I've come to like the art—JR is quite good at conveying action—but the writing and characterization is weak. I still can't escape the sense that she approached the strip with an attitude of all the things she didn't like about it rather than what she did, and so the new direction has been about getting rid of that bad stuff without a solid sense of how to build her changes on what she liked. So the characters come off as bozos or flat.WestwayKid wrote: ↑07 Dec 2020, 11:44amI'm not certain how Teen Girl Sparkle didn't put 2 and 2 together to figure out that Mark Trail is related to Happy Trail. Shoddy background work.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑05 Dec 2020, 10:42amJolly seems to be serving St. Louis pizza in that last panel.
The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
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Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back in Whittier, they're not much bigger than two meters.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
On the plus side she is integrating huge animals and talking buildings into the stories.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑07 Dec 2020, 12:11pmI've come to like the art—JR is quite good at conveying action—but the writing and characterization is weak. I still can't escape the sense that she approached the strip with an attitude of all the things she didn't like about it rather than what she did, and so the new direction has been about getting rid of that bad stuff without a solid sense of how to build her changes on what she liked. So the characters come off as bozos or flat.WestwayKid wrote: ↑07 Dec 2020, 11:44amI'm not certain how Teen Girl Sparkle didn't put 2 and 2 together to figure out that Mark Trail is related to Happy Trail. Shoddy background work.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑05 Dec 2020, 10:42amJolly seems to be serving St. Louis pizza in that last panel.
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Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
Definitely. No serious complaints about the art.revbob wrote: ↑07 Dec 2020, 12:30pmOn the plus side she is integrating huge animals and talking buildings into the stories.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑07 Dec 2020, 12:11pmI've come to like the art—JR is quite good at conveying action—but the writing and characterization is weak. I still can't escape the sense that she approached the strip with an attitude of all the things she didn't like about it rather than what she did, and so the new direction has been about getting rid of that bad stuff without a solid sense of how to build her changes on what she liked. So the characters come off as bozos or flat.WestwayKid wrote: ↑07 Dec 2020, 11:44amI'm not certain how Teen Girl Sparkle didn't put 2 and 2 together to figure out that Mark Trail is related to Happy Trail. Shoddy background work.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑05 Dec 2020, 10:42amJolly seems to be serving St. Louis pizza in that last panel.
"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back in Whittier, they're not much bigger than two meters.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
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Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
And my brothers Gravel and Arm.
(I do like the dumb joke of Cherry, Olive, and Peach Pitt.)
"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back in Whittier, they're not much bigger than two meters.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
This is fucking album art stuff.
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Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
[insert obvious beaver joke]
"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back in Whittier, they're not much bigger than two meters.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
The giant beaver of Lost Forest.
Meanwhile...
More hip slang being shipped.
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Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
The Poochiefication of MT will continue, comrades! It. Will. Be. Kewl!
"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back in Whittier, they're not much bigger than two meters.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
Dont dip out on me bruh.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 9:00amThe Poochiefication of MT will continue, comrades! It. Will. Be. Kewl!
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Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
One of the curious things about this revamp of the strip is that, while supposedly making it more appealing and relevant to a younger demo, it's thus far shifted from an adventure/nature focus to a soap opera one, like those other cutting edge strips like Mary Worth, Judge Parker, and Rex Morgan, MD. Everyone has a dark family secret that is emerging. But it's got all that shipping lingo, so it's awesome.
"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back in Whittier, they're not much bigger than two meters.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
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Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
kids today like the extended soap opera stuff, i think. It reads a lot like some of the YA stuff that I'm familiar with (mostly via the missus listening to that stuff on audiobook). I guess I'm extrapolating that YA stuff actually has a YA audience.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 9:17amOne of the curious things about this revamp of the strip is that, while supposedly making it more appealing and relevant to a younger demo, it's thus far shifted from an adventure/nature focus to a soap opera one, like those other cutting edge strips like Mary Worth, Judge Parker, and Rex Morgan, MD. Everyone has a dark family secret that is emerging. But it's got all that shipping lingo, so it's awesome.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead
Pex Lives!
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead
Pex Lives!
Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
Im shipping with you.Flex wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 2:55pmkids today like the extended soap opera stuff, i think. It reads a lot like some of the YA stuff that I'm familiar with (mostly via the missus listening to that stuff on audiobook). I guess I'm extrapolating that YA stuff actually has a YA audience.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 9:17amOne of the curious things about this revamp of the strip is that, while supposedly making it more appealing and relevant to a younger demo, it's thus far shifted from an adventure/nature focus to a soap opera one, like those other cutting edge strips like Mary Worth, Judge Parker, and Rex Morgan, MD. Everyone has a dark family secret that is emerging. But it's got all that shipping lingo, so it's awesome.
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Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead
Pex Lives!
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead
Pex Lives!
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Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
If so, again, that suggests JR is pretty radically changing the nature (ho ho) of the strip, despite her claims of respecting its origins and all that. So, yay, another Mary Worth strip.Flex wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 2:55pmkids today like the extended soap opera stuff, i think. It reads a lot like some of the YA stuff that I'm familiar with (mostly via the missus listening to that stuff on audiobook). I guess I'm extrapolating that YA stuff actually has a YA audience.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 9:17amOne of the curious things about this revamp of the strip is that, while supposedly making it more appealing and relevant to a younger demo, it's thus far shifted from an adventure/nature focus to a soap opera one, like those other cutting edge strips like Mary Worth, Judge Parker, and Rex Morgan, MD. Everyone has a dark family secret that is emerging. But it's got all that shipping lingo, so it's awesome.
"I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back in Whittier, they're not much bigger than two meters.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
Re: The Mark Trail Thread of Punching Justice and Smug Life Lessons
We'll see if Mark becomes an intolerable busybody.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 3:30pmIf so, again, that suggests JR is pretty radically changing the nature (ho ho) of the strip, despite her claims of respecting its origins and all that. So, yay, another Mary Worth strip.Flex wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 2:55pmkids today like the extended soap opera stuff, i think. It reads a lot like some of the YA stuff that I'm familiar with (mostly via the missus listening to that stuff on audiobook). I guess I'm extrapolating that YA stuff actually has a YA audience.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 9:17amOne of the curious things about this revamp of the strip is that, while supposedly making it more appealing and relevant to a younger demo, it's thus far shifted from an adventure/nature focus to a soap opera one, like those other cutting edge strips like Mary Worth, Judge Parker, and Rex Morgan, MD. Everyone has a dark family secret that is emerging. But it's got all that shipping lingo, so it's awesome.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc