Dear friends, this is purely coincidental and has nothing to do with Steven leaving, but after blogging about Mary Worth for over 15 years, I need to take a little break. I'm not sure when, or if, I'll return. Everything is fine personally. Things are so great, in fact, that suddenly Mary Worth has little meaning for me anymore. I know, it's hard to believe. So I'm taking a break. I don't know if it will be like Estelle's first few breaks with Wilbur and I will come back at the slightest whiff of Woody's BBQ, or if it will be more like her current break with Wilbur which still has so many unaswered questions. Maybe after a week or two, I'll feel like I can't live without Mary Worth, and I'll return. That wouldn't surpise me. Perhaps all I need is a vacation. But if I don't return, I just want to thank each of you for how much fun you've made this place. I've read every comment you've ever written, and I've laughed and grinned at, well, most of them.
I feel like I'm saying goodbye to friends, and I just want to let you know, in all sincerity how grateful I am for your support during all this time.
Other things happening in the country and the world are certainly more important in the long run, but this could be a momentous and tragic shift in the Worthiverse. Wanders, you have been a positive force and a fount of knowledge here. We hope to see you back soon, but if this is the end, you will be sorely missed.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all the work you've put into this over the years. You will be dearly missed. Looking forward to your return, if and when. Best of fortunes to you,Wanders.
ReplyDeleteStunned silence.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me or does anyone else feel like they just got punched in the gut? Seriously, Wanders, I don't think any of us won't wish you all the best if you choose not to return. It's great to know that life is treating you well. I am truly grateful for all the laughter MW&M has brought to me through the years. I can't remember exactly how many years ago (12?) that I stumbled across your blog, but it's been long enough to have become an integral part of my morning routine. Make the coffee, let the dog out, check out MW&M. And, like you, I feel that your commenters are now my friends. I will miss you all dearly. Not to get too maudlin, but this last year has been especially rough on me. There have been many mornings I've had to slap myself and wipe off the tears. I've actually said to myself, "Okay, enough of that. You need to start thinking about something truly important and life altering: your Mary Worth comment!"
Again, I do wish you well. Enjoy that lovely grandchild of yours. Hopefully, there will be many more to follow. But what I really hope is that you will miss Mary Worth, and your pals, and that we will see you back here sometime in the future.
Take care, Blog Boy...
HelenClark
I'm just a lurker, but I wanted to take the opportunity to let you know how much this site has meant to me. Enjoy your well-deserved hiatus or retirement, whichever it should be.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, Wanders. You have done yeoman's work here, and now it is time to rest.
If we see you again, wonderful! If we don't, best wishes, and thank you so much for all you've done here.
-- Scottie
Wanders, don't be alarmed if you spot us peeking in your windows or bumping into you at the pet food store. It's just that we'll miss you.
ReplyDeleteDitto to all that's been said above. I also salute you for your perseverance in making something positive out of what is ultimately a pretty wretched comic strip. If it were not for your wise and witty stewardship and the wonderful contributions of the community here, I would never read MW. In fact, I have felt increasingly guilty about doing so, as if we were somehow enabling Moy's infuriatingly shallow takes on various real-life issues. But I'll be back if you come back. Meanwhile, ave atque vale!
ReplyDeleteWanders,
ReplyDeleteThank you for many hours of enjoyment. I came to the site later than some, but have enjoyed every moment. You have created a community of distant friends. Enjoy your time off, or total retirement. You will be missed.
To those who contribute on a regular basis, I will miss your creative and snarky humor.
Best wishes,
Well hopefully you can still do the worthy awards every year .
ReplyDeleteSafe journeys, Wanders, and return to us someday if you feel that you can. I’d like to express my gratitude to and to this wise and witty community. You’ve helped me through bereavement and illness by keeping me laughing. I’ll miss you.
ReplyDeleteDear Wanders,
ReplyDeleteWhether this is the end of MWAM or just a hiatus, I just wanted to thank you for all of the laughs over the years. Your faithful reporting on the unique madness of the Mary Worth Universe has added a lot of welcome humor to our lives. All the best to you and yours!
