The Comics Curmudgeon

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Metapost: Comments of the very abbreviated week

Well, this week is Thanksgiving here in the United States, and one of the things I’m thankful for is taking a few days off of blogging. New comics return Monday! Those of you still checking the Interwebs may comment away here for the next four days (unmonitored by me, so play nice). Meanwhile, I thought I’d unleash the comment of the first half of this week:

“Did you hear about the entity that has qualities or characteristics?” –Skullturf Q. Beavispants offers the ultimate Herb and Jamaal setup

This, combined with Skullturf’s Pluggers triumph, makes November 21, 2007, officially “Skullturf Q. Beavispants day”! But there are runners-up to admire as well:

“I’d look up the exact title of the Curti-verse’s ‘Girls Gone Wild’ parody with the fudge-topping chapter or what-have-you, but doing research on the topic of Curtis would finally kill what little sense of pride I have.” –Flealick

“Do you actually think the Family Circus world-view could survive interaction with 21st-century Earth children? This explains why the ‘action’ in this strip generally involves the children standing around discussing something that confounds them (the location of their heart, ambiguous phrasing, shiny objects). The kids aren’t allowed to leave the home, and are forced to make up adorably-hilarious scenarios for the parents’ amusements. The ‘football tryouts’ were the final test; if Billy went outside, rolled in the mud, and came back to recite the dialogue he was assigned without running away (or crying), he was truly a Keane; and if he did flee the Keane Kompound, the dogs would make short work of him (and the marshmallow ass-padding would assure that the birds picked the carcass clean).” –Flealick

“Do beagles like the smell of vinegar and hate?” –gkl

“Monday I actually found B.C. amusing. Today I laughed at Cathy. Am I dying?” –Brick Bradford

“I’m guessing that Abbey is just the kind of swinger that wants to hear about all of her husband’s sexual exploits. Unfortunately, all Sam Driver will be able to say will be, ‘I just stood there.’” –FSogol

“Please remember that homoeroticism should be erotic. Rex and Niki, homoerotic? Yes. Herb and Jamaal? Not.” –sf_reader

“‘Thanks, Toby. I know it has to be done.’ Prediction: these will be Mary Worth’s last words as she is strapped into the electric chair, right before being sent to hell for all her crimes against humanity.” –Joe

“In today’s A3G, the Perfesser is waaay too happy at being cockblocked by Dick Smothers. ‘Taking my underage trophy-bitch to Hollywood? Why, we must celebrate! Have some of my special Vin du Arsenic ’93!’” –Buck Ripsnort

“Mary Worth? Love? No, no, no. Mary Worth is only using Chester to remind herself of how awesome she is. If Toby would permit Mary to lead her around by a leash and feed her from bowls in the ground, Mary would have run right over Chester in the road.” –The Grandstanding Oddball

Also! Today was actually a double day for Comics Curmudgeon reader-submitted triumph, as today’s TDIET was submitted by faithful reader MWGallaher!

Indeed, who among us hasn’t enjoyed day-old beans out of a can? I almost missed something here (right?) — specifically, this TDIET, so don’t forget to tell me in advance if you’re going to be Scaduto-ized!

Finally, to amuse you while I’m surreptitiously drinking gravy out of the boat, I offer you this amusing bit of Web comic commentary. Faithful reader Captain Thunder took a throwaway gag I did on Dennis the Menace a few months ago and transformed it into an inspired bit of pastiche. Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 01:01 pm and is filed under Dennis the Menace, They'll Do It Every Time, metaposts.

1,038 responses to “Metapost: Comments of the very abbreviated week”

Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 21st, 2007 at 1:06 pm [Reply]

Thank you Josh! (blushes)
Gabe
November 21st, 2007 at 1:08 pm [Reply]

SQB, you are da man!

Gravy enemas all around!
The Spectacular Spider-Brick
November 21st, 2007 at 1:09 pm [Reply]

Sigh. As if my chances of making COTW weren’t low enough during a full-length week… Congrats anyway, SQB!
Anonymous
November 21st, 2007 at 1:17 pm [Reply]

You must tell us, Skullturf: did you intentionally go for the literal interperation (i.e., when you were brainstorming ideas for Pluggers, did they all have to do with plugging things in)?
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 21st, 2007 at 1:27 pm [Reply]

Heh, not really, but I did notice as soon as I typed it up, “Hey, the verb ‘plug’ is in there!”

My suggestion was partly inspired by a real-life conversation with my roommate. His phone displays the current time, but was showing the wrong time, I think because we had had a power outage or something. And the phone displayed, e.g, 2:40 a.m., causing him to deduce that the power outage had happened two hours and forty minutes previously. He had trouble figuring out how to set the time since he no longer had the documentation that originally accompanied the phone, and it was at that point that one of us half-jokingly came up with the idea of unplugging it and plugging it in again at exactly 12:00.

I think also part of my motivation was that too many Pluggers strips are just variations on “I’m old and fat and I need a bunch of medications to stay alive, or at least stay non-miserable.” It’s kind of depressing. I guess part of me wanted to say, “Come on Pluggers, have a bit more pride in your everyday ingenuity!”
Perky Bird
November 21st, 2007 at 1:37 pm [Reply]

Actually, day-old canned beans can make some mighty fine refried beans. Just add some chopped onion and a heapin’ helpin’ o’ lard and smoosh away. They’re fit for fryin’ now!

MMMMMM….smooshed leftover beans and rendered animal fat……MMMMMMMMMM…..
kingklash
November 21st, 2007 at 1:47 pm [Reply]

A Full Gravy-Boat Scholarship for Josh?
Girl Reporter
November 21st, 2007 at 1:58 pm [Reply]

Two of my collegues are standing in the hall outside my office discussing Turducken.

Again, a week ago, never heard the word. Every day for the last week, at least twice.
King Folderol
November 21st, 2007 at 2:03 pm [Reply]

Thanks for making me soil myself with laughter, SQB! All I need is a hankering for some meddling and I’ll be just like Mary Worth.
El Santo
November 21st, 2007 at 2:04 pm [Reply]

8 — GR, a few years, you will be munching down on turducken… wondering how, in a long forgotten past, people could survive Thanksgiving on something as meager as turkey. (And what is this “turkey”?)

Also, Americans will weigh an average of 300 lbs.

The turducken revolution is upon us!
Deena in OR
November 21st, 2007 at 2:21 pm [Reply]

COT (va) W…

Uh-oh! Does that mean no more new threads until Monday? I shudder to think how many comments will be under this one by then……
Girl Reporter
November 21st, 2007 at 2:27 pm [Reply]

It’s more like that Lilly Tomlin routine where Lud and Marie’s teenage daughter screams down the stairs at them to stop talking about that cake.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze stop talking about that Turrrrrrrrrrrrduckkkkkkkkkennnnnnnnnnnnnnn!
Minivet
November 21st, 2007 at 2:31 pm [Reply]

Given CCers’ success in TDIET to date, at what point will the strip be running entirely on our contributions?

I think it would be great if we were to sneak in more and more dated complaints.

“Mr. Cheezitz is so ab-so-posi-lutely sure he will NOT buy a washing machine for Annoyella…

‘Ya know how high our electric bill is already? How hard can it be to do it by hand? Camahn!’

