Completely Composed Of Hitler Particles!

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because The Lightning Express.

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I mean, at this point, he's not only gone 'mask off' about this stuff, he's practically starting to tear off his own face.

The Transition Era; Part 2: A Periods Piece.

 When I first set forth the idea of eras being divided up into periods, I noted that the Mystery Business(tm) Era's division was very simple and that future eras were likely going to be more involved. And well, not only was I right, but the very next era would prove to be the most Byzantine of the lot. As I noted in the last installment, the Transition Era was one of constant clumsy experimentation, and that wound up giving it the most periods of any era--eight periods, over a six year, eight-month span. Further, there is no uniformity here--some will last for years, others can be measured in weeks. A lot of this is because of the period's lack of narrative sinews--what might come across as a storyline in one of the more defined eras winds up being the closest thing to something holding a large sequence of strips together as a unit.

And so, to give you all an idea of what's ahead, I will list off those periods, with a brief explanation of what each entails. My classification of these periods is largely going to focus on what Zed's doing, both because he's rapidly becoming the principal protagonist and because it provides a handy measuring stick. Trust me, by the later portions of the era, Damon and Jan are already in sharp decline as relevant characters.

1. The Hardware Store Period (2008-9): For the next two years after getting laid off, Zed does the obvious thing, and goes to work as a floorman in a Home Depot. You know, what any guy who has worked in design at a high professional level and is also a highly accomplished military sniper does. With a wife, two daughters and a sister-in-law who frequently refuses to leave back at home. Politically, Muir goes from an endless cycle of denial and fretting over the 2008 Presidential election, and then, well, really losing it about Obama.
2. Opening the Bar Period (2010): Zed decides that he just CAN'T keep working at a hardware store and so the cast decides--hey, why don't they open a bar? You know! As one does! There are shenanigans with evil unions, Naomi comes back, and oh, so much awfulness over a period of months, as Zed prepares for his new business.
3. Cap'n Mitty, US Agent Period (2010-11): But it turns out his country needs him again! Yep, just three years after calling him back to service in Iraq, Zed has to go to Afghanistan. There's Muir's first, real sustained action storyline, we get a new character, and oh, boy is this bad. Prepare for awkward action, bad blocking, cheap sentimentality, cheaper shock, and a guy who talks like Ensign Chekov all the freaking time! 
4. Working the Bar Period (2011-12): With the epic adventure done, the cast settles into what's supposed to be the new normal, but doesn't actually last a year. The Bar is supposed to be a laidback place for the cast to hang out, bump into politicians and mutter about how awful Obama is. But it just sort of hangs around as a limp setting, Mystery Business(tm) only even more poorly defined and with raunchier fanservice. Oh, and Skye dates that new character I mentioned. It's weird.
5. First Trailer Trash Period (2012): Hey, remember how Obama is bad? Well it turns out he really is awful! He and his evil gubmint goons force Sam and Zed to abandon their house due to legal problems and move into a trailer. Oh, and they somehow keep the bar running in all this chaos with a government that is actually investigating them.
6. CIA-Paid-For-House Period (2012-13): Hey, remember what just happened? Yeah, forget about it. Zed's secret CIA allies have nullified it, and gotten them the house back using secret government funds which is very cool and not at all illegal. Now just settle in for the election, where the Democratic usurper will.... And... he's still here. Uh huh. Hmmm.
7. Second Trailer Trash Period (2013-14): And now the house is gone again, and this time the bar gets closed. Obama is still president, and so his evil gubmint goons took it again. But hey! Zed, Sam and the kids have moved to a new trailer--that's also designated as an Argentinian embassy thanks to El Dorado Dad! Don't think about that! It is just what has happened! So let's all scowl at the gubmint, kids! Scowl and have weird standoffs and intrigues that don't make sense!
8. Road Trip Move Period (2014): Zed's dad called, and he needs Zed's help keeping the Dusky Hordes off his lawn, that being a massive ranch on the Texan Border. It's located in Brewster County, a fact that obviously go to remain stable and true forever afterwards. Sam and Zed travel there, bitching about the gubmint the whole way, as we slowly transition into the Compound Era.

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Yeah. Those are the periods. Seems chaotic doesn't it?  Trust me... it's worse than that impression. Each one of these is an increasingly fraught and manic stew of paranoia and weirdness, with contradictory plotlines and bad writing. So buckle in. Once again--hella bumpy ride ahead. But hey, at least it's going to start... fairly sedate.

The Toaster's Been Laughing At Him.

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because The Dragon's Net.

One of the fascinating things about Muir over the years is watching the paranoia grow gradually more all-encompassing. It was always there--even in the early years, he still saw the media as filled with scheming wreckers--but these days, you get the impression there's nowhere he doesn't see the insidious hand of the Conspiracy.

Yet More Of THIS!

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because King of the Circus.

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I assume somebody paid to have this be their cameo in the strip. 

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That apparently is what we're looking at here.

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The mind boggles.

Still Doing THIS.

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because The Moon Riders.

Well, more proof you can always count on Muir to double down on bad ideas on the vague notion that they'll work if he just keeps at them.

