Chapter6comicstripThe5MostUnintentionallyHilariousComicStripsByChristinaHSometimesaformofentertainmentcanbecomesobadthatittranscendsbadnessandbecomessomethingnewandwonderful.Theworldofnewspapercomicstripsisagoldmineforthis,wherestripsthatwerebuiltonashakypremisetobeginwithrunfordecadesafterthewritersandartistshavelonggoneinsane.Thesearethebestforprovidinghoursofunintentionalenjoyment.MarkTrailIntendedAppeal:Learningaboutwildlifeandfollowingtheadventuresofaruggedenvironmentalist.ActualAppeal:Comicallynonsensicalplots,misplacedspeechballoons.Eversince1946,MarkTrailhasbeenonthefunnypagesteachingrespectfornature,mostlybybattlingevilcompaniesthatwanttobulldozeducks.Theartists(EdDoddandthenJackElrod)havebothbeenfirmintheirpriorityofnatureeducationfirst,andotherlessimportantthings,likemakingsense,arepushedoutofthewayasnecessarytomeetthatgoal.Elrodenjoysdrawinganimalssomuchthatheneverreallylearnedtodrawhumanbeings,whichissomewhatofaproblem,sincethecomicstarsseveralofthem(althoughthisillustrationofwhatoneassumestobeahyperencephalicchildwithatinymalformedhandseemstobeOK).Hecleverlytacklestheproblembyshiftingperspectivetolargeforegroundanimalsateveryopportunity.Unfortunately,heeitherhasseriousproblemswithspeechballoonplacement,orthetransmutationofsoulsisacommonplaceoccurrenceintheMarkTrailuniverse.Wehavetheseconspiringmoose:Thisreluctantfarewellfromasquirrel:Thisuninvitedexpositionfromaduck:And,thisfish'sinexplicableangertowardfinancialtransactions:GilThorpIntendedAppeal:Ahiptakeonhighschoolsports.ActualAppeal:Terribleart,theorizingaboutthenatureofthetimewarpthewriterlivesin.GilThorphasitsfingeronthepulseofmodernteenagelife,bringingusthelatestslangfromtoday'syouth.It'sthementionsof"IM"and"hip-hop"thatshakeyououtofthecasualacceptanceuntilnowthatthisstripissetinthe'50s.Abettertheoryforthebackgroundofthisstripisthatacataclysmicevent,suchasasecretH-bombtestduringthe'50s,somehowsplittheuniverseintotwodivergenttimelines,withouruniversecontinuingontothewayitistoday.Meanwhile,anotherparalleluniversedevelopedintotheGilThorpworld,whereironyandpostmodernismasweknowitneverhappened,and"Thatain'tjustabun.It'sthewholepan!"isstillconsideredprettyslickandhappening.Thistheoryofanunstableuniversebuiltonaspace-timeanomalygainscredencewiththeoccasionalappearanceofawormhole,suchastheoneinthisfellow'sface,suckinghisunfortunateassailant'sfistintoanotherdimension.AlsopuzzlingisthefactthatGilThorpappearstobefairlyconservativeandfamily-friendly,yetmanyofthecharactersappeartobedragqueens.However,thisisallmadeupforbythisstrip'sfinestfeature,gratuitouscrotchshots.RexMorgan,M.D.IntendedAppeal:Noonehasfiguredthisoneout.ActualAppeal:Homosexualinnuendo.RexMorganisoneofthe"soaps,"astripwithacontinuingstorylinethatisn'tnecessarilysupposedtobefunny.Whyitwouldbeexcitingtofollowtheadventuresofasomewhatlethargicdoctorwhodoesn'twanttodoanythingexcitingandusuallygetshiswish,nooneisquiteclearon.However,whatitlacksincliffhangersandplottwists,itmakesupforinnonstophintsaboutRex'ssexualorientation.Sure,everyoneknowsthatifyou'reimmatureenough,youcanreadgayinnuendosintojustaboutanything.Noeffortisneeded,here,inthisstorylinewitha"Dr.Troy."Moredisturbingly,Rexhasrecentlymovedontoyoungerprey,withaboynamedNiki.Nikiisapoverty-strickenyouthwhocametotheMorgans'attentionafterstealingMrs.Morgan'spurse,afterwhichtheynaturallyadoptedhimasa...
