Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for September 29, 2009

Well, cheer up, Gertie, maybe Earl Lee’ll visit you in the town lockup, and Walt won’t be too befuddled to post bail.

Hope we find out about Uncle Walt, Bird, et al, by Christmas.

She can build a tank out of the things in the alley!

Put a note on the cat and send him into the theater with instructions to deliver the message surreptitiously to Walt.

As other commentators have notes, this twist just doesn’t make sense. For one, Walt also has a counterfeit ticket. For two, he is no particular danger and hardly needs to be “rescued”. C’mon, Scancarelli

Maybe there’s an unattended skylight…

Backstage security has long been a power trip for those who are involved in it. Just dig up a copy of the episode of the Bachelor Father TV series from the late 1950s, in which John Forsythe’s Bentley Gregg character tries to sneak backstage at a Ronnie Mann concert and is rebuffed every time, not unlike Gertie’s dilemma here.

I think Gertie should just go home and call the theatre, and ask them to look after Mr. Walt.

At least today we are back in the ALLEY again! Maybe not GASOLINE ALLEY but it is an alley complete with a good ol’ alley cat!

I respectfully disagree. I consider Gertie to be a caring person in spite of an occasional mistake. I lived in and around the Portland Oregon area for nearly 30 years, and never did I hear of anyone treading water. We all tried several times though.

I see her getting in through a door or window and running into Bird.

Security will not let her in all doors will be posted. Gertie needs to tell security about her ward.

My only complaint with this story so far is that it’s not clear whether Gertie is A: a conscientious caretaker in love with a musician and trying to do the right thing; or B: an irresponsible, shallow woman motivated by greed and desire.

The drawing remains top-notch, though.

Go home and call? What? This is the 21st Century! Where is her cell phone? I can’t believe Jim took such leave of his wits doing this strip lately.

1) Ah, the ambivalence, the cliff-hanger aspect of Gertie; A or B?

2) Remember, GA is just barely out of the 19th century; you’ll probably see [Gasp!] dial telephones here and there, if not candlesticks. (Watch a kid trying to figure out how to push the buttons on a dial! Funnier than ‘wind your watch’!)

Poor Skeezix. Corky and Judy probably will dump all the responsibility on him again, as they did in 2004. Back then, after Phyllis died, Corky convinced Skeeziz to hire irresponsible Eve, resulting in Skeezix having to bail old Walt out of jail. Skeezix hired Gertie to replace Eve.

Hmm, you know, Gertie has three kids of her own – why can’t she call on one of them to help her?

I bet Walts back stage warming up with the Band

Ah, love! Is there nothing a person in love won’t do, including criminal behavior?

She looks like Modesty Blaise in that last panel. If Gertie had a capable partner, like Modesty has in Willie Garvin, she would already be inside.

Love the brick work!