Really!? Is this phony bear plot twist the best Rivera could come up with? And why would these three stop for snacks (and maybe gas)!? They’re not driving to New Orleans! If we must have an abduction attempt, Rivera could at least make it more plausible. You know, like having Mark need to stop at a pharmacy to pick up some camera film because he never upgraded to digital. Then discover that he left his camera at home.

As for the phony bear, Rivera should know that Florida only has black bears, not brown bears.  Shouldn’t Skeeter and Rita know this, as well? Or the Whether Men? Rita and Skeeter should also know that bears don’t act like monsters in a 1950s horror movie.

I suppose this would be a good time for Mark to make good on his Two Fists O’ Justice boast …

… however, this could also be a classic diversion: If Mark moves to take on the phony bear, the rest of the gang jumps into the truck and steals away. Best choice: Let Skeeter and Rita take care of the “bear”.

Finally, a belated thumbs up to reader Downpuppy for making me aware of the Harry Potter source for the names of these two characters. I just plumb missed the connection, having seen the movies years ago, but without reading the books. And I’ve never been good with proper names.

(January 2, 2025) Military commanders like to say that a plan never survives contact with the enemy. However, you need to have a plan in the first place, right? With all of the time that has passed between Mark learning about the assignment and right now, I would have thought the Storm Brain NPO could have put something together by now. Anything!

And just what the heck is going on in panel 1? Is this another instance of dialog balloons getting mismatched, intentionally or accidentally? As even a blockhead like me knows, “I’m glad you called me” is Mark’s line. And that “brilliant” analysis that transit is the best time for grabbing Max could have come from non-other than the impulsive Skeeter. Of course, he is wrong. The best time to grab Max is now, while they are standing around plotting strategy. And the Whether Men won’t just grab Max; they will grab the truck with Max in it.

It’s really hard to not laugh at the sheer naivety of these people, acting like little kids participating in their first school football game. This storyline and dialog force me to consider whether Rivera is once again mocking her readers or maybe her syndicate. I’m not criticizing the basic story idea—which is just fine— but the way it’s being developed.

So, am I wrong (again)? Is my analysis off, or is there anything else on your mind?

I reckon we might want to gear up for an Armadillo Sunday. And it’s nice that Mark was able to tear himself away from his family chit-chat long enough to get to the emergency situation he was sent down here for. I’m glad to see I was wrong about the stalling continuing. Rivera actually is moving the story along!

You’re not supposed to judge books by their covers, conventional wisdom says. We shouldn’t prejudge these hipsters employed by the Manatee Transportation Company as if they are anything like those laughably bad “hippie” portrayals that were a common staple in the old Dragnet TV show. Still, are these two people marine biologists or veterinarians? If not, where are the scientists? There are two more days this week where Rivera can introduce some support staff. But then again, if we insisted upon strict realism and proper protocols, where would the fun be? Mark is in the Land of Lunatics, Scammers, and Oddballs, so let the weird begin!

To get this out of the way, today is just rubbish in terms of story development. Mark inexplicably thanks Cherry again for the ride then immediately jumps into how wonderful a guy he is. A “guardian” he calls himself? What qualifies him as a guardian of a manatee when there are scores of professional marine biologists at hand? Maybe he means “bodyguard.”

Mark seems to have an overstated sense of self-worth and importance. I’m not sure where the narcissism comes from, since we have not seen much of this behavior in the past. What is Rivera’s motive here? Maybe, just maybe, Mark is being portrayed as sarcastic, but we’ll need to see some evidence for that interpretation. But this is the kind of annoying boasting that leads to embarrassment and failure. In fact, this is generally how Honest Ernest is portrayed.

Art Dept. Today’s drawing is nowhere near as sad as yesterday’s. With the exception of the mirror and door handle, panel 1 is actually well composed and drawn. The angle of the truck and proximity of the interior is close enough to easily see Mark and Cherry while still leaving room for dialog. It helps that panel 1 is a double-wide. Panel 3, however, is another story. Both figures are way too small in scale for the truck. In fact, Cherry looks really bulimic.

Another twist in the story:  A conspiracy theory that meteorology is evil. Sure, why not? There are plenty of real world, goofy—that is to say, paranoid and stupid—claims about government controlling the weather. Real meteorologists get harassed and receive death threats. And what does a business that moves manatees have to do with meteorology, anyway? Sometimes I wonder if the Middle Ages really ever ended.

I’m sure if scientists could figure out a way to mitigate weather and climate extremes, we’d all benefit. The idea that government wants to make weather worse is just plain moronic, especially since government resources (including taxpayer dollars) have to be used to assess and fix the damage. Nope! Government prefers to spend our money on more dependable projects, such as the Military, congressional pork barrels, and energy industry subsidies.

But Mark is correct:  Florida is one of the Capitals of Crazy. Still, what the heck is Mark’s role in this incident? He is not in law enforcement, not a trained bodyguard, and not a private detective. So, I’m quite anxious to see just what he will do when he gets to the scene of the slime.