Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson for December 21, 2023

The gift of snark started early with Alice.

She’s the girl with far-away eyes… As the Rolling Stones once sang.

Alice knows her brother.

Gotta love Alice and this strip. Very Funny.

I’d like to read a comic about a girl named Viola who plays the viola. I think there’s a missed opportunity here with that name. Petey could have confused her viola for a violin instead of confusing her marimba for a xylophone.

What’s not to like? Coke bottles for glasses plus she gives you the feeling you have your space. You need to correct her on how she pronounces your name though…not cool!

Says Alice of the googley eyes.

Alice’s response is spot on and dripping with sarcasm!

If I had been drinking something, I would have spit it out. That is hilarious.

It doesnt take much for a girl to impress Petey.

So good R.T., so good. Hilarious, poignant, and beautifully capturing the subtle nuances of Petey, the finger on the table, the understated expressiveness of the eyebrows in two panels, and the range of emotions in each panel from Petey, while barely perceptible, perfectly captures the essence of Petey.

And then, WhaM! The punchline from Alice, straight from the mouths of babes. Personally, I don’t think she is being snarky. She loves and admires her older brother in all his oddity and eccentricity, and she picks up on his honesty and earnestness, though it does seem like Madeline is considering whether or not Alice is serious.

More like a nightmare.

Let us acknowledge Petey’s liking for a Sense of Distance. He is an introverted boy most at ease when alone in his bedroom with a Little Neuro comic. Coming to terms with an extroverted girl like Viola D’More is not easy for him. In fact, I am surprised he’s so willing to bare his soul with Mom. Alice just does not yet understand the issues of trust layered in here….