TAGS May 11 & 12, 1994

05/11: Hurry up and waiting.

05/12: Party for Edie.

May 11: Some where Murray (cheetah) is running the clock out in a diversionary tactic to keep Edie (squirrel) from suspecting that, meanwhile (it’s really missing a literal “meanwhile”), the gang is waiting for them.

This strip is a bridge from the last two strips to the next and last in the “Edie’s birthday” series. Even with purpose, I see that it’s terribly flawed. Like why is Murray taking Edie to a 6:30 movie when he knows that people are waiting at the restaurant? On the other hand, if the movie is just a diversion, and he’s actually dragging her to the restaurant, does how long does he think he can keep that up before she figures out that the theater is not their destination? Are both the movie theater and the restaurant at the same location? And what’s up with the rhinoceros waiter?

There are tiny bits of comedy at the restaurant with Michelle (weasel, 3), Monster (monster) and Carolyn (raccoon) finding more to do with breadsticks than be used as appetizers. The Rhinoceros, by the way, like all of the TAGS regulars is based on a crittacature used in the “Backstage” and “Stagelights” series, with the exception that he’s not a regular player.

May 12: Step 1, Murray (13) and Edie (12) arrive at restaurant.
Step 2, their friends are caught waiting with their mouths full of breadsticks.
Step 3, regardless, they leap out of their seats to loudly greet Edie.
Step 4, they were GARLIC breadsticks. Comedy. I guess you had to be there.

I criticize that panels 2 and 3 are drawn too busy. You never see that in “Peanuts.” And panel 4 should have had Edie passed out on the floor, or at least with a garlic breadstick facial.

Roll call: (Panel 2 L-R) Rodney (African Lion, 4), Carolyn (5), Heidi (Gopher, 6), and Checkov (dragon, 9); (Panel 3 L-R) Brenda (mongoose, 6), Polly (penguin, 19), Bill (turtle, 5) and Rudy (pig, 6).

Disneyland Turns 56

Carmine red pencil and black India Ink on paper.

Disneyland Park, the original in Anaheim, CA, just celebrated it’s 56th birthday two days ago on Sunday. It’s not one of the big decade ones, but they usually do something special on the birthdays, even if it is just specially decorated slices of cake for the guests as dessert options and ribbons for the Cast-Members (Disneyland speak for employees) that are imprinted with something along the lines of “It’s Our Birthday!”

When I was a Cast-Member, I used to make sure I worked on July 17, in a sort of reverse vacation request.

I rushed to do this special little piece of art on Sunday. It’s based upon the “Peter Pan” attraction poster the park once had but here featuring Tuff-Girl and Wichita. I colored it in a similar limited palette with which the original screen printed poster had been design. The color version was posted on Facebook, on the “I’m a fan of Bryan Mon” wall.

TAGS May 9 & 10, 1994

05/09: Captains plan-it.

05/10: Secret gaurdin’.

May 09: Secrets and the keeping of them is pretty well used comedy material. Surprise birthday parties are curious things, because one would think that the guest of honor knows that her/his birthday is coming soon. Regardless, Murray (cheetah, 11th appearance) is going to organize one for Edie (squirrel). The story telling would have been helped slightly if the kitchen location were more clearly communicated. This is Bill’s (turtle) 4th appearance.

May 10: Some one has to be the weak secret holder, and here it’s Rudy (pig, 5) who also has to suffer weirdly drawn bangs in the last panel. However, Rudy’s name does get used for the first time here. To be fair, Fern’s and Carolyn’s (raccoon, 3) collective pressure isn’t helping. Meanwhile, Edie (10) plays dumb. Alas, Fern is still an un-named tertiary character, even in this her 3rd appearance, which kind of makes her role like being Fern-iture. Ha.

Happy Independence Day

Carmine red pencil and black India Ink on paper

digital composite with text.