Lio and the Fourth Wall 4

I've written about Mark Tatulli, creator of Lio, and his use of the panel borders before (Lio and the Fourth Wall). The two sequences below are good examples of his inventiveness. The first, from March 16, 2013 suggests the borders are some type of supporting framework. Cut them, and the panel falls (click on images to enlarge).

The genius of Tatulli's riff is how the function of the panel border -- which often the reader doesn't even see -- changes. In the April 4, 2013 sequence the border isn't a framework -- it's a vessel. And a fairly fragile one at that, apparently.

This is the type of metahumor that keeps me turning to the comics page first every morning!