I bet they always have to be the race car, too.

Meanwhile, back at the lake, Ben and Mr. Tuggle (who I keep wanting to call Ruggle Tuggle) paddle over to where the fishing is better, and it's here that Mr. Tuggle (who might or might not be a certain Senator Hawkins) sees first hand how all of those outboard motors and speed boats have made the lake a little less peaceful, which is not really something you want to have to deal with when you're paddling around in a tippy canoe without a life jacket on.
Trying to find a more peaceful place to fish unfortunately brings our two paddlers in contact with the Parker brothers (who apparently drew a line down the middle of the lake once and declared that Ben could not pass go or collect $200 (even if it was for a really, really good cause). Thanks to a passing duck, we even know their names. I think I can guess which one is Moe and which one is Joe. (Moe is clearly the one in the hat :).) Poor guys, they should know that you can't own nature, and I have a feeling that Mark is going to have to involve himself in teaching those two that very fact (and I, for one, cannot wait).
Heading back to the safety of the other side of the lake (but also into the dangerous feeding ground of Fishzilla), Ben and Mr. Tuggle chat about the Parker Brothers. Turns out that Ben isn't the only one they've rubbed the wrong way. Gee, that sort of makes me think that old Moe and Joe are hiding something on their side of the lake, but whatever could it be? Counterfeiting money and/or jeans? Poaching? Raccoon fighting? Weird scientific experiments with fish or algae? Trying to open up a portal into another world? Sunken treasure? The mind reels. For now all we're left with are questions, questions, and more questions. Somebody pull Mark out of that restaurant and get him to the lake, pronto!

You'll never get the building and loan, Potter!

Breaking away from the office (and because Mark has only eaten a bag of peanuts in the last ten hours), Tim takes Mark to a nice restaurant owned by the very Senator who wants to open up the lake to every jet boat and power ski that he can. (I bet it's just so that if someone asks what could do this sort of damage, he can say, "It was a power ski, man." I am also quite sure that I am the only one who thinks that was funny. Oh well.) Turns out that the restaurant offers all kinds of wild game (so that the people who will never hunt for said game can say that they have eaten it, much like the people who buy the big giant SUV things and then never take them off road), though no one is really sure where it comes from. (Uh oh, could there be a story in this? I think there could.) But before Mark and Tim can contemplate where their soon to be ordered food comes from, who should walk in the door but the very Senator these two will soon be fighting (legally and physically).
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce Senator Wallace (who looks a lot like Mr. Potter from It's A Wonderful Life except, you know, without the wheel chair). Turns out that Wallace has heard about Mark and even read some articles (which will make it even sadder when Mark has to punch his lights out later). Turns out at he has also read something that Tim wrote as well, but obviously wasn't as enthralled with it because it probably said that everything he wants to do is wrong. Before anything of importance can be said, though, the crafty Senator tells the two men that he's going to pay for their lunch (and it will only cost them their souls. Just kidding...sort of.), but the poor guy should know that Mark Trail cannot be bought. After all, he did read some articles about something nature related, and that should have told him all he needed to know about Mark Trail. Still, I do wonder what they're going to order. Go nuts, boys, go nuts!

Another quiet evening, Tracy?

Things apparently wrapped up at Ye Olde Concert Hall, Tracy returns home hoping that maybe, just maybe, he'll be able to salvage what's left of his nice quiet evening at home. Alas, 'tis not to be (okay, I'll stop now), for waiting when he steps through the door is Tess with an invitation to an embassy party. (Okay, so how many people didn't think that Tracyville had an embassy? Show of hands, please. Okay, so how many people didn't realize that Tracyville was important enough to have an embassy? Hands, please. Yeah, me too.) Now, the thing that I don't get (and maybe it's just me, because, well, it sometimes is) is how they're just now finding that invitation. See, I was under the impression that all of this was happening pretty much in one night, but apparently, either someone has a time machine, or time is passing much faster than I think it is. Oh well, at times like this it's probably best to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Therefore, I am going to assume that Tracy goes into work the next day and thanks the Chief for arranging the invitation (yeah, thanks for nothing). Looks like someone has a job to do. (Personally, I stand behind the theory that the Chief wants to get Tracy out of the way so that the rest of the department can continue searching for the nefarious Waldo.) Meanwhile, old Kid Vicious and his band put together a demo tape and sent it off to an agency, which, liking what they heard, immediately booked them a gig (probably because they could actually carry a tune and didn't sound like they were killing the song), but wait, there's more! Looks like dear old dad has gotten himself a gig too, and horror of horrors, looks like there just might be a family reunion at the embassy seeing as how Ambassador U. Niform (as he shall henceforth be called until he's given a proper name) likes a little rock and roll along with his classical. (Perhaps the two groups can join together to create some classic rock?)
Meanwhile, across town, or south of town, or whatever direction Virgil Ohso's lair is from the embassy, Chris Shendo delivers the modified Stradivarius, and it is here that we learn of Ohso's plan to get the valuable instrument into the embassy for one reason or another. Me, I'm thinking it's some sort of mind control thing, but that could be because I've watched a few too many episodes of Batman lately. Of course, what I really want to know is how Chris's modifications have affected the value and sound of the Stradivarius since collectors can be kind of picky. (To the Antiques Roadshow!) Unfortunately, before any of my questions can be answered (and truthfully, only a scant few are), we switch back to the concert hall, where the balding man has been replaced by a heavier bald man who is now futilely trying to convince Phil to attend the Embassy party. Unfortunately, Phil is too busy pouting and throwing a fit, but don't worry folks, I'm sure he'll get there somehow. After all, we all want to see if his little reunion with Kid turns into a knock down, drag out fight. (Don't lie. You know you do too.)

