Home » Women, rifles and hogs (Page 2)

Category Archives: Women, rifles and hogs

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

Posted on by

Two weeks ago Mark went into the field with Tess Tigress to meet her fellow hog hunters, who took turns revealing their hog-hunting origin stories. That week ended with the sighting of a wild hog as the gals prepared to go into action. The actual kill shot took place off-camera, a decision that Rivera repeated this past week and remarked on by one of our newest blog followers. Not showing the actual kill shot could have been an editorial decision by Rivera’s syndicate or Rivera, herself.

This past week saw the hunting party at another location, ready to unlimber their guns in the pursuit of more wild hogs. A good part of the week was something of a jumble with regard to time, sequence, and action, but I’ll try to at least present a general idea. Or you could just read the prior six days of strips (my commentary, optional) and skip this.

When a trio of wild hogs was spotted, Mark got out in front of the hunters to take pictures, but thought better of it and retreated to safety. Then Shania got out in front of the group to get a shot, though Reba warned her to be careful. Apparently she wasn’t and one hog bore down on her.

 At this point, time, space, and sequence get confusing. 1) Shania panicked and ran as hog ran at her. She didn’t shoot hog, but tripped. 2) Reba yelled advice but didn’t shoot. 3) Hog’s movements seemed to slow down for no reason. 4) Mark stood in background, beside Tess. 5) Mark reacted by somehow managing to run and jump in a tree on far side of Shania just in time. 6) Hog’s location unclear. 7) Mark yelled for Shania to grab his hand. She did. 8) Hog seemed to be staring. 8) Tess took a shot, but hit tree Mark and Shania are in. 9) Tess shot again and killed hog (not shown in the strip). 10) Mark and Tess end up on the ground, complaining of Tess’s wild shot. 11) Tess brushes off complaint. 12) No word on the action or whereabouts of the other two hogs seen with this hog.

From Tess’s actions and expressions, I’m thinking that her supposed lack of memory of Mark or her former fake tiger petting zoo may be an act. And she is really setting Mark up for revenge.

WebMD says pumpkin (seed or seed oil) might relieve benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostrate). The NIH offers a detailed, scientific discussion on medical use of pumpkin seed oil: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8681145/

Anybody up for barbecued wild hog ribs?

Posted on by | 4 Comments

Call me crazy, but I think Tess’s selective amnesia act seems to be slipping. And once again, Jules Rivera has been kind enough to remind us readers all about what happened in yesterday’s strip. And a heck of a lot did happen, all in a matter of seconds! Anyway, it’s just as well that we stick with today’s recap and just move forward.

And this would be as good a point as any to jump back to Lost Forest and see how the gals are getting along, but this is only Week 1 of the usual two-week segment for Mark’s adventure, so prepare yourselves for a second week of hog huntin’ hijinks! You know, maybe Mark should have brought his hunting rifle along for self-defense … from Tess!

“What a revoltin’ development THIS is!”

Posted on by | 6 Comments

I’m showing my age or knowledge of old trivia, but back in the 1950s there was a TV show called “The Life of Riley”, in which the main character, a beleaguered husband of course, gets into constant troubles and bemoans his fate with the catch-phrase I borrowed.

And I’m doing some moaning after seeing today’s effort. Frankly, I have almost given up trying to figure out what Jules Rivera is after. Is she deliberately making all of the women petrified numbskulls who hunt in a “hot zone” with their rifles slung, panic at first blush, and can’t even shoot!? Hogs are not that big, so how does an aimed shot go up in a tree? Did Tess trip on that same movie prop tree branch when she was firing?

Most long-term readers know that I always try to give Rivera the benefit of a doubt and play even-handed, even complimenting and promoting her innovations and creativity when I see it. But, hoo-boy, this is pretty sad stuff today, on virtually every front.

