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Sunday Selections: Whales

Sunday is the only day of the week that Mark Trail makes any sense. NLR extends our appreciation for this moment of relative clarity by offering the Sunday edition of Mark Trail without any snarky, off-color commentary. August 2's strip features whales.

Mark is New to this Whole Tracking Thing; Excitement Has Yet to Abound

July 30, 2009

Things were moving along pretty quickly there for a while -- people were getting shot, cars were burning, bad news was being borne horribly -- but the fun times are over. Now the long, repetitive process of closing the case begins.

July 31, 2009

Because three consecutive panels weren't enough, Mark takes another two to explain that Joey Williams has been shot. Great way to wrap up the week, Elrod, thank you very fucking much.

It's been a great first week back at NLR -- thanks to the readership. Please accept this collage of everything Mark said this week (plus an uncomfortable pic of Patty stretched as far as decency will allow) as a token of my appreciation.

Sunday Selections: the Jackrabbit

Sunday is the only day of the week that Mark Trail makes any sense. NLR extends our appreciation for this moment of relative clarity by offering the Sunday edition of Mark Trail without any snarky, off-color commentary. July 26's strip spotlights the Jackrabbit.

Sorry Ain't Gonna Save You From tha Sass, Trick.

July 29, 2009

Bitch must be tripping if she thinks a couple of "thank yous" and "sorrys" and "the attempt on her brother's life" make for sufficient penance when animals have died in the woodsy journalist's forest. Like an elephant, Mark never forgets.

Unlike an elephant, Mark lacks the cognitive ability needed to reconcile pieces of information into a working theory. Fortunately for him, discretion isn't high on the polluting gamblers' priority list. The nefarious trucking company can be traced by information found on the discarded barrels, as Mark and Joey figured out on this contraction-starved field trip a few days back--

Time is running out on the gamblers and their dumpy ways. With any luck, Mark will find a receipt or something out in the woods. Even more likely, he'll stumble upon Joey's would-be assassin, who's carless and headed toward the freeway with an unconcealable firearm.

Mark Loves Telling People Their Family Members Have Been Shot

July 25, 2009

Most people would find it difficult to tell a young woman that her brother was shot. Mark describes the shooting to Joey's sister with the exuberance of a five-year-old describing how he fried an insect with a magnifying glass. Think he'll bring it up again in tomorrow's episode?

July 26, 2009

Aboslutely. Mark establishes a successful cross-panel description of the attempted bromicide as an Asian nurse slips a large quantity of unidentified medicine out of the waiting room.

I need to issue a correction of sorts here -- I started this saga in medias res without researching the whole story, and as a result, I got some facts wrong.

Joey Williams doesn't own a transportation company, as I have previously stated. Joey Williams owns a company that needs to dump chemicals. According to the lady with earrings glued to her jaws, gamblers to whom Joey is indebted are somehow involved in the reason why he changed transport companies. I repeat -- the gamblers are involved in a reason. Somehow. I hope that's clear. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

July 28, 2009

Mark is a triple-pleated idiot.

Assassin's Car Trouble Leads to Goofiness, Questionable Decision-Making

July 22, 2009

Zombie hitman Walter Matthau can't seem to navigate his sedan past an obstacle that, logically, he must have avoided on his way to the assasination attempt. Startled Squrrel can only stare in amazement in Panel 3 as Walter explains what everybody else already knows about ditches.

July 23, 2009

Unable to accelerate out of the ditch, Walter goes to Plan B -- like, really really gun it this time. Plan B fails.

Time is running out for Walter. He's stuck in the middle of the woods, nary a soul to be seen, save that unnaturally curious Squirrel in the tree. He can't stop touching the car even as he complains about the abundance of prints on the vehicle. Unwanted attention must be avoided at all costs. Plan C emerges -- set the car on fire. Unfortunately for everyone, the fire failed to spread to his jacket.

July 24, 2009

Immolation nearly complete, Zombie Matthau sets the final stage of Plan C into motion -- take the gun show to the highway. A nearby tree elects to stay in the woods for a while longer in Panel 1. It's the smartest decision anyone/anything has made in Mark Trail this week.

