Points to Diana for having enough sense to bring along some basic safety equipment. While the drawing in panel 2 doesn’t suggest a very long length of rope, I’ll give Jules Rivera a bit of artistic license in this case; within reason. But I’m surprised Diana expected to find places to attach a rope. So, how fragile are those stalagmites, anyway?

I do like the cutaway view of the cave in panel 3; it’s like watching an ant farm. But it is also a convenient technique for giving a panoramic view of the group’s progress.

Did anybody catch my literary pun in the today’s title? I don’t claim to be clever, but the phrase just popped out of my head, like Athena from the forehead of Zeus (ignore that allusion; it’s just my academic-era PTSD showing up again).

“Enough raving, more caving!” Catchy phrase, that.  Reader Hannibal’s Lectern made a good point yesterday that Diana Daggers has more leverage than she realizes, since she is the videographer. If Diana doesn’t go into the cave, Cricket Bro gets no video to prove his exploration. Well, unless he or his brother happen to have something like a GoPro on them.

Now GoPros are not known for quality work in lowlight situations. However, as we have seen before in prior cave episodes, caves surprisingly have plenty of residual light. And everybody has helmet lights, as well. I reckon we’ll find out tomorrow what Diana’s decision is going to be.

The cave seal has been torn asunder, so if Ranger Shaw does make the rounds he should spot the infiltration. Then again, Ranger Shaw has shown himself to not be the most dependable person in Lost Forest. So if disaster strikes, the explorers may have to rely on Mark’s “heightened forest awareness powers,” for discovery and rescue, as commenter be ware of eve hill suggested.

The lure of gag strips is almost always too much for Jules Rivera to ignore, so Rivera’s continued forays into humor wipe away any chance of actual drama or danger. Today is another good example of Rivera succumbing to her inner Peanuts. Too bad she wasn’t offered the job of taking over an abandoned, but still published humor strip, such as Get Fuzzy (in spite of the fact that it is published by a different syndicate).

But why stop there, when she could make a pitch for rebooting Peanuts. Or even Dilbert!?  There are precedents:  Numerous old gag strips have already gone through one or more reboots, such as Nancy, Gasoline Alley, Alley Oop, and Popeye.

And as it was foretold in the Book of Mark Trail, “She, too, shall cave…” Diana Daggers once again faces a financial crisis. But some of this is on her for continuing to associate with grifters and hustlers. So, into the cave they will go, as Diana thinks to herself how foolish she is for deciding that rent is more important than life.

Well, when they all get trapped—as this story seems to demand—I’m curious to see how anybody discovers them. I don’t think it will be Mark’s “Cave Rescue” antennae that start twitching. More likely, it will be Ranger Shaw as he makes his rounds and notices the ripped sign and footprints. Perhaps Mark will happen to be tagging along with Ranger Shaw asking if he knows anybody trapped in a cave and needing a rescue. It all fits!

Okay, the only real issue left, as far as I can tell, is whether Diana Daggers goes along with Heckle and Jeckle into the cave. What say you? Can this story even continue without her assent to descend?

Well, at least Diane Daggers has enough moxie to try to knock sense into the Bonehead Bros, for all the good it will do. The real question is what will she do next:  Leave or follow? Diana knows she is near Mark and Cherry’s cabin, but maybe it all depends on how much she needs the pay.

Anyway, I’m rooting for Cricket Bro to enter the cave. And I’m also rooting for the cave to not let him leave!

I might feel differently if Cricket Bro or the other regular cast of mischief makers had anything hinting at a personality greater than a single motive. But there seems to be none to be had. Wait. I take that back. Faux Professor Bee Sharp has displayed different attitudes and actions towards Mark over the years, both pro and con. More con than pro, I’ll grant you, but he does exhibit a bit of complexity. Cricket Bro, on the other hand, is just a superficial conman. He would not be missed. The least he could do is go back to Oregon and investigate some of their caves so we can have a different story. That’s not gonna happen, so put on your steel helmet and light, as this story is about to cave into catastrophe.

