Snark It Up, FuzzBall!

Okay. I loathe Mark Trail 2.0. I dislike the drawing, the plots, the “oh I’m so woke and clever” crap that drips from the drawer (I won’t go so far to call her an illustrator or an artist). The Sunday strips are the only ones I’ll read, and it’s usually fast and done-with.
But then…here’s one that screams for snark. And I’ll deliver it.

Mark and Rusty are back in Lost Forest. Who cares?

…when one of the Readers of the Comics Curmudgeon ask, “Wouldn’t it be nice (no, it wouldn’t) if the Jules ball (from the new abortion that is Mark Trail) rolled into Mary Worth and livened things up?” I don’t know if it’d liven things up, but I’m willing to give it a try.

And sort of a trip back to the ’70s, when Mary came to Santa Royale to manage Charterstone, and was apprised of all the “don’t”s of the place…like no pets, no children, and I suspect no one that failed the WASPy look, either…

…I’m over 60! I like well-drawn comics! And semblances of plot! So sue me!

And when all this standing around jawin’ was a little too boring:

The lack of…anything…in Mark 2.0 astonishes me. I can’t believe that t reputable comics syndicate would give this franchise to a person with minimalist drawing abilities and less creativity.. There are good reasons that middling cartoonists stay online, year after year.
The addition of an occasional “Talking” animal is just stupid. There. I’ve said it.

Hey, it’s the real Mark Trail (of course, it sucks that he’s a ghost or something)…

Something’s happening in Mark Trail. Hell if I know what it is.

I don’t think I ever snarked on Kelly Welly, but she certainly is a likely candidate. NuMark is troubled about a possible upcoming assignment, and like a cheap floozy, guess who shows up! (Then again, NuMark has no problem dealing with an old acquaintance.)

Many readers like the NuMark strip, and how he has “evolved.” I think he’s little better than ClassicMark (at least in my mind).

UH OH!

…and he’s already getting drawn into something nefarious and illegal. Or maybe not. Who cares? Mark doesn’t, apparently.

Evidently, magazine editor Amy has “the attention span of an infant…five seconds” (thanks to Mr. Leonard, my seventh-grade math teacher).

And, thank Heavens, even Mark 2.0 has a tipping point (I can’t wait until the punching begins)…

…I thought I could hold off on snarking the new MT (aka, “Marque Nuevo”) for at least a week, but Bill Ellis STARTED IT FIRST, asking Mark about his face. Didn’t your mama teach you any manners, Bill?

The Sunday MT is still in Jack Elrod reruns (YAY!), featuring a chipmunk preparing for winter. Sharp-eyed John Long saw Chippie stashing its very own Jack Elrod ball and I noticed that the clever little guy had acquired a rare James Allen ball, too!

Woods ‘n’ Wildlife purchased by the megacorporation?!?? What’s next? Conde Nast taking over the rest of the magazines on earth?

…or something like that. I’m trying not to pass judgment on it in the first week. If I do, well, aren’t you special?

There’s all sorts of opiniones flying — good, bad, and indifferent. But, hey! Here’s a panel I can work with!

Oh, the tension mounts at the conservation awards…and Mark didn’t even go! at least he didn’t have to rent a tux, or whatever Bill’s wearing.

Golly! Mark won! Who Would’ve thought it?!??

Oh, the excitement is almost too much!

That’s it…beg a little more, Big Boss…

It’s not like Mark and Co. are riding into the sunset…it just feels that way…

…Andy was attacked by wild dogs and is in bad shape (oh no!), and Mark’s boss(es) want him to fly to the Big city to accept an award (double oh no!). Cherry will take case of things, though…

Maybe this is an awkward but exciting segue into the new Mark Trail, though! This will feature a new writer and artist….and a lady, too! New things are coming for sure…I mostly worry that we’ll lose the glorious (and educational) Sunday strips, so I’d better make hay while the sun shines!!

It’s a bright, sunny, autumn morning, and it’s time to check on Andy’s status…

Victory and Band-Aids are ours!

A number of readers continued to fret over the presence of Tabby and Sassy…where were they? were they still alive? were they ever in the strip to begin with? Well, here they are, happy and content to share Rusty’s kennel with Rusty!

But what about the awards ceremony? It’s on television, and I’ll bet it’s in COLOR!