Gil Thorp by Henry Barajas and Rachel Merrill for September 21, 2017

Why choose? Rick can be football’s version of Slim Chance, singing on the line of scrimmage.

Uncle Gary suddenly turns villainous in p3. Even “young nephew” sounds like a threat. And I guess there’s no doubt at this point Rick is another Milford student whose parents are gone one way or another.

You knew Uncle Gary was a villain by the cut of his Van Dyke.

Well … c’mon. About one HS football player in 20 plays college ball. About one college player in 20 makes the NFL. About one NFL player in three plays more than a season or two. Uncle Creepy isn’t wrong.

P1, So Rick(ey) dresses as Paul Bunyon for his Bobby Darin imitator audition? Makes as much sense as anything else in this story.

P2, Uncle Tonoose needs to call an exterminator to take care of those ants. And I’m thinking he must be related to Marty.

P3, I wonder if Uncle Tonoose was driving a pickup truck last summer?

Young nephew? Is he channeling Jaba The Hut?

The audience loved Mack the Knife. Imagine the hoedown breaking out, chugging that Hoo, dressed like Jethro Bodine with that authentic rope belt in P1, singing ‘Thank God I’ma Country Boy!"

I always said when American Idol was on that every high school chorus or Church choir had at least one better singer than who was on the show. Making it in the music business is more knowing the right people or being in the right place at the right time.

Better Mack the Knife than Louie the Match. There were a sudden increase in insurance claims for house fires when he was last in town.

Enough of this Milford Idol nonsense. Can we get to actual football?

The line forms on the right babe- sounds like an idea for a trick play.

First off I always hated that song! Second………. is Uncle Tonoose Marty’s long lost brother? And lastly……. Chip I posted almost a chapter of a book to you late last night on the Microsoft/Jagger story.

Uncle Tonoose’s comment in panel three should have been followed up with “eehh eeeh eeeh”. Not sure if that’s spelled right but you all know the sound I mean. Kind of like Snidely Whiplash made.

The next season of the Voice starts soon, they always have a crooner.Opportunity.

Uncle’s right young nephew, riches await you. Why I just sold two more copies of my book, doubling my sales. Twenty more and I’ll break even. The future is limitless.

It will be fun when Milford plays Tech, and with 20 seconds left on the clock in a tie game, Rick looks up from his stance and asks, “Hey – does anyone on your team like show tunes?”

Dang! This is lame…

As it happens, I was at the talent show and recorded this exclusive video of Rick(ey)’s performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSGc0bx-kKM

Or maybe it was the late great Bobby Darin almost 60 years ago. I can’t remember.

Seriously, we’re not going to find out who won the talent show?

I’m not sure, but I think P3 is a subtle clue that Uncle Gary is going to be the bad guy this season. In fact, it might just be Marty Moon in disguise (wearing glasses). And speaking of disguises, if you’re embarrassed to read Mopped Up Thorp, put on a disguise first and then go to https://moppedupthorp.wordpress.com/.

Rick can’t be all bad. I see him enjoying a nice, refreshing, energizing bottle of Hoo Cola!

I’m sure most of us have nephews and nieces. Does anyone in real life call their nephew “Nephew”? Or especially “Young Nephew”? How many of us have an old nephew? (I know, it can happen, but very rare.)

I see, so this arc will be taking cues from High School Musical and Glee, the two most culturally relevant pieces of media out right now.

The thing is, with this being Milford, “Mack the Knife” is probably on the charts there.

Ellis, after the Superbowl, didn’t 4 of the Jets form a singing group?