What, if any, significance does a raccoon rearing up signify here, other than to check for predators or maybe Mark’s approach? It looks a bit defeated, but that is just anthropomorphizing. Perhaps it is a taxidermist’s display?
As is justly fitting, Honest Ernest has been relegated to support staff status. Time has clearly passed if Ernest has received all of his shots. They take two weeks to complete. Regular readers know that time is a fluid marker in the Trailverse and its passing is often ambiguous. It’s remarkable that Violet Cheshire would wait that long to get her Grand Hall cleared of bats. She doesn’t seem the patient type.
Mark covered bat houses on a Sunday page back on October 15, 2023. So it is not surprising to see Rivera (Mark) use them in this story. That’s good planning on Rivera’s part. Otherwise, today’s strip adds nothing new to Cherry’s bats story. Filler strips like this one are annoying because they do not move the plot along or reveal new information. They just artificially expand the story to use up more calendar time because it is easier than having to create more stories.
We already know Ranger Shaw has a reclusive life style. But since he told Mark he was glad to help assemble the bat houses (panel 1), it makes no sense why Mark suggests (panel 3) the Ranger come over to learn how to do it again. Mark fairly gushes as if he is a showing off a school shop project to his parents. Rivera might want to study crafting puns from her comic strip predecessors, such as Darby Conley’s Get Fuzzy and Stephen Pastis’s Pearls Before Swine. Or maybe just quit trying.
Art Dept. Sometimes I wonder how Rivera puts these strips together. Out-of-proportion figures in Mark Trail are not unique, but do stand out. First, Ranger Shaw in panel 1 is suddenly so much broader than Mark, as if he is being played by John Candy. It isn’t as if he is simply “in front” of Mark and “closer to us.” He stands behind the bat houses held by Mark! Second, Mark’s head in panel 3 is mysteriously and laughably smaller than his body, to say nothing of his right arm being about 6 feet long, based on the angle of the forearm. Sure, these may be picky criticisms, but it’s my job as unofficial critical comic strip analyst and part-time know-it-all to tell it like I think it is (or isn’t). Feel free to quibble!
We return to Cherry’s bats-in-the-belfry story, accompanied by one mangy looking cardinal. Cherry’s adventures tend to be a bit lighter than Mark’s if you can imagine it. Well, Mark’s most recent story is an exception. Anyway, having Mark and Cherry’s interface in each other’s stories happens a lot, though mostly it’s Mark involved in Cherry’s affairs. I suppose it’s to keep The Brand as recognizable as possible. So, will Mark and Ranger Shaw work out any better than Honest Ernest? Any bets?
Art Dept. It is difficult to overlook the confusing scale of the figures in panel 1, especially Violet. Perhaps it’s like one of those trick rooms where the proportions of the surrounding spaces fool the eye into seeing people or objects incorrectly. Or maybe not. But it’s harder, still, to not look at that cardinal, which looks like it just came from a fight. Perhaps it isn’t getting along with its spouse. Good thing Mark showed up!
Everybody rallied around Eli at the hospital, where he received the first of several rabies shots for being a doofus. Interestingly, nobody rallied around Connor the week before for his self-inflicted thumb wound. I’m not too sure what warranted a hospital bed for Eli, but it’s a small hospital and maybe they thought he might have a reaction. Mark took this opportunity to apologize to everybody for his incompetent teaching and leadership, which should be a clear signal for him to stay in his safe lane. In the end, Mark was happy that his students were nice (or gullible) enough to accept his apology and share in his kumbaya gratitude by agreeing to go fishing with him. Quietly, one presumes.
