No, Jules Rivera! Mark is not “walking with Tad”; he is being manhandled by Tad’s security goons!

So, when was the last time Mark mentioned his family? Was it when they checked into the hotel? And why is Mark being manhandled by Tad Crass’ security goons? Cliff shouts at Mark as if he is being led away by palace guards to his appointment with destiny. I’m not sure what Rivera is trying to suggest here with this heavy-handed approach, unless it is another setup for Mark to take advantage of.

I think we can all appreciate the look of apprehension on Mark’s face in panel 2 when Cliff tells Mark he will “update” Cherry. Mark might be having a flashback. Some readers here may not be aware that this iteration of Cliff <NoLastName> appears to be a modern recreation of a prior character named Cliff McQueen, a forest ranger who got engaged to Cherry Davis while Mark was still figuring out how to make his move. But events intervened and killed the relationship, opening the way for Mark. (By the way, I got this information from the fabulous historical work on Mark Trail by Mark Carlson-Ghost. Mark certainly had a large cast of characters back then. You can read about them here: https://www.markcarlson-ghost.com/index.php/2020/11/21/mark-trail-history/)

I’m a bit slow, sometimes. I see that Tad’s secure offices have been constructed next to the stadium. Now, that looks like a pretty substantial edifice, which makes me wonder how much jack Tad Crass and his investors have put into this project. Could the site of these Olympics be the actual site being fought over with the solar farm project? Or was this office building already here and Crass simply leased it?

Also, I’m struck by how indifferent Tad Crass is to the current status of his Woodsman Olympics. We haven’t seen any referees, judges, or assistants, though we must assume those people exist. You wouldn’t know it, however. Still, we have to remember that this is a modern comic strip; not a novel. So Rivera is more or less forced into making broad statements about things. But she could have done more.

Art Dept. I’m envious of the clothing here, as they seem to keep changing colors over the days; except for Mark’s. It also looks like the guards switched positions between panels 1 and 3. Taken all together, it’s hard to not think Rivera is deliberately playing around to tweak the noses of her readers.