Wallace the Brave by Will Henry for November 15, 2023

But it’s never been a learning moment, has it, Spud? Has it?

Only if you survive.

He stayed up on the planks. Impressive.

And it’s only been 16 days since the last " teaching moment"

Bay water is kinda cold this time of year.

Realistically, he would’ve had to intentionally leap to cause the trajectory in the last panel.

I appreciate the head canon that Spud embraced his inevitable fate.

Spud?!?!

Don’t let the wheels get rusty!

This was me on skis. Towards the end of my first day. Headed down my first blue slope, feeling good about myself, when the defective ski clip on my rented ski came loose and lifted right off, so I was skiing at top speed on one ski. And the only way I had been taught how to stop at that point was to snowplow, which requires two skis. I finally decided to sit down, so as to fall a shorter distance, and went into a tumble. The final insult was the guy who swooped past me, observed the hill littered with skis, goggles, hat for a hundred meter stretch and shouted, “YOU GONNA OPEN A SKI SHOP?”

Wallace seems horrified, I thought he’d be more amazed.

and it is a comical moment as well

Until now, Spud would simply fall into water. Now, he knows he will fall into water. It is a teaching moment!

It might be a painful teaching moment if its kinda low tide?

heavens no….!

Keep the blue side up…

Yikes! I’m actually worried about Spud. Skates too heavy, water too deep.

SPLASH!!!

Throw-your-shoes-in-the-bay-day again?

A teaching moment, yes, but perhaps not a learning moment.

Big SPLOOSH in 3 – 2 – 1…

Calvin and his tiger pal approve!

Spud’s shadow on the water below him has a kinda Wile E. Coyote descent into the canyon look.

Too bad its not a learning moment

Go, Spud! You rock!

That looks like a Wallace stunt.

A lesson learned a little late it would seem, but it most definitely will be a lesson learned. Hopefully Jaws isn’t swimming by……

The sound effects are spot on for this one.

If those are cement roller blades, he’s in big trouble.

What’s that water temp today, about 40 degrees?

Nice sound effects, Will Henry!

Been a while since Spud went off the dock. Maybe Will could combine all the dock forays into a book. Call it Sink or Swim, or Things Spuds Mother Should Have Taught Him.

Spud is lucky in his final destination – as water is better to land on/in than asphalt or rocks or concrete or a wall or whatever…

You learn to trust your judgement by doing. And healing.

Hard to swim with roller blades on your feet.

I don’t remember. Can Spud swim?

Was there a man dismayed?Not though the soldier knew Someone had blundered. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred."…This came to mind when I saw Spud.

I love the self-talk, the self-awareness, and the acceptance.

Judging by Wallace’s expression in the third panel, I think it’s safe to assume Wallace has absolutely no part in convincing Spud to wear he rollerblades.

And, of course, Spud never learns, does he?

SPLOOOOSH!

When only one person is involved, one would hope it was a “learning moment”.

The fact that he says “you’ve done it again” shows while it may be another teaching moment he didn’t learn from any of the past ones.

He’s so calm and focused on the inevitable. Freezing cold water, certain hypothermia, warm cuddly blankets and a cuppa hot chocolate after.

All of us have learned the hard way when we were kids. Some of us still do in our adulthood

Though little solace, you might be cushioned by the pile of shoes Wallace has tossed off the pier, year after year.

Oh Spud….

We all have days like that, Spud. And you’re already more mature than most.