Mary goes to bat for Dr. Drew (Manwhore!), as she took Liza McStalker, R.N., out for coffee (probably on her own dime, too!) and explored Liza’s deep-seated dissatisfaction with her current career. She successfully guided Liza to new options and opportunities after this three-week hour-long tete-a-tete, and Liza is now a thing of the past. Considering that Mary’s been conspicuously absent from several of the most recent story-lines here, I’m beginning to think that the old dear is feeling her age and slowing down — her coming to Drew’s rescue was a thoughtful and caring gesture, as she rallied herself with one of her favorite platitudes: “Kindness is my religion.”
You’d think Drew would be happy.
Nope. Now he’s complaining to Mary (She Who Rescued Him from the Horrors of Cutesy Text-Messaging) that he can’t understand how Liza moved on — from him!
Oh, STFU, Drew. I hope you get a salmonella-smeared salmon square…
When I first found Edge City, I thought it might have potential: a family comic, with the twist that the family is Jewish. Huh. It might have some interesting cultural insight amidst the humor.
Color me wrong. The Jewishness creeps in to pretty much annoy the family members (“Oh, God. Mom is making gefiltah fish from scratch — it’s a nuisance and no one likes it anyway.” “We’re going on a cruise with all those wonderful buffets, and it’s during Passover, and we can’t eat the breads and pastries!”). Cripes, people, be the Reform Jews you are (I guess they are — there’s no evidence of much orthodox ritual otherwise), or stop the kvetching.
Along with the being-Jewish-is-a-pain-in-the-tuchus aspect is some atrocious drawing. I’m not the only one who’s compared Mom’s lips to a blob of Silly Putty, and since I don’t know the names of the characters, I’ll leave it to the Life of Brian School of Onomastics to refer to them as Mr. and Mrs. Big Nose.
And now, Mr. Big Nose has allergies or sinus problems or a small elephant up his nose, and he’s been annoying and/or frightening those around him for the past week. When the “fun” in this “funnies” is based on an as yet untapped bodily secretion — phlegm — it’s time to deep-six the strip. But not before we make some use of Mr. Big Nose — thanks heavens it’s Hospital Week in some of our favorite serials!
Okay, so Drew’s a young’un compared to some of the docs we know — Rex is an old hand with problem patients:
Rex seems a bit distracted…
…or even a little perturbed…
Maybe it’s time to get that bass fishing boat and/or sailboat down to the bay for some Hydrotherapy. What do you think, Rex?
Diagnosis: The Summer Grumpies.
Prognosis: Excellent, if treated with a healthy dose of Fun and Shenanigans!
It’s the 4th of July, and usually we’re treated to the Keane Kids doing something inane for the holidays. They’re doing it (putting up the “decorations of independence”), and there’s a smattering of strips featuring fireworks and such.
And they there’s Zits, which decides to focus on bodily functions as its holiday treat. Yeah, like a strip featuring a lazy teenage boy and a dad who looks like he’s two or three pen-strokes from transforming into a Plugger man-bear, didn’t already cross this bridge without having to illustrate its point with whoopie cushions.
Ick.
And here I thought I’d never have a use for whoopie cushions in a mashup. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, folks! Have a happy and safe one!
Here I thought that a single heart-to-heart at the Diner that caused a Major Career Shift for Liza McStalker, R.N., was really only a way to end a pretty boring story. Or if not that, it served to clear the way for a hot-damn, whiz-bang Charterstone Independence Day Pool Party, splashed colorfully across the many panels of the Sunday Mary Worth.
I mean, Mary has been spouting platitudes and advice for the entire week (yes, over one freakin’ cup of coffee)…don’t we deserve a break?
Imagine my disappointment upon opening the Sunday comics and seeing Mary talking to Liza EVEN MORE!!!
‘Eff me.
So, this is for me, and for CC’s bourbon babe, unbuckled, and all the little CCers who were oh-so-patient, only to have our collective hopes dashed:
EXHIBIT A:
Lu Ann Powers (blonde resident of Apartment 3-G) shares a birthday with another famous favorite beloved comic strip character! Lord only knows who’s more honored and/or horrified…
And if it isn’t bad enough that we have to stare at Lu Ann’s vacant visage, in addition to Ziggy’s sweet, sweet ghastly one, the Comics Curmudgeon’s faithful commenter Red Greenback revisits the Linski estate for more confectionary horror (Go, Red! Go!):
And definitely NOT saving the best for last…
…for inane Rex Morgan dialog (coming primarily from Rex), but how about this turn of events? Rex, in a hospital! Discussing surgical procedures with a patient?
Will the madness never end?
