Day 4 of our descent into new madness
I seriously had a brain fart and while staring at this comic, I could not for the life of me remember the name “Maureen Monte”…instead all I could come up with was “Margo Magee.” Wonder where I got that from? And I wonder why I feel like this comic suddenly takes place in a cafe in New York rather than a school in podunk, middle America? And why all the female characters look the same except for their hair? And why everybody is 40 years old and wearing raincoats with obscenely large collars? And why, despite dialogue that implies the expression of a wide range of emotions, from friendliness to super-bitchy sarcasm, the students’ faces keep the same dull, vapid look while saying everything?
Oh that’s right…because Frank 2.0 is probably just recycling artwork from his other comic. However, I refuse to read Apartment 3G every day just to check these things. My life is painful enough as it is.
I do enjoy the few Thorpian standbys that may offer us hope: Curley-Horse still has that stupid spit-curl. There are random heads shoved in the background of every panel. And the freaky disembodied hand in panel two, waggling about while somehow holding a very skinny glass in what appears to be an impossible position (unless it’s an orangutan hand) has piqued my interest, if only ever so slightly. Good thing the story is so dull right now I don’t have to talk about it, ’cause all this complaining about the artwork is tiring.
Who’s the old biddy in all 3 panels? Maureen’s mom? She looks at least 15 years older than everyone else, who all in turn look at least 15 years older than high school kids. Awesome.
Comment by Cash — February 21, 2008 @ 11:36 am
And I wonder why I feel like this comic suddenly takes place in a cafe in New York rather than a school in podunk, middle America?
By God … A3G has ruined your perception of what New York looks like. (And strangely, it’s ruined mine, too.)
Comment by El Santo — February 21, 2008 @ 11:40 am
So who’s the relatively young (maybe late 20s or early 30s) woman with Maureen’s mom and Anne? Could that be intrepid reporter/Romulan Helen Marzano? If so, too bad for her, because she’s morphed into an impish boy in panel 3. She was one of the few female characters that Frank never drew as a dude, but her streak is over now.
Comment by Cash — February 21, 2008 @ 11:45 am
Today I finally put my finger on what I don’t like about the new Frank. The whole comic is too light-looking. Say what you will about old Frank, but he was great at shading and the comic had a “solid” look. With the new Frank everything seems barely sketched in, everything is the same shade, no sense of backgroun, foreground, etc.
As for the identical raincoats on the women, maybe it’s Milford, Iran?
Comment by laura — February 21, 2008 @ 11:51 am
Gahhh! This is terrible! This comic used to show emotion! Sure, it was INSANE emotion propelled along by inexplicable dialogue and narration, but it was emotion! Now everyone looks blandly happy!
Comment by brashieel — February 21, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
Frank II’s backgrounds show no depth and no artistic commitment. They’re just bits of random architectural feature scattered about to provide the illusion of artwork. I’m afraid that this is the death knell of the Pantheon of Mysterious Objects; whereas Frank I filled his backgrounds with ineptly, but fully, drawn objects, Frank II satisfies himself with a few sketchy lines here and there.
I’m seriously beginning to suspect that the Tribune Syndicate wants to rid itself of this annoying strip. That’s the only explanation for hiring an artist (1) who is 83 years old and can’t be expected to last that long, (2) whose talents, such as they are, are clearly not a good fit for a strip about small-town high school athletics: He can’t draw young people, and he can’t draw action. Frank II is a big fluffy pillow being pressed upon the face of “Gil Thorp.”
Comment by johnw — February 21, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
Curly-Horse is wearing a new Members Only jacket.
Comment by Darwin — February 21, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
Well…. I don’t know…. maybe he’ll grow into it. [/mildly perplexed ennui]
But if he’s REALLY 83, he’d better start growing quickly…
Comment by TCM — February 21, 2008 @ 1:32 pm
This is supposed to be a continuous conversation, yet the characters change positions in every panel. Are they sitting? Standing? Worse, the background changes randomly in every panel.
Comment by sourbelly — February 21, 2008 @ 1:35 pm
I’ve got to agree with everybody here: this new guy, Frank 2.0, has a wishy-washy bland style. it just doesn’t make it. One Apartment 3-G is bad enough, who the hell needs two of them? I think the guy who made comment #6 above is right on the money.
Comment by sir douglas — February 21, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
The disembodied hand is obviously Thing’s girlfriend, who is in the servitude of Maureen’s mother. When she finally gets her day off, Thingette is going to visit the Addams Family so she and Thing can “hold hands,” (wink wink) if you will.
