I believe I mentioned being unsure with how to write for some of these kids for a while. This page and the last were a little tricky to come up with believable punchlines for Gretchen especially. It’s easy to make her snarky, but maybe a bit too snarky for an innocent little kid like her. She’s got no beef with Gladys, she’s just been around long enough to know where things are going and to wisely stay out of it.
You can’t blame Russell for drawing the wrong conclusion. I mean, after the spotlight in panel two, what else is he supposed to think?
Dramatic lighting is one of the most prestigious badges after all.
“face” is the best sound effect.