  1. Timing. Is this all happening in some kind of slo-mo world where time is elastic and everybody has enough opportunity to have their say, get into position, and act, all the while the hog is chasing down Shania?!
  2. Action. So Mark has time to jump in a tree to rescue Shania? Why not just yell to Shania “CLIMB THE TREE!” Perhaps Mark is right in thinking Shania is too clumsy and dim-witted to do that on her own, given what started this fiasco. And I reckon this is Rivera’s solution to make sure that Mark is, indeed, the “hero” saving the incompetent trio of females.
  3. Art. Ah, the drawing. Well, we’ve seen worse, but that doesn’t say much. In Panel 1, why are the two standing splay-footed? That’s some rough drawing. I couldn’t figure out what the clunky gray object is between Reba and Mark, but finally realized it is the camera’s telephoto lens. Why is the hog in panel 3 just staring instead of charging? Perhaps staging the panels with a series of closeups helps inject a sense of panic and distress, including the panel 4 split-panel. I see that Rivera did, in fact, use a variation of the reverse arrangement I posited yesterday, of focusing on Shania’s expression facing the hog, which is placed in the foreground. More or less.
  4. Sound. What the hell does B-KAM! mean?! The usual sound effect of a gun or rifle (or even shotgun) is BLAM! or KABLAM! or something like that. I even wasted a minute or two online, looking to see if the term might be some kind of cultural joke.

So, my overall reaction (suitable for print) can be summed up as “What a revoltin’ development this is!”

A Gore-a-Phobia in Progress

Posted on by | 2 Comments

In addition to forgetting to include the strip for yesterday (but since repaired), I also forgot to include the final sentence in my notes: “Well, I wonder what will happen first:  Reba manages to get her rifle unslung and ready to protect Shania, or Mark jumps in from out of frame and gives the hog a dose of his fists o’ justice.” I reckon that the answer still lies in doubt. The obvious answer is that Mark, somehow, comes to the rescue. But let’s see if Jules Rivera gives the ladies their due and lets them resolve the crisis. Anyway,  Mark’s probably on the sidelines shooting photos. Real action stuff here!

You know, I’m wondering if this is their first actual hunting trip. How is it that Reba wasn’t prepared? Is throwing accusations at Shania going to help keep her from getting gored? And how is it that Shania panicked and didn’t shoot, but tripped on that Hollywood B-movie branch prop that pursued women in films always trip over? Seeing as how wild boars can run up to 25 mph, I think Shania’s strategy of running was not a great choice.

Art Dept. Surf’s up, I reckon.

Thicket!? I don’t see no stinkin’ thicket!

Posted on by | 4 Comments

Editor’s Note: Sorry, everybody! Seems I plumb overlooked including today’s strip. It was in my draft, but for some reason, I failed to transfer it in the final post.

It seems the hog-hunting heroines may not be the experienced hunters they pretend.  In addition to Shania standing in a vulnerable position and facing away from the wild hog, she apparently brought along her child’s small toy rifle instead of her own. And Reba has her own rifle slung, rather than in her hands, at the ready.

Art Dept. Sure, traditional syndicated comic strips are usually restricted in size, but the framing of the figures in these panels does little to enhance any sense of danger. Proportions and space look out of whack. Ending the series with an alliterative joke further kills any suspense. The hog in panel 4 looks like it is stepping out from another spatial dimension into ours. As if we don’t have enough feral hogs, they are now popping in from a parallel universe.

Perhaps a more dramatic version of panel 4 could have been accomplished with the reverse of what we see now. The hog is in the foreground looking back towards Shania, standing alone in the open.

Or maybe just show an extreme close-up of the hog’s head, like this one. Imagine turning around to see that head staring at you, close up. Pretty damn scary all by itself!

Markey! Markey! Markey! It’s always about Markey!

Posted on by

Mark is already contradicting cartoonist Jules Rivera’s comment in panel 1 about “following” the Hog-Hunting Heroines. So it’s all about Mark today, as the three women he is shadowing fade into a meaningless background, and Mark’s attention is taken up by three wild hogs. I’m not sure about the depth of field or perspective in panel 3, as the hogs looks about as tall as ponies. But isn’t it interesting how Rivera framed the hogs with those tree trunks!?

So who is Mark talking to, if he is more or less alone? Normally, a character in this situation would think his dialog inside of a thought balloon, but Rivera rarely uses them.

Since wild hogs can run up to 25 mph (40 kmph), I’d think Mark would want to stand behind the women with the guns. What I don’t get is why waste a day posting filler material like this, since it does nothing to move the story along or expand on the subject. But perhaps today is meant to be a setup where the women step up tomorrow to save Mark.