Wrap Up: Well, even for Rivera, this was not your typical Mark Trail adventure. It was not based on a job-related assignment. There were no clear villains or environmental issues to resolve, other than Mark’s consternation at perceived dangers from bad survival guides. Mark pledged to create a survival school to teach men how to survive by providing real and accurate information. Good intentions, to be sure, and a sure-fire plot setup for useful information and even some drama. Unfortunately, Rivera dumbed down the survival concept to a fishing seminar. Also, why did Mark want to limit the retreat to only men? It was not at all clear at the start. It became apparent when the De-Bait Team talked Mark into focusing on helping men express their feelings to help them with their domestic issues. Why was this a good idea, anyway? So this story changed course and became a soap-opera parody of how men (like Mark) don’t like expressing their feelings. Did the story resolve anybody’s emotional issues? No. Did the men learn to deal with their feelings any better? No. Did any student actually learn to fish? No. Was this story worth our time? No!
Let’s see if today’s nature talk is more worthy.
This is a nice bite-sized piece of information, focusing on the contrast between the LMB’s invasive status in U.S. waters and its popularity for fishing. In other words, fishing for LMB is actually good for the environment and local water species! I may have to dust off my cane pole and bobber this summer.
“We’re game”? Oh, game fish. Yeah, got it. So Mark is optimistic about this not being a total loss, in spite of two injuries requiring hospital visits and virtually no instructional time. But toss in a box of bagels and provide some happy talk and they’re good to go! I guess that is why it looks like he’s ready to move on to a group kiss in panel 3.
Rivera has wrapped up this story of Mark’s failed dream of creating a men’s-only survival retreat, a venture doomed to failure from the moment he got the De-Bait Team involved. It’s doubtful that Rivera will have Mark reconsider his approach and try again. She has accomplished her task. But what was that task?
She stacked the deck against Mark’s dream, shrinking it down to a fishing seminar, all so she could contrive some goofy injuries that provided scenarios where Rivera’s foil, Cliff, could force Mark into a corner to confront the importance of sharing personal feelings with other men. That is, this was not a story about a survival retreat or a fishing seminar at all. That was just window dressing, men’s eye candy to keep the male readers interested (or distracted).
As people who fish know, being quiet is a normal requirement for good fishing. If you want to talk about feelings, go to a bar and get drunk or go home to your spouse. I have a new theory: The de-bait team deliberately sabotaged Mark’s survival retreat by conning him into including this “discuss your feelings” component. Why? Because they don’t want competition for their own fishing business.
The art today is not as erratic as it was earlier this week. In fact, I very much like the depiction of Mark in panel 3 (that is, the adult, not the remembered child or father). It’s quite naturalistic, expressive, and well-drawn without being too cartoony (e.g. unlike the prior two panels and the too cartoony flashback figures in panel 3 ). But I still prefer Mark’s original beard.
Yeah, I agree with Mark’s abasement; he did do a crummy job. Mark’s got no reason to console himself, either, as he agreed to include the “share your feelings” component in his so-called retreat. Thank goodness, it looks like this “adventure” is rounding the final turn and heading for the finish line.
Art Dept. The drawing is somewhat better today and more consistent: more, but not completely. I won’t belabor the point, but simply suggest you inspect panel 3.
Regular reader and commenter, Mark (no relation), brought up a comparison between Rivera’s work and that of Ed Dodd, the creator of Mark Trail. It’s a stark comparison, to be certain; but they come from totally different times, artistic traditions, and visions. I have an equally dramatic comparison between Early Rivera and Current Rivera. Here is an early example I quickly grabbed from our 2020 archive (the screen capture quality is not great):
It’s a dramatic difference from today. This attention to detail, composition, and naturalism did not last long. I have no real idea why Rivera changed from this more polished and impressive style. These early strips glaringly emphasize how simplistic and even amateurish the current strips sometime appear. Heck, there is even a difference in quality between panel 1 and panel 2 in today’s strip, where panel 1 looks like it was inspired by a cartoon wrapper of Bazooka Bubble Gum. Why this change? I have no real idea.
