Today’s guest strip comes from my Boxcar brothers-in-arms, Clay and Hampton Yount. Clay and Hampton produce the always-excellent Rob & Elliot as well as Cosmobear. Two of a very small handful of strips that make me ROTFLMAO on a consistent basics. Check ’em out.

You doubt their quality?! Well, Hampton just recently won a comedy competition in Washington D.C. that affords him an all-expense paid trip to Hollywood to perform at the Improve there. So suck on that!

That said, Clay had a few reservations about the strip he sent to me. But I like it a lot. I think it captures something pure and essential about the developing relationship between Jared and Shia LaBeouf.

Now for something convoluted and unnecessary.

Last Saturday I was out running a few errands and Cami called me on my cell phone to pick up lunch. “Get whatever you want,” she said.

So, like the proud, upstanding, overweight American I am, I went to Burger King.

I like Burger King, but you have to be careful to eat just the right amount. Too much Burger King and you’re looking at a long afternoon of stomach upset and evaporated dreams.

For me, the kids meal is perfect. You get an appropriate amount of Burger King – PLUS! – free toy. Who’s the big winner? That’s right. Me.

So I purchase my kids meal (hamburger, no pickles) and I see that they are promoting Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. I’m excited, but The King kind of ran the Iron Man promotion out on a rail kind of quickly, didn’t he?

I get the food home and I’m looking at the side of the bag. It lists the 8 different toys you can get. Indy running away from the boulder, a pen that writes in invisible ink… you know, the regular stuff.

Anyway, I notice that there is also a toy featuring Shia LaBeouf on a motorcycle. "I hope I don’t get that one!" I say to Cami.

I reach into the bag and what do I find?…

So I was a little bit disappointed.

But as I was eating my lunch, I started to study this miniaturized LaBeouf (almost life size!) and I started to wonder about the proportions. Was real-life Shia like this? Then I began to notice the eyes. I held the toy closer to get a better look…

Closer still…

The tiny plastic avatar of Shia LaBeouf is AS BORED to be a toy as I am to HAVE him as a toy!

Those droopy lids will haunt my nightmares forever.

FOREVER!!!

Regarding the movie in question, Cami and I plan on seeing Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull tonight. It’ll be a nice reprieve in a week of incredible stress and worry.

We’re leaving Henry and Truman with Cami’s parents this evening, taking a little time for ourselves and then going back to Rochester to visit my Dad in the hospital.

Dad is doing well, by the way. They moved him out of the ICU into a private room on Wednesday morning and they’ve had him up and walking the last few days. He’s exhausted, but recovering well. They took out his chest tubes and the IVs going into his neck yesterday and they’re talking about discharging him on Sunday – so we’re really looking forward to that.

I still have a few guest comics in my back pocket and, depending how things shake out this weekend, you’ll probably see them next week. I’m thinking Monday at least and then getting back to regular comics on Wednesday and Friday. Since I have more guest comics than that, I’ll probably use them to fill in on Tuesday and Thursday. I would feel bad not running them. Especially when they were sent to me without solicitation and as a show of solidarity during this time of upheaval and my Dad’s surgery.

It’s been a long week, but things are looking up. Thanks to everyone for their support and I’ll see you here on Monday!

Have a great weekend, everyone!