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Mark is called on by a Florida-based manatee rescue company to provide protection services and support so that they can release a marooned manatee in the wild before a manatee terrorist organization abducts it for their own nefarious purposes.

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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In case you missed the past six days, I’m here to fill you in on the <yawn!> action. (I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to go back and read all of my snappy daily comments, but I’m biased.) Since Mark’s manatee adventure came to an end, Mark checked in with Bill Ellis and caught him up on events. Rivera devoted four days to the phone call, just to ensure we all got a proper debriefing. That was nice of her! Also, I proposed a small thought experiment about what Bill Ellis does on his time off. Apparently, just about everybody assumed he did nothing, as I only received one comment on Friday, suggesting Bill pretty much did nothing. Next time, I may ask about Doc Davis.

For the last two strips of the week, Mark was back at his cabin in Lost Forest, where he met Cherry standing in front of her truck. There, I noticed some peculiar marks drawn under Mark’s eyes (2/14/25), features I’ve seen on faces in the past. So I asked readers what they thought those marks could be. Regular reader Be Ware of Eve Hill suggested they might be blushes, though blushes normally show up on cheeks. “Perhaps Pink Eye”, she went on to joke. Well, not tears of joy, either. So the matter remains unresolved.

Getting back to the story, Mark suggested he and Cherry check out some nature trails for in-depth investigation, but Cherry put him off stating they needed to get to the Lost Forest Hoosegow because ex-boyfriend, Psycho Rick, showed up at the cabin and again tried to kidnap Peach Pitt. Seems that kidnapping is becoming all the rage in this strip.

Well, that’s it for another week! So now, on to the nature presentation.

Another timely and theme-relevant nature subject, as the title panel relates to the white buck that Psycho Rick shot and bragged about. In fact, the title panel reminds me of a drawing on an early hunting computer game I once saw in a computer store. A fair topic, for sure, though I don’t know how Rivera expects readers to take a stand against poaching, other than donating money to organizations that fight poaching, becoming a game warden, or maybe going out and hunting the poachers.

The St. Valentine’s Day Manatee

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Well, I’m a bit disappointed that Rivera did not repeat the drop-off/pickup scene with Mark and Cherry’s sisters that she used to begin their two adventures. It would have made a nice symmetrical bookend. Instead, Mark simply showed up, just in time, we are told.

So, are we back at the Trail cabin? If so, did Mark take an Uber? On the other hand, perhaps we are really at the airport and this is a view looking away from the airport, towards the pickup zone.

I’ve spent time in deep thought, but have no good answer. Does anybody know what those pink elipse-shaped blobs are under Mark’s eyes in panel 3? I’ve seen them from time to time, but no idea what they represent. Probably not tears of joy. At least, there is one thing we can all be glad about and that is not having to listen to any more of Mark’s phone call to Bill Ellis.

We still have Saturday to go, so there is one more day for taking care of any loose ends, suchas where is Doc Davis? And did Dirk mysteriously disappear in the confusion?

Now they’re just wasting time

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Ho hum. Looks like Rivera ran out of things for Mark to say, so we may have to endure blathering for the rest of the week. Blathering is a handy technique people employ for ending a phone call that is going on longer than you like. But that can take longer than we’d like.

Some of us are more adept and can end a call more efficiently by saying something like “That sounds really interesting, Bob, but I’ve got a lumbago appointment in 30 minutes. Talk with you later. Bye!” <CLICK!>

The real masters of ending phone calls will get the other party to end the call for them:
First party: “Say, did you read the latest Mark Trail blog? Wait, I can read it to you; it’s only four or five paragraphs today…”
Other party: <Oh, that would be—wait, my phone is about dead. Let’s chat later. Bye!> <CLICK!>

Bill gets in some good ribbing on Mark!

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It’s amazing how quickly things can happen in the Trailverse. Mark has presumably just retrieved his car from the Storm Brain parking lot. And already, Rita and Skeeter’s business has taken off. As excited as Bill Ellis pretends to be, he sure didn’t offer to post any of Storm Brain’s work on his own media platforms.

I think Bill must be putting a figurative knee into Mark’s cajones regarding how posting to his online site (?) or social media platform will really give Rita and Skeeter’s business a boost. Can we really believe Bill wouldn’t know the status of Mark’s online popularity? Hah! Bill must be paying dogfood rates if Mark’s popularity is still in the basement.

Mark’s after-action reporting continues.

