Monday, October 31, 2011

Mary Worth 1,160

So many deformities in one restaurant. A headless waiter approaches Toby to take her order and to ask her not to play with her flatware until the food is served. Poor Sweater Vest was severed at the waist in a horrible warehouse accident and had to have a chair specially made to allow him to sit on the table. And Mary has tragically developed a distended right eyeball that will forever leave her looking like Popeye.

Today's Full Strip

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Mary Worth 1,159

Worked? Hard? At what?? Warming up the seats in the booths? You'd think Alison would be the LAST person to suggest that Gina worked hard.

Today's Full Strip

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Mary Worth 1,158

Yes, Mary, you were sooOoo instrumental in getting these two together. Gina's Liberian gypsy mother has put a curse on you for stealing credit from a dead woman.

Now for something wonderful: There's nothing like the weekend to visit the Welk Musical Family.

Today's Full Strip

Friday, October 28, 2011

Mary Worth 1,157

"Grandma, how did Granddaddy propose?"

"Well, children, it was very romantic. We were stuck in traffic in lower Manhattan. Your grandfather had the coolest car ever made -- the Duckworth LLX. He was a wealthy athlete in those days. We were stuck in traffic, breathing the fumes of the other cars because we couldn't get the rag top to close. It was October and about 40 degrees. I was freezing. He looked at me from his driver's seat and said, "Gina, will you marry me?" I said, "Yes, of course, but keep your eyes on the road." Then the feds started to interfere saying I couldn't marry a celebrity because of the threats against my life by the mob. But fortunately, three weeks later, your grandfather blew out his ACL in the Big Game, and within one year was a penniless, obscure, former athlete that no one had ever heard of. We were married in June."

Today's Full Strip

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Mary Worth 1,155

I know that I expect all of my employees to welcome patrons with private information about our colleagues. It just makes the place feel more homey.

Today's Full Strip

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Mary Worth 1,154

There's gratitude for you. Gina leaves Diner in a lurch without her sick waitress skillz, and not so much as a how-dee-do to Mary Worth for guiding her to destiny. Is it any wonder that Mary is left with nothing but a face touch and an exclamation point?

Today's Full Strip

Monday, October 24, 2011

Mary Worth 1,153

At first I was worried, when I saw Mary at Mountview Hospital, that we were moving on to a new story just a little too early. Thank heaven we're headed back to Diner for some more conversation and coffee. Perhaps Bobby has quit his job with the soccer team and is now working at Diner as well, where he and Gina can ignore their customers together as they drink coffee and admire how they haven't changed in ten years.

Today's Full Strip

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Mary Worth 1,152

For those who are new to this blog, I just want to remind you to read your FREE secret messages from Mary Worth and Me, by holding your cursor over each image.

Well, let's just see how much "catching up" they actually do. I've been waiting all week to see them "catch up," but so far they've only talked about how much they still love each other after not seeing one another for ten years.

"How's your mom?"

"Oh, Bobby, I'm so sorry to tell you. She passed away last year."

"Oh, Gina, I'm so sorry. How hard for you."

"Yes, I used to break down in tears every time I thought of her. I took care of her in her final year, and we grew even closer. She was the one who encouraged me to find you. She could tell I still loved you."

"I'm so glad you did. I have looked for you for years."

"How's your father doing without your mom?

"I'm not sure. We haven't heard from him in years."

"Bobby, how did you end up playing professional soccer?"

"I started playing in college. I loved it right away, and I had an excellent coach."

"Where did you go to school?"

"Indiana University. One of the best soccer programs in the country. After that, the Red Bulls... I mean the Blazes signed me, and I haven't looked back. Except to find you."

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

There. All caught up.

Today's Full Strip

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Mary Worth 1,151

Seven differences:

1) Gina's menu in panel 1, gone in panel 2
2) Same for the water glass
3) Chairs appear in panel 2
4) Gina's left arm is stuck through the table top in panel 2.
5) Broccoli in planter boxes grows huge in panel 2.
6) Bobby Black: Loser in panel 1. Winner in every way, panel 2.
7) Panel 1: Story is genius. Panel 2: Story is even more genius!

Friday, October 21, 2011

For My Wife

Did I get this right, honey?

Happy Halloween!