Just wait a bit and they'll have made a pill for it.

I didn't get depressed after watching Avatar. Sure, the world was beautiful, but I wouldn't want to do anything more than visit because it also looked pretty darn dangerous, and knowing me, I'd do something stupid, or get distracted, or trip, or something else that would lead to my death. That, or I'd be scared. But you really shouldn't take my word for it. After all, I have been told that I have no heart, so maybe I didn't feel for the world as I should have. Oh well, it was still a good movie. Not sure I saw it as really ground breaking or the bestest thing in the whole wide world, but it was good nonetheless.

It would have been worth it if that had been the only song worth keeping.

I have my James Bond song now.

I didn't even expect it to be there.

I only expected to find the themes.

I didn't think anything of the last track.

After all, it was only called "007."

How was I supposed to know that it would have the fight/chase music that delights me so?

I'm glad I didn't buy the other collection.

I don't think it would have been there.

To be honest, I owe it all to Dionne Warwick.

I only bought the one I did because her song was on it and I was intrigued because I didn't remember it.

I also didn't care if I didn't have some of the more recent themes, and the one I bought was cheaper.

Looking back, I really dodged a bullet there.

Hooray for happy accidents!

Here's to the new year.

Let's have fewer deaths than the last two.

(I don't think it's too much to ask, do you?)

I have not posted in a while.

Now I have.

Is there no place that's safe from crime in this city?

Wow, we're certainly being bombarded with names now, aren't we? Hey, I'm all for it, though. At least now we know that the mysterious sun-glassed man is named Virgil Ohso and the guy who's going to tinker with the valuable instrument is named Chris Shendo. Looks like everyone's going to have a name by the time this story is finished. (Yay!) Turning back to the story, Virgil calls up Chris and gives him a little warning not to screw it up when he finally gets his hands on the valuable instrument. I also see that he's using a bit a reverse psychology by challenging Shendo's skills. (I hope it doesn't cause the poor wild-haired tinkerer to crack under the pressure.) I just hope it doesn't take too long to get the violin into Chris's capable hands.
Gee, that was fast. The violin in his possession, Chris Shendo begins his work (and unlike Virgil Ohso, he's based his operations on the North Side of town, which is probably the more cultured side and therefore the only place suitable for working on a Stradivarius). Unfortunately, not only does the poor guy talk to himself, but he also seems to have come down with a case of T-Rex Arms. I hope that he's had more than enough time to adjust. Otherwise, Ohso's questions about his abilities could actually be very good ones and not just sarcastic challenges. But before we can see too much of what he's going to do to the priceless instrument, we turn back to the concert hall, where poor Harmonic is about to faint dead away (and has clearly become so sick of retelling his tale that he's employed the bald man who found him on the floor). Quick someone grab the smelling salts! (Or perhaps a little Classical Thunder would be more effective?)

Yeah, you might not want to say that in front of the police.

Back at the concert hall (and sporting a rather bad attitude), Tracy talks to Harmonic, who is far less concerned with pressing charges against his dear son than he is with getting his Stradivarius back (and who can blame him? The symphony is obviously his life and making his son a part of that symphony was clearly one of his goals, and since junior has no intention of following in dear old dad's footsteps, dear old dad wants nothing to do with him). In fact, I think that it might be better if he doesn't see his son. Otherwise, there could be some problems with scheduling future concerts since they'd all have to take place in prison. Meanwhile, on the snowy streets, Son of the Maestro talks to the mysterious Steve.
The phone call going nowhere, we turn our attention back to the concert hall, where there's been a marked improvement in Tracy's temperament. My guess is that after seeing how screwed up this family is, Tracy's feeling pretty darn good about his own (even if he never sees most of them). Let's see if he keeps that smirk of his after Harmonic gives him the news that his son probably changed his name, which will probably make finding him all the harder (especially since it doesn't seem like the band has booked any gigs or even really joined up, so he can't just go find a poster tacked to a telephone pole). Speaking of the would-be rocker, his phone call with Steve going nowhere (and getting him hardly any frame-time), Son of the Maestro calls the equally mysterious Janet and reveals the name he's chosen for himself. Kid Vicious? That's what you're going with, huh? No, no it's a nice name. It's just that, well, you know what, never mind. At least this call proved to give us some sort of useful information. Kind of makes you wonder what his name was before he changed it (even though legally it's still whatever it has been since we haven't seen him go to any office or anything to get it officially changed).

