The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Sweet action for kids 'n' cretins. Marjoram and capers.
Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115774
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by Dr. Medulla »

It's hard not to interpret from these initial strips that Rivera kinda hated the entire concept of Mark Trail. She may well be very talented, but I question why she would take over something with some 70 years of history and radically overhaul it this way. Maybe readership for MT was dying (perhaps literally) and the owners figured it needed to roll the dice like this, but it seems a weird gamble to potentially alienate its audience like this while hoping to attract new readers.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

revbob
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 25235
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 12:31pm
Location: The Frozen Tundra

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by revbob »

WestwayKid wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 8:10am
revbob wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 7:54am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 7:43am
Image
What makes more sense than a middle-aged guy writing for teenage girls?
He's looking like a serial killer in panel 2
The Teen Sparkle cover girl looks like she's in her mid-40's.
Yeah not a teen.

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115774
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by Dr. Medulla »

An IMCT thought: Bernie's producing the new Mark Trail.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

revbob
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 25235
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 12:31pm
Location: The Frozen Tundra

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by revbob »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 8:38am
An IMCT thought: Bernie's producing the new Mark Trail.
That would explain a lot.

WestwayKid
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 6691
Joined: 20 Sep 2017, 8:22am
Location: Mill-e-wah-que

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by WestwayKid »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 8:38am
An IMCT thought: Bernie's producing the new Mark Trail.
Did he farm out the work to some budget rate German artists?
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

WestwayKid
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 6691
Joined: 20 Sep 2017, 8:22am
Location: Mill-e-wah-que

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by WestwayKid »

Looking at the character bios on the Comics Kingdom page, Andy gets 2nd billing over Cherry. Surprise, surprise.

The bios are kind of entertaining, however:

Mark: "...And what he can’t solve with a well-placed investigative report, he can solve with a well-placed right hook. Or maybe an exploding boat."

Cherry: "...We also hear she makes the best pancakes in the Lost Forest!"

Doc Davis: "...And, as the man who taught Cherry to cook, he’d like to take some credit for those pancakes."

Bill Ellis: "...Mark Trail’s “boss,” the Editor-in-Chief at Woods & Wildlife, is the last holdover from the era of the three-martini lunch and still wears a suit to the office while his coworkers are in jeans."

We're also teased with a new character named Amy Lee, who is the "bubbly and boisterous editor of Teen Girl Sparkle Magazine, and the newest addition to Mark’s life."
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

revbob
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 25235
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 12:31pm
Location: The Frozen Tundra

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by revbob »

WestwayKid wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 9:14am
Looking at the character bios on the Comics Kingdom page, Andy gets 2nd billing over Cherry. Surprise, surprise.

The bios are kind of entertaining, however:

Mark: "...And what he can’t solve with a well-placed investigative report, he can solve with a well-placed right hook. Or maybe an exploding boat."

Cherry: "...We also hear she makes the best pancakes in the Lost Forest!"

Doc Davis: "...And, as the man who taught Cherry to cook, he’d like to take some credit for those pancakes."

Bill Ellis: "...Mark Trail’s “boss,” the Editor-in-Chief at Woods & Wildlife, is the last holdover from the era of the three-martini lunch and still wears a suit to the office while his coworkers are in jeans."

We're also teased with a new character named Amy Lee, who is the "bubbly and boisterous editor of Teen Girl Sparkle Magazine, and the newest addition to Mark’s life."
I'll believe the punching when I see it. Also Doc, with a cowboy hat? I guess he doesn't shoot smack anymore either. And Mark should ditch Cherry for Amy, she's way hotter even with vermin in her hair.

Spiff
User avatar
Mostly Nekkid
Posts: 4385
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 11:23am
Location: In the Spiff Bunker

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by Spiff »

Clearly, Teen Girl Sparkle is meant to be a stand in to the newly political Teen Vogue.
Last edited by Spiff on 20 Oct 2020, 6:11pm, edited 1 time in total.
Let fury have the hour, anger can be power
D'you know that you can use it?

-- There's no fairytale ending with cocaine.

Spiff
User avatar
Mostly Nekkid
Posts: 4385
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 11:23am
Location: In the Spiff Bunker

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by Spiff »

Spiff wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 5:57pm
Clearly, Teen Girl Sparkle is meant to be a stand in to the newly political Teen Vogue.
I know it's where I get the latest up-to-date information on anal sex.
Last edited by Spiff on 20 Oct 2020, 6:12pm, edited 1 time in total.
Let fury have the hour, anger can be power
D'you know that you can use it?

-- There's no fairytale ending with cocaine.

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115774
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Mark really doesn't know what he's in for:
Sparkle Magazine is filled with fun games, puzzles, crafts, stories, and poems that are fresh and help girls discover who God is and how He works in His world and their lives. For girls ages 6 to 8.
https://www.magazineline.com/sparkle-ma ... er%20month.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Wolter
User avatar
Half Foghorn Leghorn, Half Albert Brooks
Posts: 55432
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 7:59pm
Location: ¡HOLIDAY RO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OAD!

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by Wolter »

Here’s where I admit I just caught up and i...like it so far.
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson

"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115774
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Wolter wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 6:12pm
Here’s where I admit I just caught up and i...like it so far.
No snark here, but genuine curiosity: why?
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

revbob
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 25235
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 12:31pm
Location: The Frozen Tundra

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by revbob »

Spiff wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 6:00pm
Spiff wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 5:57pm
Clearly, Teen Girl Sparkle is meant to be a stand in to the newly political Teen Vogue.
I know it's where I get the latest up-to-date information on anal sex.


Yes Mark should write an article on anal sex.
"Cherry I need your help with some research on this article I'm writing... "
Yes, there might be some poop
Returning to Doc's points from before. No doubt most of the old timer audience is gone and I have to believe the core audience at this point was people like ourselves finding various ways to poke fun at it. So what is her game here besides wooing Wolter?

Wolter
User avatar
Half Foghorn Leghorn, Half Albert Brooks
Posts: 55432
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 7:59pm
Location: ¡HOLIDAY RO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OAD!

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by Wolter »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 6:15pm
Wolter wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 6:12pm
Here’s where I admit I just caught up and i...like it so far.
No snark here, but genuine curiosity: why?
It’s light and goofy. It’s playing with the idea of the stodgy old strip no one read except to dunk on it. It’s WKRP in the woods - a format change long overdue in the non-ironic newspaper strip world, and I guess I didn’t have enough ironic love for the old version to care.
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson

"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115774
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Wolter wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 6:43pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 6:15pm
Wolter wrote:
20 Oct 2020, 6:12pm
Here’s where I admit I just caught up and i...like it so far.
No snark here, but genuine curiosity: why?
It’s light and goofy. It’s playing with the idea of the stodgy old strip no one read except to dunk on it. It’s WKRP in the woods - a format change long overdue in the non-ironic newspaper strip world, and I guess I didn’t have enough ironic love for the old version to care.
Okay, fair enough, and I can, in the abstract, appreciate that kind of creative assault. But as an approach I'm not sure it isn't something that will kill it. Which seems an odd thing for a creator to do, to radically reimagine things in a way that sheds the original audience. I'm just skeptical that she can build an entirely new audience.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Post Reply