Endtown by Aaron Neathery for December 19, 2016

and if she doesn’t want to come back to “realty”?

A final curtain call… ?

And why should AM want to prove it to him? Why should he care?

Maybe he could take Doc to her to say goodbye… ;-)

This reminds me a little of Marx’s post mortem with Flask…

And find out if this is what she really wants!

“I don’t need a lot of presents /To make my Christmas bright. / I just need my baby’s arms /Wound around me tight. / Oh oh Aaron hear my plea! / Aaron bring my baby back to me!”

Marx doesn’t need to prove anything. I mean, what difference does it make if you believe his story or not?

The Doc has some influence in the community. If Marx needs assistance from the community with anything he might need to do (for the greater good), it would be helpful if the Doc believes in Marx. This all goes to hell if the community finds out Marx was backing the rabbit during the Milk Trial, and partialy helped cause the riots.

That explains all the blood in Holly’s bedroom.

What? WW3 might have given some individuals a psychological issue or two? You don’t say!

Take him to Holly.

The “…burned through a half dozen relationships in two years…” puts her relationship with Wally in interesting perspective as the two of them stayed together for a year or two. Some part of her must have believed that she’d found what she was looking for. It makes me think about that glance exchanged between Roxie and the other waitress when they saw Holly and Wally for the first time. I can imagine them thinking, “wonder how long this one lasts.”

I don’t like that Doc always is drawn as grimacing like he is being tortured.

Well, I suppose strong arming Holly out of there will do the trick, lol. At least to say goodbye in person.

Yea…Holly was fuuuuuuuuuudged up alright.

You know this particular strip and Doc Chase does establish a few more plot points for “Endtown: The Ongoing Saga” (1) That this postapocalyptic world they live in is in the aftermath of World War Three. (2) That Holly couldn’t have any more children because of what happened to her. (3) That Holly had a half-dozen relationships in two years (which may or may not include Wally in that total).

Marx’s demeanor in panels 1 and 3 and his voice in 4 show he knew what Doc was going to ask, and dreaded it. Either he has to tell Doc he won’t, or he has to tell him he will.

BRING HOLLY BACK! ! ! ! ! BRING HOLLY BACK! ! ! ! !

BRING HOLLY BACK! ! ! ! ! BRING HOLLY BACK! ! ! ! !

BRING HOLLY BACK! ! ! ! ! BRING HOLLY BACK! ! ! ! !

BRING HOLLY BACK! ! ! ! ! BRING HOLLY BACK! ! ! ! !

Maybe I don’t have to lose my favorite character after all.

I know she has MANY problems, but she’s Holly, and that is sufficient. . .she’s Holly, and her character is irreplaceable.

There must be some way for her to find some inner peace, besides throwing her away.

C’mon, Aaron!

How about a Christmas present for us die-hard Holly fans?At least, let her time away from Endtown (no matter how long) help her to heal. Then bring her back at some critical juncture to come to the aid of Endtown.

Pretty please with sugar on top?

;-)

(first smile in DAYS! )

Why does the comic have to go downhill like this?

Marx: “Here, take this monkey’s paw.”

Dare you interfere with Holly’s chosen life?

Aaron Marx may be able to bring Holly back to Doc, but at what cost? There are unintended consequences that will ensue should Aaron bring Holly back to Endtown. Though there can be the possibility of Doc going to Holly, but that remains to be seen.

This is not about Holly. It’s about Doc.