…but after Annoyella hops to Reno to get a divorce, wowee, whadda-we-get–

(Cheezitz reclining, washer running in the background)
‘Ah — marvelous labor-saving devices we’ve got nowadays — modern livin’ for ya — etc. etc.’”

On that note, do you successful submitters script it out, or do you just write a paragraph or two in plain English?
C. Havoc
November 21st, 2007 at 2:32 pm [Reply]

“The next minute she was all over me…It was appalling.” If I tried a line like that on my wife, she would murder me in my sleep. Abby, however, will simply sigh and think of what might have been. It seems that the $10k she paid Rusty to help fix “Sam’s little problem” was all for naught.
Canaduck
November 21st, 2007 at 2:46 pm [Reply]

That blog by Captain Thunder is hilarious. I hope he actually continues with it.

And congrats to SQB!!!
Ribinin
November 21st, 2007 at 2:48 pm [Reply]

In case I had any doubt about being a Plugger it was erased today. My stove has a clock that I cannot figure out how to set. Our power went out for awhile yesterday and I had to go through my resetting ritual.

Rather than plugging it in, which would involve too much manual labor I waited until 11:11 and set it. That is the only time setting that will work, having all 1s. So that’s what I did. I set an alarm clock for 11 and stood by the stove until the magic time arrived.

I have other Pluggeresque qualities, but never before has it been so undeniable. Shoot me now.
jules
November 21st, 2007 at 2:57 pm [Reply]

Captain Thunder, you are an evil genius, and I salute you!

Congratulations to SQB and all the honorable mentions!
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 21st, 2007 at 3:06 pm [Reply]

By the way, I checked my “sent mail” folder, and the date that I submitted my idea to the Chief Plugger was October 19th. So I must say that’s a pretty impressive turnaround time (a mere 33 days).
gnome de blog
November 21st, 2007 at 3:13 pm [Reply]

I can’t wait until Sam finishes confessing so we can hear Abby explain that the butler did it…and with whom.
liz
November 21st, 2007 at 3:15 pm [Reply]

When I read Pluggers today, I thought to myself “Wow, that was actually funny”. Not something I think to myself on a normal day. Good job, Beavispants.
Mountain Mama
November 21st, 2007 at 3:26 pm [Reply]

Skullturf, fantastic job!!! I bow.

BTW, I know the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review carries “Pluggers,” but I am not there, alas.

I wholeheartedly am in solidarity in Dagwood. More attention should be paid to Thanksgiving! Of course, that would then cause it to get over-commercialized and hence ruined. Hmmm…I think I’ll settle for low-key after all.
Niall
November 21st, 2007 at 3:31 pm [Reply]

11. Deena: remember that Josh won’t be the only one unavailable for commenting due to the holidays. Of course, us Canadians will just take over. :)

Nonetheless, I’ll be disappointed if we don’t reach 1000 by the time Josh gets back…
Gold-Digging Nanny
November 21st, 2007 at 3:33 pm [Reply]

Congrats, COTWers!

I just want to say that Daisy’s barked question mark in Blondie, the poster in My Cage, the CREEEEK in Rex Morgan and the boozy octopus in Slylock Fox make me very happy.
Gold-Digging Nanny
November 21st, 2007 at 3:35 pm [Reply]

Oh, and all of Get Fuzzy. I loved Get Fuzzy today. In fact, I’ve loved it all this week. It’s the same joke each day, and somehow it doesn’t get old.
Al
November 21st, 2007 at 3:37 pm [Reply]

10 — The only think better than turducken is “deep fried” turducken. Which is what I’m having tomorrow.

Incidentally, if you hear in the news about a forest fire west of Pueblo, CO… that was probably me.
cymek_nine
November 21st, 2007 at 3:39 pm [Reply]

Yesterday I read a hilarious Cathy. It was in Spanish, which I don’t speak a word of. I guess that makes, ‘read’ the wrong word, but really, I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt since it was the first time Cathy had ever made me giggle.
El Santo
November 21st, 2007 at 3:41 pm [Reply]

#25 — Al: Whoa. That’s possible? I thought the Turducken wiki page cautioned against such a thing, what with the layers of meat being so dense that frying becomes nigh impossible!

Also it sounds like the sort of thing you need to prepare a Last WIll and Testament for before diggin’ in.
Original Lee
November 21st, 2007 at 3:42 pm [Reply]

GT: Am I a bad person for initially reading the last panel as a reference to Jefferson Airplane?

DT: This story arc fills me with delight. Every day I hope for another clue to the charity stunt. My best guess so far: to sponsor Art Buchwald’s Bring Two Bricks Initiative. Let’s lock our local elected idiots in a haunted mansion with a gun-toting, revenge-seeking maniac, and raffle off the chance to throw away the key. The proceeds will finance our trip to Washington to take care of the Congresscritters and the like. Are you in?

Liberty Meadows Rehash: I missed this one the first time around, but I like it anyway.

PBS: Rutabagas! Not as good as squid, but still not something you see in the paper every day.

MW: And so begins the “Mary Becomes a PETA Shopaholic” story arc, ending in the demise of Mary’s bank account, Chester, the PETA online gift shop, and the local vet. Mary will ride her bicycle over Aldo Kelrast Memorial Death Curve while looking over her shoulder at the IRS agents sent to slam her into the Santa Royale Debtors’ Prison (a tasteful peach stucco two-story building lovingly designed and furnished by Martha Stewart).
Poteet
November 21st, 2007 at 4:23 pm [Reply]

Congratulations, Skullturf! Aren’t you a mathematician? Some of you math people are so multifacted…

And congratulations to you other very funny float-riders!
Dingo
November 21st, 2007 at 4:29 pm [Reply]

It was late November and a cold chill had settled over Milborough like an aging, naked dowager resting her body over that of her sinewy, trembling nephew. Elizabeth found herself once again spending the evening at the laundromat; it had become her routine. Each night she said goodbye to the principal’s secretary, headed out to her car, and started for home. She had her Daughtry CD in the glove compartment but for some reason Pete Townshend’s White City: A Novel seemed permanently affixed to the player. Driving through the snow on the provincial highway, she imagined the camera crew beside her, filming her in quiet contemplation, as Secondhand Love played in rhythmic unison with her windshield wipers. It was the movie of her life played out within her mind. Would she be portrayed as she saw herself with a blonde-maned Nicole Kidman acting out her life or as her mother probably wanted it with Deborah Raffin playing her in a late-night Oxygen movie of the week?

Things had seemed so good. Life in the North Country was sweet. The townsfolk treated her as a goddess, her landlady was constantly inviting her over for meals and conversation, and her boyfriend Paul and his genormous First Nations uncut cock made her feel like the gimlet whore of Canada. She had won the lottery – not a Nigerian lottery or one of those charity raffles where they ask you to donate your winnings back to the cause but a real honest-to-goodness lottery – and the butterscotch existence of Ontario seemed as far behind her as a hit in Sandra Bullock’s career. Then, the call came.

“Your father is dying,” her mother said. That’s all it took. Trainmaster Dadster had always been Liz’ favorite parent. He was the one who’d parade her around to his friends in silly dresses; sometimes, he’d put Liz in one, too. He taught her that you could belch and crap in the neighbor’s yard at the same time and it felt good and even tickled. He explained the ending of North by Northwest to her and discussed the implications of trains and tunnels.

