“I miss having you” uh-huh sure you missed her so much you made her go live with someone else instead of having to raise her anymore.
Also goddd the whole shtick of being non-stop mean and rude to someone all day long and then turning niceys to guilt them at the last second as soon as you want them to do things for you. Her mother is so insufferable, fantastic writing.
Oof, look at the cross-generational facial expressions going on here. They both have an epic stank face, and the middle panel is like a shyer Beth. And man, you KNOW both Beth and her mom would hate to be told they resemble each other at times, not just physically but emotionally. Of course, Beth has the excuse of, well, being a teenager. Though if Gladys got stuck in a shit marriage at a young age, I can see why she wound up in an arrested state that’s half bitter/middle-aged and half mopey/reactive.
I’m really glad we’re getting this sequence now that the art is this detailed. That’s not a knock on the earlier chapters at all — the simplicity was appropriate for the kids’ stage of development. But as they mature, it’s been great to see all this tension playing out in facial expressions alone. This chapter is so well observed from a physical standpoint.
I know this comment is already super long, but also, mannn, the way the labor burden falls on women in this house. In some sense, Gladys is being kinda manipulative here, but she also looks legit exhausted.
I actually do get where Beth’s mom is coming from, I really, REALLY do. But you know, I thought of all the different ways she could have asked Beth not to use the phone right now, and still treat her daughter with a modicum of respect. And then having the audacity to patronize Beth at the end… lordy, lordy.
Right? All she had to say was, “your dad requested nobody use the phone unless it’s an emergency.” And nothing else. She takes every opportunity to be nasty.
You really nail the feeling of being a teen. It’s been so long I almost forgot what it felt like; the angst and resentment for every adult extracting any control over your life (everybody is stupid, domineering, judgmental, bigoted or old fashioned). I’m grateful for the occasional panel or line you carefully weave in that gives them back some humanity despite the teenage gaze.
I love the art here, it plays as much to the emotions as the characters expressions and something about the last panel: even the colors feel isolated and lonely. <3
there is just so much here in this chapter that is sad and relatable on all fronts, i really feel for Beth
“I miss having you” uh-huh sure you missed her so much you made her go live with someone else instead of having to raise her anymore.
Also goddd the whole shtick of being non-stop mean and rude to someone all day long and then turning niceys to guilt them at the last second as soon as you want them to do things for you. Her mother is so insufferable, fantastic writing.
Oof, look at the cross-generational facial expressions going on here. They both have an epic stank face, and the middle panel is like a shyer Beth. And man, you KNOW both Beth and her mom would hate to be told they resemble each other at times, not just physically but emotionally. Of course, Beth has the excuse of, well, being a teenager. Though if Gladys got stuck in a shit marriage at a young age, I can see why she wound up in an arrested state that’s half bitter/middle-aged and half mopey/reactive.
I’m really glad we’re getting this sequence now that the art is this detailed. That’s not a knock on the earlier chapters at all — the simplicity was appropriate for the kids’ stage of development. But as they mature, it’s been great to see all this tension playing out in facial expressions alone. This chapter is so well observed from a physical standpoint.
I know this comment is already super long, but also, mannn, the way the labor burden falls on women in this house. In some sense, Gladys is being kinda manipulative here, but she also looks legit exhausted.
I actually do get where Beth’s mom is coming from, I really, REALLY do. But you know, I thought of all the different ways she could have asked Beth not to use the phone right now, and still treat her daughter with a modicum of respect. And then having the audacity to patronize Beth at the end… lordy, lordy.
Right? All she had to say was, “your dad requested nobody use the phone unless it’s an emergency.” And nothing else. She takes every opportunity to be nasty.
You really nail the feeling of being a teen. It’s been so long I almost forgot what it felt like; the angst and resentment for every adult extracting any control over your life (everybody is stupid, domineering, judgmental, bigoted or old fashioned). I’m grateful for the occasional panel or line you carefully weave in that gives them back some humanity despite the teenage gaze.
I love the art here, it plays as much to the emotions as the characters expressions and something about the last panel: even the colors feel isolated and lonely. <3