Frequent commenter Mark (presumably not Mr. Trail) tipped us to the 75th anniversary of the Mark Trail comic strip, whose history is summarized in this Sunday’s installment. I wonder if anybody has been following it for the entire run?
Another regular comment poster, Daniel Pellissier, recently compared Jules Rivera (seen in the last panel, above) to a new cook stirring up new recipes at your familiar corner diner. Good point. And while her drawing is often exaggerated and bold, I noticed a certain relationship between her new Mark and the original Mark Trail 1.0. Tell me what you think:
Okay, maybe this is a bit lame and not an extremely precise comparison. However, I’m picking up on the leaner, more rectangular structure of the Dodd and Rivera heads along with the longer chin. Whereas James Allen’s version retains some features, such as the arched eyebrows and falling hair lock, the face is more square, with a softer nose. Okay. Big deal. Perhaps I’m making too much out of too little. But I do think they share a similar gusto for adventure that the Mark Trail of intervening years had lost. As for the pipe, Trail kicked that habit back in 1986. -gka
Special note: I have a tendency to blather on. Even though I’m having fun, I’m trying to write less and write better. I’ll start appending my initials to entries, but readers should easily identify my stuff from the posts of this blog’s founder. And as always, reader comments are always welcome.
Mark is once again being a good sport, realizing he’s walked into an environment where the reptiles are more familiar and comfortable. We still don’t know what these people actually do. Does Mark? Even though you are the Guest of Honor, Mark, there is no spare bedroom for you! Not even a suite at a local Holiday Inn. Star treatment, indeed! Well, we did note the hacienda is small. Blame those high California real-estate values.
Not to infer anything, but had I not known better, I’d say that panel four looks like an examination room in an episode of CSI: Miami.
Like Mark choosing which room is the more comfortable sleeping environment, Jules Rivera’s art and her Carl Hiaasen-like sense of the absurd may take a little time for readers to absorb and come to feel comfortable with. Still, it’s kind of refreshing to see Mark Trail sometimes having to roll with the punches and not be the dominant (or dominating) figure in every scene, even if he wants to be. On the other hand, we already know that our noveau Mark Trail is not a weepy, wimpy pretender. He is ready to bring out his “fists of justice” whenever or wherever the need arises. Just stay away from palm trees, Mark! – gka
Been noticing that our real world pandemic has not yet made it into the Trailverse. It was an unfortunate time to reboot this long-running comic strip and re-introduce everybody masked up, looking like they are ready to join The Wild Bunch and rob stagecoaches. I think we have to go with a parallel universe theory for the time being. This is a comic strip with its own laws of physics.
Herp Hacienda is quaint, if not plain. I’m not sure that wrought-iron fence does much to keep the reptiles on the property. Nobody there seems to care, anyway. Now, how many of you readers were stumped by the second panel? Just me!? Looks like everybody has a nickname. “Aparna”, I discovered, is a Sanskrit name meaning “leafless”, a name sometimes applied to the Indian goddess Pavarti. That must impress somebody. Perhaps the caption box in panel two is a clue . . . .
“But he didn’t prepare a cool RPG nickname for those friends.” I presume RPG means Role Playing Game, as opposed to rocket propelled grenade launcher. Still, it’s confusing: Which “he” does the caption refer to? And what’s the point of preparing RPG nicknames, anyway? Are these people in the middle of a D&D scenario? I see that “Forage” sports a mask, but it looks more like a costume mask. And I’m totally not sure what to make of Ambrosia, sitting on that armchair.
If you’ve been following the rebooted Mark Trail strip, have you noticed something else different from its prior incarnation, other than the drawing, the new personalities, and Rivera’s take-no-prisoners attitude? Every declarative sentence no longer ends in an exclamation point! That has to be a plus! . . . ooops! . . . I mean . . . Grrrrrr.