Trainmaster Dadster was good cop to Mom Elly’s bad cop. If he had called and said her mother was dying, champagne corks throughout Canada would have popped faster than Britney Spears’ 14-year-old cherry. But it was not to be. It was Mother Fearest who called, called with that sound of vermouth-tinged olives swirling in a martini glass, and told her that the first man in her life – and her father – was about to take the tugboat to Torono.

Liz gave Paul the obligatory I’ll see you in three weeks blowjob and hurried south. When she arrived home, there was her father, standing in the living room in socks and sandals preparing to sodomize her maternal grandfather’s new wife with an oversized piece of prime rib. Her mother sat at the dining room table playing canasta. Nasty canasta, Liz called it. Canasta was her mother’s version of the post-coital cigarette. The sly, wry smile on her mother’s face said that it was all a ruse.

“Why? Why am I here?” Liz stammered between wafts of tender prime rib entering her flaired nostrils.

“Remember Anthony?” mother gleamed. “His wife, Terry with the accent marks, left. Left him the house, the kid, the car. Anthony says that she left him a message on his cellular phone that she had met another man and was moving away. Just up and disappeared last Monday. Hell, she didn’t even take her credit cards.”

Liz remembered Anthony. She remembered him clearly. The last time they spoke, he wished that his wife were dead and that he and Liz could begin a life together. The conversation scared her so much that she met with his wife and told her everything he had said. Therese wept on Liz’ shoulder and confided how controlling Anthony had become after the wedding. She was confined to the house every evening and had to report to him when she got to work and when she was headed home. She was a prisoner. Once, in a mall, she tried to escape with her daughter but Anthony found them hiding in the back of the dry-cleaning truck and beat her mercilessly. Therese feared for her life and for her daughter. She told Liz that the day might come where she died and Anthony would make it look like an accident or she would just disappear entirely and sobbed that no one would know.

Now Therese was gone. And Paul’s magic pixie cock, the wand that made all of Liz’ troubles go away once a night and twice on Saturday, was as far from her as ethics from a Republican.

“I’ve invited Anthony over for dinner,” her mother oozed. “Help me set the table.”

The hours went on like days, the days went on like months, and the months passed like five minutes in Apt. 3G. The school gave away her job and Paul met someone else. Life was closing in on her. Liz found a job at a local school and a small apartment but her mother’s gnarled grip was never far away. The only free time she had was in the laundromat, due to her mother’s allergies to disinfectant and soap.

Liz watched the tiny pink sock swirl in the turbulent waters of the machine and felt kinship. Her tiny pink womanhood was stuck somewhere in the spin cycle of her family and no one was there to retrieve it and find its match. She looked at the large drying machines and wondered if she could successfully climb inside, insert the quarters, and begin the process of rotating herself to death.

A car drove by. Slowly. It was Anthony checking up on her. Liz ducked down out of view. As she lied there, on the floor, feeling the grit of the tile against her cheek, she saw shoes come into the room. She gazed up to see Howard Erk standing before her, recently released from jail.

“What are you doing down there?” he said. “Looking for your dignity?”

“No,” Liz sighed, “that fell on the floor and rolled out into the street a long time ago. Then I think it was hit by a car.”

Howard held out his hand and offered her assistance. Between each finger were the letters of her name: L I Z.

“Why did you do that?” Liz asked. “Why just ‘Liz’?”

Howard smiled. “I have your whole name tattooed somewhere else. The artist needed more room to write Elizabeth Patterson Rocks My World so we used a different part of my body.”

Liz stared into his eyes as she listened to the zipper fall. Her gaze fell to Howard’s exquisitely formed manhood. His robin’s egg-sized testicles seemed like two heaving midgets attempting to raise a banner into place. The writing on his penis was scrunched and overlapping. It didn’t make sense.

“It’s written in elfish,” he said. “I’ve always been a fan of Tolkein. The tattoo artist thought it was a bit strange but it’s really pretty when I’m hard. Looks like tiny waves rippling on a sea of flesh.”

Liz stared at Howard. Could this devil from her past be the escape from her hellish existence?

“Howard,” she purred, “take me somewhere where I can read the entire message. Take me out of here. Take me home.”

“Are you sure?” he stammered. “Last I remember, you thought I was pretty strange. You thought I was mean. You manipulated me into a jail sentence.”

“Oh, don’t think about the past. If you only look at the past, what have you got?” Liz said. “I need you, Howard. I need you now. I’ll need you tomorrow. Howard, I will always rely on the kindness of strange Erks.”

The snows fell in the barren streets of Milborough. A pure canvas of white covered the landscape – a canvas of white except for the imprints of two sets of shoes leaving a laundromat and heading off toward redemption.
Poteet
November 21st, 2007 at 4:30 pm [Reply]

BLONDIE — If I could eat whatever I wanted and stay thin like Dagwood, I’d be much more of a food worshipper myself. Dagwood, I hate you. And I bet you have a self-portrait hidden in the attic that shows you weighing 800 pounds.
Poteet
November 21st, 2007 at 4:31 pm [Reply]

# 29 — That’s “multi-faceted,” sorry. I hate spelling also.
Dennis Jimenez
November 21st, 2007 at 4:40 pm [Reply]

29 – Could it be – the golden age of comics noir?
cheech wizard
November 21st, 2007 at 4:47 pm [Reply]

Turducken – a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey. Sounds like a three-way involving Foghorn Leghorn and a generic editorial page cartoon turkey, with Mallard Fillmore as Lucky Pierre.

Anyway, doesn’t this kind of violate like, 5 million Old Testament dietary laws? (Though shalt not roast a fowl inside the boweles of another; no shalt thou take the organs of a beeste of the field and place them in a fowl for roasting, nor shalt thou place thy own organs in a fowl, pig, beeste of the field or any other creature other than thine ownne goode wiffe.)

What’s next? A cowpigoaturduckenquailescargot?
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 4:49 pm [Reply]

Dingo, I don’t easily bandy the word “genius” around, but yer Liz story was an inspired, galvanizing tour-de-force. Thank you.
Buck Ripsnort
November 21st, 2007 at 4:54 pm [Reply]

Congrats to SkullTurf, of course, but more importantly–
After almost two years– two long, desert-dry, Gawd-forsaken, hopeless years– when I began to think nobody even READ my damn comments, I finally get on the Runner-Up float.
And that’s something to give thanks for.
And the fire-trucks outside (indicating that someone around here’s frying turducken– how the hell can you eat something that starts w/ TURD, for gawdssake) sound like wedding-bells.
Poteet
November 21st, 2007 at 4:56 pm [Reply]

# 34 — BWAHAHA! Cheech, have you considered doing an Old Testament version of how to make a Dagwood sandwich? (Or why making one will send you straight to hell.)

