So, I guess this is the story about how mean and cruel it is to gossip, and how unfair it is that spending all of your social and academic time with your ruggedly handsome professor at museums, restaurants and on his living room floor, can lead to such unjustified rumor and speculation.
"Yoga Practice with Harlan" can be seen on cable channel 7 weeknights at 6 p.m. Pacific. Tonight's special guest star, Dawn Weston.
Wait! Wait! Dawn Weston? And that sandwich looks like actual FOOD!! What has happened in the Worthiverse?? I'll tell you what has happened. June Brigman has taken over drawing the Sunday strips to give Joe Giella a very much deserved one-day-a-week off! I was worried that she might be completely replacing Joe, whom I adore, obviously, and that perhaps something was wrong with Joe, but this is great. Sundays off for Joe. Take a day off. You deserve it! And, yes, June's pretty awesome too.
You can read more about June here.
There's a word that only college students would use, "Fawning." As in, "Oh, Professor Jones, your mustache is so thick and lustrous. It reminds me of Leonardo Da Vinci. Would you like another bite of my sandwich?"
Yesterday's Ask Wendy letter submitted by RockDoc (aka Renaissance Man) was just awesome, especially now that we stop to consider how Dawn's classmates might feel about her dating her professor. And, yes, Dawn, meals together, museum trips and private yoga practicing sessions between a single man and a single woman is dating, no matter how much your father may approve. Why study for tomorrow's quiz when you can have lunch with the teacher instead?
Okay... just in case you missed it on Monday, there is definitely a picture of Batman behind Dawn. Probably a little too obvious today, Joe, but thanks just the same. Even more thrilling, however, is the fact that this is probably the first time ever that there has been noticeable continuity in the Weston's breakfast nook. Of course, the roses are now modern art and they've put in some bookshelves. But, hey, it's Batman! And I was huge on Batman when Joe Giella was drawing him back in the day, so I consider this a personal gift to me. I feel like I've come full circle.
"Hmmm... Harlan is knowledgeable about things? I wonder if he would be a good substitute for my Ask Wendy column? Perhaps he could offer some advice on what to do when your daughter is dating her substitute professor."
.... Wait a minute! Is that Chin Napkin's cousin, Blue Chin Napkin? I think Beatrice Chestnut, 5th grade colorist, didn't even recognize Chin Napkin so she mistakenly colored him blue.
Edited to add: Pay attention to Vince's comment today! He spotted Batman in the photos behind Dawn. Joe Giella drew for Batman comics back when I was a kid. Great find, Vince. And thanks, Joe.
Meanwhile, at the Slum of Art...
My father always says, "The easiest thing in the world is to be a cynic." I guess that's why I started this blog. I saw how many people seemed to criticize this strip, failing to appreciate how amazingly difficult it must be to tell a story two panels a day (seven on Sundays). Then when my local paper, the Washington Post, stopped printing it, I knew something had to be done. I think of this blog as my own version of the Santa Royale Museum of Art, a place to preserve a great masterpiece, epic in its scope, infinitesimal in its execution, so that it may be preserved and celebrated, if not in this generation, perhaps in my grandchildren's.
