Frank Santoro says:

Here’s my baseball theory for Wilson that I sent to Mr. Clowes.

Wison notes

-a no hitter? perfect game? definitely a complete game.

-9 innings – 70 pages – 8 pitches per inning – average.

-Clowes is pitcher – controls game, pace. He keeps the hitter (reader)
off balance. Keeps him guessing. What pitch? Guess fastball and get
hung up on a change.

-fastball, change, sinker, slider, curve – who’s to say which pitch is
a “humor” style and which pitch is a “serious” style? I could guess
but that’s the point – I’m guessing as a reader…

-narrative OUTS. 70 pages – 9 innings – eight pitches (pages) per
inning – every eight pages I count three “narrative outs” – a sequence
of pitches that once revealed are “outs” or story points. For example
in the first seven pages we find out who Wilson is (Out number 1) –
where he lives – that his mom is dead (Out #2) and that he had an
ex-wife (Out #3) – see inning breakdown below for whole game (the box
score) – these outs are debatable but when listed they provide a
fairly complete synopsis of the story.

-It’s a game – every eight pages – three outs are recorded. (could be
seen as hits or runs too but I’m sticking with the baseball pitcher
cartoonist metaphor) Clowes will record an OUT like with “Out of the
blue” (pitch #29) or “Long distance” (pitch #30)-which is the out?
unnecessary to determine – incidental – the story point is still made
known – we understand he’s found Pippi – and then as Author / Pitcher
he will blow a high and tight fastball by the Reader / Hitter with
“Taxicab” and “Dark Knight” because he is a”ahead of the count” – and
force the reader “off the plate” – of the narrative.

Narrative OUTS

1st inning pgs 7-14
1. Where he lives
2. Mom dead
3. Pippi revealed

2nd inning pgs 15-22
1. Dad alive
2. Agent of Change
3. Dad sick

3rd inning pgs 23-30
1. dad dies
2. in laws
3. Finds out about ex wife

4th inning pgs 31-38
1. finds ex-wife
2. sleeps with ex-wife
3. learns he has daughter

5th inning pgs 39-46
1. fatherhood
2. finds daughter
3. Family life lived

6th inning pgs 47-54
1. visits in laws
2. pippi admits defeat
3. jail

7th inning pgs 55-62
1. released from jail
2. dog dead
3. all alone

8th inning pgs 63-70
1. eulogy
2. new wife
3. admits he has daughter to new wife

9th inning pgs 71-77
1. haircut
2. daughter rejects him from coming to alaska – distance
3. wakes up (return to ocean/ icicle)

also 6th inning is turning point – which it often is in a baseball
game – starting pitcher expected to last 6 full innings. Clowes makes
it thru the 6th with the lead. 7th, 8th and 9th innings are “1,2,3” as
they say. He “shut the door”.

GMS says:

That story regarding Ditko is just fantastic.