My expert opinion
Where better to cool one’s coals than the links? Getting the rub of the green in a soothing ersatz aztec zone or perhaps a romanticised Kentucky goldmine scenario. If only the US Open had the moxie and vision of the adventure golf area of your local out-of-town retail park.
There appears to already be a giant passing out ice cream cones in the area, so that might not be the best business model.
Also, they should be careful about getting into a war with Mr. Softy, or Mr. Bunny, or some other existing van.
“No, I have no idea how that rival ithe cream van caught on fire. Why do you athk?”
Especially as Mr Softy was parked up outside Glenn and Lottie’s home first thing that morning. Chekhov’s ice cream van?
Joking aside, Glasgow had a serious turf war in the 80s between criminals selling drugs and stolen goods from ice cream vans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_ice_cream_wars
(Oh, now I notice that zl mentioned this below…)
Based on what we’ve seen of Claire’s experience with romance, I think she might have a point with societal collapse being possible because people fell in love.
I have admittedly not played mini golf in quite a few years, but this is a pretty wacky course!
Claire is a TRUE friend.
Hmm. I hadn’t realize that the investigative hormone is so similar to the romance hormone!
There’s only one atom difference!
Glenn is so calm and philosophical about this whole situation, he’s really admirable. Poor Claire seems to be in panic, but it’s really nice to see them play together, they look good together. More balanced than I thought. Nice!
Glenn spent all of his time being basically a traveling salesman for careers. Either he’s naturally just very unshakeable, or learned how to deal with uncertainty pretty well. Most salesmen I’ve known could be in dire straits but still seem very easygoing about it… something always comes up
Can’t decide if Claire is propositioning Glenn, or what.
From his eyes in the last panel, I think Glyph may realize that he’ll never get a better offer in his life should he live to one hundred.
Maybe Ygln will remember his mother’s admonition to “Make sure you have a Trade to fall back upon!”
There’s something about the way Claire lifted her leg to hit the ball saying that, something that makes me think a future in an ice cream van with Glenn would make her happy.
Looks like Claire has narrowed her target sight on Mr. Sweet and Sensitive Guy.
This reads vaguely sinister for anyone aware of the Glasgow ice cream van wars
I suppose they can take Comfort in their ignorance of those wars, and focus on the Joy of starting their own business.
Apparently there’s been a serious rift between the mini golf franchise’s owners. One has already labeled what’s “Mine” and what belongs to “Dyna.”
Let’s load up music for Claire’s and Glenn’s ice cream van to play. For starters, I nominate “I Melt With You.”
“Cold as Ice”? Perhaps “Pour Some Sugar On Me”.
Used to have an old 78 with a song “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1WKImlPObU
Oddly it featured in a Jim Jarmusch film called Down by Law with Tom Waits.
Well, as you know, Claire is always moments away from a big Twin Peaks style scream. Perhaps this story is where it will finally happen.
The US copyright on that song just expired this month (it was published in 1927). I don’t know the UK copyright status.
In the UK it’s 70 years from initial release for sound recordings, 70 years from author’s death for the sheet music.
Van Halen’s “Ice Cream Man” for their ice cream van.
Lots of topical Van Halen songs for these kind of things, to be honest!
So how did Glenn and Claire end up at the most surreal and unsettling mini golf course in Britain (if not the world) and why am I even questioning such an occurrence in the Bobbinsverse?
Here in Britane we call it crazy golf (or we used to: maybe we say mentally-challenged golf now). Never has the name seemed more appropriate.
I’ve seen some places describe it as “Adventure Golf” now (to avoid the word “Crazy”).
I will happily watch John draw crazy golf art for days on end.
In the US, I’ve seen many minigolf courses as weird as, or weirder than, this. Skulls, monsters, vaguely appropriated cultural monuments, “mines” about to be “blown up,”…. pretty standard stuff. John has captured the ambiance.
This comic is really going all out with showcasing different mall locales.
I just noticed that John has a word ladder going with the sound effects:
PLOP
PLIP
PWIP
…
Many reasons not to tit about on them.
She’s an agent of the BLC! Run!!!
Yea.. You know what, screw it, I like these two together. As friends or more. Either works.
My thoughts exactly.
Totally agree
Yeah, the wikipedia Glasgow ice cream wars are a hard echo to the earlier Checkov’s ice cream truck and continuing themes of “under attack” and Claire’s business comments. Is Nero’s last name Marchetti?
Don’t forget that Glub looks quite a bit like Claire’s bus boyfriend! I think we can all rest easy knowing they’ll end up together.