Ah, little boys with their toys. This reads like a cheap action movie from several decades ago, where the so-called actors were likely local yokels picked up in a gym. All of this macho preening is nothing new here. Rivera’s Mark Trail is a continual parade of comical bullies, childish taunting (on both sides), and quick fights. Again, nothing terribly new here, but sadly, nothing terribly new.

It is interesting to see how Connor, the whining, accident-prone camper preoccupied with the fear of divorce, suddenly exhibits a boastful, almost menacing manner (panel 2). In fact, he looks more like Honest Ernest with that trimmed Fu Manchu and movie-villain eyebrows. Yes, it’s quite a change from his look of shock in panel 1.

In fact, I think it really is Honest Ernest and the syndicate colorist misidentified the figure as Connor. Note that the shirt is buttoned up to the collar, whereas in panel 1, Connor has his shirt unbuttoned. The really confusing part is the hair, which looks a bit more like Connor’s.

Rivera’s Saturday strip was finally colored and posted to CK. I have updated my Saturday post with some additional idle chatter, below.

First, a note: Based on more research and enlightening commentary posted by some of my readers (e.g. Downpuppy), I’ve learned that the issue of whether free-roaming, untamed horses (to use a neutral term) are invasive or native to this country, whether these horses should be called wild or feral, and whether they should even be “managed”, is very contentious. Those terms carry a surprising amount of political and social baggage, sharing space with the science. 
I must admit that Mark’s reactions yesterday (and today) may not be simply based on an assumed ignorance (I might claim that for me). Mark’s reactions could be based on understanding and accepting the untamed horse as a reintroduced native species, rather than an invasive one. Hence, his shock. So I must disavow most of my snarky commentary from yesterday (which I otherwise liked) and hope Rivera does a good job dealing with the complex issues surrounding these horses, at least within the limits of an adventure comic strip story! But for now, it’s on to today’s strip:

So we have yet another day of Mark emoting over his horse friends. One thing I don’t get is why Mark thinks he has to write negatively about them, unless Rivera has not yet reported all of his conversation with Bill Ellis. From what I’ve read, Ellis should want Mark to put a positive spin on the horses.

Art Dept. The repeated arrangement of Mark (more or less) on the left side looking (more or less) to the right helps visualize Mark’s singular train of thought across the four panels. The coloring of panels 1 and 4 acts as pendants to the different coloring of panels 2 and 3, the latter being designed that way to emphasize Mark’s imagining of the horses in his memories. In short, I believe today’s strip is well-designed.  

Rivera’s art follows a more conventional mode of representation, save for Mark’s fingers, which seem as if they don’t have real bones in them. Otherwise, this should be good enough to satisfy all but the more diehard Trailheads. I do hope the story holds up, as well.

Thank you for spending some of your time reading these blogs about Mark Trail, the legacy “adventure” strip where the adventure is sometimes either pondering “What would Mark do?” or just bringing yourself to read the daily panels. Clearly, I enjoy writing these blogs, though I’m not always sure why. My predecessor, Dennis, once claimed (I think) that he posted blogs for his first three years without knowing whether he had any readers. Now that is dedication, or extreme Trailheadedness. I’ll likely continue—as I can—until I’m turned out, my brain turns to mush, or the strip takes that final turn towards retirement. To be clear, I’d prefer to see most legacy strips retired to make room for new ones; some, more than others. Many legacy strips have been republished in book form, so that should be good enough. Interestingly, that is not the case for Mark Trail.

Anyway, The Daily Trail will catch up with Mark on Boxing Day with a double-feature. Until then, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Zartosht No-Diso, Mongolian Independence Day, or just want to sleep in, make it a great day. We all should have at least one a year.

You know you have reached a certain amount of notoriety when you are asked to be a “Guest Jumbler…” Well played, Ms. Rivera!

I’ll be on the road for a few days, driving back from Virginia to Minnesota and hoping to avoid the current week’s rainstorms and snowfalls tracking across the midlands. That also means I may also wind up posting several days at one time, which has its own benefits.

Because of prior commitments, I will not be able to post the Sunday blog until Sunday afternoon. Please enjoy your new-found free time to sleep in; attend the religious service of your inclination; mow the lawn; or finish reading that book before it has to go back to the library. You know which one I’m talking about.

Or, you can while away the time looking at this field of dots. Some people think that if you look at it hard and long enough, you will see the ancient Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus in Rome. Other people think that prolonged viewing will just give you a headache. Personally, I think this could be one of the game sheets for the Tokyo Olympics “Connect the Dots” finals (won by the team from Djibouti). Well, you’ve got some time on your hands to figure it out.

But fear not, Faithful Readers: Mark Trail will soon return!

Sorry, dear readers, but I have some morning business. That means my Mark Trail post for June 22 will not get up until around Noon, Central Time.

Thanks again, George K. Atkins, Contributor in Chief… With a bit of time on my hands, I visited Jules’ site and found some extras!

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Next I found a Sunday feature that I don’t think was/ has been published? How did I miss this one? Was it ever published?

