It was a tough week for Mark, having been informed by his weather app that a big storm is forming in the area and could cause flash flooding. Seems the camping spot Tess picked out is right in the path. Mark brought this up with Tess, but got off on the wrong foot by putting forward his feelings as justification, before showing the information. This ticked off Tess, who ripped him a new one. She also dismissed his data when it was finally brought up by showing her weather app had no such warnings. Of course, Mark could have simply said he’ll sit this one out. What was there really left to do? He got his interviews, went on some hunts, and ate a bunch of pork chops. But Mark Trail is still under contract with King Features Syndicate, so he will still go, come hell or high water!

The next morning they began packing the car. Reba and Shania were present. Tess and Jess were not yet present on scene. This gave Mark an opportunity to take the two gals aside and give them his gloom-and-doom pep talk, hoping they would agree with him and vote to call the trip off. But Reba reacted the same as Tess. Shania expressed some uncertainty. This was not going as Mark as hoped. Tess will almost certainly learn of Mark’s behind-the-scene treachery.

We’ve already spent several weeks reading Cherry’s adventure and learning about fast fashion and its effects on the environment. So why does Jules Rivera devote a Sunday page to repeating this information? Well, curious readers, Rivera is using the topic to pivot to a more general screed on the pollution effects of plastics and dyes in our oceans. Floating islands of rubbish, discarded clothing, and other garbage certainly do exist and create problems for sea life, shipping, and beaches.

Now, I have no idea what Mark is getting at in the last panel. Style over substance? What substance? Is Mark suggesting that more expensive clothing doesn’t also get discarded and sometimes wind up in landfills and floating garbage pits?

Here we see again Rivera giving mixed signals. Why is Mark holding a model WWI biplane and smiling as he concludes his ominous message? Why is there a deer in panel 4 expressing surprise? Rivera used to brag about how much time and effort she puts into the Sunday page. That certainly isn’t evident in today’s work. It looks rushed and simplistic. Ed Dodd thought it important enough to hire an artist whose only job was to prepare the Sunday page. Unfortunately, I don’t think Rivera gets paid anywhere near enough for that luxury.