the wall”; that is, facing the readers. Well, if the Trails are not always aware, animals are. Many times we find them in the strip, staring us down.

Another important dialog innovation is the emphasis on every-day, plain-spoken English. Prior to Rivera, the Mark Trail Grammar Style Sheet listed only two methods for ending a sentence: a question mark and an exclamation point! Don’t take my word for it! Sample the strips on this site between 2013 and 2020! You’ll be hard pressed to find exceptions! Under Rivera, this exclamation point is demoted to occasional dramatic appearances. As it should be!