But wait, there’s more!! including this lovely reaction to all the hate being heaped upon Jules for “Ruining Mark Trail…”

Or, not to neglect the fact the Jules is checking in on The Daily Trail… Hats off to (CIC) George K. Atkins for pulling a reference out of his, ahem… impressive trove of experiences… only to make a very solid impression with Mark’s new “Daddy…”

OMG I got compared to Carl Hiaasen I can die now everyone

Carl Hiaasen was the only author I read in high school I actually liked. I appreciated that he understood how totally slanted and sideways the world really is.

Originally tweeted by Jules Rivera (@julesrivera) on April 15, 2021.

Welcome to George, the DAILY Trail’s most ardent and faithful follower and now contributor! Had I know it was so easy to add different roles, this would have happened sooner. Yes, there are many demands on my time these days, but that’s a good problem to have! More than that, however, was the desire to take a position on the other side! Thanks George, and well done with your first post… remember, it’s a marathon and not a sprint!!

I will add, however, that this is not the first time we have met up with the Beaver… Witness…

That, and El Chapo’s Hippo Collection!

But we are finally home! Let’s see, we started on this new odyssey October 13th… and it’s now March 2nd, a new year, and that makes it an even 140 days! Yikes!! That’s James Allen territory, but at least not in line with the cave adventure…

Good Dog Daddy! That picture of Andy in panel 3 is, well, a little off-putting! At least he returns to St. Bernard in panel 4. Let’s hope Mark can get a shave and a shower, and heal a bit. The Article! An Article must be written!! And with the magic of the comics page, we skip over that toil, and behold:

Words heal, campers. Confession is good for the soul. Never too late to redeem oneself!

Meanwhile, Jolly and his daughter, who happens to be an attorney, plead their case about the “taking” and discrimination vis-à-vis their land…

Ha! Plot thickens! You are a mean old chiseler, Happy Trail! Admit it!

Apparently Mark want nothing to do with what is going on right now, even though it’s the reason for his being there- to write an article…

But what Mark does determine causes Happy to go all zombie in the eyes… and admit that he is mean and alone in this world…

Like I said, Mark and Happy must not talk much… A lot of water under the bridge, so to speak, and years of not seeing each other… could this be the beginning? Maybe even the end of this little yarn? Nice (O)possum!

Rusty swimming alone, Cherry hanging out in a casino, Mark leaving “Trails” of destruction, Cherry battling (literally) her family demons…

I predict that we will be learning about Owls this Sunday…

…and the color commentary…

“He’s burst through the line, and into the second level!”

                                “Yes, Jim, that was a tremendous hole opened up by superior blocking on the part of the center and left guard!”

“He’s Still going, only one player to beat!  Touchdown!”

Happy Superbowl everyone!  I am guessing that 80% of the population in the Twin Cities will be happy when this circus has moved on…  and for those who may have missed it, or aren’t one with “The Cities,” a local brewing company has done yeoman’s work in describing the zeitgeist…

While this is a finely drawn Rhinoceros, it would have to pivot hard to port if the tent was going to get it…  But that would require that the Rhino be drawn in reverse 3/4 profile, as opposed to full profile, which we see in this single, large panel…  I don’t know if Rhinos are built to make NFL running back style jump-cuts or not… they seem more like Downhill Runners…

And while Shannon and Kathy appear to be spared for now, we have to wonder if we got to know their names only for the purpose of demonstrating yet another unlikely encounter with a non-indigenous beast?  That’s a lot of Purple ink to spill for not much of a career in the Trailverse.

Are you my Mother?!  Nope!  Snort!

I am a Rhino, half blind and confused as all get-out… Shannon is from the Mark Trail School of the Obvious…  Run, Kathy, RUN!!

Or…  Just doing what Rhinos do?  And this is not the only animal that has had it out for trees… Remember the Wild Boar on Abbey Island?  Or, with its horn is still intact… could it be a refugee from the first time we encountered Dirty Dyer?

So as Shannon wins the “Name THAT Animal” prize, we are left to wonder, “What circus ever had a Rhino in its menagerie?”  Seems a little off… by about half a bubble…  Well drawn though, I am focused on the skin, which reminds me of one of my favorite “Just So Stories” from Rudyard Kipling- How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin…  There is a wonderful audio/video version read by Jack Nicholas (Score by Bobby McFerrin.)  I think I enjoyed that more than my daughter back when she was a tike…

As we rejoin our hipster couple, whose idea of outfitting themselves for camping is to visit the local version of Ragstock for clothes and raid their grandparents’ garage for gear, I am again wanting to comment on Kathy… not to be mean (OK, Maybe…) but it looks like her face has been reconstructed… like she made a bad choice and got too friendly with a chimpanzee and it reverted to its territorial instincts…

Today we learn the man’s name is Shannon.  Irish, I think, and probably not uncommon there.  River Shannon.  Means Old and Wise.  Of song fame “Shannon is going away. She’s drifting out to sea…” That one was about a dog, I think.

But soft!  What through yonder forest breaks?!  And Kathy utters the complete “What in the World!?”  as opposed to the time honored “What Th-!?”  Clearly not of the Trailverse is she…