Oh, Boy. THIS Again.

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because The Flaming Disc.

I've said it before, and I will say it again... I am just in the weeds about the robot sex jokes.

A Mind Caught In Its Own Awfulness.

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because Bull's Eye.

Muir's ability to be self-righteous about being wretched has always been a thing, it's just that the wretchedness has gotten oh, so worse over the years.

This Is Undoubtedly Proof Of The Conspiracy Against Him!

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because Hidden Dangers.

A less paranoid man might realize that this is because he's chosen a fundraising model that closely resembles many forms of financial fraud and adjust his methods accordingly, possibly by seeking out a respected organization to handle this for him.

But obviously, Muir knows better than that.

He Insists All Is Well While Curling Up Into A Ball And Crying...

 It's the Day's Day of Days! Because The Black Coin.

Remember what I said yesterday?

Because if anything, this is worse. Muir is desperately putting his hope that some grand plan, some cagey scheme is going on and soon, SOON, the Democratic Party shall pay! What is it? He doesn't know. But something has to happen, because otherwise, things are looking very grim for his side.

"Th-They Are All Fuh-Fuh-Filthy Puh-Puh-Pedos...."

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because The Clutching Hand.

Man. As vile and morally bankrupt as all this is, it's also just so pathetic. This is Muir crashing out in real time, staring at a reality that looks very bad for him, shutting his eyes, and desperately trying to insist that it is something else entirely. The last time I saw him this bad was way back in 2020 when he was trying to convince himself that no, no, Biden hadn't won, it was all a trick, all a trick, Trump was going to throw all the Democrats in prison any day now.

It's gonna be a crazy year, folks.

"Of Course, Of Course! Now It All Makes Sense! It Was The Archon Sabaoth From The Domain Of Mars!"

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because Captain America.

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It says something that even when Muir entertains a delusional Gnostic-style reality behind reality that turns strategic idiocy into some greater plan, doubts about Trump creep in. The simple fact is, once you start suspecting you've been had, it's hard to stop suspecting that.

No matter how many crazy theories about the UK you start entertaining.

I Suppose Everyone Needs A Hobby...

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because Perils of Nyoka.

Some people cook to calm an unsteady mind. Others play chess, or listen to calming music. Muir contemplates robot sex.

And also, draws his super creepy but very bad pinup art.

"And The Most Devious Part Of The Conspiracy Is That People Keep Telling Us Just Asserting Things Doesn't Make Them Real!"

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because The Galloping Ghost.

We are deep in 'none of this makes sense' territory here, especially as Muir is once again screaming about how poor and persecuted his side is... while they control the government. But damn it, Trump hasn't pulled the insta-win switch, so clearly, there's work to be done before they really control things.

Muir Continues To Demonstrate He Doesn't Get Women.

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because Calling Philo Vance.

Won't lie, there's always a good chance when Muir goes into one of these weird rants that he hits a new vein of awful, and yep, this is one of those times.

He Knows This Is True Because He Wants It To Be True!

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because The Cole Murder Case. 

There's something almost awe-inspiring in the number of times Muir has declared the conspiracy theory of the day proven, and then just moved on when, no, it wasn't, actually, in fact it was bullshit.

Why, When You Put It Like That, It Makes Total Sense!

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because The Dragon Murder Case.

You know, I'm genuinely torn as to what's the most fascinating part of all this wall of crazyfail, that Muir doesn't realize he's swapped out how the Evil Conspiracy of Evil works yet again, that Russia's back to being a bad guy, or that at the bottom lies Muir's eternal conviction that the things he wants just CAN'T be unpopular, that the Democrats can't just win elections, that it has to be an evil plot that gets them back into power and makes things he supports fail. (And when he himself finally acknowledges something he supported failed, this does not lead to any general reevaluation of his beliefs.)  This is a man who feels powerless when those he supports hold power. And again, he just can never ask himself why that is, because the actual answer would destroy him. 

See, She's Not SAYING There's A World Jewish Conspiracy, She's Merely IMPLYING It...

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because save the life of my child, cried the desperate mother.

Man, never thought I'd miss the days when Muir was merely a cryptofascist...

Has She Mentioned That She Knows How To Add Three Inches? And That Pink Salt Fights Dementia?

 It's the Day's Day of Days! Because Heroes and Villains.

You know as this more argle-bargle nonsense about business, I'm going to focus on the one fascinating thing here, which is Muir's constant back and forth on AI. When he's imagining business and moguls using it to show the serfs and the dusky hordes their place, he's all for it. When he realizes it's swiping his shitty art to make even shittier art, he's against it.

And he can do this sort of pivot because Muir never thinks about things in any sort of depth.

This Is Sovereign Citizen Bullshit Applied To The Business World.

It's the Day's Day of Days! Because Fantom of the Fair.

Remember the bit in The Lego Movie where Princess Unikitty's pose as a business woman consists of her shouting gibberish while carrying a briefcase?

Say What Now?

 It's the Day's Day of Days! Because a screen door slams.

I have to say, the confident declarations of how things work that are not how they work are reaching a sort of fever pitch in the strip these days.