Must … not … make … Dubya … joke …
Hi and Lois, 11/2/04
Of course, comics should have a slightly (or perhaps extremely) skewed worldview, but they’re best when that worldview is internally consistent. It’s not just funny when people say wacky thing; it’s funny when people say wacky things and other people react to them as if they’re normal.
That’s why this strip fails for me. Not only is Mr. Thurston’s question about cartoon characters totally without context and deranged (were there any cartoon characters running in previous years? Ross Perot doesn’t count), but Hi’s reaction to this question is exactly what your reaction would be: wide-eyed horror. That’s not a joke, that’s just dementia.
Fun fact about Hi and Lois: Mr. Thurston was once referred to continually as “Thirsty” and had the bright red tell-tale nose of a drunk. Now the nose and the nickname are gone, though the slovenliness and dysfunctional marriage remain. Maybe his question comes from a bad case of the DTs.
James
November 6th, 2004 at 4:40 am
He is obviously wondering if one of his own kind is running, thus making his decision that much easier. We all want candidates we can relate to.
Anton
November 6th, 2004 at 12:09 pm
No cartoon candidates?! Are you too young to remember Bill ‘n’ Opus, let alone Pogo?
Hi’s reaction may be the horror of recognition that the human candidates are so wretched that absurdity is the only sane vote.
Honey
December 17th, 2004 at 8:19 am
And let’s not forget Pinky and The Brain.
Speedy
January 19th, 2005 at 3:17 pm
Does no one remember “Snoopy for President”?
Corman
January 26th, 2005 at 2:00 am
Not to mention Howard the Duck’s ill-fated run for office.
Scott
January 30th, 2005 at 9:20 am
The first thing that sprang to mind was Duke from Doonesbury actually…
lynette
January 30th, 2005 at 11:16 am
re the “Thirsty” makeover,dropping the alchoholic stereotyping; what is left is a personality deficient supporting character Where to stop with political correctness?
Zanzibar
February 1st, 2005 at 8:09 am
To my mind, Hi isn’t exhibiting horror, but, due to the position of the eyebrows, some sort of sudden realization of the familiar–so my guess is that the cartoonist is either commenting on the cardboard quality of today’s politicians, or specifically, though this seems daring for Hi and Lois, on the transparency of George Bush.
Skip Tracer
February 1st, 2005 at 1:03 pm
Supposedly California passed a law banning fictional characters from running for office.
I wonder how Ahhnold got around it?
Anton Sherwood
January 2nd, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Is it a California law or a San Francisco local ordinance?
Doug Atkinson
September 23rd, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Forget who’s for President, who’s for vice?