Gawsh, ain’t it just swell how chummy everybody has become!? I know, I shouldn’t be so cynical. Still, Rivera’s scripting doesn’t help. Mark’s acceptance of blame in panel 3 is minimally appropriate, but panel 4 gets me. I’m not sure if it’s the strange “You’re not my dad” statement or Rivera’s pandering, specious comment that “Mark is everyone’s dad!” Since when? In what way? I don’t think Mark is quite that prolific. Still, Mark reacts as if Eli told him he’ll sell him revealing photos of Cherry. Otherwise, just what is the point of Mark’s over-reactive expression, anyway?
Let’s give Rivera points for continuity, as Connor shows a bandage on his right thumb, something that would be difficult to see when printed in a newspaper. Otherwise, the drawings look cluttered and stiff.
Hmmm, yet another week with Mark. Frankly, I’m surprised to see this story continue. Mark’s comment in panel 4 is questionable, at best, and can lead to a person’s injury or death. Usually, the best way to help a wild animal in need is to call the proper authority and let them take care of it. For example, picking up a bat is not an honest mistake; it is reckless and dangerous, as we just saw. Wear gloves first!? How about “Don’t touch it”? As a survivalist teacher, Mark is guilty of providing bad and misleading information similar to the bad information in Connor’s fake survival book that Mark raged against.
NB: The CDC and Mayo Clinic state that a potential rabies patient must actually undergo a series of shots. Better than dying, however, as untreated rabies is almost always fatal! Bats are the number 1 cause of rabies in the Americas.
Getting back to the strip, I wonder where Rivera is taking this story? I’m no writer (as you can tell), but since Rivera seems reluctant to include actual survival/camping lessons in this story, what is left to do? I think it is time for Mark to get that old, familiar phone call from Bill Ellis and go back to work.
The week-before concluded with Cliff and Mark at the hospital so Connor could get his finger fixed from a hooking accident. They ran into Cherry and Violet, who were there with Honest Ernest. This ER meetup saw Cliff pushing the “express your feelings!” mantra on Mark, while Connor and Ernest were literally out of the picture and forgotten for the week. Mark started to wonder whether he was suppressing.
This past week, we found Cliff and Mark back on the job taking Eli, Ranger Shaw, and a repaired Connor on a hike. What survival techniques were discussed or demonstrated? Oh, dear readers, don’t be naïve!
On the hike Connor had a mini-meltdown that turned into an impromptu group hug around Mark, who was decidedly uncomfortable with this forced situation. Can’t blame him. As they broke to return to the fishing lodge, Eli had his moment in the sun when he spotted a bat (order: chiroptera) lying on the ground, so he touched it and got scratched on the hand…sound familiar? What are the odds!? This week ended like the prior one, with Cliff and Mark (back) at the ER.
Was this Adventures in true feelings meant to poke fun at the presumed troglodyte Trailheads who miss the old strip? Rivera should know that males and females do not always express emotions the same way. But it never seemed to me that Mark has had problems expressing his true feelings, even to Cherry; at least since Rivera took over. So I hope this week puts an end to Mark’s survival retreat. I also hope Rivera gets this adventurestrip back on track, with Mark putting the hurt on people and companies taking advantage of animals, nature, and the environment. But if expressing inner feelings is your drama of choice, try Garfield.
A classic animal-centered Sunday topic with a clever visual pun in the title panel, connecting a Ford Motor Company logo style with a running mustang (I presume). Wikipedia has a decent article on horses, if you are curious.
For a second, I thought the comic strip syndicate accidentally started reprinting the prior week’s strips. But no, Eli got scratched by a bat this week, just like Honest Ernest the week before. I’m thinking Rivera is suggesting millennials are just too namby-pamby, clumsy, and stupid. Or perhaps Mark and Cliff are just lousy instructors who do not prep their students carefully. For a group that shared a bonding moment, one would think the other students would be here to provide moral support for Eli. It’s like I wrote earlier, superficial bonding activities produce superficial results. Mark’s self-assessment in panel 2 is spot on.
