Thursday, August 27, 2015

Mary Worth 2131

The gloves are OFF! The cups are DOWN! The couch is BLUE!

It's funny, though: In many ways, they're both right.

Today's full strip

51 comments:

Aunt Chrissy said...

Hah! I rarely comment here but this is one of the blogs I simply HAVE to read every morning. And this Mary Worth storyline is just "the gift that keeps on giving", isn't it?

My only question is: WHERE'S MARY??? She's been completely absent for at least a week now! Though I suppose in MW time it's been less than a day. Seems longer, doesn't it?

Wonder when she'll step in and work her trademark magic?

Anyway, thanks for your hard work on your terrific blog, which my spell checker keeps wanting to call a "blot". It's a positive blot, though! :D

mar said...

Boor, boar, or bore? They all apply.

fauxprof said...

Moy has come up with a fairly realistic storyline about marital tension. Mary should not be able to solve this one with platitudes and salmon squares...but, odds on, she will.

KitKat said...

Whatever liquid is in those mugs must be magic, what with the way the clouds of steam come and go. I wish Mr. G. had added clouds of steam coming out of the ears of both Toby and Ian.

"If you left your studio every once in a while" - huh?? Ian isn't aware of Toby's poolside guzzle-and-gossip sessions with Mary?

And, as @Chrissy at 9:59 a.m. noted, there's been an absence of Mary. I expect HER ears are now zeroing in on the Cameron feud and she'll materialize soon. Cue the Cliche Meter!

Nance said...

Oh, Wanders. We are simpatico. I, too, was practically screaming, "Coasters!" when I saw those two steaming mugs on that polished coffee table. Toby will be out of her studio for days now, sanding and refinishing.

LouiseF said...

M. Wanders, your comments today are what I LIVE for reading this blog...Brilliant, how you riveted our attention onto the absence of coasters on the coffee table in the midst of Toby and Ian's fight.... Truly a tour de force of comics commentary. These two need marriage counseling at this point. Might I suggest Ladies Home Journal's very good "Can This Marriage Be Saved?" column? Mary has been AWOL, and they clearly need an intervention...

NotARobot said...

I don't know why anyone wants Mary to stick her big, meddlesome proboscis into this. Things are just getting good! Egocentric tub o' lard versus egocentric snark-queen... finally--a story-line worth tuning in for. But what's up with the molten beverages??

Vince said...

And another thing, Ian, will you please consider wearing something other than that ridiculous green jacket??!!

meg said...

Knock, knock!

Ian: WHO'S THERE??

It is I, Hilton Berkes, come for the tour of one of the empty condos you promised. But I can tell you're busy, so I'll come back later. (like never)

carlnepa said...

A different scenario:
Meanwhile in the empty condo next door, Hilton Berkes stands ear against the adjoining wall
taking it all in. He thinks to himself "Ian might need some comforting tomorrow".
Ewwwwwww...I have to go wash out my imagination with Clorox.

carlnepa said...

Oh, I noticed this has degenerated into a Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf dialogue sans the alcohol at least overtly.

Martha: I looked at you tonight and you weren't there... And I'm gonna howl it out, and I'm not gonna give a damn what I do and I'm gonna make the biggest god-damn explosion you've ever heard.

George: Try and I'll beat you at your own game.

Martha: Is that a threat George, huh?

George: It's a threat, Martha.

Martha: You're gonna get it, baby.

George: Be careful Martha. I'll rip you to pieces.

Martha: You're not man enough. You haven't the guts.

George: Total war.

Martha: Total.

meg said...

What, OMG, if they make up in a traditional way, and Toby gets pregnant? The shark will officially be jumped. Or what if there's a spot of domestic violence (Toby yanks Ian's beard)?

smooth said...

Oh, Meg, please don't let Toby get pregnant. That nine months will run for an excruciating 5 years in Worthtime.

Chin Napkin Groupie said...

It's impossible to root for either one of them.

Anonymous said...

I just want Wanders to award me my prize for winning his un-contest, contest last week. Bummer....

Gold-Digging Nanny said...

