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The forest scouts are on their mission of discovery and repentance

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“With friends like these …” as the cliché goes. Sure, they’re just kids with undeveloped brains and too much emotions, so perhaps we (or I) shouldn’t be too hard on their prior betrayal of Rusty. As a quick review (because I tend to forget, as well), we have (L to R) Robbie, Ian, and Ernie in panel 1. Perhaps this information will matter at some point in the future (Wednesday night at a bar’s trivia contest?), though I’m not really sure.

Still, I’m perplexed, mixed up, probosculated. These are kids who presumably have been growing up in and around Lost Forest. Yet, Jules Rivera portrays them as if they are a bunch of city kids anxious to try out their “scout knowledge” in Raw Nature, hiking into the woods to find Rusty. But I’ll give them points for relying on manual skills rather than taking the expedient route of just calling Rusty on his smartphone, like 99% of kids would do.

That dedication—if my interpretation proves true—should be something Rivera makes a big deal out of as part of her push for more appreciation of Nature. In fact, I’m half expecting the boys to start looking for footprints and other physical signs of Rusty’s presence. Maybe they’ll be able to follow the sound of screams if Rusty gets too friendly with Rocky the Raccoon and winds up with a big bite on his hand.

3 thoughts on “The forest scouts are on their mission of discovery and repentance”

  2. George, I daily read your blog. And enjoy your insights! However, I am physically and mentally unable to more than glance at Rivera’s inept attempt to pen and draw a cartoon strip. If possible, it appears worse every time I take a cursory look at it. Maybe a year ago, I stated here that she would be replaced (For God’s Sake of course)! I was wrong. Why? I have no clue. I have to think there are cartoonists out there who could draw a million times better, and, come up with some fresh, authentic writing. Dodd and Elrod are absolutely spinning in their graves that this current strip is still entitled “Mark Trail”. That being said, keep up the good work.

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    • Yay! Another hearty endorsement of Mark Trail from Mark the Contrarian Commenter! :) Hi, Mark! I appreciate your continued support, especially considering the subject matter.

      But, admit it: Doesn’t Ernie (the over-enthusiastic kid with the Moe haircut) remind you of a modern-day version of Tommy Timbertoe, the son in the wooden puppet-like Timbertoes family from Highlights magazine!? Gotta cherish the nostalgia, Mark!

      Speaking of Dodd and Elrod, I’m pretty sure James Allen is probably also spinning, but in his armchair.

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