Truman takes to the skies! Afterwords, he takes a little nap. He deserves it.

Apologies for the tardiness of the strip. Thursday night I went out with Jared, his wife Patti and Cami as part of a joint birthday celebration. We didn’t get in until way late and I wasn’t able to start working on the comic until yesterday morning. Then, yesterday afternoon we went out with my parents and in-laws to see Fun With Dick and Jane and then have dinner. It’s been hectic!

I suppose there was something to be said for the complexity of this strip. For some reason, I was under a total block in terms of how to stage the panels. Plus, not really knowing what a bi-plane looked like and being too stubborn to do research made me keep second-guessing my design. I suppose it turned out well.

And with that, we conclude the Dewey/King Kong storyline? What was Dewey’s ultimate fate? We may never know. Will Dewey ever return? Perhaps.

One of the great things about the holiday break is catching up on movies you’ve missed. Cami and I have been watching stuff at home like Roman Holiday as well as going out to the theater to see movies like The Family Stone as well.

If you haven’t seen The Family Stone, I would recommend it. The ending is a little sappy and, frankly, a bit of a downer. But I liked how the movie unfolded in these interested ways. Basically, it’s the story of a very liberal Massachusetts family coming together for the holidays. The eldest son brings home the very stuffy, uptight businesswoman he intends to marry and everyone butts heads. That’s the high level look. But what motivates the characters reaction to this interloper are very interesting. The ultimate conclusion I felt was pretty satisfying.

Something I wasn’t expecting however was how easily Luke Wilson walked away with the whole movie. I don’t know what it was about his performance that I found so enjoyable. He was essentially doing the same laid-back philosophy dude he does in every movie. But perhaps the chemistry was right this time around. Compared to the other actors, he certainly sticks out.

Something else? Dermot Mulroney isn’t looking very well these days. Looks a little rough around the edges. That’s a scary proposition for an actor who’s pretty much cast in roles for his looks, because it CERTAINLY isn’t his acting. The stairwell banister has more personality than he does.

Beyond that, nothing more insightful. I don’t really have any strong opinions about Fun With Dick and Jane (which I mentioned earlier). It was serviceable, but not laugh out loud funny. Kind of disappointing for a Judd Apatow screenplay, really. I mean, compared to the strength of Wedding Crashers and The 40 Year-Old Virgin, this one doesn’t really register on the Richter scale. If you’re a fan of Jim Carrey, you’ll probably enjoy watching him mug across the screen. There’s a manic vibe that he emits that becomes contagious to the rest of the cast and that picks up the pace of the storytelling, which is good. But I pretty much forgot everything I watched immediately after leaving the theater.

I’ll be away from my computer for the next two days. Going over to the in-laws tonight for our Christmas, then over to my parents house the next day for another round.

If you’re celebrating this weekend, stay safe and have a happy holiday!

If you’re not celebrating, know that I love you just the same!

Best wishes to all!