As we turn to today’s installment, Mark is being chauffeured to a location out in La Tuna Canyon (near Eastern Malibu) by eco-rapper Reptilionairre and his pet iguana, Sherman, to help shoot a new eco-rap video. Let’s watch the action…
Okay, not a lot of real action, so far. We are now into Rivera’s second story. The first story was quite the ordeal for many long-time fans of Mark Trail. For those who were scandalized by the significant differences in the art, writing, and personalities in this updated Trailverse, our second story has definitely toned down the “in your face!” attitude. So far.
Looks like Mark is discovering that “going to LA” doesn’t necessarily mean “going into” LA. Mark’s ability to deliver an off-the-cuff sitcom-style tuna pun—while hosting an iguana on his head—assures us that Mark can still be master of the moment, even while his preconceptions are being challenged. And it’s a good thing Mark already has a relationship with snakes, as well. I’m anxious to see if Herp Hacienda compares favorably with the rich and luxurious landscape of the area.
But I don’t recognize the specific type of hawk we see in the strip. Do you? There are over 270 species! Dammit, Jim, I’m a blogger, not an ornithologist!
Mark doesn’t know about Eco-Rap, in spite of his eco-warrior background? Well, neither did I. Apparently, it goes back to the late 1980s and may have started in the Bay Area of California. But there’s no Wikipedia page for it! Eco-rap isn’t so much a music style as it is a message. Much of it, as far as I can tell, is youth-based, which is logical and a natural tie-in with Teen Sparkle Magazine, Mark’s current employer.
There is an actual performer named “Mr. Eco”, dressed in yellow and green, who takes his ecology-inspired raps to public schools and posts YouTube videos. So Eco-Rap is not simply a fictional comic strip plot device Rivera created just to shake up Mark’s reality.
There have been some comments here and there about the sometimes hectic and mannerist drawing style of Rivera, where characters sometimes elongate as if they belonged to a Futurist fantasy. And in the traditional black & white format of most newspapers, the inking sometimes looks heavy, scratchy, and difficult to view. I think there are some good explanations and I’ll go into that at another time. That’s not the case for the past several strips. But faithful readers know that, overall, I like Rivera’s drawing, layouts, and willingness to take chances.
I’ll leave any punch lines about Sherman to you, should you care to contribute!
Hi, my name is George Atkins. Because of his time commitments, Dennis asked if I would pinch hit for him now and then and provide commentaries. So you might notice a slightly different style. But first, an apology: I should have published these initial commentaries earlier, but I misunderstood some instructions, much to my dismay. Second, please feel free to continue or start offering your own comments about the strip or even my contributions. So, moving on…
The Sunday nature panels continue to align most closely with the traditional Mark Trail canon, a welcome continuity for long-time followers. The topic du jour is the beaver. According to its Wikipedia entry, the ultimate origin of the name “beaver” derives from an Indo-European word root meaning “brown.” So, aptly named! Beavers were almost hunted to extinction, mostly for their fur. Obviously, Rivera can only hit the high points in a comic strip. We must skip over a few details, such as the beaver’s capacity to take down a lot of trees when building habitats. However, forestry experts say the beaver’s positives outweigh the negatives. Good news! I think Rivera plays things pretty straight on Sunday and injects some pleasing, casual humor. I suggest the comic syndicate (North America Syndicate) start pushing the Sunday panels in the newspapers that dropped them because they were often boring. Not any longer!
As is typical in the Trailverse, when Mark has to travel, we immediately move from Lost Forest to a scene of a plane landing at some airport. Curiously, it looks like the plane is actually taking off. I think we must also forgive Rivera for concatenating the time element by having the pilot alert the passengers they are making their final descent when they are already just a few hundred feet above the airport! There is only so much space to get the story moving. Note also the totemic owl in the first panel. Here is our first candidate for next Sunday. I’m no ornithologist, but it looks like a Burrowing Owl. More educated readers may wish to correct me here.
Is Mark actually taken with those exotic scents for sale? Is he just being sarcastic? For old Mark Trail: No way. For new Mark Trail: Very likely. Maybe that’s why he apparently walked right by Reptiliannaire, who we see in the background holding a “Mark Trail” attention sign. Maybe Lizard-man was late getting there. Still, he had no trouble recognizing the large, flannel-shirted dude from the back!