And you found the perfect panel to say goodbye for now or forever! Considering the source material, you created a small miracle with this site; rich, strange, and often hilarious. I will miss it, and all the comments. Save journeys, Wanders.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Wanders for your humor over the years. I'm glad to hear that things are well with you and your family. I only started reading this inane strip because of your blog, but have been reading the strip less and less these days with Karen Moy's terrible, out of touch advice and dull stories. Time for me to take a break as well, although I may still check in with Josh's blog from time to time. Best of luck and thank you again.
ReplyDeleteWow, this plot is so bad it has finally possibly driven even the devoted M. Wanders to take stock of whether or not to continue with the daily blog slog. Reading all of your wise and funny comments has definitely helped me feel sane and less alone at various times over the years. If not for Mary Worth, I'd probably have been shouting at the TV or some online story, and that's what I probably will do now, along with wondering if I might be running into one of you at some Dave's supermarket in Cleveland. I might have to start a Mary Worth withdrawal support group...
ReplyDeleteWanders, thank you so much for your wry humor, your insights, and your energy. I've been loving this blog for a number of years and will miss all that it brings to the day. Enjoy your time away. Hope you'll return, Scriptor Quondam et Futurus!
ReplyDeleteNoooo, don't go! Sigh, ok, I'll be ok...
ReplyDeleteSeriously as a lurker (per Auntie Velvet) I have contributed only three times but read your blog nearly daily and always vote on the awards! It's always good for a laugh or a groan and as we all probably agree, I would never read MW without the blog. So what will I do now?
Best wishes Wanders!
Oh no, it appears that a day I have dreaded has arrived. Dear Wanders, I’ve often felt guilty because you have done so much for so long while all I’ve done is laugh uproariously and contribute some snark. I don’t remember how I found this blog, but it’s been wonderful. You and our Worthiverse community of snarkateers have been such lovely friends. Reading Mary Worth and then going immediately to MW & Me has been my morning ritual for so long.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the many years of doing so much to keep us smiling and sane. I would request the addition of “Thanks for the Memory” by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross to the Charterstone Jukebox, but my heart would break at the opening chord. Instead, I’ll recall the many highlights, including the plucky and game Mrs. Wanders and you reenacting the Ashlee-Drew Insta photo shoot. That was one for the ages!
Enjoy your growing family, Wanders. Live long and prosper! If you are up to returning some day, you’ll be welcomed with open arms
.
All the best, Wanders. I hope you do come back soon, but I'm just some guy on the Internet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for everything, Wanders. I'll miss you!
ReplyDeleteYikes! I've been enjoying MWaM since 2008 (Toby's Enormoushop.com adventure). While I understand the need for a break, I sure hope it isn't permanent. The world needs its single-strip obsessives!
ReplyDeleteI'm just a lurker too but I lurk here every day and will miss you tremendously! It's wonderful to know people love Mary Worth even more than I do. I'll imagine you heading off for a sunset cruise and dinner at the Bum Boat with Mary by your side. You'll always be Worthy to us readers. Take care.
ReplyDeleteSee you on New Country Road! I'll be the dog under the tree, dreaming of Mary's bike basket.
ReplyDeleteBe well, Wanders.
Wanders, well done! Of course you must do what makes you happy, but this site will be much missed. With Comics Curmudgeon down (possibly gone forever?), I have no comic strip snark to enjoy but my own these days. But I truly love "Me and Mary Worth" and you have left a funny and lasting mark on pop culture. Best to you!
ReplyDeleteTake care, Wanders. These dire cases and Yelp reviews have taken a toll on the very best of us. I too will be waiting (in appropriate stunned silence) for your potential return, and I will pass along the fax number to Estelle's therapist in your tummy brain can in time gain clarity and rejoin us someday.
ReplyDeleteIn the Worthiverse, no breaks are truly permanent. Currently our unresolved plot beat is that Ed and Estelle's therapeutic bliss is about to be interrupted by the fact that her Warning Shot could not possibly be enough to resolve Wilbur's stalking - perhaps Ed giving him a well-deserved walloping will lure you back. I mean, who could resist fisticuffs.