I hate Dagwood because he’s discovered how to defy the laws of physics, and he won’t share. Probably he could stop global warming too if he wanted, but nooooo….
Brick Bradford
November 21st, 2007 at 4:59 pm [Reply]

I’m a runner up for COTW. I can eat my turkey with a glad and thankful heart.
Dennis Jimenez
November 21st, 2007 at 5:00 pm [Reply]

Intelligent gravity will support Dag’s sammy.
cheech wizard
November 21st, 2007 at 5:07 pm [Reply]

Poteet – Given his hair, I think Dagwood’s only appearance in the O.T. would be as Satan.
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 5:10 pm [Reply]

Turmudgeon: One of us stuffing ourselves w/ turkey. I’m a Tofurkey guy myself, but I digest…Happy Holidays youse guys!
Loopina
November 21st, 2007 at 5:13 pm [Reply]

RMMD: Uh oh, Rex – it’s Chris Hansen and the Dateline crew! Hurry, hide Niki in a closet and wipe your chin, forgodsakes.

DT: Dies! I mean, Lives! Damn.

Archie: That’s the reason everyone likes Betty.

Dingo: Awesomeness! Your story arc is far superior to Lynn’s in many ways.
Poteet
November 21st, 2007 at 5:21 pm [Reply]

# 40 — Cheech, I can see that. And I bet he would have come up with something more tempting and caloric than an apple.

And before I depart to do some offline work, I wonder if it’s too soon to speculate on the number of comments that will appear on this thread before our Pope’s return on Monday.

Naw…I’m guessing 900.
dreadedcandiru2
November 21st, 2007 at 5:26 pm [Reply]

I have a problem with the ‘comic’ strip Zits: it exists. The primary character is the single most annoying dick to mar the comics page. Jeremy’s douchebaggery is such as to make the Patterson males and Anthony Caine seem as pure, harmless and noble as saints. His whole ethos is based on feeling superior to his parents for not subscribing to his generation’s assassinations of sanity and groaning about the injustice of having a life that ninety-eight percent of the world envies. His knowledge , so-to-speak, of the world consists only of those things that will increase his SAT score and his credibility with his co-cannibals. Anything that does not is mocked as lame. Even more infuriating are the husband-and-wife pair of Frankenstaeins who unleashed this monster. The father is a smirking bufoon who refuses to cope with any technological device more advanced than an wight-track player, the mother is a dingbat who makes a point of not seeing things from her sons’ point of view because she regards the fact that times have changed as a personal affront for which the living reminder thereof must be punished. What’s more, they let the child coast through life too long to try to discipline him now that he’s too large for them to cope. Surround these idiots with hangers-on of even less credibility and you’ve got the perfect strip for old fogeys of all ages to go cluck-cluck at teenagers. For people who think, it’s atrocity that must be scourged from this world. To think I just skimmed over it until I learned that Lynn Johnston loved it.
Deena in OR
November 21st, 2007 at 5:35 pm [Reply]

#43-Should we start a pool? Closest to the actual number wins…hmmm…a ride on the float? Something more tangible???
name
November 21st, 2007 at 5:45 pm [Reply]
Captain Thunder
November 21st, 2007 at 5:54 pm [Reply]

A new Dennis, Viscount of Stokington has been posted.

Menacing House
bats :[
November 21st, 2007 at 6:01 pm [Reply]

30. Dingo: well, I suspect it wouldn’t get published, but your alternate reality for Liz (hell, you might be channeling LJ…it’s not like she’s really be keeping up a storyline, with her characters “frozen” and all) really ought to be submitted to the folks at the Foob-site. All that talk of dinguses and such! I bet I could here heads asploding in disbelief (and it’s a long way from Torono to Tucson!).
Well done.
CoffeeJanitor
November 21st, 2007 at 6:06 pm [Reply]

Anyone else notice the giant bird-dinasaur hybrid stalking Malone in Mark Trail today? Looks like the suspense in this storyline is only just beginning.
CrabbyGenes
November 21st, 2007 at 6:09 pm [Reply]

#43 Poteet. I’m guessing fewer than 900 comments. U.S. people have family obligations this weekend, and even when we Mudgies were trying (in the past), we couldn’t quite get up to 1000.

Me, I have no family obligations, Thanksgiving not being a holiday over here in Japan. There is a national holiday on Friday, November 23, but I’ve never understood the purpose of it, and for most people, it’s just a day off. They call it “Labor-Thanksgiving day.” Huh?

Anyway, my school has chosen to IGNORE the national holiday. They’ve scheduled an entrance exam for that day, and it’s gonna be a LONG day for me. That’s par for the course over here. (Sheesh.) I guess my school interprets Labor-Thanksgiving day as, “We’ll thank you to work for us on Labor day.” Or maybe, “You’d better be damn thankful you have a job, and we’re gonna remind you of it by making you labor.” (Get the idea that I’m a little resentful here?)

Oh well. Enjoy your turkey over there! Save a piece for me!
C. Havoc
November 21st, 2007 at 6:21 pm [Reply]

#46: I Nominate “Name” for COTW.
C. Havoc
November 21st, 2007 at 6:22 pm [Reply]

It’s also a cheap way to get to 1000.

Like this one.
Deena in OR
November 21st, 2007 at 6:45 pm [Reply]

CrabbyGenes-
Where in Japan? My parents were stationed at Misawa in Aomori prefecture. My dad taught English at Aomori University after he retired from being an elementary principal.
SecretMargo
November 21st, 2007 at 6:50 pm [Reply]

52: “name” is actually linking to an article about comics, and his comment itself (”Did anyone see this interesting article in the WSJ about comics pages?”) seems to be embedded as (is this the term?) “alt-text.” (If that’s not the term, I mean that it pops up when I run my cursor over the little arrow thingie).

So: you win the empty comment game this time! : )

Also: congrats to SQB! Twofer! Hoooo!
ralph
November 21st, 2007 at 7:23 pm [Reply]

Happy Thanksgiving to all tomorrow…
As for today, congrats to Mr. Beavispants! And to MWGallaher, too. Nice sweatervest! If one person got a Pluggers and TDIET and COTW all on one day, would that be a “Triple Crown?” What would be the term?
CrabbyGenes
November 21st, 2007 at 7:53 pm [Reply]

#53 Deena. I live in Chiba Prefecture, and have for the past 30 years. That’s interesting about your parents!
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 7:55 pm [Reply]

ralph @ #55:
That would be known as a Pludietcomm. Happy Thanksgiving!
The Avocado Avenger
November 21st, 2007 at 7:59 pm [Reply]

#36 Yay Buck! I read your comments, if it matters. Right now’s not a good time to mention you’ve never heard of me, by the way.

Luann: I cannot stand TJ. The closed eyes and constant smirky grinny thing on his face freak me out beyond belief.

A3G: Tommie’s acting a little too much like LuAnn, and not the aforementioned LuAnn, but a different blonde, this one with brain damage.

Blondie: I confess I read the strip so fast I didn’t catch the colors of the lights being food, except for “brussel sprout green”, and it just made me think Dagwood was having a stroke. Kind of like Tommie in A3G.

