Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Forget-Meow-Not


I know it's serving a necessary expository function, but it's funny that Jon feels comfortable bringing up Ellen's amnesia every third sentence. Especially when coupled with his icky half-lidded sneering "smooth-talker" face, it's classic Arbuckle: he not only lacks the social graces, but violates them as flirtation. Jon's blindness to appropriate behavior is an inspirational message to us all.

From these symptoms it sounds like Ellen's not only suffering amnesia but full-blown and frightening aphasia. The uneasiness today is underlined by a slow camera pullback as the severity of the situation becomes clear. Given that Jon is still keeping Garfield abreast of every piece of new information and knows he should cover the mouthpiece when talking to his cat, I'm not sure who's mental illness is more serious.

Jon had a date at least as recently as June 10, so I don't know what Garfield's being so snide about... Oh, wait, that's his only mode of expression.

Jon's Horoscope: Day Two
Your power to bore the world is diminishing. Someday, Dear Leo, you'll be noticed. Be sure you're wearing pants. Today's lucky number: 542

The bulk of the horoscope seems to confirm the obvious guess that Ellen's going to show some romantic interest in Jon. I doubt very much that Jon's minor, temporary success with Ellen will make him interesting to the entire planet. Yes, instead of scouring the horoscopes for clues, I am second-guessing them. The horoscope is prudish enough to think a great date requires you to keep your trousers on. That, or Davis is implying something unsavory about Jon's junk.

More interesting to me is that the horoscope includes a listing of "Famous Leos", among them Jim Davis. This leads us to believe that Jon shares a July 28 birthday with our favorite asthmatic cartoonist.

Still no idea about the lucky numbers. Wikipedia tells us that a plague responsible for killing millions broke out in Constantinople in the year 542, but I doubt the story is headed in that direction.

Frankly, it doesn't seem like the story is headed in any direction. Normally I relish the glacial pacing, but we're on a ten-day schedule, people. This leaves only eight strips for Garfield's world to be shattered.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's my bold prediction: Ellen will somehow enter Jon and Garfield's life -- I bet she'll come to their home for some wholesome, nonpenetrative reason -- and her amnesia will prevent her from leaving. There will be a new major character in the strip. She will probably own a lady cat.

Poochie, anyone?

Anonymous said...

"And remember kids, always recycle...TO THE EXTREME!!!"

Lethargic said...

I'd like to draw attention away from the actual content of the strip into the implied content of the strip. Is it possible that Liz after having some sort of accident (possibly engineered by Jon, possibly by Odie, maybe even by that little bastard Nermal...)logs on to her e-mail and discovers Jon's innapropriate message from a couple of weeks ago and now believes herself to be romantically involved with Jon? Picture Liz disorientated, arriving home and placing a phone call to the number in the e-mail. Jon, recieving said phonecall siezes the opportunity to take advantage of the situation by seducing Liz. Sort of like the way Teddy uses Leonard in Memento. But with Jon and Liz.

Eww.

Anonymous said...

542 -- discordians + the meaning of life?

Or something more sinister such as a trunucated version of the "Lost" numbers?

Anonymous said...

I think Jim's just phonin' it in this week. His panels are the exact same today as they were yesterday (with the exception of the leering first panel today).

~Nomad

Anonymous said...

Not true at all.
For example, his mouth is open in panel two. In addition to that...

...

Clearly this is just an artistic coincidence. *ahem*

Anonymous said...

I really hope that the plot is going to involve the plague in Constantinople.

Anonymous said...

"From these symptoms it sounds like Ellen's not only suffering insomnia but full-blown and frightening aphasia."

Speaking of aphasia, I think you meant amnesia, not insomnia. Although after talking to Jon, maybe she won't be able to sleep tonight.