In the meantime, if fellow denizens of MWandMe feel urgent need to comment (Estelle's therapist will be all booked up), particularly Worthy strips are often featured on the Comics Curmudgeon at joshreads.com .
ReplyDelete@KitKat -- We should all take turns standing outside Wanders' window playing "Thanks for the Memory" on a boom box.
-- Scottie
Please return! The only worse news would be if the comic strip itself stopped running.
ReplyDeleteOh, Wanders!! I was having a rotten day before and your news has done me in. I will try very hard to think of you as happy and contented. But I cannot express how much I will miss you and all the people who make this blog so delightful.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Oh, this makes me sad!
ReplyDeleteMany years ago my 3rd grade best friend and I vowed to remain forever silly. This blog has helped me keep true to that vow.
ReplyDeleteWanders, enjoy your Worth-less life!
Meg
Vaya con Dios!
ReplyDeleteThis makes me so sad!! I'll miss you, and the site, and hope to see you return. Take good care of yourself!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for you, Wanders, and wish you every wonderful thing. Thank you so very, very much for all that you've given us over the years. If you return to this Mary little world I'll be there too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for putting a smile on my face every morning. It's been a lot of fun. I also enjoyed reading all the comments too.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck, Wanders!
Thanks for all you've done!!! I appreciate your insight.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Wanders. And don't worry. If you decide to come back in 6 months or so, you won't have to do more than a paragraph or 2 to catch up.
ReplyDeleteOh Wanders, say it isn't so. I've been lurking here for a long long time and have even made the occasional donation to show, inadequately, some appreciation for what you did here day after day and year after year. Like the others I hope you discover whatever reasons there might be to return to MW&M but if you don't, enjoy our well-deserved rest and the knowledge that you brought so much joy and laughter to so many people. Bon Voyage!
ReplyDeleteJimmy Joe
I’ve had more fun at a funeral than I’ve had here today.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for everything, especially the Worthy Awards. Reading this blog always cheered me up.
ReplyDeleteWow. 15 years of dealing with Mary's muffins and platitudes and insipid plots? You deserve a break Wanders. And a medal. Will miss you. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteThank you for entertaining me the past few years! I always got a small tingle of joy when we had the same jokey take on a panel. Great job! So long and thanks for all the fish!
ReplyDeleteOh what a sad say. For years My sister and I would start our day sharing snark about mary worth. Imagine our shock when we found out that we were not alone and that were many more crazies out there. I can’t even imagine mornings without this blog🥲.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Wanders. Another lurker here who has enjoyed your column for years. Sending you all best wishes for whatever comes next.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like there are a lot of lurkers (like me). You probably had a greater positive impact than you knew. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, wanders! We'll miss you but you've earned a break. Take care!
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad! I feel as if I've lost a friend. Maybe one of the wonderful and snarky regulars could fill in? Meg? Scottie? Helen? Fauxprof? KitKat?
ReplyDeleteDon't forget Ian Cameron, PhD
DeleteWanted to thank you for all your good work and all the smiles you have given me over the years.
ReplyDeleteAnother lurker who's never commented before here. I found you through a mention on an acquaintance of mine's site, The Comics Curmudgeon, about six or seven years ago, literally LOLed, and wound up continuing to follow you even after I gave up following him because it got to be too time consuming. Mary Worth was one of those strips I skipped over as a kid reading the comics section, but you made it extremely entertaining and I just wanted to say thanks for all the laughs and smiles you provided during some tough times. I'll bet there are a lot of us like me who may not have ever commented, but really appreciated and enjoyed your work just the same. :) You do what's best for you, and I'll refresh here and there, and if you do come back, I'll happily follow along again, and if you don't, you're in good company; almost every blog I've ever followed ended sometime. But thanks so much for everything once again and just know that you and your work are much appreciated. Wishing you all the best.
ReplyDeleteAnother mostly-lurker here to thank you for all the joy you've given us. I totally understand that you need to take care of you and yours, and I hope you find the balance you need and hopefully come back at some point (but if not, I get it.) For those who enjoy the snark and are on FB, look up the group Readers of the Comics Curmudgeon and join us there.