This panel is just amazing (the dialogue! The cups! The couch!). Great post about it, Wanders!

I actually feel compelled to post a compliment to the creators. Thank you, Karen Moy, for giving us "pompous boor." We've all thought it about the bloviating Ian Cameron, but it is a special treat to see it in-strip. Comic strip fights can be boring; this one is amazing.

And props, Joe Giella, for drawing a blouse I would actually consider wearing (though probably not in that color, although I would prefer that pink to the ubiquitous lavender in this strip if I have to be styled by a coloring monkey). It looks like it has some interesting gathering around the bustline that would make it, dare I say, fashionable? Ian, on the other hand, is still wearing his green jacket that looks texturally as though it were made from Brillo pads. I'm beginning to get the impression that Hilton Berkes once told him that it looked "interesting" and he's been wearing it nonstop since.

Wanders said...

Anonymous, you are right: I have not followed through with our recent Not a Real Contest contest. My apologies, as I am still on the road. This trip will be nearly a month long before I get home. Would you allow me to make the award when I get home next month? Please feel free to remind me again.

Anonymous said...

Hey Wanders - now I feel bad. Have a safe trip and take all the time you need - well, of course, that's assuming you'll decide that I'm clearly the winner of the Not a Real Contest.

Anonymous said...

review past interactions ... blah blah blah....

Yahoonski said...

I didn't get a chance to comment on the infinity counter tops in the Cameron kitchen the other day. It's exactly the kind of feature that might induce Hilton to move into "The Stone" (as the hipper long-time residents refer to it).

KitKat said...

Just wait until Hilton finds out that Ian considers spending time with him a sacrifice. Bye-bye big office with ample bookshelves, hello broom closet.

Wool Worth said...

carlnepa said...
Oh, I noticed this has degenerated into a Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf dialogue sans the alcohol at least overtly.

It's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf with Tetley Tea, Splak, horsies and hopefully salmon squares.

meg said...

I'm frightened. These are the only realistic scenes and dialog I have ever seen in Mary Worth. Hold my hand, please.

Chin Napkin Groupie said...

Hey, Meg. It's obvious that Moy is on vacation and that her high school intern has temporarily taken over.

Dawn Weston's Evil Twin said...

Hmmm...if an intern has taken over the strip from the usual author, is that the equivalent of when Mary Worth takes over the "Ask Wendy" column for Wilbur Weston (my dear old dad)?

I have to say that I am LOVIN' this plot line! So realistic! So delicious to watch others suffer through arguments that I don't have to take part in myself!

Toby, I'll be waiting at the Charterstone pool with a margarita for you, whenever you're ready.

fauxprof said...

Boy, this is getting painfully realistic. In Saturday's installment, Ian is sleeping on the couch and Toby pronounces an ominous "We're done!"

Next, Ian packs up his kilt, single malt whiskey, and bilious astro turf sport coat, and moves in with Hilton Berkes.

Delilah said...

I'm glad Ian finally took off his Astroturf jacket before he sacked out on the couch.

Mike in Cleveland said...

KitKat's right. Toby spent the last week in July sipping lemonade with Mary at poolside. In the Worthyverse this translates to the previous afternoon. If the gallery opening and finishing her horse figurine was so important, why'd she waste time at the pool gossiping about the two lovers?

And I agree with the criticism of Ian. Doesn't he have a cell phone, or an office where he can pick up a desk phone? All of this could have been avoided so easily...

Nance said...

SUNDAY

Toby is packing up a week's worth of bedsheets in her briefcase and looks to be leaving her husband. He brought home a dinner guest unannounced and missed her art show. Then he reminded her that he was the Breadwinner.

Tune in tomorrow when Toby complains that he never noticed her sparkling floors or outdoor-fresh laundry, either, as she straightens her shirtwaist and clutches her pearls.

KitKat said...

Sunday
Egan, Ian's headed to work sporting that same hideous outfit. Is this the Sata Royale Polytechnic University uniform, or does Ian think Hilton won't recognize him in other clothes?

There's no room in that case for her makeup, so Toby used up all her mascara before packing.

Anonymous said...

