Dear Margo

 

Margo seems to have learned the hard way that playing hard-to-get can sometimes backfire. "He's just doing his job. James Bond is far too suave to write sappy love letters to his publicist/promise ring wearer. But now I feel strange. Like I can't access the deep pool of rage and contempt is usually there. And I have this salty watery discharge coming out of my eyes/sticking to my face. Do you think I should see a doctor? I hope it's nothing serious."

I'm Allergic

Amateur move, Margo! If you had just said "I'm allergic to your face" or "I'm allergic to stupidity," Lu Ann would've walked away in a huff and you wouldn't need to explain away your yucky emotions.

Lu Ann's Thoughts

Wednesday, June 26

 

"What a crummy day I had.... I got hit in the face with a frying pan and became a Dick Tracy villain."

Thursday, June 27

"Margo, uh... could you look at me just once when you're talking to me? .... OK I guess I'll follow you into the kitchen.... How are you still looking in the opposite direction? So this is your new thing now, huh? Does this have anything to do with my face in panel one yesterday? Can you not stand to look at me? Or did something happen to you and you're hiding your own hideous visage?"

Kids Today

Whoa, is Aunt Denise some sort of Flo-Jo?  Can she seriously catch up to Marty after giving her a head start?  That's impressive.  She should really do something with that talent.

Lu Ann knows that kids don't act out.  Even if you're raised by parents forced to cover up just in case the only other family that lives in your South Dakota town/the livestock finds out and there's a scandal.  Even when aforementioned adopted family treats you poorly and generally regrets ever agreeing to take you on.  You don't act out.  You draw squiggles.  It's healthy.

I'm Back!

Hi everyone, it's Maggie! I'm back from getting married/my honeymoon. I was in Greece for two weeks! Really! Here's a picture of my and my newly minted husband in Santorini to prove it:

A big thanks to Megan and Casey who pulled double duty in my absence, and pulled it off despite some pretty bland material (except for the Lu Ann bubble bath of course--that, as always, was totally steamy). So let's see what kind of action I'm jumping into!

Uh. Lots of finger-pointing. I'm surprised Marty is having this "he's not sick, I just make him lunch sometimes" reaction, but she's probably picking up cues from her dad, who doesn't want to seem weak in front of his little angel. You know, because they're close. But only because mom is out of the picture. Otherwise they'd be as distant as the moons of Jupiter!

Incidentally, if this kiddie-pool-shallow introduction to PTSD has piqued anyone's interest, I recently read a great/tragic case study of decorated Iraq war veteran Chris Kyle in the New Yorker. I mention it because 1. I learned a lot 2. I never get through articles that long unless I'm on vacation.

Sunday Recap

Friday, June 21st

Cole was supposed to be scary?  I thought he came off as weird and off-putting.  Which is how one could describe pretty much any A3G "emotions."

Saturday, June 22nd 

Wow, Lu Ann actually knew something!  Or at least what the acronym for something stands for.  She might have difficulty wrapping her head around the concept of traumatic stress. 

Make Love, Not War

Wednesday, June 19

 

Lu Ann's "deep thinking" face in panel one and her excessively sad expression in panel two really do make me think of Megan's Sesame Street analogy. "But Miss, I don't get it - who likes war?"

Denise, she thinks that because it's sort of what you said. Five tours of duty in Iraq and he loved his job.... I mean, this is Lu Ann you're speaking to, she's going to think whatever the most obvious and literal meaning of your words is.

Thursday, June 20

Geesh, I know. Those tour groups are so expensive these days. And what do you get? A quick tour of Saddam's palace, a little falafel and a tour guide who doesn't even speak English.... sheesh. Who would do five of those tours? I won't judge him, but he should get his money back.

Oh... not that kind of tour?

[With all due respect to current and former members of the military.]

Tuesday Recap

Monday, June 17th

I saw the strips for today and yesterday, and I seriously considered just not posting about them, mostly to see if Casey would be like "*?!* this, I'm not recapping four days" and leave Maggie to return from her honeymoon to six or so strips of slowly plotted Marty back story.  I just couldn't be that cruel.  We miss you Mags!

Am I the only one interpreting the first panel as Marty saying the only reason she's on time is because her dad couldn't come?  Way to throw him under the bus...he's clearly going through some things!

Tuesday, June 18th

A talented artist?  She's a twelve year old girl who draws squiggles.  When I was twelve I was pretty awesome at drawing bubble letters and alien heads, but no one decided that was worth precious gallery space.

I love that any exposition with Lu Ann involved always has the feeling of an adult talking to a muppet on Sesame Street. 

Denise: "Lu Ann, when there are three people that live in a house and one of the people leaves, how many people are left?" 
Lu Ann: "Two?!"
Denise: "That's right!  And how do you think the people still living in the house feel about one another?"
Lu Ann: "They must be best friends because they are the only people left and they wouldn't want to get lonely and make the house feel sad..."
Denise: "You're such a smart girl!"

In this analogy, Lu Ann is most definitely Prairie Dawn.

