What is it about wagon rides? Yes, I know what you’re all thinking- about that famous old comic strip that was the hit of the funny pages all those years ago. The protagonist of the comic strip, perched with his goofy buddy on top of a rattling wagon plowing downhill, all the while discussing some counterpoint- something totally unrelated with the reckless wagon ride that inevitably ended in a crash in the last panel. Oh, I know we all miss those old comic strips. ‘Skippy’ was QUITE the feature, what with the record sales of sheet music and the movie version of the comic strip, and all the paper dolls and toys and endorsed products. I know I still insist on ‘Skippy’ peanut butter, even if the manufacturers are in dispute over the licensing contract with the owners of the old ‘Skippy’ comic strip name they purchased back in the depression. If I were around back then, I know I would have wanted to take one of Skippy’s mad downhill rides to ruin. Just like Hubris does nowadays.
Gosh, I bet other cartoonists have done wagon rides with their characters, too.
It’s good to see Hubris just lay back and cut loose for a few. Get back to himself despite all the crapola of the fest! Bet next scene is where he finally came to land and Dr. Kara Biner clucking over him and fixing him up. Heh.
Is that rabbit wearing EYEGLASSES?! :-0
I sure hope a few turns down the mountain make Hubris feel better!
Heeee’ssss BACK!!!
Ha! I’ll bet most of you thought about the other strip with the kid with his stuffed tiger and their wagon. I read “Skippy” every day on GoComics.
As for the Rocky Mountain downhill race I know of an inclined railway in the Royal Gorge they aren’t using any more.
Ooooh, I had a kayak accident in that stretch of the Gorge and had to climb up that stupid incline track. There’s a ladder bolted to the underside of the track. My dry top still has grease on the sleeves from the cable that runs up the tracks above the ladder rungs. They were fixing the incline train that day. Man, I wish it had been working. I also lost a paddle that day, and friends had to drag my kayak behind them to the takeout.
I know, I read your story! The incline was one casualty of the fire that they didn’t bring back, but I hear there’s a zip line across now and a via ferrata.
Me, I get the willies looking at cartoon characters in high places.
That thing was scary to ride. I would only if it was in the first or lowest box. It could be blazing hot at the top but it was always cool down by the river at that bit of a landing they had there. And to get there right as the bridge was casting shadow on it, made for awesome pictures.
There is also the Manitou Incline Railway, it had one rock punch onto the rails about 2/3 of the way up, a fairly easy repair. And it was a popular trip up the smaller hill, but. They wanted the parking lot for the one that goes up Pike’s Peak…
One thing I always love about Hubris as a “Person” is that he knows himself. He tests himself, owns his mistakes, and just cares enough about the whole package to make sure there are smiles everyday. He needed this, so BAM! He did it.
flying is easy. Landing’s a !@#$%^&*
You can see the life returning to him panel by panel. There’s a reason you’re doing this festival Hubris! It’s fun! Maybe he should attend one next time. He’d be able to write it off as a business expense, researching for his own work (as I assume you write off every comic book you buy.)
If he scaled everything down he could just organize a field day at a local school.
I drove through the Rockies something like 10 years ago, from Denver to Glenwood Springs. The backstretch into Glenwood had a bicycle path paralleling the road all the way down. Shoulda, coulda woulda.
I LOVE the rabbit in the first panel!
… and my other go to online comic xkcd has done wagon ride strips before.
To me, that rabbit looked like an homage to Jack Davis:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Davis_(cartoonist)]
That rabbit reminds me of Grimm the dog.
… in full gallop.