This connection to the Addamses is also supported by Maureen’s status as a Rain-Werewolf. Since no one in the Thorpian world seems to have a problem with her except Andrew, it must be concluded that the Thorpiverse is inhabited by the distant relatives and friends of the Addams Family. Which, when you think about it, makes total sense given how weird the Thorpiverse really is.
Comment by Wynne — February 21, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
Tip #1: Call yourself the M-train
Tip #2: Ask the gals if they could try involving the M-train
Tip #3: Slide and fill!
Comment by Doc Gooden — February 21, 2008 @ 2:52 pm
Well, at least we aren’t watching the Seizure Basketball League today.
Maureen/Margo is putting up a brave front, as she is secretly terrified that Uncle Woodrow will catch her on her nightly trips to Curly-Horse’s house for furtive hatesex.
The strain has already aged Curly-Horse 20 years.
Comment by julienne — February 21, 2008 @ 3:06 pm
I’ve never liked Frank Bolle’s style in Apartment 3-G, either. At least there it matches the dull plotlines and dialog, though. Gil Thorp seems way too action-packed (compared to A3G, anyway) for Bolle’s minimalist, sleep-inducing lineart. I can understand why they picked him - they needed somebody who could produce the following:
1) Characters no one can tell apart
2) 1950’s style fashions and hairstyles
3) Incomprehensible action scenes
But his art just isn’t that visually interesting. Plus everybody looks like Margo and Tommie.
I really wish they’d gone with Steve Bryant. It would have been a seismic shift for the strip, but a much better match for the writing and sports-action. Bryant could really bring these plots to life.
Comment by AirForbes — February 21, 2008 @ 3:11 pm
Amen.
Comment by RobM — February 21, 2008 @ 6:09 pm
A new illistrator for four days and only one Gil Thorp drawing, yesterday of a guy that looks like the smug, mean guy in the Til Tuesday “Voices Carry” 80s video after he hops out of the sack with his wife.
No me gusta.
Comment by southmauldin — February 21, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
Hey dudes, kwitcherbitchin re: the new “artwork”. We gotta give Frank 2.0 a chance already, but I agree with Pope Josh over at CC, Frank 2.0 took the cowardly way out on drawing Gil’s classic flat-top by hiding it under a word balloon yesterday.
And no worries Jason, I’ve read Apt.3G my whole life so you don’t have to. Will keep you apprised if necessary.
I am still in the state of denial hoping this is a temporary replacement.
Comment by Kaz's--Ex — February 21, 2008 @ 6:58 pm
If “the torch is being passed” to a recipient who is 83, how the hell old was Frank 1.0?!
Comment by Darwin — February 21, 2008 @ 7:26 pm
I must admit that although I read Gil Thorp regularly, it is not at the top of my list of favorite comics. Sometimes I only give it a quick glance if there seems to be insignificant dialog, and often don’t follow the storyline well. My local paper (Toledo Blade) repositions the comics on Thursdays, when the section in which they appear is in a half-sheet, magazine format.
So this morning as I read the various comics, I got to what I thought was Apartment 3-G. But the dialog didn’t make any sense. “Who are these people?” I thought to myself. Why did Margo Magee get her hair cut so short? Why will she now be “playing center”?
Just as I thought I must be hallucinating, I looked at the strip above it and realized that it was the real A3G, and that Gil Thorp et al had freakishly morphed into different characters. I immediately headed to the computer to find an explanation and found this blog – and I am so glad I did. Now I am update on the whole Frank 1 & 2 thing. My only comment on the whole situation is that I wonder what the Milford charactors would look like if Jim Davis (Garfield) had taken over the artwork…
Comment by Thorpnotized — February 21, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
or Bil Keane…
Comment by Mooch — February 21, 2008 @ 11:34 pm
A-Train looks like he gained 40 lbs.
Comment by ScooterAl — February 22, 2008 @ 12:50 am
I’m intrigued by the three dolls sporting lab coats/rain coats. In panel three all of them suddenly display mysterious black and white stripes on the right shoulder. I’m guessing these are meant to be purses, but why are they black and white? Why do all three shoulder their purse straps in exactly the same way? Is it Frank II’s experience that all women carry their purses on their right shoulder or is it some weird template? It just strikes me as such an odd detail.
Comment by Laura Jane — February 22, 2008 @ 7:22 am
I’m assuming the black on those straps is meant to be shadow… Or what remained white are highlights? It kinda looks odd on this Maureen character though.
It’s funny though on how all the women(if not all characters) have the same cheekbones in this strip.
Comment by Guy — February 22, 2008 @ 2:22 pm