Frazz by Jef Mallett for October 30, 2014

The dogs ALWAYS fare better than the humans in Jack London’s stuff. To Build a Fire, Call of the Wild… etc..

always wondered about halloween in half of the country. the half of the country where the weather will be chilly or cold that night, and where some people will wear the costumes that are skimpy.

Cue all the “I called it” comments…

Who is Frazz dressing up as? Ben Wallace?

@wbtthefrog: Well, we did!

Thanks for the link, Alexikakos!

Frazz…this is CAULFIELD we’re talking about.

I admire the principal’s bat bow tie – a tidy way him to dress for the season.

This strip has such a unique impact on people. When I searched google for “To li” it instantly filled in the rest of the title. This tells me that mant others are checking out Caulfield’s choice too! This has happened with every literary reference that I’ve pursued. Well done!

Nice bat-tie there, Principal

During a snowy deer hunt, years ago, I tried to light a fire. I used some paper I’d kept in a shirt pocket and several matches. It’s good I wasn’t in distress. The paper wouldn’t stay lit. I made changes in my gear after that.

@KZ71 Though generally true, not “ALWAYS”; indeed, “The Call of the Wild” was written in response to the negative portrayal of a dog in an earlier short story, “Bâtard.” The story is a study of an animal’s reaction to its treatment by man. There were complaints of the way the dog’s behavior was described and London followed up on the same theme with The Call of the Wild.

“‘Bâtard’ is a short story by Jack London, first published in 1902 under the title ‘Diable — A Dog’ in The Cosmopolitan before being renamed to “Bâtard” in 1904. The story follows Black Leclère and Bâtard, two ‘devils,’ one in a man and the other in a wolfdog. Their intense hatred of each other forms the plot as each wants to kill the other, despite having a master and pet relationship. At the end, Bâtard ends up killing his owner, but is later killed himself."

Until I read the wiki synopsis, I was thinking “To Build a Fire” involved a man who was so cold that he actually climbed into a roaring furnace (without satisfying his coldness). Something a heard in middle school several eons ago.

“Half the school is zombies”?

I don’t think the Detroit Pistons have a player who wears the number “3.” Nice of Frazz (Jef) to show no partiality.

I was right! That’s the first Caulfield costume I’ve actually guessed myself.

Well I think I got his “To Kill a Mockingbird” reference too

Love Dr. Spaetzle’s tie!