Mark Trail’s Slang Seminar: “Heckin’ fast” seems to be a popular phrase on social media among the younger set, and it means what you probably think it means. Of course, it might be obsolete by the time you read this. Still, the term is more specific than “6 7.” Now you can start using it, too, and risk sounding like a heckin’ skibidi toilet trying to be utd.

Who needs camo when you’re hunting in the open?

Posted on by | 3 Comments

I reckon that we won’t learn any more about that clothing deal between Peach Pitt and Holly Folly for another two weeks. Instead, we’re back on site, somewhere in the vicinity of San Antonio, Texas, as Mark tags along with the Hog-Hunting Heroines, led by Tess Tigress.

But first, shall we give a round of thanks to Jules Rivera and her narration box for explaining the action in panel 1? Ummm, probably not.

It looks like Rivera thought it was important to save us from having to see the destruction of an invasive wild pig (or whatever happened afterwards) and rushed us to the next hunting location. Or maybe the comics syndicate put its editorial foot down.

The group is now at some place with a picnic table. Hey, maybe they are going to do some hunting at a local park!

But, what’s this? Tess Tigress, professing no knowledge of her past experience—at least with regard to Mark—had been all smiles, engaging, and friendly. Suddenly, her other side has bubbled up to the surface and issued a dire warning to Mark. But what is this “getting paid” threat about? Bill Ellis sent Mark on assignment for Teen Girl Sparkle. They would be the ones paying Mark. Perhaps the comment was meant to just inflate the significance of the threat.

The Week in Review and the Sunday Nature Chat

Posted on by | 2 Comments

During the week prior to this, we watched as Mark Trail arrived at the home of Tess Tigress (who does not remember Mark Trail at all) to conduct an interview with her and then go along on a wild hog hunt with her Hog Hunting Heroines. But he was continually distracted, first by the size of Tess’s house (because her new husband, Jess, is a millionaire); then by their heartwarming story of how the couple met, fell in love, and went hunting together, for ever after; then by Jess’s large collection of mounted trophy heads. Finally, Mark suited up for an afternoon of hog hunting. He did not bring a weapon.

And in this past week, Mark and Tess arrived on location to meet the other two women in the hunting club. Mark got the chance to question each of the women about how they got into hunting and how they formed their group. There was an understandable similarity of motivation: an unfortunate encounter, requiring the women to take action, especially as the husbands were either away or incapacitated.

This week ended with the group hearing rough sounds in the bushes that (surprise!) turned out to be a wild hog appearing in a clearing. Rivera’s narration box boasted of a “hog-hunting hootenanny!” in the past panel, as the group turned to face a single razorback. Will the women flip a coin or will all join in?

This is at least the second time that Jules Rivera has dedicated a Sunday page to the exploding whale incident. The last time was July 9, 2023. You can find it in my archives. Maybe Rivera forgot about it last  year? Or she has decided to make it an annual event. In any event, today’s strip fortuitously appears on the same date it occurred in 1970. I have to admit, this version is better illustrated and explained then Rivera’s 2023 account.

If you view my July 9 post, check out the comments. Daniel Pellissier conveniently included a YouTube link of a contemporary local news story on the whale detonation!

Why, Mark Trail…How young you look! What’s your secret?

Posted on by | 4 Comments

So, what is Mark’s secret of youth? I gather it’s shaving.

I wonder how disappointed or even angry Cherry will be when she learns that she didn’t really have to shoot any animals, after all. Except maybe with a camera. Anyway, here we go with another round of disconnected dialogs. I also think Jules Rivera really needs to practice more with her narration boxes: “Hog-Hunting Hootenanny”!? Talk about an alliterative non-sequitur…. Rivera could at least have brought the phrase into the 1960s with “Hog-Hunting Hullaballoo!” Or, if she is looking at cute alliterative phrases that more sense, how about “It’s Hog-Hunting Harvest!”, “It’s Hog-Hunting Heaven!”, or even “It’s a Hog-Hunting Halidom!”

Being Saturday, we once again come to the issue of whether we get back to a week of Cherry and Holly Folly, or continue following Mark and the Three Fates. On the other hand, does it matter?

Transformers: Going hog-wild!

Posted on by

Okay, the message is fine. It fits into the format and purpose of the strip. But Trichinosis is only one of the dangers these wild pigs can spread. To be clear, I’m repeating and summarizing information I found on reputable medical and nature/animal websites. But don’t my word, alone. Look it up.

