It’s not Bill Ellis, but good ol’ Cliff <no last name>, former firefighter, Afghan war veteran, and avid fisherman! We first met Cliff back on October 2, 2021 (the “Zeeba Mussels” story).  To refresh your memory, you can read that strip and several days following, laying out Cliff’s backstory. Other than his first name, there seems to be no connection to Mark’s really old friend, Cliff McQueen, from the Ed Dodd days.

Well, this phone call is an interesting turn of events. Every so often, Mark gets involved in something that is not related to a Bill Ellis assignment. I believe the last time these two friends partnered up was when Mark launched his failed survival course for men (see “For Men Only” from 2024). So, going to the Woodsman Olympics sounds like a great time for Mark, but will he be a viewer or one of the contestants? And what kind of complications will rise up for Mark to resolve? There are always complications. And with all of the macho woodsmen destined to be there, it sounds like a time and place where Mark’s Two Fists o’ Justice might actually come in handy.