Hang on, Joey, I Need to Recap

Again, I've strayed, and again, I'm kind of sorry about it but not really. Mark Trail sucks bunches, and it's hard to stay the course. At this point, I guess i'm only apologizing to myself, so I should probably shutup about it. Onward--

July 21, 2009

Extremely well-shaded critters look on as Mark wills a Jeep Wrangler across the big blue ether toward a hospital. The motive is unclear, but the circumstancial evidence is overwhelming -- Walter Matthau has returned from the grave to shoot Joey Williams, and he's brought a garish tangerine outfit with him. The kind of outfit nobody will notice you wearing as you leave a crime scene.

Clearly NLR is returning to Mark Trail at a seminal moment in the storyline. How did it come to this?

a few weeks ago....

It wasn't always Jeeps and Joyrides for Mark and Joey. Seems Joey's dumping company done been dropping a few unsolicited drums of toxic crude in Lost Forest, and if there's one thing Mark Trail can't stand, it's a chubby, mulletted version of Mark Trail mussing up his home.

In Lost Forest, terrible hair is indicative of a terrible soul -- Joey's coif, like his conscience, walks a fine line. Once the proud owner of a family trucking operation, Joey has put the reputation of his business in dire straits. Man, fuck those tables.

Joey, a victim of his own compulsions, finds himself carrying out run-of-the-mill evil deeds on behalf of a crime syndicate. A crime syndicate headed, apparently, by the moon.

Joey sure knows how to lean into a phone call, doesn't he?

So here we are. The moon has been playing Joey for a sucker, the action literally spilled out into Mark's hood, and now our woodsy hero is about to go all Gran Torino on the moon and the moon's known associates.

Wake Up Patty, Nobody's Trying to Bed the Deer But You -- Recap Time

1/28/09



Mark's adventures take him to all sorts of naturey places and involve many different types of characters, but they all seem to follow a similar game plan. What we find ourselves mired in right now is a phase of that game not unlike a butterfly's struggle to emerge from the cocoon. Lots of new limbs and floundering, with few signs of progress. Initially, this phase may be interesting and new, but after 3 or 4 weeks, it gets boring, frustrating, makes you want to rip your teeth out, etc. Hopefully, we are nearing the end of this awkward introduction to the Saga of Patty. In that spirit, let's take a quick look back at what's happened so far.



No, Patty's not all right, Cherry. And it's got little to do with that sleeve's love affair with the booby part of her coat. A more devious problem lurks behind those blonde tresses. Something more unnatural and nefarious.

She totally wants to get stag-blasted by that baby man-deer, and her 'little friend' seems intrigued by the prospect. A third player has thrown his heart into the game, however. His name is

KEN

Scowly lumberman Ken is betrothed to Patty and easily the angriest man in Lost Forest. Patty's little deer friend appears to be the frontrunner for the blonde bombshell's affections, but Ken has advantages of his own. For starters, he doesn't shy away from honest discourse about his impotency...

What's more, his hands move quickly enough to disable an opponent without physical contact, offering him plausible deniability for numerous airslap assaults against his wife.

How can he be jealous? Stupid question, Patty. The man is the surliest ventriloquist in the Western Hemisphere...




...he's probably been jealous about matters less triffling than young bucks courting his wife.

So where does Mark fit into this love triangle? Find out in the next installment of "Recap: The beginning of the introduction to the Saga of Patty."

First Rule of Deer Adultery Club -- ALWAYS Hide the Water Dish

1/20/09

Cherry and Mark don't waste any time laying into Patty's frownie husband, dropping the "isn't very friendly" bomb well before they even step out of her featureless home. With space at a premium in today's rare four-panel installment, we can't get a firm grip on Mark's reaction to Ken's stern unfriendliness. If recent history is any indication, Mark's probably enjoying himself off-screen in Panel Two. He gets quite a kick out of not knowing much about his neighbors...

Meanwhile, the deer is out of the bag at the unknown neighbors' house. This may come as a shock, but irresponsibly angry husband Ken is not a big fan of his wife's pet buck. Will violence come of this? Preliminary swelling in Patty's head region says yes. Stay tuned.

Elrod Continues to Imply Beastiality

1/19/09

This isn't looking any better as days go by. Unexpected husbands, shooing a reluctant deer named "Bucky" out the backdoor in the nick of time, frowning....Elrod's doing his best to make this look worse than it probably is. I'm sick of making fun of it.

