Saturday, December 31, 2011

December 31, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 123
Loretta - 143
Push - 99

***

Leroy gets in the last point of the year but once again Loretta handily takes the 2011 "Lockhorn vs. Lockhorn" championship with 143 points to Leroy's 123. After an unfortunately preempted 2010 and a significant reformatting of the blog we can once again celebrate and fondly look back upon a full year of car smashing, binge drinking, mad shopping, flagrant philandering, and all the other entertaining, broadly stereotypical, antics our favorite dysfunctional married couple. I would like to congratulate Loretta for another season of insulting dominance; her cunning word play, clutch Sunday performances, and her sharp ability to notice and capitalize on even the most petty of Leroy's foibles made all the difference. As for Leroy, he should be proud of his generally improved performance from 2009 (he had an additional 12 wins) and work towards improving and expanding the types of situations where he can attack Loretta (she can only cook so many awful meals in a year). Finally, I'd like to thank you, the fans, for joining me in this year long tally of misery, scorn, bitterness, ridicule, and abject hatred. I'll see everyone in 2012 (which I'm betting will start with Leroy nursing a massive hangover and Loretta mocking him about it).

Friday, December 30, 2011

December 30, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 122
Loretta - 143
Push - 99

Thursday, December 29, 2011

December 29, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 121
Loretta - 143
Push - 99

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

December 28, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 121
Loretta - 142
Push - 99

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

December 27, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 121
Loretta - 141
Push - 99

Monday, December 26, 2011

December 26, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 121
Loretta - 141
Push - 98

Sunday, December 25, 2011

December 25, 2011: Sunday Showdown!

(Click to Enlarge)

Clockwise from the bottom left:
  • Ever the unrepentant philistine, Leroy is once again befuddled and unimpressed with his latest, what I must assume forced, trip to a local art museum. In Leroy's defense, the modern/abstract "art" he's criticizing looks more like something one would find on the cover of a trapper keeper or from the intro to "Saved By the Bell". I also find myself questioning the intrinsic value of this muddled, pastel colored, piece. I believe Loretta agrees with him as well, but refuses to give him the pleasure of being right. Leroy gets the first of the point day.
  • I am slightly perplexed at the meaning of Loretta's query in this panel. Why would Loretta think that Leroy needs to be carrying luggage? My best guess is that the garment bag is Loretta's and that she is suggesting Leroy carry it around all night in a humiliating display of subjugation. Perhaps he lost some kind of bet with Loretta and he has to do it. Thinking of it that way, Loretta's suggestion is more an implied order for Leroy to fetch her cumbersome garment bag (which may possibly be filled with heavy rocks). I'm giving Loretta the points. The score is tied 1-1.
  • Even on Christmas, Loretta's diabolical cruelty is unrelenting. While a less sadistic individual would have just denied Leroy a gift or given him an undesirable gift, Loretta has insidiously found a way to give Leroy a thoughtful present while still inflicting maximum misery upon him by selling the one possession he had that made the present useful. It's actually quite brilliant; in a grotesquely malevolent sort of way. I don't think even O. Henry could have anticipated this twist ending. Loretta earns the point and goes up 2-1.
  • The top right panel has fed Leroy all year long with an ever changing assortment of Loretta prepared meals to insult and this final panel is no different. Loretta serves up two plates of inedible, seemingly indestructible white slabs, ostensibly referring to them as steak, for dinner and Leroy is right there to drop an appropriate zinger about them. Where would Leroy be without the reliable security of that blessed right panel? Interestingly, this is the first time I can recall that Leroy has ever claimed he loved anything. Leroy ties the score 2-2.
  • As she has done all to often this year, Loretta notches the final Sunday Showdown of 2011 with a clutch performance in the fifth panel; this time in rather spectacular fashion. While Loretta has gained a reputation as a compulsively careless, dangerously inept motorist; her particularly cool demeanor makes me suspect that this accident may have been intentional. Aside from forcing Leroy to buy yet another new car for her to eventually demolish, Loretta may have been banking on terrifying Leroy into a fatal heart attack. While there's no way of proving it was a murder attempt, there is no denying she had a motive. Loretta gets the point and takes the final Showdown of the year 2011.
Official Count:
Leroy - 121
Loretta - 141
Push - 97

Saturday, December 24, 2011

December 24, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 121
Loretta - 140
Push - 97

Friday, December 23, 2011

December 23, 2011


Author's Note: Since when was the original "Grinch" such an unrelatable story for men that a special male pandering version needed to be created? It's pretty universally beloved. Also, is it supposed to be a Christmas special or a Super Bowl special?

Official Count:
Leroy - 121
Loretta - 139
Push - 97

Thursday, December 22, 2011

December 22, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 120
Loretta - 139
Push - 96

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

December 21, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 120
Loretta - 139
Push - 96

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

December 20, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 120
Loretta - 138
Push - 96

Monday, December 19, 2011

December 19, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 119
Loretta - 138
Push - 96

Sunday, December 18, 2011

December 18, 2011: Sunday Showdown!


