Gil Thorp by Henry Barajas and Rachel Merrill for November 17, 2014

We’ve never liked these guys — and that was before they stole our peacock.

Looks like Marti’s crap shack got a hi tech upgrade unless it is all Fisher Price equipment!

Bulletin board material if ever I heard it.

In all reality, Stretch Amrstrong deelivers a punch in the kidney to # 17 in P 1 but more importantly in P 3 the reporter s story provides the basis for the Valley to investigate Gil and the Milford coaching staff for illegaly recruiting True.

Is the bitter, pot-bellied gent in P3 supposed to be a coach or a player?

P1- EHS, Exploding Hand Syndrome. Many of us agreed that Milford would get on a roll then adversity would rear its ugly head, like True suffering a season ending injury. Think Friday Night Lights with True blowing out his knee and Gil convincing him to play by taking a needle. Jarrod, the Homecoming Prince backed by his teammates, tells GilPa they won’t take the field under these circumstances. True ends up coaching the Mudlarks to victory to secure the Valley Conference title and a berth in the playdowns.

Why is the Jolly Green Giant crushing #17 in P-1? and you thought Valley Tech hated Milford!

Uh oh, bulletin board material.

That’s an awkward pause after “stays” in panel one. Is he catching his breath?

P1- Did the Valley conference change to an arena league? What’s with the boards?P2- agreed, the Tinderbox never looked so modern!

Apparently Gil’s new “less is more” coaching strategy is working. Blatant dereliction of duty is paying off!

Okay, prediction? VT takes a cheap shot on Tru(e) and knocks him out of the game. Jarrod(e) then retaliates against VT for hurting his new best buddy Tru(e) and gets ejected, leaving Big John to play quarterback. Milford loses in no small part due to 25 delay of game penalties because nobody knew when to start the play.New and improved Mopped Up Thorp, no more need for a magnifying glass (when you click on the comic).

On the plus side, there’s no “Wizard of Id” 50th anniversary tribute.

Well, I guess if someone had written “The Coach is a Fink” on the locker room wall, that would have been OK.

I always go to AZ Comics to look at the color version. Today I noticed something I had not seen before. It’s the ‘explanation’ or whatever of the comic. Here is what that site says of ‘Gil Thorp’. .“With sharp, contemporary story lines and new, graphically outstanding artwork, Gil Thorp takes readers into the halls of Milford High School, where the legendary Gil Thorp himself is an example of what high school coaches can be on their best days. The perfect bridge between the worlds of ever-expanding big-time sports and the slower-paced times of high school sports, Gil Thorp is the “Friday Night Lights” of the funny pages."

I seem to recall the coach on Friday Night Lights actually showed up and. . . COACHED!

Clear eyes, full peacock, can’t lose!