Ooh, suddenly it all makes sense. Every strip is connected in some way! That still doesn’t help me understand The Phantom.
Tabby
November 21st, 2007 at 8:35 pm [Reply]

41 – We be tofurkey’n here, too! Got a funny little button with the tofurkey box this year rocking a cheerful little soy-type character with bean feet and leafy “wings”. Suits us!!
Poteet
November 21st, 2007 at 9:05 pm [Reply]

# 45 — Deena, a pool would be fine with me. I now think I’m probably guessing high at 900, but what the heck, I’ll stick to it. As for a float ride, I’m hoping for another spin on Spotted H0rse’s private supersecret uberluxurious invisible float when S.H. shows up here again. I’m not sure I’ll ever again make it onto the official COTW float. *Sniff* Oh well, I have my memories.

# 50 — CrabbyGenes, I do sympathize, though alas, sympathy won’t do anything to stop your exam. I’ll be thinking of you. We have about an inch of snow here, by the way, and a brisk cold wind. To hear the local newscasters, you’d think the world was coming to an end. Snow! The horror!
Poteet
November 21st, 2007 at 9:10 pm [Reply]

Sixty comments in eight hours. Yup, 900 may turn out to be embarrassingly high, unless we can get some exciting side discussions going. Umm…what’s your favorite color, everybody?
AhClem
November 21st, 2007 at 9:16 pm [Reply]

#30 Dingo -
That’s either (a) the best alternate-Foobiverse story ever written, or (b) the world’s longest set-up to a really, really bad pun.

I vote (c) – all of the above. I will be going to bed with happy thoughts tonight.
Frank Parsnip
November 21st, 2007 at 9:16 pm [Reply]

Congrats to the COTWeekers and to Skullturf and MWGallaher for the excellent Pluggers and TDIET scalps (”skullturfs”?) under your belts!!

Dingo: In my timezone (EST+13), I am already thankful for your foob piece. Can you draft up some of Rex’s adventures from cooking school?
Frank Parsnip
November 21st, 2007 at 9:20 pm [Reply]

Condolences to CrabbyGenes — I am headed to the office as well right now. Will try to get out early tonight to rotisserie a chicken with stuffing from the local “wet market” here in glorious Taihoku!
The Spectacular Spider-Brick
November 21st, 2007 at 9:27 pm [Reply]

Want something to boost the number of comments? I’ll give you a question posted to one of my mailing lists.

Say you were on a desert island (or in prison, or stationed at a remote French Foreign Legion post, or locked in BioDome III with Pauly Shore — you’re isolated is the point, it doesn’t matter how, OK?) and you can get only 3 comic strips delivered to you daily for as long as you’re going to be there. What three do you pick?

My choices are Doonesbury, Get Fuzzy and MyCage. What are yours?
reebchan
November 21st, 2007 at 9:28 pm [Reply]

So I was glancing at the Philly Inquirer comics page today, and my eye fell on the Family Circus comic. For some reason, I read the caption.

In it, Dolly asks, “Mommy, do you want a twelve-pack of eggs?”

I blinked once. Twice. That wasn’t what was posted on The CC!

That’s right, Dolly’s questioning of Christmas music doctrine was too controversial for the fine readers of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Family Circus was censored. In Philadelphia.

I think the rivers just started turning red.
Mooncattie
November 21st, 2007 at 9:32 pm [Reply]

Hurray for Skullturf!!

All Torono is proud of you! This makes up for not making it into the Grey Cup. AND the Stanley Cup playoffs. AND the AL Wild Card. AND out of last place in ML Soccer. AND losing the Olympics to Atlanta and Beijing. AND losing Expo ‘98 to Lisbon and Expo 2000 to Hannover. AND losing the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference to Ottawa. Oh yes, and we’re also the only jurisdiction on Planet Earth that cancelled a subway and spent millions to FILL IN THE HOLE.

Congratulations, SQB! Pilot that float with pride!
Jamus The Bartender
November 21st, 2007 at 9:36 pm [Reply]

66. What makes it even worse, reebchan, is that Philadelphia was once the stomping grounds of the venerable Mr Bil Keane !!!
Helena Handbasket
November 21st, 2007 at 9:37 pm [Reply]

#41 Red Greenback and #59 Tabby: At the Asian market today, I figured out how to make a veggie Turducken.

Take 1 roll of either Worthington Chickette (frozen) or other frozen veggie chicken log ($10)
Thaw, hollow out and fill with Asian market frozen veggie smoked duck breast. ($6)
Thaw 1 roll of Worthington Smoked Veggie Turkey ($20) and hollow out.
Stuff chicken & duck log inside turkey log.
Place concoction in loaf pan. Baste with veggie gravy and white wine. Cover with tinfoil.
Bake (at 350 for 30 minutes if thawed) and enjoy!

I may have to actually do this next year, just to frighten the relatives.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 9:43 pm [Reply]

#30
Dingo

Your post was brilliant. It also exposes the “miss a day – miss a lot” quality of this site. How do you explain why “…tugboat to Torono” is so apt, so funny?
Jamus The Bartender
November 21st, 2007 at 9:47 pm [Reply]