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Was it just the two employees of Cricket Bro who were behind this conspiracy, or was Cricket Bro the leader of it? Mark certainly thought so earlier (1/27). But Mark is being rather vague or misleading about the reason for their actions in panel 3. I reckon he refers to their climate change denial.

Say, is that a tree swallow in panel 4? Or a Florida Scrub-Jay? It lacks the chestnut-colored breast of a bluebird. I’m no ornithologist, so I’m happy to be corrected. In any event, it looks as if the bird is studying Mark as if he was a worm about to become the afternoon snack.

Reader Daniel Pellissier commented yesterday whether we will ever see Mark actually write up one of his reports. Perhaps Bill Ellis records their conversations and transcribes them for publication? Mark, the so-called photojournalist, certainly did not appear to be taking photographs during this assignment.

Art Dept. Rivera normally handles the close-up panels well enough, considering her style. But as usual, Rivera also relies on sketching generalized “flora” in a minimalist fashion that defies identification. For a nature-based strip, Rivera could spend some time adding more substance and texture to the bushes and trees to at least create a more representational illusion of leaves and bushes. It is not beyond her skill.

Like Rick the bipolar poacher, Mark enjoys a good drive across the grass.

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Well, Cherry’s adventure seems to have ended last week with a thud, along with a drop in my blog’s stats for the week. Perhaps I was a bit too optimistic in my thinking Rivera was actually considering going “serious.” Or perhaps it was me, failing to take Rivera on her own terms, rather than mine.

In any event, it’s time for some of the usual end-of-story cleanup. Will Mark actually wind up at the Lost Forest airport when Peach and Olive are departing? I just don’t understand why Rivera doesn’t coordinate with me!

Apparently, Mark has already ditched Rita and Skeeter, based on the fact that he is back with his car rental. And we’re back with Rivera’s oft-used 3-panel gag layout. I don’t know if Bill expects Mark to write something up or which magazine will publish it, but I hope he isn’t expecting any photos.

Thought experiment for the day: Ever wonder what Bill Ellis does after work or on weekends?

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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I’ve been challenged to produce a vigorous analysis of this past week. I must be slipping, as I thought all of my weekending summaries are vigorous in one form or another. Well, let’s see how things go…

First, a brief recap the week, day by day (I’m ignoring the omnipresent bear puns):

Mon – Mark reacts to learning Cricket Bro is behind the kidnapping attempt. He is put off to learn that the kidnappers do not know who he is. This could have been important, as it suggests Mark’s participation was not anticipated by Cricket Bro.
Tue – The kidnappers reveal they are here to grab Rita because of criticism against a post of Cricket Bro.
Wed – The kidnappers support the manatee-weather conspiracy and spout nonsense about Max.
Thur – Rita pounds the kidnappers on climate change. The kidnappers thought wearing bear costumes would protect them from arrest.
Fri – The police are called and Max is finally released into the “freshwaters” of Florida.
Sat – The police arrive to take the kidnappers. Our gang commiserates over the slow acceptance of climate change in the general public. Max is shown listlessly floating and shrunken.

This week’s strips suggest we have reached the end of the story, though it left the door open for dealing with Cricket Bro. Will this take place in one of Mark’s subsequent, off-the-books revenge stories? Wait a minute. Has Mark ever had one of those stories? Frank Miller could whip one up, I’m sure.

Now, what was this adventure really about? Was it really about protecting Max the Manatee? We can all agree that it definitely was not about protecting manatees, in general. As previously noted, there was virtually no face time with Max until the last two weeks. Even then, it was brief and desultory. None of the usual safeguards, procedures, or professional assistance for manatees was depicted or mentioned. Then there were the late revelations by the kidnappers about Cricket Bro’s involvement and his objective to stifle scientific/political views contrary to his own.

We were misled—well, I was misled—by the initial emphasis on protecting Max the Manatee. This was really a kind of bait-and-switch story. Mark was hired as a bodyguard, not a reporter. His job was to bring his Two Fists O’ Justice to any conspiracy nut who interfered with Rita and Skeeter getting Max back into his natural waters. I wonder if Bill Ellis knew this? And this conspiracy was either initiated or supported by Mark’s earliest “nemesis”, Rob Bettencourt, aka Cricket Bro.

When seen in this light, I believe the story makes more sense, though it is still superficial and lacks any suspense. Then again, we can claim that Rivera’s stories have never been about actual suspense and drama, excluding Mark’s first adventure. Thus, criticism about any lack of suspense and drama is redundant and unwarranted. What do you think?

