This cartoon and last week's arose out of a single-panel New Year's cartoon I was trying to write about a fundraising party for the comatose Raj Malik. I've done a few like this, with a bunch of one-liners from various characters' mouths. But this time I wasn't able to get it to fly. One of the snippets found a home for here in the opening panel above.

It looks like this entry is really about last week's cartoon. My friend and neighbour, Sue Richards (who is the force behind Blog Guelph), called Frank an asshole. That he is. But he's also a lot of fun to write. Humour and drama arise out of conflict -- you gotta have a few assholes around to keep things lively.

Of course, I use a hyper-exaggerated satirical parlance. I know nobody quite like Frank. He came on the scene near the outset of Weltschmerz, in the mid-90s, talking about one of the great crimes against humanity, male circumcision. I found him an essential character. He counteracted Horst's progressive angstiness and served as the strip's resident neo-conservative Harris-apologist.

I admit, it does strain credibility that Horst is shacking up with him, or indeed, that they remain friends. I attribute it to bonds forged during high school.

And, perhaps, just perhaps, Frank says what Horst doesn't dare saying, just as Cosmo is the über-geek techno-wizard that Horst wishes he were.