League Of The New Millenium
Chapter Nine
Dick Tracy, America’s Greatest Detective, was wondering which of his many sins he had committed led to a large bullet headed maitre’d punching him in the face repeatedly in the basement of a Philadelphia tavern…
Dick Tracy, America’s Greatest Detective was praying to every single deity created since man crawled from the primordial ooze, either by Big Bang, or by Intelligent Design, JUST to make the pain go away. Giving preference to the Judeo/Christian Deity . Why would these numbnuts do this on purpose, he wondered, as Eddie was kicking him in the back, yelling “C’mon, get up….get up……it’s your turn…..”
Okay then, he thought, flipping the switch on his wrist radio, setting it to “taser function”, designed by Smith Industries , and focusing on Eddie’s jugular.. Okay, Dick thought to himself.
No more Mr Nice Crypto-Fascist..
As he sent ten thousand volts through Eddie’s nervous system, he noticed Potter moving towards David Dunn out of the corner of his eye, plus another figure headed towards the both of them. A small, brown haired man in sunglasses , a bright shirt, leather pants and crocodile boots.
Harry noticed this as well, filing his face away for future reference.
Putting his hand on David’s shoulder, he asked….”David Dunn?”
Dunn looked at Harry through krinkly eyes….”Who wants to know?”
“Mr Dunn….my name is Harry Potter, and I belong to an organization run by the United Nations designed as an anti-terror organization. I have come here with my associates….”, whereupon he indicated the ol’ detective laughing above a convulsing Eddie….”…in order to find you. We would like to talk to you, but we need to get out of here first. Is there any way out of here….”
Dunn looked at Harry for a count of ten.
“What did you say your name was?”
At long long last Eddie was showing signs of weakening….as his eyes rolled up into his head,Tracy began pummeling him senselessly, screaming”Yeah….yeah….who’s yer daddy bitch….not so tough now, are ya big guy….huh…talk to me……”…at which point, the small man in the leather pants pointed to two of his subordinated….then pointed to Judgement…then pointed in Harry and David’s direction.
“I told you, my name is Harry Potter…and we’ve got to get out of here……now, I don’t know why you’re here, or who you’re tracking down, but we can worry about that later….”
David sighed…”Quit bothering me kid.”
“Mr Dunn…I assure you i’m very serious about this, but we can talk about this outside…..”
“Look, …’Harry Potter’….I don’t know who you are and I don’t care…..right now i’m in the middle of something, and I just wish you would either wait for the next fight….or go away, it doesn’t matter to me.”
It was becoming evident to Harry that Dunn either didn’t believe that Harry was who he said he was, or he simply didn’t care. All right, he thought to himself as he pulled out his wand.
“Petrificus Totalus”
David Dunn had a split second to register that “Hey, he wasn’t kidding” before he fell to the floor in a heap, his brain flying towards Pluto.
“That wasn’t such a chore…”Harry thought to himself as he drug David to a secluded corner, went back to the ring, whereupon the small man and two of his huge subordinates were frisking Tracy for any more gadgets, simultaneously berating him for cheating, while they reminded him of Rule Number Nine of Fight Club. “No chemicals or special devices are allowed in order to overcome your opponent.”
“You’ve just fucked yourself, children. I’m a goddamned police detective. Anyway, I was invited by a friend of mine.” indicating Potter, giving him a look which said, “Get us out of here anytime, kid.”
The Department of Wizard/Muggle Relations ,while not as stringent about the use of magic as they used to be, still had some rules about the public use of magic. And apparating in Muggle territory didn’t seem to be the way to go, given tensions between the current US administration and the Wizard World. Still and all, there was something he could do….
“Accio Dick’s handgun”
Harry Pointed towards Tracy’s service issue .45s left outside with Buffy, Crashing through the window, Tracy gathered his wits to catch it, and fired six or seven shots into the air.
Harry later wondered if Dick hadn’t been aiming a little lower.
“Rule number one of Dick Tracy’s Crimestopper’s Textbook: DON’T FUCK WITH TRACY!!”
Looking around, he got no challenge from anyone as he motioned to Harry to bring David with him….”Okay guys….we’re gonna leave now, nice and peaceable….”..at this point Buffy kicked the door in, giving them an exit….”….thanks, Sugar. and if I EVER catch you depraved abominations doing anything other than fighting….”
At this point, he noticed leather pants making a run for it….”Whoa……Harry,permission to use excessive force granted.”
Harry settled for using the Totalus spell on the escapee, whereupon Harry,Tracy and Buffy carried Dunn and the Leather boy to the door, leaving Fight Club behind.
“Dick”Buffy asked as the group, along with a very confused The Bartender in tow, made their way down the street, “It was a simple chore. Go in and get Dunn, nothing was said about shooting civs or bringing extra passengers.”
.”Now it’s my turn to suprise you, Sugar, “Dick said with a grin. “You may find Leather Boy here useful.”
“Who is he?” Buffy asked.
“Buffy Summers….meet Jack Hart, aka Jack Moore,aka Rupert Cornelius, aka John Moore, aka Tyler Durden, soap salesman and the founder and CEO of Fight Club and it’s terrorist offshoot, Project Mayhem.”
Helena Handbasket
November 21st, 2007 at 9:48 pm [Reply]

#37 Poteet: I’ve always assumed that Dagwood either has a tapeworm or some sort of thyroid problem. Clearly he has no interest in curing whatever his health issue is, because it would mean curtailing his eating. The fact that he’s unhealthy is demonstrated by the fact that he eats so ravenously and is sleepy all the time…

…hmm…

I think I’ve figured it out: Dagwood is actually the disguise form of a magical construct named Yue created by Clow Reed.

I’m voting in Hobbes as Kerberos.
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 9:55 pm [Reply]

Helena Handbasket #69: That sounds absolutely toothsome! Pity I already bought my ingredients. I saved your recipe and will cook it up probably Tuesday. Viva Gile Thorpe!
CrabbyGenes
November 21st, 2007 at 10:00 pm [Reply]

#64 Frank Parsnip. Sympathies! We ex-pats have it rough on holidays. Thank God for CC and Josh!
FE
November 21st, 2007 at 10:12 pm [Reply]

FOOB:
The Wall Street Journal has a piece today (subscription only, I think) about how legacy comics prevent new strips from getting into print. It’s nothing we don’t already know, but check out this provocative quote:

“My feeling is if you can do what I’m doing and it knocks me out of the paper, do it. Do it,” challenged Lynn Johnston. “I’ll applaud you. But as long as the editors and readers want my strip, I’ll keep working.”

Oh, it is on, Lynn. It is so on. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119560137171799830.html
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 10:21 pm [Reply]

Conflamebe: A grebe stuffed into a flamingo stuffed into a condor.
That is all, Happy Holidays folks!
Buck Ripsnort
November 21st, 2007 at 10:24 pm [Reply]

Reebchan, Jamus– the Claus has always been contreversial in Philly; this is the town that booed Santa at that memorable Eagles game that I can’t quite recall. And I think they threw snowballs at him, unless that was a different incident altogether.
Hell, I’ve only lived here since 1989, it’s not like I’d be expected to know all this– this esoterica.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 10:33 pm [Reply]

Dear Mooncattle,
The CTV show “Corner Gas” has a promo aboot filling a ‘big hole’.

Are you referring to the same thing?

signed,
Fellow North American

ps. If it involves the Meech Lake Accords, I don’t think I wanna know, ok?
Deena in OR
November 21st, 2007 at 10:43 pm [Reply]

#64-”wet market”? I’m curious…

#64-Yeah, Doonesbury and Get Fuzzy, to be sure. 9CL for me, for the eye candy. (grin) And can I have a biweekly, too? DTWOF by Alison Bechdel.
Deena in OR
November 21st, 2007 at 10:44 pm [Reply]

Oops…that second line was supposed to start with #65.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 10:44 pm [Reply]

Did I fart? Is my arm brace that stinky?No one here? I don’t wanna have to post 900 posts by myself…
Deena in OR
November 21st, 2007 at 10:46 pm [Reply]

OK…guess I have no secrets here now. (blushes…)
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 10:47 pm [Reply]

Oh yeah
Dinette Set
Baby Blues
Reruns of Calvin & Hobbes
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 10:49 pm [Reply]

A little nostalgia for the old folks: “Mrs. Johnson?! I thought you was Dale!”
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 10:49 pm [Reply]

Post Grape Nuts
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 10:51 pm [Reply]

It was Burke, not Johnson…..
http://home.earthlink.net/~a_burke/BurkeGrapeNuts.htm
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 10:55 pm [Reply]

Quite right, ltrftp(not so first time)
Jamus The Bartender
November 21st, 2007 at 10:55 pm [Reply]

Hm, three strips, huh?
Okay
9CL
My Cage
Aaaand. Family Circus. With a number two pencil and eraser.
I used to go Dysfunctional Family Circus on my mother’s FC paperbacks before Al Gore invented the Internets is why.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 10:56 pm [Reply]

I think I shall change my name.
Deena in OR
November 21st, 2007 at 10:56 pm [Reply]

#87-on a related note…I work with a former “Mrs. Oleson, he hates my coffee!” girl… She’s my boss….
Deena in OR
November 21st, 2007 at 10:57 pm [Reply]

Oops. Not the HTML queen I thought I was.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 10:58 pm [Reply]

Deanna
If you make her a bad cuppa, would that be, ahem, grounds, for firing?
Cornwhacker
November 21st, 2007 at 10:59 pm [Reply]

86: Considering the subject matter of this site, how could you neglect to call out this from your linked page?
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 11:01 pm [Reply]

#86 ltrftp(not so first time) That wav file is mighty!
…RIP Mr. Whipple
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 11:01 pm [Reply]

Cornwhacker.
Thanks.
I wonder whatever happened to the cartoonist?
Dingo
November 21st, 2007 at 11:04 pm [Reply]

What? What’s that you say? It’s been way too long since we had NSFW time? Well, tonight’s the night!