Mark can tell right away by his monosylabic answer that Ken is a horrible human being. Frowny Freddies with a touch of the ginger and a penchant for blue clothing don't sit well with our hero. Cherry is too turned on by Bucky's gaze to say much of anything.

That Guy an Accurate Reflection of How We Feel After Reading Mark Trail

1/17/09


Don't waste your breath, Mark. Everyone in Lost Forest knows Patty should've picked up a "pervin' all over a feral woodland creature" permit the day she ran into that fawn. Now she's in too deep, and full disclosure to the proper authorities may jeopardize the massive amount of company she's grown accustomed to over the past few months. Company as large as the children she never had. Cherry is obviously intrigued by the prospect of so much company; Mark's reaction is more curious and angular, littered with strange creases on the nose and brow.

Speaking of creased brows, holy crap that guy in the second panel is angrier than anyone I've ever seen. His forehead contains so much rage, the pressure has carved an impossible line into his temple. He frowns horizontally. That's pretty fucking irritated.

So who is this angry ambler? It could be one of those "wildlife people" Patty's worried about. It could also be her lumber-ing husband. Either way, someone's about to get punched.

The Trails Confront Patty the Only Way They Know How: On Horseback

1/16/09

Mark cuts an impressive figure on that white stallion, doesn't he? Clean jacket n' khaki combination, relentless posture. No wonder Patty, once skiddish and overly apologetic, now feels completely at ease and overly apologetic in his presence, even after he rides a horse into her backyard escorted by the electric-blue Cherry, arm fused to her hip like some kind of irritating, bubble-headed teapot.

Patty's intentions may not be as perverse as Elrod originally suggested. The jury's still out, though. She looks remarkably creepy with that shadowy buck by her side. Even Mark's horse is itching to bounce by panel two.

Patty's Robbing the Cradle! So Scandalous.

1/15/09

A few days ago, NLR read the fairly obvious tea leaves and concluded that Patty's issues centered around a love affair with some woodland creature. Today's installment confirms the speculation -- Patty is embroiled in a March-December inter-specie sex festival with a captivating young buck.

Elrod opened a door but closed several windows, and now we're left with more questions than ever. Why doesn't Patty talk about her husband? What manner of trouble is on her mind? And what's up with Cherry's imploding waist? Dita Von Teese got nothing on Mizz Trail. Except sex appeal. Intelligence and personality too, I imagine.

It's been a frustrating couple of weeks. The storyline is still opaque, but today's revelation is a step in the right direction. Your patience will be rewarded in due time--things are going to be okay. Just look at the relentless optimism emanating from our hero's face in panel one. Only Mark could take so much pleasure in not knowing something very well.

Meaningless Dialogue Almost too Expansive for the Meaningless Images that Surround It

1/14/09

What I hate most about Jack Elrod's style is the progression of time within the context of his medium. Let's face it, everyone's actions over the last week are justified. Patty should have left after Mark returned, and Cherry and Mark should seek out Patty after finishing up breakfast. Nobody's being impolite, overbearing, or unreasonable. All I'm wondering is why we have to be present for all of these fucking scraps of minutae. Three small panels at a time.

We didn't need to watch the Trails saddle up the horses for their woodsy ride. Do we need to see Doc holding up plate after plate of breakfast items? Do we need the constant references to Cherry's revolting haircut? We get it -- Mark's hair would look identical if he grew it out. Get a fucking story going here, dammit. I'm running out of things to make fun of.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

1/13/09

Of the many horrible questions that come to mind, Elrod, one stands above the rest: did you honestly think transitioning from the senseless destruction of a week-long storyline to DOC'S HEAPING PLATE OF DELECTABLE FLAPJACKS would assuage our frustration? If there's one shard of hope to be found among the ruins, it's that the plot couldn't possibly be stretched any further. You can't water down water.

Those half-assed skin-toned highlights may not be real, but Cherry's concern for a friend's secret animal problem is. With any luck, she'll press Patty for answers after breakfast. Those griddlecakes aren't going to last forever. Even if this saga will. God dammit.

This Relentless Blathering Is Not Acceptable

1/12/09

Quit being such a sleepy-eyed drama queen and spill the beans, Patty. You've already wasted a week of our lives framing your dilemma; now it's time to share. No more tears. No more uninteresting backstory. Do it.