It’s kind of depressing that Mark would spend so much space and effort discussing the groundhog’s weather prediction nonsense. But then again, I’d probably be more depressed if I thought there were people who still do believe this. What’s that, you said..? There are such people!? Oh, right: “Manatees can control hurricanes.” <Gag!> Where is my bucket?

As the Alan Parsons Project sang, “Where do we go from here?”

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I’m concerned that people in this adventure strip seem to have trouble knowing which way to face when communicating. In panel 1, we see Mark doing the Big Wave as he faces the waterfront. I thought he was still waving at Max. But no! Mark is waving at the two hapless kidnappers who are, technically, behind him, to his left. In fact, Skeeter and Rita are also looking out, across the water. This is the same orientation problem that we saw yesterday.

I’m floating a theory that ol’ Max the Manatee might actually now be ol’ Max the Ex-Manatee! Take a look! Go on. Look! In panel 1 he seems to have floated back to the shore and shrunk by a good ten feet. He looks more like a child’s pool float. What gives?

I do not understand the need to bring Max back, nor show him suddenly next to the shore, compared to his position yesterday (panel 4), after the gang said goodbye. Why is Max in the panel at all? The real point of panel 1 is to trash-talk the two failed kidnappers. Furthermore, the rest of the conversation is about climate change, not Max or the endangered status of manatees. This just reinforces my earlier conviction that this story told us next to nothing about manatees, their issues, and their need for guardianship by qualified professionals.

Lucky Max the Manatee exits this story and floats to freedom!

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Reader Be Ware of Eve Hill commented on the possibility of a decline in the art of this strip related to the resignation of Tea Fougner, Editorial Director of King Features Syndicate. I mentioned her departure on January 6. My current answer is “Got me!”  My understanding is that Fougner was instrumental in bringing Rivera in to update the strip. Given that the art has fluctuated over the past several years, I’m not inclined to believe a causal link to Fougner’s departure. I’m more inclined to think a new director will arrive and promote a different agenda, which might be a bigger concern. King Features owns the Mark Trail strip and Rivera is just the current hired caretaker, as was James Allen before her.

Rita refers to the “freshwaters” of Florida. Really!? This event must have taken place in the 1940s, since I read that these days the “freshwaters of Florida” are polluted from pesticide and fertilizer runoff, which has killed a lot of the sea grass that manatees depend on, and are a leading danger to the survival of the manatees in Florida.  Guess they missed that piece of information.

I think we’re all surprised to find that Max the manatee is actually still alive, after been ignored for most of this adventure. And I wonder how they got Max safely back into those “fresh” waters, as Rivera perhaps decided her readers do not need to know how much time, effort, and care is actually required to do accomplish this! So much for this strip’s focus on environment and nature.

First Question of the Day: Why does Rita ask Mark to take control of the kidnappers, since Skeeter already has the situation in hand?
Second Question of the Day: Why are Rita, Skeeter, and Mark facing away from Max in panel 3 as they see him off?
Third Question of the Day: Is this the end of the adventure, or does Mark go on to pursue Cricket Bro?

Now, don’t wait. Operators are standing by 24 hours a day by to take your comments!

Mark is unbearably confused. Nothing new.

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Burglars!? What is Mark talking about? And just who is responsible for this mistatement, Mark or Jules Rivera? Does Rivera make Mark say this for the sake of the alliteration or is Rivera, herself, confused?

Well, this “save the manatee” story has certainly taken a turn to the offbeat. And that is not necessarily a compliment. In spite of Rita’s environmental assertion (panel 1), this story has spent little time on actual environmental or biological issues. And that is not good for a strip like Mark Trail.

This story continues to focus on the fake hurricane conspiracy and the two conspirators. And today’s strip is clearly just an excuse for a lame anti-Florida “joke.” In short, no actual story development.

Art Dept. Fairly rough work. Mark looks out of proportion in panel 1 and is barely recognizable in panel 2. Perhaps that image supports the reason for depicting regular characters in the same clothes in order to assist recognition.

The Great Conspiracy conspiracy.

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This pivoting is confusing. First, it’s manatee-controlling weather. Then it is Rita’s climate change position. Now, it’s the weather again, but apparently from a secret government machine outsiders know about. Isn’t that the way it always is with these conspiracies!? Well, I’m not going to waste time going through this mess.

Art Dept. The one thing I will comment on is Rivera’s interesting use of perspective today, providing us a bottom-up view of Rita, Skeeter, and Mark in panels 1 and 4. Perhaps viewpoint is the more accurate term, as the lower view reinforces the illusion of foreshortening.

Frankly, Rivera could have produced a much better story that focused on the dangers to manatees from nature and human actions. I’m not going to expound on it here, but you can see my summary in the comments section for yesterday, as a response to an observation from commenter Daniel.

It turns out that even the two Bear Bozos don’t really care about Max the Manatee!

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RRRRRRIIPPPPP! That’s the sound of me tearing what’s left of my hair off of my head. Has Rivera lost the point of this simple storyline? Let me help you out, Jules. Here is a recap:

The Whether Men is a group of conspiratorial nutjobs who think manatees can control hurricanes, so they threatened to steal Max the Manatee for their own nefarious purpose. Rita and Skeeter hired Mark as their Protection Detail while they transport Max back to his watery home. They were first ambushed at a gas station by two conspirators dressed in bear costumes. Mark forced them to flee. Mark and his companions then drove to their destination and began unloading Max, whereupon the same two bear-bozos showed up again, demanding Mark hand over Max! Not Rita! Got it, Rivera?

So, what’s this revelation (panel 2) from NutJob #1 all about? Why would anybody kidnap someone because of a disagreement over their online posts? Clearly, Rita is not the only person posting scientific climate change information. Does Cricket Bro intend to kidnap everyone who disagrees with him? Sure, Cricket Bro is a duplicitous, self-serving conman, but there’s nothing in his character we have seen to suggest he would engage in felonious kidnapping. But I live to learn.

________________________________________________________
Breaking News: There are unconfirmed reports that Max the Manatee was attacked and eaten by a 16 foot Burmese Python while lying unattended alongside a local shoreline. Max had been under the care of Storm Brain, a local science-based nonprofit organization. Security consultant Mark Trail could not be reached for comment. State and federal officials will investigate the situation.

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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The Max the Manatee Story did not come to a conclusion as some may have hoped. All but ignoring Max, the story kept its focus on what regular commenter Daniel Pellissier called “a new low…the source of absurd conflict between dufus Mark and two fourth-rate henchmen for an internet grifter. ” A sterner critic than I, Daniel even rated the incompetent bear-boobs two additional levels lower.

As for this past week, after losing track of the bear-suited kidnappers earlier, Mark and his two companions drove on, talking about the thwarted kidnappers. We finally got a glimpse of Max in just one panel. But before the trio could set up the equipment to get the Max into the water, those two “fourth rate” henchmen suddenly showed up—still in costume!—to demand Max. We were treated to a rare, highly stylized display of Mark’s famed “Fists o’ Justice” and the opportune drop of a “frozen” iguana onto the head of one of the bad guys. Apparently forgetting about Max, Skeeter and Rita walked over to watch the fisticuffs.

Afterwards, Skeeter identified the two bear dudes (sans head masks) as employees of “Cricket Bro Inc.”, adding a new layer of distraction for Mark, clearly more interested in his personal achievement and the opportunity to once again confront “his old nemesis.” But what about Max the Manatee, you ask? Oh, please. The “good guys” aren’t really concerned, so why should you be? Just focus on the Bigger Picture!

And that was the week that was.

The smalltooth sawfish is found in sub-tropical and tropical waters, barely present in the United States, but found in southern Florida and the Keys, on the Gulf side. I’m not sure why Mark feels the need to issue a non-sequitur (panel 5) about their feeding habits. In addition to algal bloom, accidental or deliberate fishing, and net entanglements are major threats that helped put them on the Endangered list.

An old nemesis jumps back into Mark’s life!

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Sometimes I fear that I am descending into a Pit of Snarkiness, that this blog is becoming just an extended version of one-offs, such as we find on ComicsKingdom. Not that some snarkiness is bad. I enjoy a well-crafted dig. But I don’t want to get to the point where all I’m doing is taking potshots. So, do let me know if you find me losing my focus. Don’t hold back. I can take it!

Now, on to today’s silliness episode!

As Mark winds up his defense of Max, Rivera continues to turn this story from the rescue and rehabilitation of a manatee into a story about two second-rate kidnappers and their conspiratorial nonsense. Meanwhile, Max (remember him!?) has as much screen time in this story as the box of tools on the shoreline. Remember that?

So how did Skeeter and Rita know about the falling iguana if they were supposed to be busy with Max? No way that job is already completed, even in Comic Strip Time! What I’m trying to say here is that I believe a better approach would have been to show Mark fighting the kidnappers as we observe Rita and Skeeter feverishly working in the background to launch Max to safety. It could have been dramatically depicted in a single panoramic panel. Somehow, I just don’t think that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will give this story its stamp of approval.