Folks, read this Gengorah Tagame piece entitled The Oracle without imagining Ella Byrd in place of the police commissioner. I dare you. I dog dare you. I double dare you. I triple dog dare you!

For one thing, it would have made for an interesting time in Charterstone. Can you imagine if this was what Lassie had to do to inform people that Timmy was in the well?
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 11:04 pm [Reply]

Red
Mighty indeed.
Did you see James Lileks take on Mr. W?
http://www.lileks.com/bleats/archive/07/1107/112007.html
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 11:07 pm [Reply]

Dingo
NSFW
Speaking of mothers and daughters.
http://www.norddvd.com/
I am not sure how I came upon this site…..
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 11:12 pm [Reply]

99
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 11:14 pm [Reply]

Dingo-Dingo-Dingo! The the sound effects alone are awesome!
Mooncattie
November 21st, 2007 at 11:15 pm [Reply]

#78 – Torono’s filled-in Eglinton Subway is my Hole Du Jour! Ah, scenic Meech Lake – that’s got me yawning…

#65 – Kauai would be nice! Oh, the comics…I’m now addicted to Lio, so that’s one. I’ll pick Doonesbury as well. Yikes, hard to pick only three. More than any one comic, I’d choose the Comic Curmudgeon pages for Josh’s picks and the comments!
bats :[
November 21st, 2007 at 11:16 pm [Reply]

The “surf” version of turducken: Isolocrimp.

A succulent, delicate shrimp nestled within a crab, in turn swaddled within a lobster, and finally jammed into a giant isopod….good eatin’! Just as Rex Morgan, M.D. and culinary school guy!
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 11:17 pm [Reply]

#98 ltrftp(not so first time)…Holey schnikeys!
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 11:19 pm [Reply]

Red, Indeed.
Mooncattle, Thanks.
Deena in OR
November 21st, 2007 at 11:20 pm [Reply]

#98-speaking as a mom…ew. (Wonders if there’s such an entity as NAWGLA…) Ew.
dale
November 21st, 2007 at 11:23 pm [Reply]

65 – SSB. 3 comics
I would not select Doonesbury: As a practical matter, it wouldn’t make any sense without access to actual current events news.
Actually I don’t really care for it, not because of politics, but because I can’t tell the characters apart in many cases and have no idea what their relationships are.

Without considering a lot of alternatives, I would take Peanuts.
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 11:27 pm [Reply]

I ate a giant isopod once, and igottatellya, It was pretty good grilled with some lemon pepper and dill.
The Grandstanding Oddball
November 21st, 2007 at 11:39 pm [Reply]

Wow, thanks, Josh. I have to say, though, that my comment and its incorrect prepositions make an excellent case for not PWD (posting while drunk). My comment didn’t quite catch the gist of my thought, which was more or less that Mary views the world as her leashed little doggie. Although the fact that she doesn’t seem to know how to leash Chester and walk him (so far) still troubles me. Also, “Chester”? Why?

Skullturf, that is the very first Pluggers that made me laugh. Ever.

C. Havoc – THANK YOU. I was kind of thinking the same thing. It really depends on the relationship. I can think of a few cads I dated whose minor romantic dalliances on the side didn’t bother me – I knew that other girls were mere cranberry sauce, whereas I… I was the…. turkey…. ahem. But my last beau – if he had said anything along the lines of “wet smacker”…. he would have been injured fairly quickly.

I just realized that the reason I have such trouble following Justice Rex Parker Morgan, MD, is because the storyline actually sort of moves along. At a pace faster than Apartment 3G, say. Which is still to say, glacial.

Also, “cockblocked by Dick Smothers” is a phrase that I will roll around in my mind for a while to come.
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 11:43 pm [Reply]

I was cock-blocked by Dick Smothers too!
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 21st, 2007 at 11:44 pm [Reply]

Grandstanding O
When you are done thinking about “cockblocked by Dick Smothers”, wrap your brain around “Smothered by a cockblocked Dick”.
Red Greenback
November 21st, 2007 at 11:49 pm [Reply]

I dare say that’s how Dick Smothers got his name, W00t! #111!
The Grandstanding Oddball
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:04 am [Reply]

Um, Mary? Where the hell was the dog sleeping before? I’m not the type to say that all dogs need super cozy beds, as some are totally content to stretch out on the floor. But since I’m sure he’s not allowed in your sarcophagus, and probably not allowed on the couch or on the carpet, where has Chester been snoozing?

The freezer? God, tell me it’s not the freezer.
The Grandstanding Oddball
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:06 am [Reply]

#110 – Exactly! That’s what I’ve been rolling around in my mind. There’s just so much material there.

I remember giggling like a fiend the first time I heard the name “Dick Smothers”. My mother asked me what was so funny, and I said, “It’s a name AND a sentence.”

Doesn’t it sound like a PSA? Drugs kill. Dick smothers.
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:08 am [Reply]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15356105@N06/2053627539/ But it did accurately display The Del-Aires.
AMC
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:10 am [Reply]

In honor of Thanksgiving, and with apologies to Arlo:

Rex’s Fishing Camp
By Niki Guthrie

This song is called Rex’s Fishing Camp, and it’s about Rex, and the Fishing Camp, but Rex’s Fishing Camp is not the name of the Fishing Camp, that’s just the name of the song, and that’s why I called the song Rex’s Fishing Camp.

You can get anything you want at Rex’s Fishing Camp
You can get anything you want at Rex’s Fishing Camp
Wet your hands, there’s a rod in back
After you’ve cleaned the garage and rubbed down the jack
You can get anything you want at Rex’s Fishing Camp.

Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago, was on – two years ago on
Thanksgiving, when my friend Rex and I went up to learn to fly fish at the Fishing Camp, but a woman was staying at the Fishing Camp, on her honeymoon at the Fishing Camp, but it was supposed to be our honeymoon cabin near the Fishing Camp, in the quite woods, with no one around for miles to hear anything, with only Fasha the Trout. But livin’ in the big lonely woods like that, they got another cabins down the dirt road from the honeymoon cabin where Rex used to go with the Boy Scout Troop. Havin’ all that room, seein’ as how the honeymoon suite was occupied, the Priest, the Boy Scouts and the English School Master that had been there before us had decided that they didn’t have to take out their garbage for a long time.

So when we got up there, we found all the garbage in there, and Rex decided it’d be a friendly gesture for me to clean up the garbage, since I had been such a moron and forgotten the map back at the store. So I did, clean up the garbage that is, and then we took the half a ton of never used before fly fishing equipment out of Rex’s car, a car that we’d taken down a road not usually traveled by men together, a car in which I didn’t want to let Rex down, a car me and Rex stopped in to make a sandwich together, a car in which Rex had said I hadn’t blown it, and we took that car and headed on toward the deserted trout stream.

