Picture only

Friday night, picture only update:

9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney

Silent ultimate panels

Four more silent penultimate panels this Thursday:

Bo-Nanas by John Kovaleski
Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau
Garfield by PAWS, inc.
Pooch Cafe by Paul Gilligan

That is three in a row for Bo-Nanas. He's been here so much I don't even need to double-check the spelling of John Kovaleski's last name anymore.

And, in a strange meme today, three silent ultimate panels.



I'm assuming this is an isolated phenomenon and will not need further study, but we'll be more aware from now on--just in case.

Gigantic chin

Another two this Wednesday:

Bo-Nanas by John Kovaleski
Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! by Tim Rickard

Despite the fact that I just can't stop talking about it, Mallard Fillmore has never made it to the watch proper. Today is as close as it has come.

Mallard Fillmore rarely uses sequential panels, so it's even rarer to see a silent panel that precedes a punchline panel. I'm assuming the caricature here is supposed to be Katie Couric. But it's hard to tell. Mallard Fillmore has one rule of caricature: draw a gigantic chin.

Back to school

Two for Tuesday (and it is Tuesday, I double checked this time.)

Bo-Nanas by John Kovaleski
Red and Rover by Brian Basset


Did you know it's that time of year when kids go back to school? You would never know it if you only read the comics page.

Why do we love Mark Trail?

Because it's so damn awesome.

Andy Capp

Two silent penultimate panels for this Labor Day Monday:

Andy Capp by Roger Mahoney and Roger Kettle
On the Fastrack by Bill Holbrook

The awkward pause is such a comedy cliche today, you can't watch a sit-com or a beer commercial without seeing one. It's become so integral to the way we tell jokes some have forgotten how to be funny without them.

Today's Sally Forth tries to make a gag out of nothing but an awkward pause.


Not funny.

Today's Andy Capp uses an awkward pause that just doesn't happen anywhere except in the universe of forced comedy--right in the middle of a person's thoughts.

Not funny.

There are just too many other ways to be funny to only use this trick.

What day is today, anyway?

Did you think I might miss a day? Well, I guess technically I did. Three-day weekend messing with my routine. Just one that I saw today.

Prickly City by Scott Stantis

We'll return to full updates tomorrow.