(Click to Enlarge)

Clockwise from the bottom left:
  • Judging by the absurdly poor service, I suspect the Lockhorns are flying American Airlines this week (although given how well the seats accommodate the Lockhorns' freakishly large feet, they cannot possibly complain about the leg room). I do wonder sometimes if the Lockhorns are just extremely poor in selecting quality service providers (airlines, restaurants, mechanics, etc.) or it's just that they carry such an overwhelming aura of bleakness and negativity that it just causes everyone around them to become jerks. It makes you ponder: who is the real monster here? Is it the Lockhorns? Or is it the dehumanizing, alienating nature of modern society? Push.
  • I find this panel to be far more depressing and tragic than funny. It is difficult to find too much humor in seeing an older couple come to the harrowing self realization that they are in the grips of terminal senile dementia and have turned their house inside out to look for something they cannot even remember. I guess the crooked mirror and seeing all their stuff strewn about is a a slightly silly sight. Thinnest of silver linings: maybe eventually both their minds will be ravaged enough by their illness for them to forget how much they hate each other and then they'd briefly fall in love again. A depressing push, indeed.
  • Whenever I see a furious Loretta stomping towards Leroy, I think of the famous scene in Jurassic Park where the vibrating of cups of water foreshadows the arrival of a T-Rex. I can only imagine the other party goers ominously staring at the disturbances in their drink glasses and feeling the eerie tremors of Loretta's enraged, earth rattling stomps. In the face of such a frightening sight Leroy still commendably manages to get a quick dig in. Additionally, I also always imagined Loretta's voice and manner of speech to have sounded somewhat like Fran Drescher. Leroy scores the first point and goes up 1-0.
  • Are cats really attracted to the sound of a working can opener? As someone who never owned a cat, I never really thought out this. Wouldn't the same thing work with dogs?
    I guess any sort of domesticated animal will develop some sort of Pavlovian reaction (learned through Pavlov's dogs) to repeated sounds associated with food. I didn't know this was such a specific thing with cats. Interestingly enough this may be one of the few times a living creature has been attracted to food "prepared" by Loretta. Push, Leroy still leads 1-0.
  • Not exactly sure what the insult Leroy is going for here. Is he saying that Loretta is a "clingy" person? Maybe Loretta "clings on" too much to her mother? Perhaps Loretta has "clung on" to many of her mother's negative qualities? Or should we just take it literally and he is saying that Loretta shares many of the attributes and temperament of the Klingon race from Star Trek. I have to admit she does sort of displays a similar fanatical devotion to combat and battle when it comes to mocking Leroy. Ambiguous as it may be, Leroy still gets the point and manages a unexpected 2-0 shut out victory; possibly his most dominant performance ever on a Sunday.
Official Count:
Leroy - 119
Loretta - 137 
Push - 96

Saturday, December 17, 2011

December 17, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 118
Loretta - 137 
Push - 96

Friday, December 16, 2011

December 16, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 117
Loretta - 137
Push - 96

Thursday, December 15, 2011

December 15, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 117
Loretta - 136
Push - 96

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

December 14, 2011


Official Count: 
Leroy - 116 
Loretta - 136 
Push - 96

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

December 13, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 116
Loretta - 135
Push - 96

Monday, December 12, 2011

December 12, 2011


*Author's Note: With that point for Loretta, Leroy is now mathematically eliminated from winning the year. Congratulations Loretta! It's now just a victory lap for her from now until the official end of the year. To Leroy's credit, he has already fared much better than 2009, the last full year I covered. Perhaps he can work a strong finish to build on for next year.

Official Count:
Leroy - 115
Loretta - 135
Push - 96

Sunday, December 11, 2011

December 11, 2011: Sunday Showdown!

(Click to Enlarge)

