Thoughts on today’s comic:
- Rick Bozich may in fact be evil. Why? Giant black collar on his jacket and evil arching eyebrows, that’s why!
- Does Frank McLaughlin actually reference his previous panels when drawing characters? So far, 4 panels of Helen and Rick, 4 completely different pairs of people.
- Interesting tidbit from the nickname article: Folks like to call Coach Kaz “That giant weird freak with the pearl earrings”…just not to his face.
- The hidden identity of the two people being called in from the cold is a very fascinating cliffhanger, don’t ya think? The only mystery I want solved is how is the person on the left holding that basketball up? Does it have a handle?
And now onto the more interesting item of the day, the follow-up article on the real Rick Bozich, in today’s Louisville, Kentucky Courier-Journal, which you can read here. Go ahead, I’ll wait for you. (And thanks to Ennui, Willie Keeler for the quick scoop on this link…)
Back already? Pretty interesting story for overly obsessed Gil Thorp freaks like us…
“Rubin said he encountered a Bozich column a few years ago while surfing the Internet.”
I really don’t think I’d have to worry about my name ever showing up in the comic, but if it did, I suppose I would deservedly end up as an opposing team’s ridiculous mascot (the New Thayer Gorilla perhaps?) I’m just glad that if Neil Rubin has discovered this blog, he has graciously turned a blind eye to it, rather than freaking out and threatening to sue, like that stupid lady who writes “Dinette Set” did to the dedicated comic blog about her crappy comic. (Then again that comic is just a hideous, unamusing train wreck.) Thanks for letting us overanalyze your work, Neil!
“Rubin often uses the names of real people in the strip, which appears in about 50 newspapers.”
Only 50 papers, eh? This is a shame! The legend of Gil must be spread…request they run “Gil Thorp” in your home paper, folks! It’s worth it, if only to confuse the hell out of the editors.
“He’s either a junior or a senior, and he plays soccer. He might wind up playing baseball. … If I wind up liking the character, I can bring him back next year. I can have him kick a 70-yard field goal.”
Milford has a soccer team?
Man, I wish my school had all-wireless computer keyboards…
Comment by CounterHegemony — December 19, 2006 @ 4:04 pm
The single weirdest thing about today’s strip is that hideous collar around Rick Bozich’s neck. I think it’s the bottom part of the Man in the Iron Mask’s Iron Mask. (Yesterday, Helen leaped from one side of Rick to the other between panels; today, she changed clothes — a dark T-shirt kind of thing in panel one, and a bulky white wrap in panel two.
And we’re right on pace for a new season: introducing at least four new characters in three days. Soon to be involved in at least six different storylines, patched together for your befuddlement over the course of the winter. (I do like the off-balance basketball foreshadowing the new sports season.) Happy reading, folks!
Comment by johnw — December 19, 2006 @ 4:37 pm
I’m guessing that the pair in the last panel are actually Stormy and Liz.
Comment by Mac — December 19, 2006 @ 5:16 pm
That’s what I thought, mac.
Gil Thorp also made the news in this pro-Matt Millen column for depicting a fan with a Fire Millen sign. I should sign up for Google News alerts on the guy, but I’m too lazy.
Comment by Ennui, Willie Keeler — December 19, 2006 @ 5:54 pm
Helen is wearing her coat in panel 2. Rick is putting it on her in panel 1.
Comment by Rob — December 19, 2006 @ 6:50 pm
Rick’s collar looks like it belongs on a band uniform; maybe he’s a tuba player in the Milford Marching Mugwumps. He’s got the body for it.
Comment by JanB — December 20, 2006 @ 6:12 am
I’m pretty sure that Rick and Liz are the same two people in the random amusing panel o’ the moment, after a haircut and a sex change.
Comment by luke — December 20, 2006 @ 9:45 am
Rob (comment #5): You’re right and I was wrong. That is indeed Helen’s coat in panel two — an instance of narrative cohesion, not a mistake. Nice to know that Rick is not only a journalist, but a gentleman of the old school.
Comment by johnw — December 20, 2006 @ 10:14 am
[...] in glorious techni-color! (Perhaps this has something to do with it also being the home paper of the real Rick Bozich. Or perhaps not.) Faithful reader Gil’s Barber, with thankfully too much time on her hands, [...]
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