Margo Knows Best

Friday, June 14

Margo is omniscient but she chooses not to know things that are meaningless to her, such as why Lu Ann is bothering her with this insignificant detail in the middle of the night.

Saturday, June 15

Margo also has no patience for Governor Trog. I love her "oh no he didn't" finger point in the second panel, and she does make a good point - in 2013, Lu Ann would stand out anywhere she went.

Having Fun

Wednesday, June 12

"I love that you never have any idea what anything means. Now come here and let me grab your ear, my precious..."

And no, Lu Ann, he didn't, but that's cute. Poor, clueless Lu Ann. Also, when he said he wanted to play doctor, he didn't mean to put on a white coat.

Thursday, June 13

It's been so long since we've seen Lu Ann contemplating her love life in the bath tub, making bedroom eyes at no one in particular. I didn't miss it, but I think this is what Bolle considers "spicing things up" so I'll give him a pass. Her neck is even uncovered in the second panel!

And really, the only negative you can think of is that you're in awe of his "position"? Oh, honey, let me add some items to that list, starting with yesterday's awkward and condescending ear tug...

Tuesday Double Feature

Monday, June 10th

Is it just me or is it weird that Peter refers to it as the Governor's Ball?  I mean you're the governor.  Just say your ball.  If I were the governor, you had better believe that I would be like "Yea, that's right, I'm throwing a ball!  Don your finery and commence with the revelry...at my ball!  Which is, coincidentally, the governor's ball because I'M THE GOVERNOR!"  Although, he is right to be skeptical of Lu Ann's "nice white dress."  You can't trust the sartorial choices of a woman who wore a Hanes Her Way t-shirt to a gala opening.

Tuesday, June 11th

"Who is she, Peter?  Some sort of witch who can telepathically change the length of my hair and mold my facial features like clay!?!?  I won't be comfortable if the gown she picks out for me doesn't have a Peter Pan collar.  That's a deal breaker." 

Wasteful Spending

Sorry for the delay in posting, but we were all so busy with Maggie's wedding!  The bride was beautiful and is now off on a wonderful honeymoon with her new husband.  And you're stuck with Casey and I for a while.

Friday, June 7th

Does the governor of New York really have nothing better to do than lurk outside of random women's apartments and wait for them to come home?  That seems like a real waste of the taxpayer's dollar. Watch out Governor Trog, it looks like the walls are leeching onto your suit.

Sunday, June 8th

Me too Lu Ann!  And not just in the dark that's slowly creeping up behind you and next to you in panel one and two.  Do you think Governor Trog/the taxpayers are paying for Lu Ann to get a fancy NYC makeover?  I think we've been down this road before.

I've Been Waiting

Peter! What a pleasant surprise. Can I interest you in some handsomely framed squiggle art? I have a stack of original prints with me at all times for just such occasions.

Growing Up

I.... I'm not sure I understand what Doris' point is here. I guess having no background information, she's assuming Marty is just going through a teen angst phase that she'll grow out of... which I guess is fair enough. But maybe she should ask what's wrong before offering empty platitudes? Yes, Doris, teenagers do grow up, bearing the scars of abandonment and caring for their PTSD-stricken fathers. It'll all be terrific!

Speaking of growing up (but on a much brighter note), I'd like to take a moment to make an important announcement about our little Maggie, who is all grown up - and getting married on Saturday!! Congrats Mags! We love you! Excuse me, I'm a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a subject: Do you think Maggie will wear awesome bows like Doris' in her hair on Saturday? Discuss.

There, I feel better.

For you readers out there, that means Maggie will be on hiatus for her fab honeymoon (she'll be doing tomorrow's post and then peacing out for a couple of weeks), so Megan and I will be trying to live up to her standards while she's gone (don't worry Maggie, I guarantee nothing important will happen in A3G world in the next couple of weeks). Bear with us as posting times, etc. may be a little funky (especially this weekend when we are celebrating Maggie!)

Making Lunch

He needs me! He doesn't know how to make tuna fish salad for himself! He doesn't chop the celery right! I'm  just as old as you are! LEAVE ME ALONE!

He's a Good Guy

Lu Ann and Marty must have hit it off by bonding over their shared love of decorating with monochromatic squiggle art and hardcover books.  So Marty is supposed to be like thirteen right?  It's that awkward age where puberty, middle school, an age morphing face and unfortunate bangs really builds a deep well of character that you can draw on in adult life.   Or you develop unshakeable low self-esteem and your adult life is ruined.  Could go either way.

Everything Okay?

Oh, Marty, hello! Yes, I was just wondering what happened to your father after he tore himself from your grip, threw you to one side, and dashed off howling into the night. Did he get lost in Chelsea, or was he able to get a subway back to wherever you live? I hope his headache is all better.

On the plus side, we're witnessing Doris' transformation into Ruby. Sooo. That's fun?

PTSD

I guess this storyline is going to be about Cole's post traumatic stress disorder, which is triggered by squiggle-art and domestic life with Marty.  "I can't have those beady little eyes watching my every move.  I've put up with it for too long.  I'm going back to Fallujah!"