While I always like to see new opponents and bad guys show up in this strip, it is curiously amusing to see Cricket Bro reappear. What could be his connection to a conspiracy about manatees controlling storms? There has to be a financial payoff involved in this grift. So I hope this plotline gets fleshed out in a meaningful way. For once.

Okay, you got any observations or snarks?

Max is shoved aside once again so we can watch Mark fight.

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Oh dear. Where to start? We get confirmation that Max the Manatee is just an excuse for the story and not the focus of the story. The idea that people would start a fist fight while dressed in clumsy bear costumes could only happen if they were:  a) drunk; b) stoned, or c) stupid. If Rivera’s intentions are to treat this sequence as a cheap parody of Vintage Mark Trail, then she succeeded.

This “rescue from ambush” (by a falling iguana, of course) is an old movie and TV trope. Rivera used a similar setup before (“Thanks-alotl for the E-Waste “,7/2/24 & 7/3/24), when Mark was fighting the E-waste dumpers in Lost Forest and was about to get brained by Honest Ernest after Connor snuck up from behind to trap him. But Andy was the surprise “frozen iguana” who bit Connor, breaking his hold and allowing Mark to continue fighting.

Tip for Rivera: Narration boxes look less clunky when they are stretched to fill the width of each panel, especially where there is no dialog.

Max is moved while Mark and the Bears face off

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Update: Readers Downpuppy and Be Ware of Eve Hill each provided a reasonable correction to some of my interpretations from yesterday. The covered box on the ground in panel 1 likely contains the tools to get Max out of the truck; not Max, himself. And the gesture of the bear bozo on the right in panel 4 was more likely the familiar “hit-the-palm” gesture suggesting impending physical violence. I always appreciate readers taking the trouble to keep me grounded in reality. Now, on to today’s strip!

Note to Mark: Histrionics and name-calling won’t convince those dudes, Mark, especially when your explanation employs another thing they probably don’t believe in! And a fist fight won’t do much more than put them out of action for a bit. Education would be a better approach, but as we saw in your fishing survival school, Mark, teaching is not a strong point. Maybe those two goofs are true believers who find facts and logic inconvenient. If so, you might as well go ahead. Knock the stuffing out of their costumes!

Moving on:  I’m impressed with the ability to get Max the Manatee out of the truck and on the ground without visible equipment. But maybe it was used and is already moved out of the way.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, too:  How much time actually passed between yesterday’s strip and today? Because, realistically, getting a manatee out of the truck and safely on the ground would probably take at least a good 30 minutes, excluding the time needed to set up the equipment. Perhaps the two “Bear Bozos” were too amazed at how complex the process to move a manatee actually is and just watched. But only now did they recover their wits. Otherwise, I’m stumped.

Art Dept. Less said, the better.

Even the Spanish Moss could not hide Max from his abductors!

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If all that gray stuff in the trees isn’t Spanish Moss, it might just be a lot of sleeping sloths, able to maintain their arboreal perches. Pretty sure they aren’t cold iguanas.

So, that box on the shore must contain Max, yes? The box is not even open! Didn’t anybody bother to check on Max’s condition? What kind of manatee minders are these clowns? Also, I wonder what hardware Mark is referring to in panel 2 that is different than the hardware they had to have needed to lift the box out of the truck and set it safely on the shore?

Am I being too picky here? Possibly, but if Rivera is going to have Mark suddenly get all technical, why skip over details? For example, how did they get the box out of the truck and onto the shore? Unless Max is a baby manatee, these animals get big and very heavy, requiring a bunch of people and special equipment, as we see in this photo of a manatee being transported from Miami to SeaWorld Orlando in 2023 for veterinary examinations.

Sure, this is just a comic strip, not a documentary. And I’m being a picky know-it-all. But as I wrote previously, Mark Trail (the strip and the person) is based on the love and protection of nature in all its aspects. You can’t just wave your hand and declare “Let there be a deus ex machina!”

Now, as far as the plot goes—and it seems to be moving once again—the so-called “Bear Bozos” return for a second attempt. Apparently, neither Skeeter nor Rita bothered to check the highway behind them! Probably because they were too busy browsing the Internet.

By the way:  Does anybody know what the “Bear Bozo” on the right is holding? Is he attempting to shoot a spitball at Mark? Throw a Japanese shuriken? Or maybe throw a kiss to Mark? Get ready for action!!

