Millie Week 4 - 24-26 Sept 1990

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I used to go to a school which insisted on school uniform. In fact, I used to wear precisely the kind of blazer that Richard is wearing, usually in the same state as the last frame of the first strip. We couldn't afford new uniforms so I always wore second hand, usually two sizes too big because I was told I would 'grow into' them. Alas, I stopped at five foot four and spent most of my school years looking like David Byrne in his biiig suit.

I'm glad to say that Richard's trendy 'Madchester' outfit is never seen again after this strip.

A little technical note. You'll notice that in opening frame of each strip the first speech balloon is lower than the second. Look at all the daily Millies - it happens in each strip. What's going on there then?

The answer is pretty mundane. That was done to allow the strip's title to appear in the top left corner of the frame in the Daily Mirror. Take a look at every single Peanuts cartoon Schulz ever drew - he's working to the same constraints as well, the first speech balloon always avoids an exclusion zone.