The news of his name change given to Janet, Kid Vicious calls up another mysterious man named Richie (do you think he knows Buddy and The Bopper?) and tells him all about his new band and some of the people in it, but aside from the continuing use of punny names for its members, the most important thing we learn is his real name. Yes folks, before he was Kid Vicious he was Ludwig Harmonic (and suddenly this whole I want to change my name thing makes a lot more sense). Now you know, and knowing if half the battle. Meanwhile, across town, the mysterious sun-glassed man currently in possession of the missing Stradivarius continues on with his plan and seems to finally realize that it's really quite a valuable instrument that you shouldn't mess up. (It's about time.)

I bet they won't let you fish with dynamite anymore either.

Meanwhile, as Mark and Tim talk and talk about the lake and surrounding area, we actually get to see this area of wonderful wildlife and the people associated with it, mainly Ben and Mr. Tuggle (who if I had to guess, just might be that other Senator). Looks like Mr. Tuggle is a regular at the Paradise Lake camp (which is just a stone's throw away from Crystal Lake, but nobody talks about that and you won't see it mentioned in the brochure), where the fishing is exceptional. Oh, if only Mark had taken Rusty here instead of that den of horrors that was the swamp! (Okay, maybe den of horrors is a little bit of an exaggeration and maybe they did do a little good while they were there what with the saving of the alligators and finding Bob a job and all that stuff.)
Yeah, Mr. Tuggle, if you aren't the Senator, I'd be really surprised seeing how you seem to be quite interested in what could happen at the lake (and the fact that your shirt at times seems to take on the appearance of an ascot or neckerchief), but turning away from that, have you ever gone fishing before? I'm not judging or anything, but I don't see a tackle box and it looks like you're holding what could be a dowel, a small board, or a pool cue instead of a fishing rod (maybe it's one of those old-timey ones where it's just a stick and some string). Talking about the lake (and seemingly ignoring those two geese that seem to be having more than a little trouble flying), Ben mentions that while canoes are all well and good, no one wants to carry a canoe through the forest, and it would seem that Paradise Lake might be isolated from the road, making planes the only way that most people are able to reach it. Uh oh, Mark. Ben is make some good points there, and if Mr. Tuggle is the Senator, you can bet that that sort of thing is going to weigh heavily on his mind...or maybe not. I mean, if people are bringing their big boats to the lake, there obviously has to be some way to get said boats to the lake (like say, a road?). Oh my, things are starting to get complicated.

Government in action!

Rusty safe at home with Cherry and Doc (and with a neat cast on his ankle), Mark dives right into another adventure after a call from his buddy Tim. We are also reminded that Mark writes for Woods And Wildlife Magazine (even though we haven't actually seen him write an article in quite a while), so this trip can be written off for tax purposes. Unfortunately, it would seem that the Jack Elrod Ball couldn't make such a claim and was forced to take Eagle Airlines, which apparently will get you there, but might or might not drop you a few times along the way. (I'm sure everything will turn out all right.) Meeting up with Tim, we get the first clue about what this "adventure" will be about. (I wonder if it will also include exciting City Council meetings.)
So Mark is there to help save a wilderness area from commercial development and speed boats and dirt bikes and loud obnoxious people? I guess I can support that. What I really want to know, though, is how long old Tim there has been talking since it looks like the meeting moved out of his office and onto the street. (Perhaps there was a fire drill today, or maybe they needed to get some fresh air, or maybe Tim is afraid that his office has been bugged, or maybe the artist got sick of drawing office furniture and wanted to draw some more of the invisible people that always seem to show up whenever Mark visits an office of some kind.) Somehow, I don't think we'll ever find out, but at least we're being introduced to the as yet unseen Senator Wallace who seems to be opposed to froggies and cute little forest critters. (Ooh, I already hate him so much!)
Luckily for Mark, fighting for the side of all that is good is another Senator (who hasn't been given a name, but who I shall call Hawkins in honor of the hawk in panel two) who might be on the side of Tim and all of his buddies (but remember, sir, might is only maybe). Looks like there's going to be a showdown in the Senate (and if we're really lucky a showdown in the forest because that showdown is likely to be a lot more exciting). I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

Well I should hope so.

According to the packaging, my yogurt is high in calcium.

I would be worried if it wasn't.

(I bet it would be even higher with milk added.)

It's all so clear now.

Apparently, James Bond is a Time Lord.

That certainly explains all of the different incarnations he's gone through, doesn't it?