For the source of the photo and related article, see https://tinyurl.com/6ywf7d9d)

Do you think they would notice if Max fell out of the truck?

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If they have already located a proper location to return Max (see yesterday’s strip), why are they still wasting time inside the truck looking up bear costumes? And wouldn’t those “whether men” post on their own conspiracy group’s web site?

Given that the photo in question (panel 2) is two people in full costume, I don’t see how any identification can be made, even if names were attached. Anyway, this distraction does not move the story along one iota.

Why does Rivera continue to focus the story on the would-be kidnappers while disregarding Max the Manatee? These three have all the concern of a moving crew delivering furniture. To me, the real drama is Max’s current health. What if Max’s condition worsened as a result of the dawdling, jostling, and negligence? Isn’t that worth focusing on? It provides sufficient suspense and drama for this story.

Keep in mind that Mark is the guy whose very existence is based on preserving nature and wildlife. It looks as if Jules Rivera has lost sight of Mark Trail’s Prime Directive!

Art Dept. Rivera continues to swing back to her sketchy, barren style. She must have been watching StarTrek when drawing this, because in panel 3 Mark looks like that early version of Mr. Spock when Capt. Pike was in charge of the Enterprise. Minus the five o’clock shadow, of course!

Mark, Rita, and Skeeter pick a place for Max to skedaddle

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Several readers await the return of the “Vintage” Mark Trail, meaning the work of Dodd and Elrod. Keep waiting, people. On the other hand, other vintage strips are online at ComicsKingdom, including Krazy Kat, Thimble Theater, and Rip Kirby, the latter being one of the best strips for drama, adventure and superb drawing in the naturalistic style. All three strips have also been reprinted, at least in part, in lavish hardcover books, though several volumes are currently out of print. No such books have been made for Mark, though!

And so we are back … in Florida. The amateurish handling of Max the Manatee that we have observed continues as the trio seems to have extemporaneously decided on a spot to release him!

I realize that Rivera has to simplify things somewhat for the sake of the story and format, but shouldn’t Max be a more significant part of the story, rather than just a reason for the story? In reality, there are only a select number of facilities authorized to rescue and transport manatees in Florida, all under the supervision of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Yet, there have been no people from either of those agencies present, nor have they been mentioned. Thus, my comments at the start of this adventure on why these two characters could have been from one of those agencies, which would provide more authenticity. Much of the story could remain the same, including the goofy kidnapping attempt. Some extra time and space could have been allocated for the characters to discuss and demonstrate proper handling and supervision of the manatee, including how they select the best spot to reintroduce Max into his watery habitat.

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

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Reader Downpuppy brought up a good point that “Bear Bandit” could be understood as shorthand for “Bear-Suited Bandit”, thus invalidating yesterday’s grammatical criticism. Well, perhaps. I also think the alliterative rhythm of the name may have had a role in its use. English is flexible.

Last week a bear-bandit attacked Rita and Skeeter when the team stopped at a gas station for snacks. The action continued this week as Mark predictably chased the attacker. Of course, another bear-bandit showed up to steal the unlocked manatee truck holding Max the manatee. Mark turned around in time to pull the second kidnapper out of the truck. Like a mother bear, I’m told.

When Rita and Skeeter conveniently showed up after Mark thwarted the attackers, the team used the manatee truck to pursue the bear-bandits instead of delivering Max! This disregard for Max’s health was further exacerbated: After the crew failed to catch the kidnappers they thought it was a good idea to stop along the way and report the incident. I’m sorry, but is there any valid reason for Jules Rivera to make Mark appear so clueless and unconcerned about Max?

Conclusion: An attempt to interfere with the transportation of Max by the Whether Men was certainly an acceptable part of the story that could provide some drama. Rivera’s contrivance of having the team stop for snacks and leaving the truck unlocked and be assaulted by inept conspiracy nuts in costume was more comical than suspenseful. Once again, Rivera ignored drama for absurdity and juvenilia.

Art Dept. This was not a week of noteworthy drawing. I won’t bore or infuriate you with details. If you have time and fortitude, scroll through the prior days.

Mark admits his own manatee adventure is just so much seaweed as he discusses more realistic effects of storms and hurricanes on manatees, to say nothing of the effort and care that are really required to care for a displaced manatee. Mark provides good discussion (and artwork) here, even as some kind of bug apparently got into his eye (last panel). But it would also be great if Mark followed his own advice more closely.