There are over 30 infectious diseases and even more parasites linked to these wild hogs. On the other hand, trichinosis can come from any uncooked or undercooked pork, even the chops you buy at the supermarket, though they have a very low risk these days. While a kid, my mother was always concerned when she cooked pork chops, so she always overcooked them, out of caution. Maybe that was why “smothered pork chops” were so common.

Pig farmers are more concerned that the razorbacks may reintroduce swine flu. There is no upside here, so I don’t discount the concern and anger Rivera expresses through these women. But Tess is not exactly blazing a new trail, as she seems to suggest (panel 2). Wild hogs have been hunted for many decades.

Art Dept. This is a day for odd faces: At first look, Mark’s head in panel 1 resembles somebody who had a serious accident. Looking more closely, it appears to be just a slip of the pen. But it’s more interesting to see the transformation of Tess from a “beauty pageant” looking redhead in panel 1 to an angry wild hog vigilante in panel 3 (yes, I know Shania is the one with the actual pageant experience. Still…). Even the shape of Tess’s head changes from a rectangle with a soft v-shaped chin and mounds of red hair framing the face like some kind of hood, to a squared-off, determined face with a hard, flat chin. I wonder if Tess uses a cartoon stunt double for her “vengeful hunter” close-up images. We’ve seen this vision of Tess Tigress’s personality before, and I’m content to remain on this side of the strip, thank you!

The Origins Story you were waiting for!

Posted on by

Oh, I do like the way Rivera has Tess’s narration of her “hog hunting origin” implanted on her past self in panel 3. An improvement over the ubiquitous narration box. Rivera has used different visual schema in the past to illustrate character recollections, but this is a new one. I’ve seen this device used elsewhere, but memory fails me. Anybody have an idea?

So it seems all three of the hunters “did what they had to do” to earn their stripes. And overcoming adversity has brought them together. Well, is this it, then? Mark has learned who they are, how they formed, and what they do. Is there anything else or is it time to head back to Lost Forest?

There is the actual hunt, of course. And something has to happen soon, or the story will end just after it gets going. I’m thinking (not guessing, mind you) that during the hunt something dangerous will happen, requiring a concerted effort to save or salvage the situation. Here, things can get a bit dicey, owing to the social complications implicit in this story: Man Saves Women? Women Save Man? All get saved by somebody else? Any choice you select will be rife with social expectations, stereotypes, and integrity issues. Perhaps there will be a situation in which all four characters have to work together as a team to save the day. Sounds dull. But first, we’ll first have to see how this week winds up.

How Shania’s near-death experience led her to the HHH!

Posted on by | 1 Comment

Hoo-boy. And I thought Reba’s story was goofy. A wild pig just happened to run through a plate glass window (presumably) into her house, huh? Well, it obviously could not have smashed through a brick wall, much less the wall of a standard timber-framed house with modern siding. Maybe it came in through an opened attached garage and smashed through one of those cheap hollow-core doors you can buy at the Big Box stores.

So, Princess Shania grabbed a rifle off the gun wall (which must have already been loaded) and the result was smoked ribs for the rest of the month and paying for a professional cleaning job. After that, Shania must have filled out a club application, included the requisite photos and yearly dues, and the rest is herstory.

For the record, I’m not anti-feminist. Nor anti-female. I’m no incel. Far from it! This is all Rivera’s story; and I’m just a reactor. I think anybody can be a hunter if they want. No machismo or beards required.

And for the record, feral hogs are a real problem across the southern United States, and heavily populated throughout Texas. So I’m hoping Rivera will spend some of this story to point out the real problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PfBiLzP0V4

Art Dept. The more I look at Shania’s face in panel 1, the more I get creeped out. It just looks like somebody pressed it flat with a large, hot iron. Even the jaw line doesn’t make sense. Just creepy! On the other hand, the rifles on the wall certainly look more like actual rifles than what Reba was holding yesterday. And so does the one Shania is holding.

The Reba Interview you didn’t expect to see!