I don’t think doc needs proof, he’s just too proud to ask for a favor. it’s easier for him to bargain

Endtown comments:

A long one – sorry about that..Doc Chase’ grimace. Actually, I kind of like it. The rest of Aaron Neathery’s animals are too cute – and are what misled me in the beginning regarding this comic strip. But seriously, I think his face shows a lot more character than most Endtown faces – including Aaron Marx..Someone mentioned the other day that Holly has reached a conclusion, but that Kirbee and Wally have not. (I’m sure I’m not saying it right, but I think that was the essence of the remark) In fact, I think it’s the other way around: Wally and Kirbee have reached a conclusion, while Holly may still be dangling somewhere. Heck, we don’t even know if she wrote that note willingly. And Doc Chase adds something else to the mix: Would Holly really go away without saying goodbye?.Wally: He was a wanderer when we first met him in 2011, pre-apocalypse years. Weeks later, he’s a wanderer again. I think he’s at home. Kirbee? Well, her home was destroyed, nothing to go back to. The flying scene from Holly’s ditto induced hologram strongly suggests that, wherever Wally goes, Kirbee is perfectly willing to follow..I think that was punctuated by the color sunset – one of the very rare instances when Aaron Neathery has used color..But Holly, poor Holly! Did she write that note under duress? Did the dittos write it for her?.Is Holly still trapped?.And Aaron Marx has another problem: The ship that has Holly is “cloaking” itself. Can Aaron even find it again?.I like the idea of taking Doc Chase to Holly, probably a lot easier than trying to bring Holly back to Endtown. Current indications are, if she did write that note willingly, and is willingly staying behind with the ship, that we may never be able to pry that mouse out of that piece of cheese..

Much as I would much rather follow the further adventures of Wally and Kirbee (guess that makes me a lizard lover), what I think we’re really seeing is that we will be following the further adventures of Holly..And whoever gets roped into rescuing her this time.

Man! All of my paragraph formatting was stripped out! What a mess my comment turned into! Ugh!

Like I’ve said before, Marx as the “manipulator” of this situation is in a bad place. Kicking Holly and Wally out into the wastes did not go as he hoped or planned. He made it clear to them a lot was at stake via Wally’s vision. Even having found that ship, both Wally and Holly chose instead to better their own lives and ignore the world as a whole.

That makes the inevitable collapse of everything difficult for Marx. In the end, he HAS to save endtown. It’s the one single thing that’s going to keep everyone hanging on long enough to see this particular reality of Arron’s story through. But no one’s interested in anything save themselves. So now he’s been sandwiched into doing what the doc wants, (Or something along those lines.)

What I wish I knew was what factors are enforcing his back-burner status. He’s smart enough to NOT become some ruling dictator with his power. Besides external forces, that kind of iron control never ends well, because no one person can shoulder so many angles and ever expect to be allowed to let go. But I wonder if he’s got a “dead-eye” on his tail as well, or something to a similar affect.

A lot of drama comes from people doing what they shouldn’t, and drama is the heart of storytelling. I think Doc and/or Marx are going to do what they shouldn’t. Holly needs and wants to be left alone to heal psychologically, and that’s not going to happen if relatives come visiting. She’s already on the ledge of schism, and Doc risks pulling her into Jimland.

Hey, all.. Just dropping a line to let you know that today’s strip is going to be very late, probably not arriving until Thursday due to a HDD crash. Unfortunately, my backup machine refuses to recognize the scanner so I’m dead in the water until I can get the original art scanned @ FedEx. Sorry about this, folks.. I don’t think Charles Schulz ever had problems like these.

-A

It is becoming apparent that a year in our time is a week or less in Endtown time. Hope that helps.

As far as Doc Chase and his squint – I thought I remember it being said that his animal shape is a badger and they are not noted for their large eyes or great eyesight. They are also noted for short tempers. I could be wrong.

Wally AND Holly’s character design have changed. I barely recognized Wally when I saw those first strips. Perhaps that is why there was so much outcry over the end of Holly’s (or Wally’s) character; they’ve been with us for so long. It might also explain why less feeling was shown for Kirbee; she’s been with us for half the time, or less.

Hey, Aaron! Hope the hard drive problem gets resolved without any loss of stuff! Happy Holiday Seasonal Greeting Merry Ho Ho Ho!

Well, the new strip has been on the server since 6AM but doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. I’ve sent a message to the Powers That Be for technical assistance. What a week..