West of Bathurst, by Kari Maaren
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Sunday, August 18, 2013

West of Bathurst 1337

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If this comic looks familiar--more familiar than the "Barbara marks" comics usually do, that is--it's because it's a callback to the very first comic in the series, which was published on Saturday, December 2nd, 2006.  I may or may not get one more marking comic in before the comic ends, but in case I don't, I want things to come full circle.  I've also returned to the original colours (I altered them a bit in later comics because the original colours didn't contrast enough).  Comparing the two comics will give you an interesting look at how my portrayal of Barbara has changed over the course of the last seven years.

Sunday, August 18, 2013
Panel 1: In the title panel of this Sunday-style colour comic, Barbara is sitting at a table, marking essays. Beside her, we can see an essay's title page. The full title isn't visible, but the end of it is "of Circular Reasoning." Someone has scribbled "West of Bathurst!", two question marks, and "by Kari Maaren" on the title page in red pen.

Barbara [writes in cursive]: Dear Brittany:

Panel 2: Barbara continues to write throughout the remaining panels.

Barbara: As I was reading through your term paper, I started thinking.

Panel 3:

Barbara: It's a truly execrable paper, to the extent that I would rather bathe my whole face in boiling oil than mark the foul thing. However, is my reaction to it too extreme?

Panel 4:

Barbara:
Is it fair of me to descend into a seething rage because you are incapable of logical argument? Should I really scream in fury and despair every time you steal an idea from SparkNotes?

Panel 5:

Barbara: Why can't I just accept that you will never so much as glance at these comments and thus not have a chance to improve?

Panel 6:

Barbara: Why, in fact, can't I make peace with the fact that you simply don't care?

Panel 7:

Barbara [in scrawling, agitated handwriting]: Because apostrophes do not freaking work that way, damn you.

Panel 8:

Barbara [back to normal]:
I hope you have a great new term. Yours, Dr. Mickel.

Barbara sighs.

Alt-Text: Sometimes, the apostrophes just become too much, and something has to give.

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