As we noted the other day, the current storyline of the Gasoline Alley newspaper strip involves the death of a long-time character, probably Uncle Walt Wallet but perhaps his wife Phyllis and perhaps both of them. Writer-artist Jim Scancarelli has artfully taken us through the mourning without telling us just who is being mourned. This non-disclosure has reportedly irritated many fans but according to this article, all will be revealed in the May 5 strip. You can read today's at this link. I will admit to a little frustration at how Scancarelli is drawing things out but I have the feeling he will wrap things up in a satisfying way.
Also, we note that to the surprise of no one who knows how these things work, the cast of The Simpsons has signed a new four-year contract to voice Homer, Bart, Marge and all the rest. For a time, a brief panic ran through some channels of the animation industry, the fear being that the actors' demands would torpedo production of the series and put a lot of artists out of work. I understand how people can be fearful of unemployment, especially at a time when things are so shaky in the industry. But realistically, there was never much of a chance that The Simpsons would stop…or if it had, it would not have been because of the actors.