(Strip Number 5004, Original Publication Date, 16 August 1988)
Panel 1: We find out why Mike is sitting by himself when he comes to the conclusion that for some reason, no one seems to really like him as a person. (This proves that Mike is of dim intellect because it's kind of hard to like the knob we have to endure.)
Panel 2: People pretend to like him but when they choose a friend, nobody actually seems to want to choose him. (This means having brains and class is a bad thing because he's where he belongs: on the outside looking in.)
Panel 3: They only seem to pretend to like him so they can get him to do something dumb or act silly or accept a dare or something. (This is meant to absolve him of his pathetic eagerness to accept dares.)
Panel 4: Mike screams skyward and asks why he hasta be a clown and why can't he just be boring an'ordinary like everyone else.
Summary: The problem is, as always, that Mike isn't a rebel or a clown or anything else BUT a boring, ordinary kid like everyone else. He only thinks he is because his fragile flower parents and their moron friends tell him he is. The reason they can't see the slug-like dimwit everyone else sees is because they're as superficial as he is and only see the results of his being a pathetic shlub who accepts dares so he'll fit in and people will like him. Why he does stupid crap is something not of interest.