ReplyDeleteI'm one if your biggest fans but have always been reluctant to comment. This news is traumatic! Mary worth will not be the same without the witty and hilarious comments made by you and your loyal readers. Enjoy your time off but i hope you will at least consider posting once in a while or maybe a weeky recap. I'm glad your life is so fulfilling and happy. Best of luck in your future endeavors. Signed, Sad Susan
ReplyDeleteGasp! I must say, I share the sentiments expressed here. This site has been part of my morning routine for many years. You and the gang have brought me so many smiles, giggles and outloud laughs and I shall be forever grateful. Wishing you all the best and hoping to see you all again some day, somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI'm also a lurker who wants to thank you for your effort
ReplyDeleteI've also decided to take a break from Mary Worth. Reading it just for the opportunity to snarc isn't making sense any more.
Lurker also, also sad but understanding, especially given the current story. I'd be interested to know if half of the Mary Worth readers get there from MW&M? If so, even a pause in this blog could bring about the end of the strip. Which would be ... sad? But not as sad as the prospect of days without Wanders.
ReplyDeleteGreat. Now MY life has no meaning. (Just kidding. Thanks for being an important part of almost every day for me for the past 5-6 years!)
ReplyDeleteThat's unfortunate to hear, but thanks for the funny blog!
ReplyDeleteRest up and come back soon!
ReplyDeleteWe'll miss you, Wanders. Thanks for all the laughs, and take good care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteFeels like losing a friend... :(
ReplyDeletea sad lurker from Germany
Sharing many of the sentiments above. Thank you for all the work you have done here in daily providing a fun community to check in with for so many of us.
ReplyDeleteI really hope you find that you miss it all like crazy and come back to us! But, I understand that all things have a beginning and an end. I've enjoyed all the comments, secret messages, Worthy Awards, boldface haiku, and fabulous snark here. Thank you, Wanders, for creating such a fun community and for the incredible amount of time and effort you have devoted to keeping it going.
ReplyDeleteCBH from Son of Stuck Funky here!
ReplyDeleteI stand in awe of your fifteen years at the helm of this wonderful WORTHY blog. I can't even begin to imagine lasting as long as you have. Hope to see you back, but even if not, thank you for all the delicious snark and for the Worthy Awards!
Ah, Wanders. You will be missed! I can only hope that the Comics Curmudgeon picks up the slack and selects Mary Worth more often.
ReplyDeleteI found this site on Reddit. But no idea how Reddit works. https://www.reddit.com/r/MaryWorth/
ReplyDeleteI don't comment much on these sites, but I posted a similar comment on SOSF not long ago - I care for 2 disabled relatives, one of them my beloved Mr. Mrvy, and this is what keeps me smiling:
ReplyDelete1. Prayer followed by Mary Worth and Me in the morning
2. Prayer followed by Son of Stuck Funky at night
Thank you, sir, for helping keep me on an even keel. That sounds melodramatic, but it's sincere. Enjoy your rest, for however long it is.
I don't know if you would consider keeping MW&M going as a group effort, like SOSF. I wish I had the wit and tech skills to help (trust me, I don't!), and probably no one here needs more to do, but I wonder if some of the frequent funny people here could step up.
Thank you again. You're a gem!
When I was a kid I started reading this weird unfunny strip called Mary Worth because it was there and I read almost everything that crossed my path. She was a nosy parker and other characters in the strip all seemed to accept it and even like it, unlike my friend's nosy mom, who my father (who never said anything negative about anyone), called a 'horse's ass'. I couldn't understand how they could make a whole comic strip about a horse's ass. But I was weirdly fascinated. Soon I read MW every day - secretly - because it was dumb and I liked it anyway. Years went by. My local paper stopped carrying MW. I assumed it was cancelled everywhere, because who read it besides me?
