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This is I think the first mention that Larry has had relationships with men, but we knew, right? Maybe not. Does the homoeroticism between Larry and Will exist mainly outside of the comic, as a joke to the readership, with no bearing on their “real” world? I’m not sure. Everyone projects their own ideas where things aren’t spelled out. I don’t like the way Will sits against the fridge in the last panel, and I’d dig into a student for making such a mistake! There is the slightest overlap of the knife exiting the fridge area, but it’s not enough to keep Will from looking like a flat image superimposed over a flat shape. I’m constantly urging students to make more organic, less formal arrangements of their objects, so of course I’m mad when I do it myself! |
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I lived with a pair of lesbians in my 20’s and I never really thought much of it. We had a very platonic relationship: lots of wine, complaining about work, running clubs and Girls TV. I liked realizing Larry and Will were in a similar boat and that they could co-exist without anything sexual. Or was it?
I actually think the presence of the fridge helps better establish where in space Will is in relation to Larry. Nothing un-organic about it.
But why slice a kiwi? Just eat it!
I always read Larry as in love with Will but happy to accept that a loving friendship was all Will could offer, but what I can’t remember is if this strip is where it started. I think I had a suspicion before, but it crystallised here.
I always remember this page as important to queer representation because to me, it shows a man who-has-sex-with-men (MSM) character and a hetero-male character being friends, and it NOT being a sexually awkward big deal. Larry knows who he is, and is able to love Will like a brother. Will doesn't embody self-aggrandizing "no-homo" distance from Will and instead, loves Will back the same. Each man maintains his masculinity. It's all actually possible. I love it.
I’ve always loved how instantly Larry’s heart is on his sleeve here, unfiltered for a second for what feels like the first time we’ve seen, and then how his slide back into performance is so clearly illustrated. BUT just noticed the fire extinguisher way out of reach with a cockroach, which cracks me up!
I know this isn’t story related, but what is Will cutting here?
lime? kiwi? either works for me
It's a lime for sure, kiwis have very different innards.
I thought he was getting ready to make fried green tomatoes!
Looks like green tomatoes
green tomato I think
I have to believe that it's a tomatillo, because there's no good reason to slice a kiwi or lime that way. Unless he's making sangria, I guess.
Hmm…now that you mention Will looking flat against the fridge, I realize that in the top right panel the countertop comes out beyond the edge of the fridge…so Will shouldn't be able to lean against the side of the fridge anyways, right? *thinks*
I never would've thought about it without that mention *joy*
So I don't know how much this is me over-analyzing, but I always got the bead here that Larry got burned really hard by this ex and it turned him off men for a while. There's some series we're not seeing where Larry has an arc of throwing himself at women for a couple years and then somewhere along the lines he gets himself figured out well enough to (spoilers for anyone who's reading this comic for the first time in reruns) screw around with that guy at Eve's party.
The daily comic hasn’t progressed for a couple days.. I think it’s stuck again. Thank you for fixing this! Yes, I’m a fan of A Christmas Story.