Snark It Up, FuzzBall!

The best part of Mark Trail is the Sunday strips (yeah, I probably *could* live without Rusty and poachers and stuff like that) — I grew up only with the Sunday strips, and they and Wild Kingdom were the two gateways to the animal kingdom (none of this Nature and Discovery channels, although there was an occasional National Geographic Special tossed into the mix).

And while animals are cool, some animals transcend cool.  Mark hits the nail on the head (or the cephalopodon the beak) with today’s…the Mighty Squid!

Of course, Mark can occasionally get sidetracked.

A valuable lesson for today’s kids:

Oh, and don’t forget to ENJOY NATURE!

A new Rusty Trail shot! How exciting!

Possibly even too exciting…Mark explains:

Did someone say “Early Christmas“?!?  You bet!  The 18 November strip — no talk, all action!  Mark goes after the gator with a tree branch and Bob the Reformed Poacher saves Sassy!

YOW!!

Of course, I simply cannot leave well enough alone…

Everyone disses Rusty Trail.  His ears. His gap-toothed smile.  His wide, guileless eyes.  His boundless, goofy, “gee whiz!” energy.  His naming his puppy “Sassy.”

Maybe it’s a good thing that he lives a rather isolated life in Lost Forest — after all, where would he fit in?

Mostly to capitalize on yet another classic Rusty panel, but also to throw the little scamp a bone, Rusty discovers his life ambition at an early age:

And if the Great Pumpkin grants wishes, maybe he’ll bring Rex and June back!

Theory 1:  With all the bedside manner being administered to Det. Scott by Drs. Jeff and Adrian, Mary’s a little at loose ends — it’s the end of October, a little late for a pool party, a little early  for Yuletide meddling (heavens! never before Thanksgiving!).  What’s a biddy to do?

Theory 2:  In spite of gator poaching going on all around them, Mark and Rusty are going to spend an uneventfuly final night in Lost Swamp, and Mark’s mighty fists will go unpunched. What’s a champion of justice to do?

Theory 3:  Cue the cute little dog!

What a difference a space makes! Then again, maybe next time Mark and Cherry adopt, it’ll be a puppy or a kitten rather than a space alien little boy like Rusty.

I figured that some of those very spiffy tigers drawings from “Big Top Tracy” needed to show up in a place where spiffy wildlife drawing are appreciated…

Yeah, Dick Tracy and FBI Agent Ennen are still going to be eaten by a tiger.  It’s a shame about that already-occupied trapeze…

Then again, it always could be worse: