Yes, I imagine he received a few comments about his height in public school. I’ve heard guys who were 5’6″ (1.68 m) complain about how “short” they were, and Alan seems shorter than that.
Meh. I’m 5’6″, and I only complained about my height when I needed something off of the top shelf. It was a much bigger deal to other people than it was to me. And thus we see the power of a healthy self-image.
Dodge ball…. Now if that doesn’t bring back gym class memories, nothing will. The best way to distract kids when the gym teach just doesn’t give a sh*t that day.
Dodge ball: perhaps the best way to get non-athletic kids to hate gym, and therefore avoid exercising for the rest of their life. Although getting picked last for a sports team can contribute, also.
Or being a slow runner, so the teacher makes you run laps and has the faster kids chase you while everyone else watches. You know, to make you run faster. And build self-esteem.
We played a variant called “slaughterball” where there were multiple balls in play. As long as there were jocks on both sides they tended to play dominance games with each other and people like us (me) could quietly tiptoe to the perimeter areas and just move around and dodge now and then.
I actually enjoyed ‘dodge ball’. I was 6 foot tall before ninth grade and non-violent except when doing sport… in which I ALWAYS played within the rules). Dodge ball allowed me to show big guys could be agile and swift (I was able to grab the basketball rim without running before I jumped). I was usually one of the last people on my team to still be playing and I usually could dodge multiple throws simoteniously while hitting a target.
my tenth grade coach tried to convince my mother I should play basketball or football, but she would have nothing to do with it (my dad was in ‘nam at the time).
Well, as a kid living in the 21st century, I have never played dodgeball in school. Though, the amount of horror stories I’ve heard about it seems to justify the removal.
I have finished reading this comic from the beginning and I find it to be one of the most cleverly plotted and drawn of the many I have read to date. I was actually disappointed when I reached the current strip and have to wait for the next one. You have a steadfast new reader, Mr Taylor. Kudos to you, sir.
I’m a bit late with this observation, but I have to say I love how Monica and Tina have a little bit of muffin-top in these scenes. From what I’ve seen, Paul’s always done this kind of follow-through with his themes and his drawing. They both want to be more fit, they both have a tiny bit of poodge going on.
What’s impressive is how, with just a few lines, Paul makes them very cute and sexy with that little muffin top. Speaking as a girl with a figure a bit like that, it makes me feel a lot better about my poodge. I’m going to keep working at getting trim and healthy, and I like to wear clothes that are loose/long enough to have a smooth line, but I know my poodge is there, and Paul makes me feel like I’m still really cute too. 🙂
Healthy women are supposed to have some visible body fat. Healthy men are not. We’ll be closer to achieving civilization when people accept this and live like they mean it.
Open mouth, insert…
I visualise Jin sitting just out of frame, laughing herself sick.
That’s alright. The bouncer took care of him.
You’re really on the ball today.
But the pun jar is making quite a racket over there. It claims you are out of bounds.
[drops in a carbon graphite racket, only slightly used.]
‘ no kids allowed’ , but they can pretend they are kids again!!!! LOL 🙂
It’s only the mean, smelly kids that aren’t allowed. 😛
He’s lucky she just threw tennis balls and that he didn’t get poited somewhere.
I think he did that deliberately to make himself to be the target and make the mood less serious.
And the award for the most tactless comment of the week goes to…
Hey Alan, have you ever played Jiggly Ball?…
pardon? :p
Jiggly Ball
Just say no.
like the ‘idiot handle’… 🙂
The cheeky grin on his face implies to me he deliberately made himself a scapegoat to defuse the tension…
Or maybe he’s just a jerk. Meh. *Throws tennis ball at him*
The first option. Definitely.
Yes, I imagine he received a few comments about his height in public school. I’ve heard guys who were 5’6″ (1.68 m) complain about how “short” they were, and Alan seems shorter than that.
Meh. I’m 5’6″, and I only complained about my height when I needed something off of the top shelf. It was a much bigger deal to other people than it was to me. And thus we see the power of a healthy self-image.
Dodge ball…. Now if that doesn’t bring back gym class memories, nothing will. The best way to distract kids when the gym teach just doesn’t give a sh*t that day.
nah, its more like jiggly ball, which brings back memories of scrubs.. ( that episode was actually on yesterday).
Dodge ball: perhaps the best way to get non-athletic kids to hate gym, and therefore avoid exercising for the rest of their life. Although getting picked last for a sports team can contribute, also.
Or being a slow runner, so the teacher makes you run laps and has the faster kids chase you while everyone else watches. You know, to make you run faster. And build self-esteem.
Dodge ball. A.K.A. state sponsored lessons in socialized terrorism.
– Calvin
We played a variant called “slaughterball” where there were multiple balls in play. As long as there were jocks on both sides they tended to play dominance games with each other and people like us (me) could quietly tiptoe to the perimeter areas and just move around and dodge now and then.
I actually enjoyed ‘dodge ball’. I was 6 foot tall before ninth grade and non-violent except when doing sport… in which I ALWAYS played within the rules). Dodge ball allowed me to show big guys could be agile and swift (I was able to grab the basketball rim without running before I jumped). I was usually one of the last people on my team to still be playing and I usually could dodge multiple throws simoteniously while hitting a target.
my tenth grade coach tried to convince my mother I should play basketball or football, but she would have nothing to do with it (my dad was in ‘nam at the time).
Well, as a kid living in the 21st century, I have never played dodgeball in school. Though, the amount of horror stories I’ve heard about it seems to justify the removal.
And a good time was had by all.
Hear Hear !!
I wanna throw a tennis ball at Alan, too!
I have finished reading this comic from the beginning and I find it to be one of the most cleverly plotted and drawn of the many I have read to date. I was actually disappointed when I reached the current strip and have to wait for the next one. You have a steadfast new reader, Mr Taylor. Kudos to you, sir.
Thank you much! =D
Tina for those who thought I colored her too macbre and dark the last time. (You know who you are.) Anybody playing tennis can’t be spooky, right?
WHOA!!!
Like the EYES.
I’m a bit late with this observation, but I have to say I love how Monica and Tina have a little bit of muffin-top in these scenes. From what I’ve seen, Paul’s always done this kind of follow-through with his themes and his drawing. They both want to be more fit, they both have a tiny bit of poodge going on.
What’s impressive is how, with just a few lines, Paul makes them very cute and sexy with that little muffin top. Speaking as a girl with a figure a bit like that, it makes me feel a lot better about my poodge. I’m going to keep working at getting trim and healthy, and I like to wear clothes that are loose/long enough to have a smooth line, but I know my poodge is there, and Paul makes me feel like I’m still really cute too. 🙂
Healthy women are supposed to have some visible body fat. Healthy men are not. We’ll be closer to achieving civilization when people accept this and live like they mean it.
Or, perhaps, accept that, in rules as in a lot of other things, one size does not fit all.
Sounds like a good rule to remember.
I can’t get to the new page. Keep getting “504 bad gateway”. Anyone else having trouble?
I did. 504, 502, and one other–but eventually I snuck past the Sphinxes and got in.