Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for May 19, 2019

He probably wouldn’t be in this mess if the running track wasn’t so close to the edge.

I could almost assure that he fell from the cliff by watching his smartphone screen.

isn’t there an app for alerting somebody when you step off a cliff and go into a freefall? They have that for airplanes.

Good for Cartoon Boy!

He’s really going out on a limb to root out society’s evils.

Bet that guy was trying to take a selfie at the edge of the cliff.

Thanks for leaving us with a cliff hanger.

Can’t the guy just let go of the branch and land into the Cliff Café? Sure he might sprain an ankle or break a leg upon impact, but at least he’ll be safe.

Looks like the waiter and the guy in the first panel are identical twins. What a coincidence!

Sadly, no one rescued him, but at least he got over 500 likes on Facebook!

For the last time, help!

“Please, please, throw me my phone. It’s right there at the bottom of the canyon!”

“Waiter, there’s a fallen shoe in my chai.” Sounds like Pastis missed a chance at a great and/or awful pun.

Be well, Stephen…

The person in the purple shorts looks like they’ll be joining him soon.

Why are Pig and Rat eating at something called “Cliff Cafe”? It makes no sense whatsover

Hummmmmmm…… Could of used “Bliss’s” flying pig ….Croc Power !

Dude was probably taking a selfie. He’s on his own.

This one went off track.

No reason to worry. This happens to Sarge once a week, and he never gets hurt.

So near—-yet so far apart…

Taking a step in the wrong direction lands you a chunky chai! Splat!

If he just let’s go, Rat will break his fall and he’ll be okay.

That guy may have lost more than his shoe.

Tired of cartoonists bitching about smartphones. Get over it, Gen-Xers; the smartphones are here to stay!

Thinking about the situation in the next to last panel, what would be the best way for any of those people to help if they did notice the guy in trouble? Other than calling 911 and getting the professionals there with special equipment, of course.

There might be a ladder in the back of the cafe, but it would likely just be a step ladder that wouldn’t reach far enough. It’s hard to see what the people on the left hand cliff could do. The joggers might be able to help by lowering something for the guy to grab on to, but it would be tricky. As mentioned earlier, telling him to let go and hit the balcony might be best, assuming he doesn’t hit too close to the edge.

It looks like if cliff guy falls he will land we’re Pig and Rat are sitting

I’m having my evening chai now.

Well, at least it isn’t a fly in the chai, Pig.

I am surprised Pig noticed the shoe in his chai, he is on the cellphone and not paying attention otherwise.

For what it’s worth, this was the subject of about the last two weeks of Prickly City!

Yet another self-destructive habit young people can’t resist, while anguished parents post on their Facebook pages about how they just didn’t see their teen’s suicide coming.

I’m sure the café wouldn’t mind if he just dropped by.

Where do they live, Warner’s Bros. World?

No matter how many times this is complained about again and again and again, I will see people always do it even more. I’ve seen guys in urinals on their phone! There really is no point in complaining about it anymore. I’ve exhausted my bickering a long time ago. Hearing others complain is an absolute waist of time, now.

Pairs nicely with today’s Rip Haywire.

Just move a little to your left and land on Rat…you’ll be okay.

This same strip could have been done 35 years ago, with everyone listening to their Walkman.

One of my favorite “Farside” cartoons is a duck jogging with a Walkman while a fox is sneaking up on him. Very prescient of what is happening now.

No one has mentioned it here today, which I can only assume no one knows yet, but CONGRATULATIONS to my friend, Stephan, for being winning the Reuben Award (cartoonist of the year) from the National Cartoonists Society! It’s the highest honor bestowed by our profession and can only be won once in a lifetime.

He should just use his phone to get help. Seems so obvious. (And don’t even start about getting it out of his pocket: Why isn’t it set to deal w/ its owner by bluetooth and AI?)

Wow! an honest-to-goodness cliffhanger! I’m impressed.

BTW, saw a pic of Reuben winner Cartoon-Boy and the Real Life Staci over on that social networking site! Congratulations!

I don’t think this is an accurate portrayal of society today. In reality, everyone would stop and take video of the guy hanging from the branch.

I don’t listen to music when I run, I enjoy the sounds of things around me during that time.

“It’s just a swing to the left,

And then a drop from a height…"

Is this another one of those "making fun of millennials jokes?

he’s gonna fall and hit his privates on the edge of the Cliff Cafe

I can feel it

Oh come ON. He’s gonna fall in the bar. Probably