Resolution: Get back to your day job, Mark! Otherwise, ditch Cliff and restart your retreat in Lost Forest, away from the De-Bait Lodge! Focus on survival, not feelings.
Sorry, Rivera. Not that men don’t hug. They do, and it doesn’t have to be just a greeting or a goodbye. But bonding usually comes from shared activities or experiences, not from contrivance. Long-time friends meeting up again; being part of a sports team; having regular get-togethers at a local diner; or experiencing a shared tragedy; examples like these can create bonding situations.
A short and failed fishing seminar, a hike, and a pointless group hug are not enough, except, perhaps, for really shallow people. You don’t suppose Rivera is implying anything like that, do you? As regular viewer and commentator Daniel P recently lamented to Rivera, just get Mark back “in the field” fighting bad guys and heartless institutions that hurt the environment.
As for Eli getting scratched by a bat, get real! Bats are normally nocturnal. Nobody says “Oh look! A bat!” and goes to pick it up. So, what’s the point of repeating this recently-done scenario?
Is the racoon praying for this adventure to end? While Connor doesn’t get the fact that being a good woodsman doesn’t equate to being a good husband, he is at least trying to improve himself. Mark is so focused on the first point (panel 2) that he misses the second one.
Mark also missed the point of Cliff’s invitation in panel 3: Panel 4 shows Cliff has turned the focus from Connor to Mark. That is to say, it appears that Rivera has been nudging the story along to really be about Mark’s reluctance to express his feelings.
If I had to make a guess about Cliff’s motivations, I’d say he has Mark and the Game Warden here in this goofy class to distract them while his de-bait team colleagues are out on the water, illegally poaching fish. I could be wrong, of course.
Sheesh! Cliff’s Touchy-Feely Takeover of Mark’s survival retreat is a done deal. Now if I was Mark, I’d consider treating Cliff to the loving touch of his Fist O’ Justice.
For the record, I think Connor’s wife has a point. I don’t want to be completely down about this, so let me end this post on a positive note …
Mark rises above his inner feelings about Connor to give him needed self-assurance. Good for Mark! But what happened to the “camping survival skills”? That was supposed to be the main point of this enterprise, at least from Mark’s point of view. Instead, that aspiration has been demoted. To be fair, we never saw the advertising sent out for this class. Perhaps it read something like this:
“How to fish … for your partner’s innermost thoughts”
“Learn how to pan-fry a filet of feelings”
“Sheltering from a storm: When to let a hurricane of emotions wash over you”
“How to create a campfire that heats up meaningful conversation”
To that end, Rivera skipped over any useful tips Mark and Cliff might have given out about safe hiking and finding your way, in order to focus today’s strip on a positive outcome of vulnerable male emotions. But then she mocks it in panel 4. To my limited, male-dominate mind, this seems hypocritical or maybe it’s just another beat-down of Mark. Am I wrong? Am I misreading the subtext? Help me out, here!
Well, I reckon this is Happy New Year for those of us who can—or are able to—appreciate it. I just hope we do our best to make it more than a feel-good aspiration. Now, what’s going on in Mark Trail today?
Hold on. Something’s missing here. Oh yeah. In standard Mark Trail fashion, details were skipped over, such as Connor’s treatment and the return trip to the De-Bait Lodge. The drive back should have been interesting. But for some unknown reason Mark and Chris have allowed Connor to continue the program.
I think a proofreader at the comic strip syndicate must have gotten Rivera’s text and drawings mixed up. In panel 1 Cliff suggests taking the class on a hike. But they are all wearing backpacks and standing atop a ridge overlooking a valley. Seems to me that they are already hiking (though they appear a tad underdressed)!
If you are new to Mark Trail or just behind the curve, I’ll catch you up with Mark’s current adventure. That is, today’s post is really a “Story in Review.”