Posted on by | 2 Comments

Mark jumps right in with his next interview. I’m not sure what difference it would have made if Reba couldn’t “shoot right”, by which I wonder if she meant “shoot straight”?  Apparently, Reba has trouble with chronology and transitions, since panel 3 looks like there should be one or more panels between it and panel 2. So, fine. Reba was motivated by feral hogs beating up her fields. And I see the pseudo-patriotic parody going on here: “I’m gonna blast those commie hogs to kingdom come!”

What I don’t get is the rifle she is holding. What the heck is that thing!?

I’m not conversant on the many styles of firearms available, but I’m fairly certain none of them look like what Reba is holding in panel 4. That looks like something somebody might draw without having an actual rifle or photos of an actual rifle on hand. But tell me if I’m wrong, people. Please correct my ignorance. Is Rivera just being lazy or am I more ignorant that I think?

Mark meets the Hog-Hunting Heroines

Posted on by

Well, aren’t they just the cutest hunting trio!? Today’s strip looks like it was expressly made for snarking. In spite of that, the story is moving along a bit. It seems that Tess’s two hunting partners are named after famous country singers. Might that mean something? I don’t know. Both actual country stars have had controversial, successful careers. Both are very popular and involved in philanthropic activities. Like their real-life namesakes, these two hunters also share similar hair colors. Fine. So what? Maybe Rivera just likes their names. But all of this shlock Rivera has put in in seems like an echo of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Maybe she watched that TV show back in the 1980s. Mine did!

The quip, “The higher the hair the closer to heaven” is a paraphrase of “The higher the hair the closer to God”, popular back in the 1960s when stacked hairstyles were popular. Dolly Parton apparently used the quote when questioned about her stacked hair styles. The phrase seems to have made a comeback in various social circles these days, though sometimes in a humorous manner. What really lies behind the quips of these two women (panel 2), if anything, remains to be seen. So, we’ll wait and see.

Props. Glad to see that Rivera has equipped Mark with a camera, since he is supposed to be a photo-journalist.  He has carried a camera before, but it is curiously uncommon. Maybe it was a long-running joke in the pre-Rivera days, as well. On the other hand, I see no rifle or shotgun with him.

The Mark v. Tess Interview, Part 6

Posted on by

Dang! Another swing and a miss for me. So what was Mark looking at on that wall that we could not see? That seemed to be the point of the last panel in yesterday’s strip: That is, setting us up for the big reveal today. I reckon I was wrong about Gemma’s head having pride of place on the hidden wall. Otherwise, I think it would have been more effective for Rivera to show Mark turned around, starting at the walls we could see.  Am I wrong?

Anyway, I can’t believe Mark would have been so gobsmacked yesterday by what appears to be a typical (if bountiful) hunter’s trophy room. After all, Mark has his own past history of hunting. I think it is safe to say that Rivera is not a hunter, so a trophy room is sure to shock.

Anyway, Rivera jumped us back outside, where Mark grabbed his camo jacket—presumably from his car—and then walked some 10 yards away to show to Tess and Jess, standing back by the car! Sometimes I don’t get Rivera’s reasoning for her layouts. 

Art Dept. I’m trying my best to mentally square Mark’s forearm with his torso. But I can’t.  At the angle shown, his total arm length would likely extend down at least to his kneecaps. Talk about knuckle-dragging. I’m not sure if Rivera bothered to draw the complete arm when roughing in the panel, or whether she just draws each body part separately, which could lead to this distorted look.

The Mark v. Tess Interview, Part 5

Posted on by

Speaking of yesterday, I reckon my subtle, if possibly lame, pun shot right over your heads, as Rivera’s did mine. There don’t appear to be any puns today, thank goodness. Paronomasia aside, we are witnessing Mark getting the treatment again, being steered away from his interview in order to admire a room of mounted animal heads. Looks like we also missed details of the wedding, so it’s not all bad.

I’m guessing that Mark is taken aback in panel 3 by a wall containing something more unusual. It probably isn’t mounted boar heads, as there are one or two on the wall behind Mark. Hmmm … Ah-ha! I think I’ve got it! I bet you do, as well. If I’m right, I also won’t be able to forget this (that’s a hint). After all, I meant what I said and I said what I meant….