At some point between Friday and today, Cricket, Crypto, and Diana apparently found time and reason to completely change their outfits. Just why they would want to do that has yet to be revealed.

Now, if your first (or second) reaction is that this story is shaping up to be worthy of a junior high writing contest, we’re on the same page. And it’s a certainty that Cricket Bro didn’t take the time to read Mark Trail’s Sunday nature strip, or he wouldn’t be going into the cave on his own. Well, I take that back.

It will be mildly amusing to see what Crypto Bro and Diana are going to do, or why they even bothered to show up. Without video, Cricket Bro will have nothing to show anybody, unless he has a GoPro attached to his helmet or jacket … Nope. Don’t see one. Perhaps Cricket Bro is just making sport of his brother and they will all head into the cave, after all.

Cherry Trail has studied her TV sitcom history well. Her closing comment yesterday provided us with the required irony for today’s switch to Peligroso Cave and the explorers who are soon to be trapped

Sorry, Diana. Poor Diana Daggers. She seems to have gotten stuck playing backup for one second-rate bozo after another, her early fire having fizzled. Like Cherry, Diana Daggers is another woman in this strip who started out with an aggressive, in-your-face personality, but soon softened up to became just a “go along to get along” supporting cast member. I have written before about Cherry’s path to docility. I’ll put Violet Cheshire here, as well. Given who writes and draws this strip, I’m flummoxed. Tess Tigress seems to have kept her personality largely intact. Go figure. I could be wrong and we’ll wind up seeing Diana take a much stronger part in this story. I hope so, anyway.

For some reason, Cricket Bro (life-long rival of Mark Trail) feels the need to inform his brother, Crypto Bro, and Diana what they are about to do (panel 1), even though they are already outfitted for spelunking and already on site. If this is Rivera’s method for revealing what the plot is about, she could have had Cricket Bro say something less embarrassingly stupid, such as “Hey, fellow web goons! Are we ready to hit Peligroso Cave today!?”

Nobody should be surprised at this surprising plotline. It wasn’t the Grungey Boys, but I wasn’t too far off the mark. It’s a small world in the Trailverse. However, creating comic strip characters takes a lot of work and if you aren’t hauling in the big bucks, then you go with what you already have.

We used to call Mark Trail “Captain Obvious”, but I think we may have to reassign that nickname to Jules Rivera for a storyline that looks to be as predictable as any episode of Gilligan’s Island. I still hope to be surprised and corrected.

Note: The term “web goons” is apparently popular Internet slang. In this context, it refers to people obsessed with Internet projects, such as web comics and online humor. There is another popular definition for “goon” referring to individual sexual activities, often centered around online fictional images. It’s a fluid term, I reckon.

What a relief. I’m glad Cherry put a stop to Mark’s pity party, so we’ll have no cave rescue adventure to worry about, right. Right!? So where is that blasted call from Bill Ellis, anyway? I want to see Mark sent out on another assignment before he winds up feeling he has to rescue the Grungey Boys for being illiterate and stupid.

Poor whiney Mark. “What if I have to help!?” Well, why would Mark believe that? Is he a member of the Lost Forest Rescue Brigade? Does such a group even exist? Jules Rivera presents a Mark Trail who seems to believe he is the one person capable enough to perform whatever daring feats of discovery, recovery, resuscitation, or rescue are required in any given situation. It must be tough being King of the Lost Forest: “Please stop me before I help again…!”

Anyway, what’s with this Peligroso Cave? And why would a cave in Georgia (presumably) have a Spanish name? Well, it turns out that Spanish conquistadors explored this area looking for gold. Hernando de Soto was the most famous of that greedy lot. They didn’t find gold, but did introduce the peach to the state. I reckon we’re about to have una peligrosa aventura en una cueva! So get your steel caving helmet and LED headlamp ready!

Art Dept. Is Ranger Shaw gesturing hypnotically, as Mandrake the Magician would say, to seal off the entrance? If not, what is he doing? You tell me!