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, while wasting time googling, I looked up MW and was shocked to discover it still existed. I found an on-line comic archive and read years and years of MW strips. Then I stumbled across MW&M and suddenly realized that I was not the only weirdo who read it. I had found a tribe. I've lurked here for years now, marveling at your amazing memory, Wanders, your quick wit which pokes fun but is never cruel and your generosity in creating a friendly platform for wayward snarkers to wander (ahem) in, share an eye roll and some delicious snarks and then get on the next train out.
As for many others, this blog has been a part of my morning ritual every day now for years.
It's been a lot of fun. Thank you! My mom, who was pretty smart, said 'always leave while the party's still swinging'. So all the best to you, Wanders and Mrs W and thank you!
Anne
Wanda, thanks for getting me back into the daily comics. When The Girls of Apartment 3-G stopped, I'm glad you were here. When Son of Stuck Funky ended, you were here. When the new Mark Trail begin.... I found vintage Mark Trail strips to read.
ReplyDeleteThank you for allowing me to discover the art and story lines of these classic strips though your blog.
I predict Wanders will return again at the next Wilbur story arc.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous at 9:28 a.m. on 10 April, from your lips to God’s ear! I miss him and all of you so much.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteTUESDAY, April 11
Ha haaaa, I can only imagine what Wanders would have made of today's idiotic strip! Gotta love the way Estelle cheered that snake right up!
-- Scottie
@Scottie, if Estelle continues to direct clients elsewhere, Ed won’t have to worry about putting in long hours anymore. Covering his costs, yes….
ReplyDeleteHarry the snake does look much better in the final panel, doesn't he? But how did Estelle know the name of any other vet? Much less one who specializes in exotic pets! We have all seen ample evidence that Estelle knows very little of anything, in fact. Will she now become Super Vet Tech? The power of love!
ReplyDeleteIn a grim, but deeply satisfying development, Pet Sitter Mary brings Libby and Pierre in “to visit Mommy”, as Mary archly remarks. The appetite of Harry the Boa suddenly improves. Now, choose your own adventure!
ReplyDeleteAnd, as with all creatures in the Worthiverse, Harry the Boa presents a benign countenance, at least at the vet's front desk. His Dan Blocker look-alike of an owner is also playing down any assumption of aggression with that "mom" tattoo.. I suspect they are both hiding their true intentions.
ReplyDeleteWho spells the given name with an 'ie'? Sure, I imagine many, many people do but boy is it ever forced here.
ReplyDeleteMollie's owner, Miss Kent, looks a bit strung out. And where IS the intern?
ReplyDeleteWanders! I've been on Spring break and just saw this. I'll miss the blog a lot, but I don't doubt you need a break. Just managing the Worthies award program is quite a task, but 15 years of dailies?? Put your feet up and bask in the sunshine by the Charterstone pool for a while. Have a salmon square if you're feeling brave. We'll be here if you feel like coming back (and we'll understand if you don't!).
ReplyDeleteTrue story: my basenji's name is Baz.
ReplyDeleteColumbo named his dog "Fido", "Munch" and "Beethoven" but ultimately settled on "Dog".
ReplyDeleteToday we learn that Estelle is so dedicated that she is willing to clean a pet cage. There is no limit to her dedication, apparently. Maybe love is blind, but it seems that love can't smell either.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteFRIDAY, April 14
My Lord, can this dialogue possibly get any more banal?
No, but Moy will try.
-- Scottie
Friday, April 14
ReplyDeleteMollie the collie, Felix the cat — Animal Hospital’s clients rate a minus 3 on the creativity scale.
When do we get to see the other “team members” who allegedly work here?
Way back when, we knew a family that had two cats: one long, black skinny cat that was somewhat more aloof and the other a rotund, grey fluffball. The cats' names? Siskel & Ebert.
ReplyDeleteOh No! It's the choking Doberman! (see "Legends, Urban")
ReplyDeletePlease be a salmon square lodged in there.
ReplyDeleteI know it's boring, but my guess is that Estelle assists Dr. Ed in some way as he dislodges the object from the dog's throat (heimlich?) and then all the Yelp reviews turn positive. They live happily ever after, working 24/7. The end.
