Much ado about nothing

Frank and His Friend offers a helpful gauge to know when to start worrying.

One thing that always cracks me up about the Frank and His Friend comics is how divergent the characters’ reactions are to problems. When things are going well, they’re in agreement. From their smiles to their body language, the two are in sync with their contentment and joy. When faced with a problem, though, they react oppositely.

Often, we’re seeing the child calm and collected when the audience knows there’s reason to feel otherwise: we know that bookshelves topple when you climb them or that Mom will notice that the lamp is broken no matter how much tape you put on it. And from his gestures and poses, Frank knows it too and seems to disapprove.

However, when the child shows worry or fear, Frank seems wholly unconcerned. I suppose that Frank knows that a lot of the things we fear exist only in our imagination, and that “worry is interest paid on a debt that will never come due.”

How much easier it would be to have Frank’s perspective on life!