The Fay-te of Sally Forth

My friends!
A few words on the strip beloved by all (including people as far away as Iceland, according to the official website), populated by some of the most appalling (Sally's mom) and most groovy (Ted) characters on the MP. Can you guess which strip I'm talking about?? Why, it's Sally Forth, of course! I'm, just going to touch on a few issues that have been running through the ol' collective unconscious (though why I need to tell you anything when we're really just a hive mind, I don't really know).
First of all, is everyone familiar with Greg Howard? He's the lawyer-turned-'Mics-Artist who created SF in the '80s. He was some schmuck who couldn't draw:









After 10 years, he just inexplicably left the strip, turning things over to Francesco Marculiano and some artist, who never seems to get any credit. That's right, FM doesn't draw the fucking thing at all! There's a division of labor in place, because surely no human could both give voice to the divine Ted and simultaneously draw a little line on Sally's face to represent her one permanent emotion (which is.... snideness? Is that even an emotion?)

Anyway, let's talk about what's been happening, namely the decline and fall of the second grooviest character in SF, the love of Isaac Pirie's life, future mother of his children Freedom Trail Pirie and Old North Church Pirie: Faye. Faye obviously rules! Remember the rock band that consisted of Hilary on drums and Faye on drums? That would never have happened without Faye and her badass little denim vest. But lo, what is this we see on the horizon? The assimilation of our heroine of cool into the flock of sheep that is the elementary school crowd! I mean, in 6ht grade I started combing my hair so I wouldn't get made fun of so much, and the following year I bought a Champion sweatshirt to try to fit in (of course I bought a purple one, so I was mocked just as heavily as before), but come one, I wasn't as cool as Faye to begin with. She was ever the free thinker, ever the iconoclast, while I was ever the schlep in a Def Leppard T-shirt. What does this mean for the world, that one of the shining lights on the 'MP has been so callously extinguished? Or will she rise again, phoenix-like, from the ashes of complacency and a polka-dot blouse?
Perhaps more importantly, what the heck is her ethnic background?? What's that you say? It's obvious, she's white like everybody else? Well check this out:










This is taken from the Oakland Tribune, and though poorly scanned by yours truly, the fact is that Faye's skin is printed in half tone, while Hilary's is not. What gives? Is Faye a member of an ethnic minority? Does the Tribune color folks in so there'll be more black people on the 'MP? Let's just say that a little internet delving reveals that in full color, everybody looks the same: White as a sheet. In fact, I think there has never been a single black person in SF, ever. So the mystery remains unsolved. All we can do is pray on bended knee that Faye, be she black, white or greyish, be returned to us as the Queen of Cool, the Paragon of Party, the Goddess of Grunge that she once was. So say we all.

For Better Or For Worse

I know it's an obvious post title but I found it apropos to my feelings on the evolution of FBFW as it appears to be developing.


Now forgive me if this sounds extreme, but this shit offends my artistic sensibilities. Lynn's early work--Jules Feiffer-influenced, in my opinion--is some of the charmingest comic art around from the late 70's* that I could think of, which may mean that it's some of the charmingest comic art around, period. Look at its contemporaries, for Christ's sake. Cathy, Garfield, Andy Capp? Fred fuckin' Basset? The fact that this strip was in the paper I think was probably if not a big deal at the time it first appeared, at least a perhaps noticeably different deal...particularly as time passed and it became apparent that the characters were aging at a real-world rate. (Garfield's birthdays notwithstanding.)

I mean sure it's cutesy at times, but the shit is not exactly Full House either. I would call it the My So-Called Life of the comics page, in fact, if MSCL had gone on for 30 years and started when Angela was a baby and each episode was 45 seconds long. It too is about a middle-class family doing regular old shit, involving children, drawn in what can only be described as a hippie-ish style of art. Which brings me to the point-- I am really, really glad that Lynn ceased and desisted with the redrawing bullshit that was going on. I'm not sure whether that was to soften the blow with our less web-savvy fellow FBFW fans or what, but I for one found it to be a bad idea. I'm all for the 'Michael's Reminiscences' or whatever they might be called that preface these reruns, now that they're being printed with the original art. Even if they might be a little hokey sometimes, hey, it's FBFW, right? Even MSCL could be a little hokey sometimes.

But, to quote the judge in Philedelphia, "Let's see where this is going." Maybe eventually the reminiscences will not even be there and we'll have bona fide reruns-- and if they were done sequentially, I wouldn't mind that one bit. I have a suspicion that book-sales-related concerns may make that not happen and they'll do it in the randomer style that they use on the Time Travel section of fborfw.com, though. And I guess that would also be cool with me, although I never imagined this strip going that route when I thought about the possibility of it ending.

Whatever happens, let's not forget that we've got one final romance to wrap up before "time" "stops" or whatever, and evidently some Sunday newness to look forward to:
ya still got it, Lynn baby! Who needs dia-log... that strip 'leaves' me in stitches! (A one-two pun-ch for my gal Laura over at fbfw.com!)

*I know that strip's from 1981, but I think fbfw started in like '79 right?

Sunday Brunch

Greetings, Comics Comrades!
A lot of whispers have been circulating the past few days about just what exactly a 'Butter Tart' is, because lord knows if the Pattersons love them, then we must love them too. Now 'tis Sunday brunch time, and this is a perfect opportunity to share the wealth of Canadian baking lore with all and sundry. Below is the FBorFW officially sanctioned Butter Tart recipe. Vegan adaptations are ecnouraged. Now enjoy them with the hot, caffeinated beverage of your choice while you read the glorious and colorful Sunday 'Mics!

Pecan Raisin Tarts

This traditional nut and raisin tart is the perfect dessert to put out at holiday gatherings. Guaranteed to disappear quickly!

Large egg 1 1 Brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup 125 mL Coarsely chopped raisins 1/4 cup 60 mL Corn syrup 1/4 cup 60 mL Butter (or hard margarine), softened 3 tbsp. 50 mL Finely chopped pecans 2 tbsp. 30 mL Lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp. 7 mL Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. 2 mL Salt 1/8 tsp. 0.5 mL Unbaked tart shells 12 12

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Beat egg with fork in medium bowl until frothy. Add next 8 ingredients. Stir well. Arrange tart shells on baking sheet with sides. Spoon raisin mixture into tart shells. Bake on bottom rack in oven for about 15 minutes until pastry is browned and filling rises to form a dome. Remove tarts from baking sheet and place on wire rack to cool. Makes 12 tarts.

1 tart: 202 Calories; 10.4 g Total Fat (4.4 g Mono, 1.2 g Poly, 4.0 g Sat); 23 mg Cholesterol; 27 g Carbohydrate; 1 g Fibre; 2 g Protein; 187 mg Sodium