ReplyDeleteSUNDAY, April 16
ReplyDeleteWell gosh golly willikers, one of Ed’s invisible team members has materialized. All right! Now disappear.
Estelle’s “Wow!” means she’s been bowled over by Ed’s masculine prowess. She was never wowed by Wilbur.
Ahem....except for Estelle not helping at all (should have known that!! Doh!!) Called it!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteMONDAY, April 17
He almost quit???
You don't want to be in a foxhole with anyone from the Harding family.
-- Scottie
Did Dr. Ed already go to that therapist or..... ??
ReplyDeleteHmmm.. I read it as Dr. Ed almost gave up on saving the choking dog. As with most things Worthiversian, Estelle has that ability to make assumptions without really listening. If I saw a dog with a rubberball down its throat, I'm not sure I'd keep at it either. But then again, I'm not a vet.
ReplyDeleteI feel kind of cheated. We never got to see Dr. Sweater-vest. Also, I think it's disingenuous to give credit to Estelle, who we all know, can't really do anything well.
ReplyDeleteYou guys do realize, I hope, that at some point, Wanders will be taking this blog down. It costs money to maintain a site. Just saying...
ReplyDeleteTUESDAY, April 18
ReplyDeleteYou don’t have to compensate Estelle, Ed. Her seeing you regularly is all she wants. Of course, you’ll have to terminate your previous receptionist, if she ever tries to come back.
You have a point, hmmm. We’d better gather rosebuds while we may.
ReplyDeleteWe have a Panel of the Year contender! The expression on that dog's face while he listens to this insipid blather is priceless! I imagine the dog is thinking, "Ugh, gag me with a tennis ball."
-- Scottie
4/18; Stell says "I do", practicing for their upcoming nuptials (so she hopes).
ReplyDeleteSo, Ed and Estelle are going to be dating while he is treating her ailing pets, seeing the same therapist and working together at a job where he has almost all of the responsibility and control while she has almost no relevant experience.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Santa Royale pet owners in the vicinity of Animal Hospital!
Well, I guess that just about wraps this up. Will we have Mary running a victory lap? Probably. I wish we could have a pool party, but the weather has been quite cool lately, so probably not.
ReplyDeleteI'm guess that this site will stay up as long as Wander's thinks he might return.
Well, it’s not exactly a marriage proposal, but it’s the best Estelle has been offered since we met her.
ReplyDeleteNoooooo! What about Panel of the Year?
ReplyDeleteWEDNESDAY, April 19
ReplyDeleteWell, what a surprise! Mary invited her old friend Wilbur for dinner, and he wants to get back with Estelle for the ninth time. By text. Who would’ve expected that?
ReplyDeleteOh no, Wilbur. If Wanders was feeling any itch to come back, I'm sure today's first panel killed it.
-- Scottie
Wilbur, exhibiting that penchant Worthiverse denizens have for not listening or answering a question they are asked. She asked how YOU were doing, schmuck, not how Estelle is doing now that she has wisely redirected her affections for someone more functional.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that Estelle not only said she was with someone else, she also said that he had better stop following her or she would take action.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how long it takes to eat a salad with a tiny fork like that. Perhaps Mary is trying to get Wilbur to lose a few pounds.
So was Wilbur stalking Stell or was it just her imagination? I'm thinking the former.
ReplyDeleteSomething non-Wilbur related:
ReplyDeleteWe know Estelle is 60+, because she told us so. If Dr. Ed is 60+, maybe he is due for retirement, not just having a poor, poor pitiful me moment.
You don’t need a bushy-haired near stranger to pep talk you into putting one paw in front of the other every dang day, Ed! Tap into your SOLO 401K and get thee to a Palm Springs condo with a pickle ball court and a sunset happy hour!
Wilbur looks sad. It may about Estelle, but more likely it’s the icky green stuff Mary’s making him eat. He needs some mayo, or at least some ranch.
ReplyDeleteWanders, thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been lurking and laughing to your blog for many years already. You can have no idea how much MWaM has brightened my every day. Please realize how much all the work you've put into this blog has meant to its readers and me. And it's been a lot more than just life in Charterstone; I've learned so much beyond the Worthiverse from you and your erudite readers. For 2023 the Worthy Lifetime Award goes to you, Mr Wanders. It's not going to be hard living without Mary, but it will be very hard to live without MWaM. All the very best to you and your family. We'll miss you!
