Endtown by Aaron Neathery for December 31, 2022

Your life and your cartoon double aren’t the same, friend.

I’m glad Aaron showed up.

Well, that’s ONE way to end the year …

Poor fellow wants to die. A very sad state of affairs.

The good news is that Other Duffy is unbreakable. The bad news is that since Other Duffy is unmovable then so is Little Brother.

This is so poignant. All this long story, Duffy’s quest was to find his little brother at any cost. Well, he found him. And having found the answer, and the answer was NO, he was then prepared to forfeit that cost in the ultimate. My gut feeling is we’re very close to the end of this saga.

No point in beating yourself up over this, Duffy.

In the sweet by and by, we shall meet at that beautiful shore…!

The Dream-Jerk strikes again!

However annoying Aaron Marx the space-time traveler is, he does have his good points—-like now.

Why isn’t he trying to move his brother..?

Memories…..

Marx is involved in another cliff hanger

Hope Marx can help him. Aside from saving his life.

Taking the easy way out is harder than it seems.

Maybe this is the point where the “loop” has cycled back each time Marx has started the rescue effort at Eden? Perhaps Duffy has to make a choice which allows the arc to move beyond this? Marx knows way more, but won’t/can’t force the issue.

Nice catch, Aaron Marx! That’s one strong cane, and so is the vest.

Time for Marx to tell Duffy that he can be the star he wanted to be if he carries on with this quest.

And maybe reveal what happened to Benny and where he now is.

Duffy and his gang did not see whoever grabbed Benny. That’s why they brought paint when the set Chic up as bait. Because Benny had disappeared, they knew that there was a physical presence at the beach.

I don’t remember Amesworth ever mentioning Benny. Terrence also has made no reference to Benny. And there would not have been many opportunities to snag someone from Eden on that beach, so capturing Benny would stand out. Unless, of course, any reference to missing persons was covered up, just as how people got there was deleted from their memories.

I love how Marx is sitting on air. No, he’s not sitting on a rock, because the rocks on the cliff are out of focus. Mr. Neathery is a great talent.

From Duffy’s look, it appears that he is suffering from a suspension — either of belief or disbelief…

At least Marx didn’t give up on him. His brother may still be alive….just not in this reality.

So much to love about this arc. The sun in Cardoodle world is seconds from going nova (in Cardoodle physics, I assume the event will propagate instantaneously); but Marx fishing Duffy out of a rocky conclusion has the patient pose of a fisherman-storyteller, and I for one am ready to hear an explanation.

Continuing my thoughts from above.

I also do not remember Amesworth or the other topsiders mentioning the attempted snatch of Chic on the beach.

Remember that Amesworth did not see Wally, Duffy or Alan on the beach until two of them touched the recorder. Then she saw only the recorder. She only saw the others after “crossing over” to the same phase as the others.

https://www.gocomics.com/endtown/2019/11/08

So when it was only Chic with his hand on the recorder, he should not have been visible to Amesworth. But the person clearly saw Chic and grabbed him by his shirt.

https://www.gocomics.com/endtown/2019/03/01

The same thing should be true with Benny. So I believe that Benny and Chic were both grabbed (successfully and unsuccessfully) by someone else. And my bets are on Aaron Marx, or an agent thereof.

So I think Benny is stashed away with Kirbee, Chic, and the others. Marx has not told Duffy because Duffy would stop cooperating and insist on seeing Benny.

But we have miles to go through times and places dark and deep

Oh we have miles to go to places and times where dark things creep …

oof cant wait for the book on this arc. To much time in between. Not a complaint I love this strip. Just want the book.

Anyone else miss the old black and white four panel strips? I really do.

Most webpage templates have the four panel format. I don’t miss it at all. It is not a “normal comics format.”

Aaron? Are you still with us? I know you’ve had health issues and the need to reduce your webcomic was necessary. Are you all right?!

This story needs to slow down. I still have a vague memory of how they got here.

Aaron, you’re tearing my heart out.