Is it me or is Toby packing that mini suitcase through the front panel that's missing? Hope she doesn't pack anything valuable.

Anonymous said...

Tomorrow's episode: "Mary gets a roommate". (oh, I mean next month. It will probably take that long for Toby to finish packing and get out the door.)

meg said...

So, in panel one, Ian didn't sleep at all last night.
Was he turnin' and tossin', tossin' and turnin'?
Did he kick the blankets on the floor?
Did he turn his pillow upside down?
Did he hear the milkman at the door?

birdie said...

I'm totally confused. Wasn't "We're getting married!" in the Worthiverse supposed to mean that the characters will have no more problems and can safely disappear from the strip into presumed, albeit invisible, married bliss? How can this be happening? They're married! It's supposed to be perfect! I'm so disillusioned!

Wanders said...

Just checking in. I've been driving from Coos Bay, Oregon, to Maryland. I've made it as far as Davenport, Iowa, tonight and need to get some rest. I don't think I'm going to do another marathon drive as the traffic will start to get heavier I'm sure.

I just hope I'm not missing anything interesting in the Worthiverse.

KitKat said...

MONDAY
Goodness, Wanders is driving cross-country and missing the Cameron marital dust-up! Maybe it's better that he's unaware of the latest - we don't want him to be distracted on the drive.

In the midst of her packing, Toby changed from her tank top to a short-sleeved top. Maybe she decided to pack the tank. With her collection of mini cases, she's going to have 27 cases to load. Poor Mr. Alora.

fauxprof said...

So far, Toby's just packing her clothes. Then she's got to pack up her art supplies and the liquor cabinet...and where does she expect to go?

Wanders, take care, I've been following the news, and Iowa is being invaded by...eeewww...political candidates!

76VDubber said...

Wanders, I hope you enjoyed Davenport! I'm a Quad Citian (Quad Citizen?), so I hope you found our little metroplex on the Mississippi River good for a night's rest. Take care and drive safely!

Let's hope that Toby also finds a good place to bunk down and decompress. I'm guessing she'll be knocking on Mary's door tomorrow.

meg said...

Wanders is sleeping IN Davenport, and Ian is sleeping ON the davenport.

KitKat said...

@meg at 10:55 a.m., rimshot! It also nudged me to a walk down memory lane - my grandparents always said "davenport." No sofas in their living room.

Carlye said...

KitKat, my grandparents had a chesterfield!

LouiseF said...

Apparently Toby can ONLY consult with Mary over other peoples' situation, not her own...Just when WILL Ms. Worth appear? I anticipate a sighting as Toby piles her suitcases into the elevator or maybe begins driving angrily out of the parking lot. We know how much Mary hates a bad driver.. . .Distraction got Hanna Dingdon booted out of Charterstone (and saddled with a new husband). . .

KitKat said...

Toby, come back! You forgot to pack the lamps!

Anonymous said...

Poor Wanders, going on a vaca just in time for the most epic Mary Worth storyline of the last couple years.

fauxprof said...

Toby has packed everything into a tote bag and a Samsonite briefcase. Impressive, considering that she appeared to be making away with all the household linens. The figurines are still at the gallery show, which leaves Ian with custody of decades of clown paintings. Seems fair to me.

Carlye said...

TUESDAY

Tell me this isn't one of the funniest strips of the year!

Nance said...

If Ian's driving the pink car, I cannot wait to see Toby's ride.

Not Worthy said...

Panel 2: Do you think the editor added "which is technically two words" .
Wouldn't it have been easier to go back and change Panel 1 to "one word" or, instead of "Goodbye" say:
"Good riddance"
"Adios amigo"
"Seeya later" or even
"Black Wallpaper"

Delilah said...

Wouldn't it be cool if Toby took up with Dr. Jeff? Joy!

Chin Napkin Groupie said...

When will Ian wake up and realize that this is the best thing that's happened to him in like forever.

meg said...

Chinnie- Never, because stout, 60-something, green-jacketed, non-tenured professors only have one shot at getting a hot blonde younger wife. From now on, Mary will be the only woman in his life. PS that green jacket doesn't mean he won the Masters, either.