Is this really “star treatment” as Rivera keeps bringing up? Where are the reporters and photographers? TMZ? Mark’s fans? Sure, the star rapper himself came to pick up Mark. And that is certainly some kind of recognition. But shouldn’t Reptiliannaire be accompanied by a coterie of vloggers and other media hacks? Perhaps Rivera is making a critique on the hollowness of “the star life.” Okay, I’m no deconstructionist.
Perhaps the last panel holds a clue: The eco-rapper asks Mark to provide comfort and aid to his pet iguana. Now Mark! Why are you perturbed by lizard-sitting duty? Or is it having to sit in the back? The back is where the star sits, Mark! Being chauffeured is part of the star treatment, so get with the program and put on your shades! Maybe you and Sherman will have a nice chat about the LA Scene.
My apologies, Campers! My attentions have been elsewhere lately. Might have something to do with the latest incarnation of Mark and friends…
So glad that Mark’s “Terrible Week” ended up so well… and he’s a hero to Rusty! Sampled, otherwise known as stealing… let’s hope Mark sees more green than the green of Reptiliannaire’s suit!
Ralph the Rat Snake. Next…
On to the domestic bliss of the work-a-day, own-a-business life… Cherry receives a missive from the local Homeowners’ Association. If ever there was an assault on private property rights, its initials are HOA…
The “Sunny Sun” Committee? As compared to the “Rainy Rain” or the “Cloudy Cloud?”
Or maybe just read the fine print, Cherry… One might imagine that a permit attached to a plan would have to get submitted to an approving body. But hey, what do I know?? You be you, OK?
OK, so it’s time to compare Old Cherry with New Cherry. Old Cherry would “understand…” “It’s just work, Honey” “Oh I know, it’s what you do, Mark, so you toddle off, and do whatever it is you do…” Today’s Cherry, not so much…
You got a permit for those geese? I’d expect a letter about those marauding, salmonella spreading poop factories before there’d ever be a letter about a palm tree!
Mark fell for Cherry’s dysfunction and anger issues! That’s funny! But then it appears that they are both prone to outburst and struggle!!
Yea, why let Cherry know what is taking you to LA? Why communicate? Leaves much more room unexpected outcomes and misunderstandings! The fruit of the comedic vine, so to speak…
LA it is! Where fame is measured in milliseconds and reputations are gained and lost even faster!
Rusty has certainly gained a prominent role in the new Trailverse… Let the youth show the way…
Eco Rapper? How about eco-wrapper? Reptiliannaire? That’s difficult to spell. He looks like a deranged Leprechaun. Well, ’tis the season after all. Pi-Day (3.14) followed by St. Patrick’s (3/17) who drove the rats from Ireland…
So, we all gonna be eatin’ Crickets? Thanks all the same, I will stick to hooved, mammalian forms of protein…
Mark! Dive in! The water’s fine. Grab the ring! Own your fame!!
Mark, Congratulations. Or should I say Jules, Congratulations. You successfully navigated the “Either-Or” / “Neither- Nor” trap and came out on top! Ralph even thinks Mark should do it… Why Not, Mark, I mean life takes us into new territory and we always have to be ready!!
I guess we can call this LFF- Lost Forest Filler… as Mark runs into one thing after another! But Cherry! Water alone won’t de-stink your man and his best friend! And why is Andy on a leash?! Completely unacceptable!
And now we harken back to the last Old-school Trail we saw in the papers… Mark choosing Andy over fame and glory. Aren’t we hopscotching the time-space continuum a bit here, though??
Oh, darn!! Now to the scene where Mark learns of his true reputation… But hey! Flapjacks!!
Mark, if you think of the rabble as “Villagers” they will always turn on you- sometimes with pitchforks and lit torches!! And now back to Amy Lee? I guess we’d better get used to that. No more Bill Ellis- No more Magazine with a defined pension… Now that Mark is in the permanent gig economy!
LA! Confidential! Ralph the Hog Snake looks nonplussed… But is Mark allowed to cross state lines while he is still a wanted man in Florida??
The Daily Trail 