No mere mortal can resist
The evil of the Thriller!

Mary Worth 1,150

Gina suddenly looks a bit distressed at the prospect of "catching up."

Bobby: "So what have you been doing for the past ten years?"

Gina: "Me? Ohhh, oh... there isn't that much to tell really. I started working at Diner when I was 17 and have pretty much spent all my time since telling people about our innocent love, fate's cruel hand, and bearing my cross..."

Bobby: "It was nice seeing you again."

I admit I have completely plagiarized today's post from reader comments the last few days. Thanks everyone for making me laugh.

Today's Full Strip

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Mary Worth 1,149

Careful, Gina. He's either still a major player, or just as psychotic as you. Neither possibility is healthy.

Today's Full Strip

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Mary Worth 1,148

Loved? Loved? That's past tense, right? Is it possible that the love Bobby felt at 14 was fleeting and he actually moved on with his life? Or is it more likely that after seeing Gina's face in panel 1, he felt a little queasy and decided that love isn't for him.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Mary Worth 1,146

Henry Miller also said:
Not a single object seems to possess a practical use. The antechamber itself seems useless, a sort of vestibule to a barn. It is exactly the same sort of sensation I get when I enter the Comedie-Francaise or the Palaise- Royal Theatre; it is a world of bric-a-brac, of trap doors, of arms and busts and waxed floors, of candelabras and men in armor, of statues without eyes and love letters lying in glass cases. Something is going on, but it makes no sense; it's like finishing the half-empty bottle of Calvados because there's no room in the valise.”

- Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer


I think Henry Miller would be THRILLED to know he was quoted in Mary Worth where something is going on, but it makes no sense!

Today's Full Strip

Friday, October 14, 2011

Mary Worth 1,145

I'm surprised Gina made it back to the Hilton in one piece. After the Santa Royale Soccer Players lost the Big Game to the New York Blazes, the rioting in the streets has been ferocious. Most of the city is in flames, and very few windows have been left unbroken.

Today's Full Strip

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Mary Worth 1,144

The Big Game has started. The Santa Royale Soccer Players vs. the New York Blazes. As we approach the climactic scene of this remarkable story, I just want to take a moment to ponder the marvelous craftmanship employed by our story tellers.

This story has covered a ten-year period, and due to the remarkable talents of our author and artist, it has actually felt like ten years. That's not easy to pull off.

It all began when Mary "dodged a bullet," thus introducing us to Gina's deep emotional scars and her tendancy to over react to verbal cliches. The author then made excellent use of a writing technique called "telling," and deftly avoided making the common mistake made by most writers called "showing."

For example, we were told of Fate's cruel blow as it tore Gina from the arms of her 14-year-old lover (innocent). Fortunately, we never witnessed any reason for their love; we were trusted enough to use our own imaginations. Most writers don't trust their readers, but it is a wonderful compliment that Karen Moy trusts us so much. She allowed us to decide why these two children had such an unusual love for one another, rather than offering any reason in her writing such as a tender kindness or common cause.

Then Gina told us about her father having witnessed a gruesome mob killing. Moy made the dignified decision to avoid actually showing us any action related to the murder, thus sparing us the violence it would no doubt have portrayed.

Gina bore her cross as she sat by her mother's bed and watched her die. Fortunately, we never had to actually see her do anything for her mother, but we can trust Gina that when she bore her cross, it was heartbreaking and inspiring.

Moy also trusted our imaginations to determine what may have happened to Gina's father, the puppet on Fate's Cruel Hand.

Gina promised her dead mother that she would find Bobby Black, and then proceeded to talk about it at work with her customer, Mary Worth. We came to appreciate how challenging this decision must be in these modern days of social networking. Reuniniting with childhood friends is truly more difficult than any of us realized. Without that weeks-long conversation, we might have assumed based on our own experience that finding a lost friend is simply a few mouse clicks away, and not that big a deal. Fortunately, Gina's dialog corrected our misconceptions.

Then she went to a coffee shop, and we actually watched her use her laptop. Normally, one must go Anywhere on Earth to see such high action. It made sense when Bobby turned out to be a professional soccer player because we had seen him ride a skateboard as a child. Subtle, Karen Moy, very subtle.

