Blood from a turnip

A hat trick of silent penultimate panel activity today:

Adam@Home by Brian Basset
Hagar the Horrible by Chris Browne
Monty by Jim Meddick

Between Red and Rover and Adam@Home, Brian Bassett is becoming a steady contributor here. Hagar the Horrible makes his first appearance here. And, like Garfield's paucity on the watch, it probably has more to do with my avoiding Hagar than true SPP discipline on Chris Browne's part. Monty makes his usual weekly appearance.

Once again, Pearls Before Swine avoids the watch. The "reveal" in the second panel is essential to the gag.


And in response to my comments about yesterday's Overboard, Elza K wrote: "You don't think the fact that in panel 1 the captain tells Louie to "stare real hard at the charcoal" makes it clear that the dog is staring at the charcoal in panels 3 and 4?

And yes, that's true, the dialog does describe what is going on. But it is supposed to be a visual gag, and a good visual gag should work visually. And, further, the action is separated from that verbal description by a "Mark Trail pullback" panel. The gag just doesn't quite work. It's not an incomprehensible strip, it is just very clumsy. Maybe I am being nit-picky, but, damn it, I demand excellence, and I shall not rest.