Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for May 04, 2012

You’re a smart one..,

Guess that’s a win – at least from Alex’s point of view

Expect the unexpected

Leo’s Vietnam-vet boss is probably invited. So they’ll have security covered.

Wonder if Jeff will be invited, fire a gun in celebration and shoot down one of the Peace Prizident’s drones flying overhead.

JJ will be there, have no doubt.

Poor JJ – Abandoned by her mother, having a poverty – stricken loser for a first husband, and now disrespected by her daughter! Only Batiuk treats his characters worse!

Good for Alex!

Nah, the biker friend and Zeke are pals.

She might not like him, but that’s her mother’s long term partner. It is unfair of her not to invite him.

100% chance that JJ and Zeke will crash the wedding – it ought to be fun to see.

Tempus fugit. I remember JJ and her overalls.

Who’s that brain-damaged guy who hired Leo to work in the sound booth? Can’t find him on Google. He might work well as Secuirty.

Rev. Zonker’s got to be officiating, right?

J.J., it is your daughter’s wedding, not yours. Here’s a solution, have you ever heard of rededication vows. Have a rededication ceramony and you can be as “artistic” as you like.

Oh, no, masterskrain—JJ knew Zeke before she met Mike. She was on the rebound and went to visit her mother. Mike fell flat on his face for her when they met. Then after Alex was born (on television, after she’d thrown Mike out for some small infraction) she hooked up with Zeke again and finally left Mike. (About one million scenes later.) JJ and Zeke perennially view themselves as ill-used by Mike, heaven knows why. I think there’s an old saying about how much you dislike those you’ve abused.

and the banner unfurls…MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Hook, line, and sinker. Well played, Alex!

Well, it wouldn’t be JJ’s first wedding crash by any means so yeah, it would be out of character for her to stay home.

J.J. needs to open her eyes and see that her marriage to Zeke is an even worse disaster than her marriage to Mike could ever have been.

Phase One: COMPLETE!

Yahhhh…Alex’s mom will show up at the eleventh hour, in some melodramatic form, and somehow manage to make the day all about her…sigh!

Site of your first disastrous marriage? J.J., it’s not about you. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one bit surprised at her reaction.)

JJ is one selfish, overbearing woman; I expect her and that sad excuse of a husband to wreck Alex’s wedding day.

“What I want to know is, how did Joanie end up with such selfish losers for kids? Neither one of them turned out well.”

Joanie wasn’t exactly mom of the year when she ran off and left JJ & her own first husband. Not sure how Jeff turned out so bad.

J.J., your marriage was disastrous because you made it so! Then you married Zeke the No-load homeless guy! And now you want to make your daughter’s wedding nothing more than an avant-garde art project, and object to her putting her foot down about Zeke with the wandering eye, whom you’ve just put before your own flesh and blood. Any wonder you’re not wanted at the wedding?

Why does JJ feel she has to bring zeke with her wherever she goes?

I like that Alex is capable of standing up to her mom when she’s being inexcusably ridiculous, and that she knows a GOOD thing when she sees and hears it.