Moy has never shied away from surprising her readers. We were surprised when Gina seemed to know so much about soccer, and big games. We were surprised when she took decisive steps to reach Bobby using her telephone over and over again. And we were surprised when Moy took shots against one of her own sponsors (Hilton Hotel) by portraying the staff and amenities as completely subpar.

And now today, she has surprised us once again by actually allowing us to watch Gina watch television.

So many writing devices in one story is truly mind altering. There ought to be a law against this type of writing.

No really. There ought to be a law.

Today's Full Strip

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Mary Worth 1,143

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor degrading public humiliation stays these ridiculously costumed couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Today's Full Strip

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Mary Worth 1,142

Santa Royalty Messenger Service. When it absolutely positively has to be there between six to eight weeks.

Arena soccer?? It's not even a professional team? The ironic thing about indoor soccer is that you can play off the wall, making for a faster paced game. Isn't that ironic?

Monday, October 10, 2011

Mary Worth 1,141

Never concerned about appearing foolish, Gina pursues Bobby further by mailing an old layer of snake skin to Bobby's hotel room.

Today's Full Strip

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Mary Worth 1,140

It's hard to know what happened to room 1047, but perhaps they removed it for not being up to the Hilton's exacting standards: Clock radio, bedside telephone (voice mail down), hair dryer, personal mail slot.

It's too bad that when Desk Clerk wrote Bobby Black's name on the envelope with his giant-sized Sharpee, he ran out of ink just as he was about to write down the room number, of all times! If only the Hilton had some extra ball points available at the desk.

Today's Full Strip

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Mary Worth 1,139

After an entire week of plot twists and farcical antics at the Hilton Madhouse, I am greatly relieved to spend some time watching Mary Worth read from her "Big Book of Other People's Destinies."

Today's Full Strip

Friday, October 7, 2011

Mary Worth 1,138

Ha ha ha ha! Do you get it? The desk clerk said 1049, but Freddie said 1045. Do you remember the creep at Diner who gave Gina his phone number? Guess who just happens to be staying in room 1045! He'll be thrilled to give Gina a call.

Generally, for such hilarious comedy high jinks, one must turn to the genius of Jerry Lewis.



Today's Full Strip

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Mary Worth 1,137

I work in the Washington D.C. area, and I can't tell you how many times the roads are clogged, the hotels are booked, and the populace is in a general frenzy anytime the New York Soccer Team comes to town. Of course, in D.C., the roads are always clogged, the hotels are always booked and the populace is generally in a frenzy anyway. But this clip of the D.C. United beating the New York Soccer Team (in white) pretty much speaks for itself on what a huge impact major league soccer has on the region. Thank heaven they have the prerecorded fan noise to augment the audio track.


Did you see Bobby Black take off his shirt at the end? That guy looks like he's really into ponytails.

Today's Full Strip

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Mary Worth 1,136

It's a conspiracy! No doubt Hilton Hotel Clerk just got a call from Team Manager who made sure no Groupies who read Kicking It magazine are able to leave a message for his Boys. Wouldn't you know. Now of all times.

Today's Full Strip

Monday, October 3, 2011

Mary Worth 1,135

What, we missed the scene where Gina tricked Team Manager into disclosing the hotel? I feel ripped off. If there's one thing I don't get enough of in this strip, it's watching people talk on the phone. Fortunately, we at least get to see her leave a message at the Hilton.

Does anyone remember this strip from September 19?

Today's Full Strip

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Mary Worth 1,134

If there's one thing a professional sports management company can't stand, it's the fans! Fortunately, this is soccer, so they don't have to put up with many of those.

See this Facebook photo of Eve.


I've never really heard this cliche made gender specific before. I'm glad Gina is not being confused with Eve, but I really hope she is not being confused with Adam.



Oh, I don't know. Your job is to serve Diner patrons, but that doesn't seem to keep you from doing other things... in fact, it's the one thing you don't seem ever to do.






And thus, a stalker is born. Again. Another stalker. Aldo Kelrast. LiZa. Now, Gina.


Today's Full Strip

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Mary Worth 1,133

If the Blazes team color is blue, how will Gina recognize Bobby if he isn't in a red shirt? Red like a blaze of fire.

The very cool New York Blazes gear reminds me of Frank's very cool hats on "30 Rock."



Today's Full Strip