After yesterday’s detour to pay tribute to Jack Berrill, we’re back to… where, exactly? And when, exactly?
P1: Is this an actual arcade or an arcade museum? It features a Pac-Man machine and runs on quarters rather than tokens. Since when did either exist in Milford or anywhere else in the Valley? Did Gil take the kids there in a time machine? The car parked out front looks a bit dated, but then again this is Milford, where seeing a ’66 GTO on the streets isn’t out of the ordinary. Seems like it exists only to reinforce Gil’s image as reinforcer of (somehwat) old-fashioned values, like…
P2: … carrying cash and change. No falling prey to cryptocurrency scams for old Gil, nosireebob. Besides, while you kids are mashing buttons (unless that narration box in the previous panel is self-referential on Barajas’ part), Gil’s gonna slip outside to buy some vapes from some new dealers in town. He’s never met these dealers but they sent him a text left him a voice mail that they’d look familiar and that they don’t take plastic.
P3: “Thanks, Mr. Thorp.” “Sure thing, kid whose name I don’t know and can’t be bothered to remember.” J/k: this has gotta be little Luke Martinez Jr., who has become one of Jami’s few friends. When Luke Jr. gets home and tells his parents how Gil gave him quarters to play video games, it’s sure to touch off some heated conversation between Luke Sr. and his cardiac surgeon wife about who’s responsible for sending Junior off with everything he needs for a play date, followed by Luke Sr. chaperoning the next play date and renting a mobile video game trailer to park in the driveway (or engaging in some other sort of macho one-upmanship).
The outcome of last Sunday night’s Oscars pretty much guarantees that Everything Everywhere All At Once will become the new normal in visual storytelling, at least for a while. We can thank Barajas for helping us prepare for that, I reckon.
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This Week in Milford 
Yeah. Milford apparently isn’t in the cash-less age yet and everyone who is wealthy and savvy enough to own a cell phone probably has one of those rad’ new Motorola flip-phones too. Jami does seem like he may be on the spectrum. He’s not dumb or a smart ass like a lot of kids his age, but he seems like he would be low-hanging fruit for the school bullies, unless, of course, those same bullies know who his sister is, then they might leave him alone. They’re probably more afraid of Keri than they ever would be of Gil, Pearl, or “Mrs. Thorp” too. Obviously, keeping some cash in his pocket is a good idea anyway, in case he ever needs to buy his way out of an unsolicited swirlie, wedgie, or some alone time in a gym locker.
Comment by franku2016 — March 15, 2023 @ 12:10 pm
Rob, if you want it, it’s all yours. You’re funny too and I love your no-nonsense approach. I am assuming you are doing the post on Saturday unless I’m told otherwise. You da Man.
Since when have we EVER seen Gil with his son at an arcade? Like is Gil going to go off in a corner playing Donkey Kong while his son is at the PAC-Man station? Geez, no wonder why he is always in absentia in relation to the basketball team.
Comment by tdrewhardin — March 15, 2023 @ 4:47 pm