Lazy Saturdays

The floodgates opened today. I have this theory that cartoonists are at their laziest on Saturdays--when the commuters and break-room readers are sleeping late and its not the prime-time of Sunday. I think this may prove it; six silent penultimate panels from:

Barkeater Lake by Corey Pandolph
On the Fast Track by Bill Holbrook
Garfield by "Jim Davis"
Hagar the Horrible by Chris Browne
Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis
Brewster Rockit: Space Guy by Tim Rickard

This day ends a relatively slow week for SPPs. It's a three way tie for the title: Bo Nanas, Garfield and Pearls Before Swine all used two each.

Meta-post: If you would be so kind

Update 7/10: Thank you, everyone, for participating in the survey. The survey is now closed. I actually got enough responses. Thanks again, I really appreciate your help.

In one of my other, non-blogging lives, I am a graduate student in a Library and Information Science program. I am currently taking a class called "Information Technology Tools and Applications." Which, as it turns out, is a web-design class. But, since it is grad-level, it's not just HTML tags we're learning, it's the theory behind HTML tags. For the class, I am designing a comic strip related web site, and now I am asking for your help:

If you can, please click on this link (http://www.stellarsurvey.com/response/s.aspx?u=4013) and take a short, eight question survey. It's quick and easy and it will help me immensely.

I really appreciate all of you who read this little blog, and I want to thank you for tolerating this little invasion on your time. So, thanks.

Indie cred

Just two for this Friday. It's been that kind of week.

Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller, making his weekly appearance
Sally Forth by Francisco Marciuliano and Craig Macintosh

For some reason, Sally Forth tries to establish its indie cred today.

Was that you, Francisco, who I saw at the Tapes 'n Tapes show the other week at the Echo?

A while ago, in a "how they met" flashback, Ted was wearing a Sonic Youth t-shirt. Despite all the name dropping, I don't see Sally Forth's cool quotient rising any time soon.

Why do we love Mark Trail? Is it the talking animals?

The bear with the arrow in its ass is one of the most loquacious ever.

God, I just love Mark Trail.

Ugly jokes

A light day, today:
Bo Nanas by John Kovaleski
Garfield by committee

I've only started following Bo-Nanas recently, and so far I like it. It has its own unique sensibility and sense of humor. That big-eared monkey is a fairly quiet observer of slightly crazy things. It's worth checking out.

But, Mr. Fillmore...

please, let's just not go there. First of all, it's a cheap joke. How easy is it to accuse someone of being ugly? Pretty damn. (Here's an example: Mallard Fillmore, you're an ugly-ass duck.) Politically, it doesn't mean anything. And, lastly, well, I've got two words for you: Harriet and Meiers.

Drabble-level pity

Two silent penultimate panels:

Jump Start by Robb Armstrong
Prickly City by Scott Stantis.

I've gotten so used to talking about Overboard, I'll continue today.



It's not quite an SPP, and it's not quite an LPS (Long Pointless Setup,) but it definitely is a JLPWBJAG-AETINTF (Just the Last Panel Would Be Just As Good--And Even Then It's Not That Funny.)

Before I started this blog, I never read Overboard regularly. I've never subscribed to a paper that carried it. When I did come across it, I thought it was cute and different. Now, reading it daily, I like it less and less. That cuteness and different-ness wears off quick. I don't know how much further my feelings toward this strip can sink. It certainly can't get to Mallard Fillmore-level hatred, but it is getting close to Drabble-level pity.

Real quick

I've got to be quick here, and I know I'm missing some of the ones that readers have pointed out to me today, but here's what I've found:

Bo-Nanas by John Kovaleski
Candorville by Darrin Bell
Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis

To my fellow Americans, happy Independence Day. Now I've got to go buy some canned beans and crawl into my neighbor's fall-out shelter.

Alert the joke police

Another day with just one silent penultimate panel:

The Duplex by Glenn McCoy

Like a lot of folks, I watched a lot of Saturday Night Live from the age of fifteen to nineteen or so. Which means I watched a lot during the late eighties and early nineties. Which means I saw a lot of "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey" segments. Which means I know exactly where you stole this joke from, Glenn.

Unless Jack Handey stole it himself. Once a gag is stolen three times, it becomes public domain.


Look at today's Baby Blues.


Okay, that's cute. But tell me if this is funnier:

One less panel and one extra sound-effect makes the rhythm snappier. I think it better this way, but who am I?

Only one on a Sunday

It's Sunday and there's only one. And I think I'm cheating a little here:

Brewster Rockit, Space Guy by Tim Rickard

Monty comes close with a silent ante-para-penultimate panel. But it doesn't count here, and I think it's actually pretty funny.


Dilbert is interesting today, squeezing in about three different punchlines into one strip--1) the awkward hug, 2) the explanation of Amber Dextrous' name and 3) "human resources would like to see you after the meeting. In an age where Sunday strips get away with only one panel and half a gag, Scott Adams packs in the jokes.

I know a lot of you don't think too much of Dilbert, but it remains one of the most consistent and relevant strips around. Complain all you want about the art, but you can't say it's not funny.