I never knew I could feel so free
Mildred makes a pretty easy-going clown. Lottie, on the other hand, may be the scariest Punchinello of all.
Mildred makes a pretty easy-going clown. Lottie, on the other hand, may be the scariest Punchinello of all.
Ah! Lottie in her mimesemble! I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something feels a little bit… off.
So will the suitcase-carrier-to-be be the Judy to Grote’s Punch?
Same. I still think Lottie looks more like a mime than a proper clown.
I’ve come to like that look for her, though! No amount of greasepaint can cover up that saucy swagger!
Me too, not complaining.
I figured out what felt off here. Lottie is speaking to these clowns, but mimes don’t talk!
She’s not a mime. She’s a clown whose face is an unpainted white egg, the Ur-clown!
Clearly, she’s not holding the pies. When she gets pies, the ensemble will be complete.
Also, called it on Monday!!
At this point, I’m not buying Mildred’s transformation. We’ve seen her use this MO before: it’s all about getting people to let their guard down by making them think they’re in control. She’s not a convert, she’s an infiltrator.
Alas, not letting her partner know what she’s up to is also completely in character for her.
I was thinking exactly the same two things.
In fact, she may well have figured that Lottie seeing her clown-ified would inspire Lottie to figure something out.
Further evidence for Mildred being in on it: see the notorious “Hand of Grote” depositing suitcase in the background of panel 1, as Mildred nonchalantly pratfalls towards it.
Nice catch! I missed it the first time!
Though, having said that, I can completely imagine that Mildred’s finding herself enjoying begin a clown more than she expected to.
Walking into a meeting carrying a huge bucket of confetti is sort of a lifelong dream of mine.
Mine is a glitter canon.
Fine, but you’re filling in for the custodial staff that day.
That clown in the lower right corner of panel 5 looks familiar. Maybe like someone who was knocked down on a sidewalk in the snow…
Infiltrators… everywhere!
I thought the same thing, but didn’t John (Allison) say the fate of John (Cloake) was not revealed in this story?
Could be a last-second amendment?
or…
An (heheh!) unconscious artistic decision not noticed by The Waking Mind?
Didn’t John (Allison) say that originally there was going to be a scene revealing what had happened to John (Cloake) at the end of the story, but he didn’t have room for it? Maybe that scene involved this clown removing his makeup to reveal the face of John (Cloake)!
That blue-haired clown in panel 3 reminds me of Blossom.
Just when I thought I couldn’t be more appalled at these clowns, I see their atrocious spelling in panel 1.
Have you seen how well they’ve been spelling ever since the note they left on Mildred’s car? I mean, sure, they spelled gaol correctly, but outside of that, this is high quality work when comparised to the rest of their oeuvre.
Littel appears at least to be a de-frankified spelling. I cannot vouch for latar.
Nah, that would be “lator”.
Lottie: Clockwork Orange meets Cabaret.
Time for a little of the old ultra violence.
How art thou, thou globby bottle of cheap, stinking chip oil? Come and get one in the yarbles, if ya have any yarbles, you eunuch jelly thou!
Is confetti some sort of clown kryptonite?
Good to know.
So much worse than a bucket of water.
Thrown confetti isn’t going to evaporate, it just sits there confetting.
Have you ever heard of the parable of RIP Taylor? No? Well, it’s not one the clown’s would tell…
Is it possible to learn how to use Confetti?
Not … from a clown.
Awwwww. In panel two Mildred looks so happy ♡♡♡. Lottie’s costume is beautiful, she reminds me Toto, the greatest italian comedy actor ever.
Zack Snyder should have ditched Jared Leto and put Lottie into the Snyder Cut instead!
I hear panel two to the theme of “The Greatest American Hero”.
(Yes, I’m old.)
You should have said, “Believe it or not, I hear panel two to the theme of ‘The Greatest American Hero.’ “
I like to think that Lottie bought a bowler hat and dipped into some lost de Groot treasure trove to get her face that white.
She certainly bought the hat. It’s in a shop window in the last panel of yesterday’s strip!
Clown1: Look out! She’s got… confetti!!
Lottie: DON’T MAKE ME USE IT!!
Clown2: She’s serious! Stay back, everyclown!
She looks just crazy enough to do it!
She lost her mind!!!
*Lottie opens suitcase*
*Forty lawyers spill out*
*Sue circus, shut it down*
Clown suitcases can easily fit.. *puts pinky in labial commissure* … a MILLION dollars
No speculation as to what “B.T.” stands for?
British Telecom?
British Telex.
The Big Top?
Besmond Tishman?
No additional thoughts on the B.T.? Things are rarely inked by John that don’t have some underlying rare cultural reference…
I regret that when choosing those initials, all I could think was “Brian Transeau”, the electronic musician. I have no interest in his music but his name floated across my mind’s eye. So that’s whose suitcase it used to be.
A Clockwork Lottie
Well struck, someone. Well struck.
Clearly after that prat-fall Lottie took in the previous strip, she can out-clown everyone there.
When Mildred said “hi hi hi” before to Charlotte, I thought it was just an enthusiastic greeting, but now I’m thinking I misinterpreted the intended pronunciation, and it’s a laugh.
Nah. I think it’s her clown catch phrase.
I believe it’s important to understand the Clown Confetti Bucket routine. See the link https://www.clownantics.com/blogs/clownantics-blog/how-to-use-a-confetti-bucket