Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for September 13, 2023

Be like a bear, Bear.

Here on the Oregon coast. black bears often walk on their hind feet

You could stand in a rushing river and catch salmon, too.

Put on a campaign hat and carry a shovel.

Just don’t start talking around them!

Go dig through a dumpster, you’ll fit in.

So the strip has sentient talking animals, but only a few people know about them? I swear, this strip makes less sense every year.

For several weeks we have seen humans talking back and forth with a bear. This strip is SO FAR from what King and Moore developed. It is sad to see Scancarelli destroy this strip that used to develop stories (rational stories) that basically centered around the Wallet family with occasional sidelines to other resident characters. (such as Pert, Doc, etc) and the MIA members of the Wallet family. Where are Judy, Gideon, Corky, and Chipper, among many others??). King and Moore had stories with positive values and the strength of family, all told with humor and sentiment. I have notebooks of all the strips from January 1973 until April 1986. At least I can go back and revisit this comic when it was WORTH READING.