After rescuing a paranoid and delusional camper named Connor who got “lost”, mentally and physically, in Lost Forest, Mark was inspired to start a “Survival Retreat” to teach men proper camping skills instead of having to rely on dangerous tips in phony survival books (such as the one Connor used). Mark’s friends at the De-Bait Team fishing lodge were recruited to help out. They recommended that Mark’s retreat could also be useful to help men express their emotional & relationship issues. Unwisely, Mark agreed to this needless complication.
Mark began the first day with a fishing class held indoors, not an auspicious decision. He had three insecure students, including Connor, who complained and blamed Mark for everything. Cliff pushed the idea of going for a hike so the guys could talk out their feelings. It was vetoed by Mark. After Connor impaled his finger on a fishing hook, the class self-destructed. Mark and Cliff rushed Connor off to the hospital.
Then Cherry and Violet arrived at the ER with Honest Ernest to get him rabies shots because he got scratched by a bat due to his bad judgment. You see the symmetry between these two events? Cherry spotted Mark, so they wound up consoling each other. Mark had a suddenrevelation that his own fishing activities (over the years?) must have been an excuse to suppress his inner feelings. It’s a wonder he didn’t fall down on his knees and beg Cherry for forgiveness.
I’m guessing that Mark’s confession was necessary for Rivera to help pull the story together and push the real plot of this adventure. It also gave Cliff the opportunity to rub it in: “That’s what I’ve been telling you (see above) … hikes get men talking!” Frankly, this seems incongruent, since Rivera’s version of Mark Trail has never been one to hold back on expressing feelings, even in this very adventure! And now that you’re caught up, prepare yourself for the nature chat, below.
That’s a good cloud title panel. Rivera is back to one of her go-to topics: The environment. It’s a timely message, though I wonder if Rivera wrote this during the Oregon Trails story (Feb-Jul 2022), which featured an NFT and virtual coin scam.
Has anybody seen Mark fishing in the last three years? Mark’s closing question yesterday gets fleshed out today: Men need a way to expose their emotional side, and hiking is a great way to do that. Thanks, Cliff!
Well, really!? When I’m hiking, I’m pretty focused on the hike. There’s no time or energy left over for expressing inner feelings (except if I stumble, in which case I express some choice inner feelings). On the other hand, fishing is a more passive, peaceful activity. It offers a much better opportunity to exchange thoughts and feelings with another angler, all without huffing, puffing, and tripping over exposed tree roots. Sorry, Cliff.
Okay, Rivera had to have some kind of “moral to the story” for this subplot. Yet that doesn’t explain how Mark and Cliff can fix the botched fishing seminar. Maybe when they get back they will find that Duke took matters into his own hands and moved the rest of the class (all two of them) outside along the river, getting them to cast their baited hooks into real water. Maybe they’ll catch enough to hold a class fish fry.
A lot of stuff apparently happened that never made it to print (until now), such as the rebellion of the other students, um, campers. And frankly, none of this makes sense, unless you are writing a story for which you have little or no firsthand knowledge (i.e. fishing and conducting seminars). Except for young children, nobody is going to quit or get the willies because one over-emotional idiot hooked himself. Accidents happen and Mark should have warned his “campers” to expect them when messing with sharp objects. “Afraid to fish”!? One of the students is a park ranger, for goodness’ sake!
A reader might be tempted to believe this is yet another instance of Rivera putting the boot to the machismo mythos. Look, I’m all for shaking up the Mark Trail Apple Cart of conventions, as I have been from the start. However, you don’t have to keep beating the same drum, over and over. Rivera, how about taking just one of Mark’s adventures seriously? See what you can do with that.
Anyway, “No!” Mark is notstatinghard questions. For the most part, Mark is not even asking questions. The only question asked (panel 4) does not make any sense. And it’s a non sequitur. Instead, we continue to see an ongoing series of sophomoric, overused puns. So, stop it, Rivera, andget on with the story!
The Daily Trail 