Rip Haywire by Dan Thompson for September 15, 2011

Speaking for Myself (And Charlie Brown) “What a Cute Red Headed Girl!” But, Methinks Cobra might be the one with the Flashing Green Eyes ere Long. Lord Dogmore, Grab the Popcorn I sense a Chick Fight looming on the Horizon! HUGPOUNCEZZZ and HUZZAH! :-)

A girlfriend for TNT?

@ Pokerfaced Parrot Why so shocked? TNT is a good dog. Cool name, by the way.

This new dog doesn’t seem like much of a talker.

Wow! Another Babe. Rip you have more Babes than James Bond. Now TNT get a girl.

Oh yeah, I’m totally expecting a catfight at some point. Perhaps Cobra needs a gentle reminder (or even not so gentle :-)) that she’s not the only game in town. Veridian, HUGPOUNCEZZ and HUZZAHS to all at Casa di Veridian from your pals here at Team Bartilucci H.Q.! :-)

A) The pilot dying an unheralded death is kind of dark for this strip, best not to say much about it.B) About the new dog: this brings up questions that always plague me about these series with speaking animals. Like: is it possible that TNT talking is only a dementia in Rip’s mind? (No, I’m pretty sure that R.J. and Cobra have both respond to him too.) Or maybe TNT is one of a kind, which would be silly since no one takes much notice of the world’s only talking dog. Or maybe talking animals are rare, but nothing to get excited about. And if that’s so, what’s their legal status? (Yes I have pondered the socio-political ramifications of Scooby-Doo. Sue me.) Or is it what I really suspect, that this is only a well drawn, well written, fun and exciting comic strip and I shouldn’t try to read too much reality into it.I think I’ll go with the last one.

O-kay… So the girl and her dog are not the Swedisk Bikini Team…but they’ll do.

1st & last time that happens.

Now I have to leave and google Swedish Bikini Team images. Goodbye.

@JeepersCreepersI never worried overmuch about the Pluto/Goofy conundrum. I just reflect on the fact that I’m a primate and chimps in the zoo are primates, but I don’t worry about them taking my job. (But only because my bosses don’t want the hassles of dealing with the SPCA and the slightly increased amount of poo flinging that would come from hiring a chimp.)

@DanThompsonA woofing TNT would be funny, but I’m glad we have the subtlety of his metro-sexual whining. Also constantly having to have other characters repeat what he woofed would tend to bog down the flow of dialog and tempt you to give the zingers to other characters. So in my unprofessional opinion I’m glad you gave TNT a voice. (Which I hear in my mind as a toned-down Snagglepuss.)