Clockwise from the bottom left:
  • This may be some needless worrying by Leroy, odds are the Lockhorns won't have time to say goodbye as they are being abruptly thrown out of the party due to Leroy getting into a massive argument with another guest or drunkenly molesting a random bimbo on the dance floor (or perhaps both). Problem solved. It's interesting to note in this panel how de-emphasized the Lockhorns are in favor of the dashing looking couple at the door. Although I have to admit that serious mustache does deserve some top billing. It's a push.
  • Sometimes when Loretta throws out a particularly clever word pun, you have to take a step back, take a moment, and sort out your understanding of it. Often times this is jointly due to its cleverness and because it doesn't really much sense if you think about it. This is a pretty good example of that. I do like it though. One of the main character traits about both Lockhorns would be that they have "issues"; many, many, serious, varying "issues". Loretta gets the point and strikes the first blow.
  • If you want a clear example of why Leroy is currently trailing Loretta on the year and is quite likely going to lose out to her, it is this scene. Here you have Loretta with a container of her rancid leftovers (complaining about the quality of it no less!) and Leroy just lets it go. Time and time again, missed opportunities and lack of focus have doomed Leroy down the stretch. There is no reason why he should leave this scene without a point. It all comes down to taking advantage of every break and scoring on those panels you're supposed to score on; something Leroy has to improve upon if he wants future success. It's a push, Loretta still leads 1-0.
  • Leroy's evaluation of Loretta's second frame would seem to indicate that she only knocked down the lead one pin in her first frame. I never bowled enough to get all the rules and nuances of the game but if that's the case, is it even possible to exclusively knock the lead pin over without disturbing the others? That must have been a ridiculous throw! Secondly, this highly unlikely second frame would still be easier to split than any other split situation I can imagine. So given the unusual scenario, Loretta appears to be in the best possible position to attempt a win. It's still technically taunting by Leroy so I'll give him the point. It's all tied up 1-1.
  • I am going to assume that the "Peter's Beauty Salon" being referenced in the panel is "Anthony Peters Hair Salon" on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow. It is geographically consistent with the Lockhorns' location. While one of its two reviews on Yelp does criticize the quality of their hair styling service, there is no mention of the aggressively mean-spirited lady at the front counter making jokes at your expense when it comes to account balances. Although it hasn't been reflected in their Yelp ratings, a negative portrayal like this in a Lockhorns panel will ultimately lead to a lot of PR damage, just ask the surly crew over at the Lawrence Hill Service Station. Another push leads to an uneventful 1-1 overall stalemate.
Official Count:
Leroy - 115
Loretta - 134
Push - 96

Saturday, December 10, 2011

December 10, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 115
Loretta - 134
Push - 95

Friday, December 9, 2011

December 9, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 115
Loretta - 133
Push - 95

Thursday, December 8, 2011

December 8, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 114
Loretta - 133
Push - 95

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

December 7, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 114
Loretta - 132
Push - 95

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

December 6, 2011


*Author's note: Leroy must really be starving if he's resorting to eating one of Loretta's ink sandwiches.

Official Count:
Leroy - 113
Loretta - 132
Push - 95

Monday, December 5, 2011

December 5, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 113
Loretta - 131
Push - 95

Sunday, December 4, 2011

December 4, 2011: Sunday Showdown!

(Click to Enlarge)

Clockwise from the bottom left:
  • I particularly enjoyed Loretta's riff on her "fairy-tale romance" with Leroy. A troll is the perfect description of Leroy, really both Lockhorns in general. They're short, stout, ugly creatures who live miserable, isolated lives, devoid of any joy or happiness, and are rarely helpful to humans. One minor criticism, however, would be that Loretta's lament really doesn't apply to the situation at hand. It's not like he's luring children under a bridge so he can eat them or that he is looking extra troll-like. A witty lament about Leroy's philandering would have been the obvious way to have gone. Minor objections aside though, it's a solid point. Loretta leads 1-0.
  • Loretta manages to preempt an insult by Leroy about her awful cooking and accomplishes the remarkable feat of getting a point out of it herself by taking bold ownership of her disgusting dish. If Loretta manages to master this new technique and adds it to her already formidable repertoire, it will have disastrous consequences for Leroy whose main bread and butter is mocking Loretta's horrible meals. We can only wait and see, Loretta goes up 2-0.
  • A "things not to do" list, I suspect, would be a lot longer than a "things to do" list, so Leroy shouldn't be more disappointed. Perhaps, the severity of the things he is "not to do" is much higher. All this is really an exercise in abject futility; regardless of "to do" list or "not to do" list, Leroy is not going to be getting out of that recliner for anything. Loretta is just wasting her time by coming up with these lists and exposing herself to avoidable mockery by Leroy by presenting them to him. Leroy wins the point, Loretta leads 2-1.
  • Leave it to "The Lockhorns" to find humor in a terrifying late night home invasion. Actually, this crazy setup could make for a decent comedy sketch. The humor is pretty broad and obvious, but I can see a mildly amusing 3 to 4 minute bit about a home security alarm salesman who makes cold call pitches to people by coming into their bedrooms in the middle of the night to demonstrate how compromised their homes are. The couple's reaction has to be shock and horror at first but the sketch would end with them being unexpectedly won over and happily signing up for service. The whole thing writes itself. Push, still 2-1 Loretta.
  • Leroy may be exercising a little bit of tact here with the furniture salesman. He could just as easily have said "I hate my wife and I find it difficult to sleep in the same bed with her all the time" as another reason for a foldout couch, but he went with the equally valid but slightly less awkward explanation. One thing's for sure, Leroy is definitely going to be sleeping out the foldout tonight. Leroy manages to win the final panel to get himself a push for the day. It's better than the alternative but he'll need string some wins under his belt if he has any chance of coming back and winning the year.
Official Count:
Leroy - 112
Loretta - 131
Push - 95

Saturday, December 3, 2011

December 3, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 112
Loretta - 131
Push - 94

Friday, December 2, 2011

December 2, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 112
Loretta - 131
Push - 93

Thursday, December 1, 2011

December 1, 2011


Official Count:
Leroy - 112
Loretta - 131
Push - 92