ReplyDeleteTHURSDAY, April 20
ReplyDeleteThe sight of Wilbur’s awful comb over and his massive, repulsive hands is a horrible way to start one’s day. AAAIIIEEE!!!
What happened to “Ask Wendy” and “I’m Alive,” Wilbur’s forays into journalism? He could have been running from one disaster to another with no time to stalk Estelle.
I can't help wondering if JB was intentional about featuring Wilbur's pathetic combover as Mary advises him to "let go". If Wilbur can't let go of his thinning hair, how can he let go of what is clearly his biggest character flaw: obtusely believing his bad behavior will be eternally forgiven.
ReplyDeleteWilbur wonders what’s wrong with him. Outside of being a loathsome, disgusting troll who should be living under a bridge, I can’t think of a thing.
ReplyDeleteI wonder who Mary wants Wilbur to move on to. Is there anyone else living in Charterstone he hasn't repulsed yet? Are we doomed to find out?
ReplyDeleteFRIDAY, April 21
ReplyDeleteForget Dr. Sweatervest, Wilbur. Go to karaoke with Mary for therapy. Be sure to get buzzed ahead of time. With a little bit of luck, Estelle will be there with Ed, and you can let it all hang out. That’ll be just what you need!
Maybe this will be when Wilbur’s great charm and singing talent are discovered. He’ll appear on America’s Got Talent, win, and then go on an endless tour with the show. He’ll be featured regularly in the gossip rags, particularly when he’s enjoying a romance with Priscilla Presley. The ghost of Elvis will haunt his dreams, and he’ll wake up in a panicky sweat, which we all need to see one more time.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteHa haaa, a depressed Wilbur at a karaoke bar. What could go wrong?
-- Scottie
The only thing worse that a full-face shot of Wilbur is a sad, crying Wilbur. I really didn't need to see this today. But, as Scottie has pointed out, we can all look forward to something dreadful happening in the karaoke bar.
ReplyDeleteScottie@12:18-
ReplyDeleteI hope several things go wrong:
Iris and Zak show up. Zak creates a sensation singing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and sounding exactly like Freddie Mercury, while Iris dances the Fandango, (exactly like Elaine Benes from Seinfeld).
Dr. Ed plays a conveniently located piano, just like Jerry Lee Lewis, only more flamboyantly. ‘Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On’
Mary Worth gets drunk and dances so badly she’s asked to leave. “Whaddya mean, I’m too dance to drink?”
And at long last, Wilbur is embarrassed by other people.
Ooooh, this could be a disaster of a cataclysmic nature! It might even be enough to bring Wanders back!
ReplyDeleteHopefully Mary can request "Crying" by Roy Orbison.
ReplyDeleteSATURDAY
ReplyDeleteHow fitting that an egotist like Wilbur would dedicate a song to himself. “I Ain’t Got Nobody”? “Alone Again Naturally”? “Poor Wandering One”?
"I'm a Loser Baby" by Beck
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWilbur belts out a smoldering version of "I'm too sexy for my shirt, Too sexy for my shirt, So sexy that it hurts . . ."
-- Scottie
"I Wish I Was an Oscar Mayer Weiner" ... then everyone would be in love with me.
ReplyDelete"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor.
ReplyDelete"I'm Gonna Wash That Girl Right Outta My Hair" sort of by Mitzi Gaynor
"Forget You" by Cee Lo Green
"You're So Vain" by Carly Simon
I can hardly wait!!
By now, I would think Mary would know better than to take Wilbur to Karaoke. Has that ever ended well?
ReplyDeleteOptions for every generation! I vote for "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" by The Smiths
ReplyDeleteAnnie
Ha ha! "Rolling in the Deep,' like what Wilbur was doing when he fell overboard.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteSUNDAY
A hugely satisfying Sunday strip!
