What have we learned from today’s strip? Apparently that the Larkin household is a serious deathtrap. From killer cabinets to slippery stairs, it has been injuring everyone lately! At least that’s what I figure must be going on, because by no means would any character in this comic ever be less than truthful. After all, who would want to imagine some sort of secret sado-masochistic abusive sexual relationship between twins? Oh…you weren’t thinking that? But you are now? Well, you’re welcome for that.
Now that I went too far, I’ll back off a bit and ask a few pertinent questions: Like why is Bryce’s breakfast smiling at him? Why didn’t we get to witness any physical violence, only see the after-effects? Why does Brenda have rings around her hair? (Has the floor polisher in their danger-house gone wacko as well?) Finally, when Brenda’s freak hand got knocked off, why did she re-tape it back onto the wrong arm?
Bryce’s breakfast isn’t just smiling at him; it’s drooling as well. (“Nutty-O’s – insanely delicious!”)
I was just thinking what a wimp Brenda is if she sprained her wrist punching her brother in the eye – I didn’t even notice she’d taped her freak hand back onto the wrong stump! Now that’s disturbing.
Comment by jules — February 20, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
I think a freak hand is getting ready to punch Bryce in the eye again.
The least Chief Whigham could have done is shown us the gratuitous violence. That would have been more interesting than the current storyline.
Once again we see someone doing the YMCA dance in panel three.
Comment by Regina — February 20, 2009 @ 3:35 pm
do the girls on the basketball team get together after practice to give each other hot oil treatments? even rainwolf’s (wererain?), you know maureen, hair is all glossy. (i kinda like maureen’s sassy new haircut. i think she’s the team punk.)
and now bryce is asian? i’m so confused!
Comment by Sharon Hurn — February 20, 2009 @ 3:43 pm
I’m struggling to figure out the logistics behind getting a shiner* from a cabinet door. Do you open it really hard from the bottom, with your eye positioned to get socked by the knob? I don’t get it.
*In a tank town like Milford, you get a shiner, not a black eye.
Comment by Sourbelly — February 20, 2009 @ 3:51 pm
Later…? LATER!? By, nutboys, there better be a flashback at some point! I was going to say tomorrow, but then I realized this is Milford and tomorrow we’ll be off following the adventures of a one-armed five-foot-one kid who wants to play volleyball.
Comment by Emily — February 20, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
Awfully inconsiderate of that dude to be interrupting Bryce during evening prayers.
Comment by El Santo — February 20, 2009 @ 4:04 pm
why, in panel 2, does Bryce change from vaguely African-American to vaguely Asian?
Comment by bobbalu — February 20, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
Love that Happy Defense the Milford girls play
Comment by gwilo — February 20, 2009 @ 4:15 pm
This strip and blog are so helpful. Not only do I now have a catch phrase for being too drunk to show up at work:
http://gilthorp.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/on-hiatus-like-marty-moon/#comment-20372
I now have “Lost a fight with a cabinet door. But I think I can get a rematch.” to explain away the vicious facial trauma on display after hanging out with the Moon..
Comment by Tim — February 20, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
Why is Brenda’s hand wrapped in bandages? I can’t think of a way for anyone to punch someone in the eye and sustain the kind of damage that would require bandages. A splint, sure, an icepack, definitely, but how does one cut one’s hand that badly by hitting something that isn’t made of pointy objects?
Comment by Wikitorix — February 20, 2009 @ 4:53 pm
#10 Wikitorix: I figure Bryce’s eye exploded as she was punching it, and she suffered shrapnel wounds.
Comment by Aaron — February 20, 2009 @ 5:03 pm
Today’s Strip is a visual Treat!
Panel 1: What is Bryce doing with that spoon?
Panel 2: Guy trying to escape a Straight Jacket… Nice Pinky Extension
on the Towel and a Bonus Exploding Eyeball!
Panel 3: Ok.. I am losing it, I am starting to find Claw Hands
attractive and what is she doing? A solo Wave?
I do like the new touch of a MUMMY FREAK HAND….
Comment by El Lumpbo — February 20, 2009 @ 5:22 pm
Panel 1: What is Bryce doing with that spoon?
Based on yesterday’s strip, he was demonstrating the ‘disappearing/reappearing spoon trick’ to Brenda.
Comment by Scott de B. — February 20, 2009 @ 7:34 pm
Congratulations again, Rubin. For the second straight day you farked up! Brenda and Bryce’s fight would’v been the most exciting thing to happen to this strip in darn near a year.
I bet Bryce was the one who narked on Brenda. Maybe if we’re lucky, Dylan will beat him up.
Or maybe Dylan will join the Milfold Trenchcoat Mafia and starting shooting up the school
Comment by Doug Puthoff — February 20, 2009 @ 7:52 pm
wow very nice
really i like this blog
thanks
Comment by hayah.cc — February 21, 2009 @ 1:50 am
“Or maybe Dylan will join the Milfold Trenchcoat Mafia”
More likely, the Bad News Taurus Gang…
Comment by Sgt. Saunders — February 21, 2009 @ 6:04 am
Brenda just forgot to take off her Pharaoh’s daughter wig disguise that she was going to use to sneak out of the house. Also, just can’t get used to the black-upper-lip-that-might-be-a-mustache-but-it’s-not which appears on nearly everyone, male or female.
Comment by janb — February 21, 2009 @ 7:15 am
All I can say is Brenda’s parents have more problems than just traumatizing her for sneaking out to see her lowlife tank-town thieving b/f. Now she even hits her own brother in the face!
Growing up as the eldest of 6, that’s where our parents put the foot down – you can fight all you want but NEVER hit in the face – someone could lose an eye!
Now I see why the Larkins moved to tank-town Milford, hoping that their big-city, hard-knockin’ kids would slow down. NOT.
Comment by Gil'sBarber — February 21, 2009 @ 7:14 pm
Gil Thorp walks into a bar. Brenda gives him a black eye. He sez, “those kids today” and stays til baseball season.
Comment by Gil'sBarber — February 21, 2009 @ 7:23 pm
Possible story arc: concerned Milford denizen (so obviously not Gil) notices the twins’ injuries and accuses Dad of abuse. Brenda sees a chance to revenge herself and/or have access to Dylan (from the safety of foster care) and doesn’t deny it.
Comment by philosophist — February 21, 2009 @ 9:13 pm
Gil’s Barber – its a comic strip. Injuries heal overnight. I’m sure Bryce started it and she hit him back in defense. Where has that tall center for the girls been? i need to remind them about everything.
Comment by Rob — February 22, 2009 @ 2:29 pm
20. YES! And soon, every kid is accusing any adult that pisses them off of abuse, until Milford is ruled by high school students in a Lord of the Flies-like hellscape, where the only semblance of order are occult ceremonies based on a vestigial memory of “team sports,” and children are sacrificed to the mysterious, God-like figure known only as “the Moon.”
Comment by Teasipper Academy — February 23, 2009 @ 9:29 am