Look at all that fire in the hearth. Do you remember the fire?

Of course you don't. It wasn't there before. That is an unsolicited conflagration, Patty. Even fireplaces are anxious to hear your tale of pathetic woe. So speak your piece and let the khaki avenger figure out the rest. He won't stop punching rednecks until the problem is solved.

Sunday Critterz: American Crocodile

Sunday is the only day of the week that Mark Trail makes any sense. NLR extends our appreciation for this moment of relative clarity by offering the Sunday edition of Mark Trail without any snarky, off-color commentary.

January 11's strip examines the American Crocodile's renaissance.

Patty Craves Forgiveness in Any Form; Mark and Cherry Meld Faces

1/9/09

As anticipated, Mark's early return has thrown a wrench in Patty's confession plans, and now all she can do is wait for Mark and Cherry to reclaim their respective jawlines and exchange pleasantries with the rest of the family. Mark's face in panel two suggests that he may have walked away with a little more chin than he brought to the hug; it's a problem that will take presidence over all non-face-related issues this morning.

Patty is one mea cupla over the standard apology limit for this situation -- whatever she's done is seriously eating away at her conscience. In no way does that excuse her grating pleas for atonement. I'm just saying, it's bad.

Mark's Unexpected Arrival a Firm Reminder that We Were Never Meant to Understand Patty's Problem

1/9/09

GOD DAMMIT Mark, we were so close to figuring out Patty's deal. You and your creepy Pubelick had to barge in at the break of day and put the latest storyline on ice for the weekend. It's enough to make someone eat their tissue.

So to hell with small talk -- the time for unreasonable speculation has arrived. Patty mentioned yesterday that she turned to the Trails for help because of their love of animals. The inconsequential nature of her predicament belies an attachment worrisome enough to warrant a pre-dawn trip to the cabin made of poop. If I had to guess, Patty's been casually dating some kind of forest creature and she let her heart get involved. Or she's contracted bear herpes. Prove me wrong, Elrod. For everyone's sake.

Spit it Out, Patty. SPIT. IT. OUT.

1/8/09

It merited attention before, but now I feel compelled to point out that Mark n' Cherry's Lost Forest abode is preposterously brown. It looks like a giant chocolate monster pooped it out for them. Monochromatic logs can be expected, but matching oven mitts, frying pans, mirrors, model ships, and deer carcai?

Mark and Cherry -- huge fans of the brown.

Cherry's speaking for all of us in the first panel. Patty needs to get a grip and explain the predicament, not the rationale behind her visit to Big Dump Cabin. The line between suspense and poor timing isn't that thin -- a three-part sequence would've been appropriate, but day three of "what the fuck is your problem, Patty" has come and gone and we're still in the dark. Shitty installment all around.

Back to Bed, Doc.

1/7/09



Looks like it wasn't Mark at the door after all. But who, pray tell, is Patty? I have no idea. She appears timid, apologetic, and helmety. A closer look is in order; let's break it down panel by panel:

Panel 1

PATTY! WHY WOULD YOU GET THE SAME HAIRCUT AS ME?! IT'S SUCH A TERRIBLE HAIRCUTTTTTT

Panel 2

Patty takes off her coat. She apologizes to Cherry for the interuption, but something is on her mind and she needs to dish.

Panel 3

Patty takes off her coat. She apologizes to Doc for the interuption, but something is on her mind and she needs to dish.

Phew! There's nothing about Mark Trail that can't be deciphered by a good ol' panel-by-panel breakdown. Stay tuned.

Recurring Theme at Casa de Trail -- Wood

1/6/09

You know what the worst part about today's strip is? It probably is Mark pounding on the front door furiously in the wee hours of the morning.

Tomorrow, Cherry will throw the door open and Mark will be standing at the threshold in all of his khaki glory, shit-eating grin etched across his angular mandible. He'll say something like, "Hi Cherry, I'm Mark Trail! I've missed you and love your looks! The water's back in the swamp... that's quite a haircut you've got there!" Cherry will smile and primp in that possessed, I-have-no-eyes manner she's so fond of.

And she'll take her man back to bed, never to gnash her teeth alone again. There's no way it couldn't be Mark. Or couldn't it? No way. Stay tuned...