Endtown by Aaron Neathery for October 24, 2012

Ah well. Life goes on, and Im sure theres good chance for mischief just around the corner.

Where does he get the cigars????

Where do I get the feeling that we won’t see Marx any more?He is about as loved as Flask or the others. We don’t want to lose him ! Do we???Blessed be

And now we know Marx’s true identity. He’s really Charlie Chaplin with a talkie sound track taped on.

What a multi-useful device!

There a subtlety here as the tears are fallingAaron Marx gazes hard at the deviceAnd throws it away — and with it, his calling?Did he trap himself in this universe?Nice.=|====/ Level HeadVote for Endtown 2.0And for Doc Rat, tooThe Endtown ForumThe Endtown AuctionThe Endtown Books

I think Marx is one person across many universes. They’re all individuals, but one entity at the same time. They share experiences and even physical items like trout gum, but each feels more like an observer of the others no matter how vivid the sharing. While one Marx is kissing Flask, he may be sad that our Marx has lost his love, and grateful to have his.When our Flask was sent into the soulstream, she may have become like him, sharing her lives across the universes. Or she may have been that way already, and our Flask had been cut off because of the “cancer” until our Marx restored her.

I believe you have surpassed yourself in this, Mr. Neathery/ Bravo!

I think but not sure. This is the end of season 2.I hope that I’m wrong.

The real question should be “How did this Marx learn about Flask, to the point where he’d go to extremes to stalk her?” He claimed that this was his favorite iteration of the Endtown story, but that may be because it’s the only one that he himself inhabits. If Marx can’t cross reality lines for some reason, then, barring the possibility that he’s been spying on her via the Oracle, how does he know about the airship explosion? I’m betting that the above show of tears is further proof that Marx is Flask’s original lover, and that Petey is a red herring. Marx may have found the dimensionometer in a ruin later, or he conceivably could have found it that night while Flask was sleeping, turned it on by accident and transported himself away. It may have taken him 3 years to work his way back to Endtown.

I was interested in recalling all about the Oracle I could and of course wound up re-reading the whole Al and Gustine arc up to the trial and the mayor going topside. Not having enough time to lay it out properly, my question is; Wouldn’t Petey (where is he?), who knew “Blackie’s” name, also be an “incarnation” of Marx then? What is Mallard’s history with them? Or is that coming up?

TSOJYou called it. The “Tramp” is making his exit.But as usual I am totally confused.Yesterday Keggers at Oracles PlaceNow…….exiting like Bogart with a Chaplin flair.Is he humming a Sinatra Song (Sing with me)“Start Spreading the news”“I’m leaving today”“I want to be a part of it“New York, New York”These vagabond shoesThey are longing to strayRight through the very heart of itNew York, New YorkI want to wake up in that city that doesnt sleepand find I’m king of the hillTop of the heap.My little town bluesThey are melting away I’m gonna make a brand new start of it in old New York.And you bet …..babyIf I can make it thereYou know I’m make it anywhereIn old New York New YorkDA DA DADADA DA DA DADADANew York NEW YORK (BIG FINISH EVERYONE)(Thank you very much)

And LoganDont loose any sleep over it. I myself have just decided to watch the show and sing along.

Hmmm, Marx is what Dr. Who wishes he could be…

All’s well that ends well…if this is the end, this time.

Thanks you guys. That does explain a lot. Veteran, I agree. As I was going back through that older story. it sucked me back in and I realized that above all else Mr Neathery is a master story-teller. The drawing is great, of course, but the story draws you.

Oh, yeah…“Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are…”

Answers my question about the dimensionometer…

Hmmm…a dimensionometer is a very useful thing indeed if one can even light one’s cigar with it. Wonder how well it would do with a pipe. Wouldn’t Aaron Marx look great with a calabash?

This looks like our Flaskback is finally coming to an end.

If Marx were leaning back a little, and if one was blind in one eye and squinting with the left eye just so, He kind of reminds me of the Doo-Dah Man. On the Shakedown Street LP he was swinging a watch chain. The following excerpt is on probably a few hundred Dead releases, but not that one.

Most of the cats that you meet on the streets speak of true love, Most of the time they’re sittin’ and cryin’ at home. One of these days they know they gotta get goin’ Out of the door and down on the streets all alone.

Truckin’, like the Doo-Dah man. Once told me “You got to play your hand”. Sometimes your cards ain’t worth a damn, if you don’t lay’em down.

Sometimes the light’s all shinin’ on me Other times I can barely see. Lately it occurs to me What a long, strange trip it’s been. Truckin Grateful Dead

Come on folks one more refrainNew York NEW YORK!!!!!Sorry Endtown ENDTOWN!!!!!!!!Hey Logan you’re right that does sound better.And Trucking by the Grateful Dead (God bless Garcia) fits very well also.Yea but also remember I’d like to get some sleep before I travelbut if you got a warrant I guess you’re gonna come in.And Storm JOIN ME IN A SONG.Its been in my head all day also.AHHHHHHHHH! Make it stop Make it stop.Now the Grateful Dead is there too. I know I knowThey are dead and Grateful.Love it….. you all have been a great crowdGood night Cleveland.(Where are we again?)

TSOJ is gonna have a fit with me.

so, yesterday, when Marx took a mufgul of water from the Oracle, I thought he was going to take it somewhere for a purpose. Now it seems to suggest he drank it, and that was all. “We all have our part to play, for the greater good.” In that case, was he applying this phrase not only to himself but also the Oracle? And, by taking the water of the Oracle into his own body, was he participating in the fulfilment of its obligation – to do good work through an animate form?Today, he looks sadly and wistfully at his dimensionometer, and then has nothing more useful to do with it at the moment than light a cigar.My reading of Marx has changed since his debut in this story. At first, he seemed to be an adventurer bent solely on a journey of discovery for his own amusement. And even then, it seemed his aim was not even to learn and understand but just to be tantalised. He was flighty and aloof. When our protagonists were about to be killed in a deadly round-up, he plucked them out and gave the Topsiders a brief scare with a Ditto illusion. No mention was made of all the other mutant squads that were (I presume) massacred.Then Marx dealt with the traumatised band with what would seem to be emotional deaf ear. A “crash or crash through” approach to post-traum counselling.As time went on, I started to regard Marx as someone who had access to an infinite number of dimensions, and who therefore was unmoved by any plight. His detachment came from his knowledge that everything that could happen – good, bad or horrendous – has, does, is and will happen, in perpetuity. Finally, though, I came to regard him as someone who does care, in his own way. And now also, someone who sees himself as having a role to do good. In his own way. Maybe he feels his task is impossible, like bailing out the ocean with a thimble.I don’t know, for sure. Marx is a complex and unique character. He has been totally in keeping with Endtown, the story, although I did not know it at first. The world of this story has developed during my process of discovery of this man.For the whole creation, Mister Neathery gets my highest marks. It is a brilliant tale.