The Mark v. Tess Interview, Part 4

Posted on by | 1 Comment

“Why the long face, Mark!?” Looks like his jaw got pulled away from his head. I suppose if there was an award for “Bad Acting in a Comic Strip”, today’s entry would be one of the finalists. And maybe also a runner-up for “Most Egregious Padding in a Story.” It’s like one of those terrible infomercials that never seems to quit. And today’s strip lends more support to the theory that Tess is the one running this game.

Nevertheless, we learned one or two things today, namely that Jess is a lonely millionaire, which also explains the outrageous “hunting cabin.” I’m just a slow kid from Virginia, so I’m also glad Rivera put that explanatory text in panel 4, because Tess’s pun shot right over my head.

Will Mark ever get to the real point of the interview, the wild pig hunting group, or will this entire week be devoted to Jess & Tess’s lovey-dovey matrimony? I wonder whether we will have to endure two more days describing their wedding. I can see a celebration as they exit the church to the accompaniment of a 21-shotgun salute by Jess’s fellow hunters, all dressed in formal duck hunter livery. Well, I have to admit that it would certainly be an interesting panel to see!

The Mark v. Tess Interview, Part 3

Posted on by

Jess’s conversation gambit apparently worked. Instead of interviewing Tess about her hog-hunting group, as Mark was assigned to do, he is being led down an irrelevant side road of matrimonial kismet. I suppose there is some justifiable curiosity in knowing about their first meeting. In another context, we might suspect Mark is deliberately playing the role of a gullible and inexperienced reporter in order to disarm Jess and Tess to reveal more than they intended. But so far, we’ve seen no support for that idea. Yeah, I must be projecting, once again.

Okay, I hear what (some of) you are thinking: “Hey, George, you big dummy! Maybe it is Jess that was conned by Tess; not the other way around. Her amnesia is just part of her con so he wouldn’t ask too many questions about her background. She needed a place to hide out and a meal ticket.”

The Mark v. Tess Interview, Part 2

Posted on by | 2 Comments

First of all, why is Mark wearing a fur-lined jacket when Jess and Tess are just in shirts? Sure, Mark’s been wearing this jacket the whole time he’s been in San Antonio, but there were no indications of the temperature until this week. It’s probably a small point, but I still find it curious why Jules Rivera would bother. Even in October, the average high is 82; the average low is 59. Maybe Mark has that stupid expression on his face in panel 1 because he’s trying to not look like he’s sweating.

Otherwise, the dialog is unsettling, from Mark’s patronizing instructions in panel 1 to the curious comment by Rivera in panel 4. However, one point that I think bears mentioning here—and I think this is genuinely plot-worthy—is the look of worry on Jess’s face in panel 2, followed up by his attempt to take over the conversation in panel 3. His deer-in-the-headlights expression in that panel suggests he really doesn’t want Mark to ask just anything.

Nature note: Is the animal in the tree supposed to be a red fox? It is not native to Texas, but is found mostly in other parts of the state. The gray fox is more common to Texas. The red fox is not really a tree climber like the gray fox is, so the sources say.

And so begins the Mark v. Tess Interview

Posted on by | 2 Comments

First off, I have no idea what Rivera’s comment means in panel 4. As far as I can tell, it’s a non-sequitur.

And as expected, we jumped from Lost Forest to San Antonio, Texas where Mark is on his latest assignment. Mark—nowadays comfortable with brandishing his working relationship with Teen Girl Sparkle—is interviewing the notorious Tess Tigress, who apparently no longer recalls Mark Trail. This is an interesting plot twist which gives us the chance to wonder if she suffered a traumatic injury from Gemma, the rampaging runaway elephant; had her mind altered for some unknown reason by her husband, Jess; or maybe faked her amnesia to mislead Mark for some nefarious purpose.

Once again, Mark conducts an interview from a picnic table. He has done this in prior adventures. Can you think of any? I found two. “Big deal“, I hear you sneer. Okay, you try coming up with different things to talk about after 4 years!

I suppose picnic tables can be convenient and informal. Maybe Rivera just likes drawing picnic tables. And she did a good job of it, too. But why wouldn’t they do the interview inside Tess’s home? They would find more comfortable seating and better access to refreshments, facilities, etc.  As Rivera might state in a narration box: Good Question!

Art Dept. I recommend not zooming in on today’s art. Just take it for what you see. . . . . . . oh, you did it, anyway, did you? Don’t blame me for whatever happens to you.