Michael has written a Lassie fanfiction: "The 'Clipse"
It's subtly hilarious---feels to me like Dr Strangelove meets Leave It to Beaver, as told by Mark Trail*.
Lassie ran on TV from 1954 to 1973. I never saw one episode, but I could imagine the scenes anyway. For those of you who, like me, don't know the characters aside from Lassie, here's Boomer and Mike the dog––(breed? "a small," Michael says)––and Timmy and collie Lassie:
*You know Mark Trail, don't you?
Michael blogs about him too.
Nothing ever used to happen in Mark Trail. In the 1980s, someone on a community radio station here used to present a weekly "Mark Trail Report", interpreting the nothingness in mystical-ish existential terms.
Since those days, active plots have disturbed the nirvana of Lost Forest. Still, there are pockets of weirdness. I'd say the art in the strip below suggest the hunting dog ran in the opposite direction of the rabbit. Or, at any rate, it invites us to ponder the plight of the prey. Also, note that Mark appears to have chameleon-like powers to change the color of his camera hand. What could all this mean?
P.S. Michael noted the bunny looks like it's going to eat Mark & Tommy---in response to that, see that last panel doctored by readers, here.
Or do one yourself!
I've erased the panel's speech bubbles, and I invite you to create new dialogue--either nab the image, add text in the bubbles, & email it to me or post it yourself, or leave your dialogue in the comments here:
It's subtly hilarious---feels to me like Dr Strangelove meets Leave It to Beaver, as told by Mark Trail*.
Lassie ran on TV from 1954 to 1973. I never saw one episode, but I could imagine the scenes anyway. For those of you who, like me, don't know the characters aside from Lassie, here's Boomer and Mike the dog––(breed? "a small," Michael says)––and Timmy and collie Lassie:
*You know Mark Trail, don't you?
Michael blogs about him too.
Nothing ever used to happen in Mark Trail. In the 1980s, someone on a community radio station here used to present a weekly "Mark Trail Report", interpreting the nothingness in mystical-ish existential terms.
Since those days, active plots have disturbed the nirvana of Lost Forest. Still, there are pockets of weirdness. I'd say the art in the strip below suggest the hunting dog ran in the opposite direction of the rabbit. Or, at any rate, it invites us to ponder the plight of the prey. Also, note that Mark appears to have chameleon-like powers to change the color of his camera hand. What could all this mean?
P.S. Michael noted the bunny looks like it's going to eat Mark & Tommy---in response to that, see that last panel doctored by readers, here.
Or do one yourself! I've erased the panel's speech bubbles, and I invite you to create new dialogue--either nab the image, add text in the bubbles, & email it to me or post it yourself, or leave your dialogue in the comments here:
3 comments:
“Like Dr Strangelove meets Leave it to Beaver, as told by Mark Trail”: I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about my writing!
Don’t you love the way the last panel of that Trail strip suggests that Mark and his friend are about to be a giant rabbit’s Happy Meal?
MICHAEL: Glad it pleased: I just call it like I see it.
I didn't see the big bunny though: now I see it, yes, I love it!
The 'Clipse felt very true to my dim memories of watching Lassie...and reading it in comic book form? Kudos to Michael for striking just the right narrative tone. Thank God, Lassie was able to save the day! And cookies...made me want 'em! Loved that Lassie was smart enough to not look at the sun. Mike's problem was that no one explained the 'clipse to him in advance, so he didn't have access to Lassie's intel...or, as (he looks to be) a Jack Russell terrier, I'm sure he would have been smart enough to put on eclipse googles before heading out to chase rabbits.
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