I’m not really sure how watching reality videos about people trapped in caves helps you get ready to save others who are trapped in caves. In reality, it requires years of training, specialized equipment, and great health coverage. But even Mark is entitled to his fantasies.

I reckon we have an honest-to-goodness insider joke in panel 2, where Mark mentions feeling like he was trapped in cave for 6 months. Turns out that the cave adventure Cherry references (which blog originator Dennis Williams called “Arachnid Ho!”) lasted approximately six months; well, actually seven months, including a month-long prolog beginning in December 2015. But Mark did not come into the storyline until January, 2016. Mark, Carina, and Gabe raced into a cave for their safety on Feb 1, 2016. The adventure ended on Jun 25, 2016. Where you want to start counting is a matter of opinion. In a way, then, Mark’s cry in panel 2 echoes sentiments of Trailheads who felt like the cave story was going on forever. Okay, I think I’ve flogged this beast enough.

Anyway, I have no idea what Jules Rivera is referring to in panel 3. What scouts!? Rescuers are not “scouts.” Is Jules Rivera talking about Rusty, now?

I don’t find humor or satisfaction in body shaming, but it sure looks like Cherry could do with a little more physical activity in her day. Maybe some jogging with her sister, Olive? In any event, today’s minor episode is just a drawn-out affair to make the point we did two days ago about Mark’s cave experience in New Mexico.

In fact, Mark was in another adventure involving a cave pursuit, also published during James Allen’s tenure. It was a story of epic length and plotlines, starting with a phony “female hostage situation” in the Rapid City, South Dakota airport (“Ferret, Black-footed Ferret”); Mark being taken prisoner by a bank robber and led on a dangerous escape through the country; a law pursuit through a cave with a grizzly bear who likes candy bars; a deadly storm; fist fights; guns; and more!

So the question I pose is: Will Mark get a call from Bill Ellis this week? Mark has had two non-paying adventures in a row. If Mark wants to be able to pay for another expensive home repair, he better turn up a couple of good-paying gigs soon! Frankly, I don’t know why Mark doesn’t actively pursue assignments like any good independent reporter would, rather than hang around waiting for the phone to ring. That’s no way to build up a national reputation!

Perhaps Mark watches videos like this because they recall the old days when his assignments presented elements of violence and real danger. But the times they are a-changing for ol’ Mark! Danger and violence are largely replaced by farce and jokes, probably because there is too much of that dangerous stuff in the comic strips:  Hägar and his gang loot Nordic kingdoms; Camp Swampy conducts war exercises; the Ghost Who Walks still autographs jaws with his signet ring; Popeye kicks butt; and Garfield continues to be published. There’s just too much! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!

Speaking of real danger, maybe it’s time for Cherry to put her foot down and tell Mark to get over his lost years and fix the back of their cabin before it collapses.

I tell ya, Mark Trail’s “Lincoln Log Cabin” sure looks like it could use some major league restoration work based on that rear view (remember the steps down to the recycle bin?). And I’m glad to see the old greenhouse once again. It tends to appear and disappear on an irregular basis, probably on the basis of available drawing space.

But what’s this nonsense about a “spooky cave story”? Is Markey reliving his childhood? Mark seems to get excited pretty easily, even watching a hokey “Reality TV” video. You tell me. Is Jules Rivera setting up Mark in panel 3 so she can mock him? Her caption is the kind of question that is often delivered with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

On the other hand, maybe this video triggered a PTSD episode related to Mark’s dramatic cave adventure several years ago (during James Allen’s tenure). Remember? (see “Arachnid Ho!” for the details.) That might explain it better.

Art Dept. If Rivera meant to show that the cabin’s foundation has dangerously settled or is just rotting, we can move on to other observations. If that is not the case, I am shocked at how sloppy the cabin is depicted. I was also struck by the chipmunk in panel 1. Tell me if I am wrong, but my first reaction was that it looks like something James Allen might have drawn. I’m not suggesting that Rivera lifted it! I just mean it reminds me of his work. I could be totally wrong.