But if this isn't the death knell for karaoke in Santa Royale, I don't know what is.
-- Scottie
Oh, for crying out loud!
ReplyDelete“It finally hit him that he and Stell are really done….” HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
ReplyDeleteLast panel: Ah, love in bloom! Just wait until tomorrow, when Ed will put Estelle in charge of calling all his clients with unpaid bills. Considering how Ed runs his business, that’s ninety-seven percent of his clientele.
Oh, Wanders, we miss you...I know you have a family to take care of...and that you can't be a vigilante too..but oh, what fun you would have had with this story! I know we all are!!
ReplyDeleteY’know, this could be a good way to end the entire Mary Worth enterprise. All loose ends seem to be tied up. (Excepting Dawn, but she exists in an endless loop of post-teenage undergraduate angst.) so that’s a wrap, folks. KM can become a YouTube self-help influencer. June can go back to drawing Sci-Fi comic book cats (she really CAN draw cats, trust me!)…
ReplyDeleteOh, who am I kidding? Tune in tomorrow for a couple of weeks of Mary’s Victory Lap, then on to the next nothingburger of a story. A pool party would be nice, though.
Oh for Crying Out Loud. Honestly I could go for another week of Wilbur bawling his way through 70s ballads (better Star Lounge than his shower). Say, I hear there’s this new piano bar where the customers play and restraining orders are discouraged!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteMONDAY
Yes, dear friend, you almost did make it -- if, you know, you consider getting your marriage proposal turned down flat is almost making it.
-- Scottie
Mary’s memory is awfully (emphasis on “awful”) selective. Yes, Mary, your dear friend Wilbur almost made it with Estelle, other than stalking her on multiple occasions, blasting music outside her residence, getting drunk as a skunk and embarrassing her at that Thai place, trying to coerce her into marrying him on that cruise and then falling overboard, leading her to think he was dead…. Since he’s so dear to YOU, why don’t you dump Jeff and take up with Wilbur yourself?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Wanders has gone off Mary Worth cold turkey. He might enjoy another opportunity to roast Wilbur, whose awfulness is bottomless.
Didn't Mary encourage Wilbur to let go of his emotions by singing? So, why on earth did he choose a song that basically says, "Suck it up, dude, and learn how to hide your feelings."? And why on earth am I still trying to make any sense of anything KM writes?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it finally hit Wanders yet that he and Mary (and cast) are really done? That he almost had it all? Don't give up on his job!
ReplyDeleteI think it's time for Mary, after one too many white zinfandels at the Star Lounge, to go home and have a dream where she marries Wilbur and he appears in her dream with a head shaped like a muffin with blueberries for eyes...
ReplyDeleteI don't see how Wilbur "almost had it?" He was emotionally abusive to Estelle (threatened to kill her beloved cat, had a tantrum on a cruise ship when she smartly rejected his proposal, make her think he was dead for a week on purpose, etc). That relationship was very unhealthy and doomed from the start. He needs therapy, not karaoke.
ReplyDeleteWell, it has certainly been everything I could have hoped for. Wilbur singing a dumb song. Mary completely missing the mark. Dozens of wonderful comments from all of you people. I couldn't ask for anything more.
ReplyDeleteNot even Mary swooping in with her umpteenth attempt to plead Wilbur’s case can distract me from the sight of Libby sporting teeth in her ears.
ReplyDeleteSomething decidedly irksome about Mary plying Estelle with carrot cheesecake in an effort to "catch up". I suspect Mary is nosing for info. she can convey to the odious Wilbur.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteScenes we'd love to see but never will:
"Oh, Stell, you should have seen Wilbur at karaoke last night. It was heart-breaking. He still loves you so."
"OUT! . . . GET! OUT! NOW! . . . AND TAKE YOUR %$#@ CHEESECAKE WITH YOU!"
"Sheesh! I was just trying to be neighborly."
"OUT!!!"
-- Scottie
ReplyDeleteScenes, contd.
Estelle obtains a restraining order against Mary.
-- Scottie
Is anyone here on Facebook? I wish we could start a Mary Worth and Me group there.
ReplyDelete