Well we got there and there and Rex said: I don’t want to have grab you by the collar this time to pull you back to into me when you try to use that excuse about “Closed on Thanksgiving.” And I knew that Rex wasn’t going to listen to my closed on Thanksgiving excuse, so I said “Let me try. How hard can it be?” With tears in my eyes, I discovered Rex’s backcast could be very hard indeed, and we watched the sunset while I apologized to Rex for choking on the trout.

Rex told me he’d work with my on my backcast, and we tried again I vowed I’d get it right this time. I kept the pressure on and the rod tip up until the trout came to a side road, and off the side of the side road Rex told me how huge the trout was and not to horse it. I didn’t know what “horse it” meant, but Rex explained that one big trout was better than two little trout, and rather than bring that trout out, we should wet our hands and handle that “fish” like a pro.

That’s what we did, and Rex said no one could have done it better, and we drove back to the cabin, and we both had some hot meat that couldn’t be beat, went to sleep and didn’t get up until the next morning, when we got a phone call from officer Obie. He said, “Kid, we found out you’re a 13, 15, 25 year old boy with your name suspiciously being “Niki” out “trout fishing” with an older medical doctor oon our sexual predator list, and I just wanted to know if you wanted to be taken in protective custody and returned to the woman moral enough to be your Mom, the crackwhore living in the drug den.” And I said, “Yes, sir, Officer Obie, I cannot tell a lie, my heart is still pounding after handling that slippery fish.”

That was horrible. There’ll be more next Thanksgiving, when 365 strips have move the story ahead to where the escaped convict finally comes down to Rex’s Fishing Camp. But if you want to end pederasty and stuff you got to sing loud.

I’ve been wearing this camo hat with the question mark for twenty five days. I can wear it for another twenty five days as my hair turns from brown to blond, and back. I’m not proud… or tired.

So we’ll wait till Rex comes around again, for a reach around, and this time with four part harmony – when I find two friends who are, as Rex calls it, “curious” – and with feeling.

We’re just waitin’ for Rex to take one of those blue pills and to come around is what we’re doing.

All right now.

You can get anything you want, at Rex’s Fishing Camp,
Excepting a real fish dinner
You can get anything you want, at Rex’s Fishing Camp.
Just open your flies, then it’s around the back
Just a quick picture that Rex can store on his Mac
You can get anything you want, at Rex’s Fishing Camp.

Da da da da da da da dum
At Rex’s Fishing Camp.
Poteet
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:11 am [Reply]

# 65 — Spectacular, that definitely beats favorite colors. Umm…I guess I would pick from the comics that I don’t read mostly because of CC, being as how I wouldn’t have access to CC. A very sad thought. And with no news access, I’m not sure I could appreciate Doonesbury.

At this point, I guess I might pick Pearls Before Swine, The New Adventures of Queen Victoria, and Steve Canyon. What a weird lineup.

# 72 — Helena, that knocks Dorian Gray right out of the water.
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:20 am [Reply]

Someone please tell me in what country Mary Worth is living. When she takes Chester to the kindly vet, Mary says to spare no expense on the dog. In the pet store, with Toeby suspiciously eyeing the leashes and thinking of her husband, it’s all “damn these dog bed prices!”

We should submit this as a TDIET.
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:25 am [Reply]

Comic strip crossover: Molly the Bear is currently standing on the porch of Rex Morgan’s cabin. She doesn’t understand Niki’s fear of her. However, nothing will happen and Molly will be forced to move on because, being female, Rex and Niki have no use for her.

Oh, and “it’s a @#$% bear?” What swear word in the adjectival tense is four letters?
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:27 am [Reply]

#118- damn?
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:30 am [Reply]

Could be, Deena, but this is Niki. What swear words do 15-16-25-year-old shapeshifters use?
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:31 am [Reply]

More correctly, “damned” of course. But something tells me we’re seeing the colloquial usage here :)
lightsyrup
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:54 am [Reply]

I’ve added making Turducken to my list of life goals.
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:09 am [Reply]

Watch the window… I’ll check it out through your language!
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:16 am [Reply]

Okay, this is non-comic related but an appropriate way to get away from the relatives on Thanksgiving. I always describe my own family as an episode of Jerry Springer but lacking the level of warmth, so the computer is the getaway in the middle of the day.

Back in the early 60s, Scopitones were the forerunner of the music video. One of the best of these was by Neil Sedaka for his song Calendar Girl. It’s a 14.4MB download in QuickTime format.

You have to love the outfit worn by August. Would a 1960s woman really, really wear that to the beach? And, oh my, that dancing!

Grab yourself a shot of schnapps, get Aunt Fern and Cousin Louisa, and come sit down in front of the computer and put on Calendar Girl. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and (if you’re Poteet) you may even attempt the dancing!
minnie
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:21 am [Reply]

I’m off from Los Angeles to San Francisco tonight — but first, I’ll guess 590 posts.
Thanks Josh and all for your read of Rex Morgan — I’m not alone. I’d thought I was becoming a perv in my dotage. Has this sorta thing come up before in RMMD? I’d been taking a decades-long break from it until I fell under the spell of you Curmudgeons. Yikes!

I wish you all many laughs and insights on Thanksgiving (which I am finally getting used to celebrating in November, being an expat from the north)
Poteet
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:23 am [Reply]

# 124 — Thanks, Dingo! You are very generous with les amusements.

Meanwhile, over on the official Foobsite, John is looking amazingly…er…grotesquely…ummm…words fail me, actually. Good night all!
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:24 am [Reply]

Dingo: Bobby Vee, worst-vocals- ever
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:29 am [Reply]

Dingo: Bobby Vee makes Red Sovine look like Pavarotti.
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:31 am [Reply]

Oh, Red, do you remember that commercial for Red Sovine’s Greatest Hits that was sold on television in the early 80s? Where the trailer park woman is leaning out of her car window and says that Red Sovine is the greatest singer who ever lived? I always wanted to have brunch with that woman.
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:32 am [Reply]

Dingo-I’ll have to take your word for it…I couldn’t get the video to run on my machine. I *do*, however, remember Sedaka’s renaissance in the mid ’70s.
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:36 am [Reply]

Yo tambien, Dingo…yo tambien.
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:39 am [Reply]

Here’s another post gatherer…

What, in your opinion, is the worst earworm ever?

I’ll toss this one out…”Run, Joey, Run” from ….1972? 1973?
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:41 am [Reply]

I heard she threw the letter away…
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:44 am [Reply]

Pray 4 Teddy Bear.
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:47 am [Reply]

Dingo-Nice one. May I suggest, by the same notorious bunch…

“Brother, what a night it really was! Brother, what a fight the people saw! Yes, indeed!”
Frank Parsnip
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:48 am [Reply]

79 Deena in OR: A “wet market” is the traditional markets open usually in the mornings in Asia where fresh vegetables, meat, fish, fruit, etc. are sold in a crowded area that fills up a street with shoppers and sellers. One interesting thing is that shoppers can get a chicken, fish or rabbit butchered on the spot… or can take it home to handle themselves. If you have the meat live there, it saves the refrigeration costs.
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:54 am [Reply]

…or as H&J would say: “That little crippled boy in that CB song”
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:55 am [Reply]

Frank-
Cool! Thank you for teaching me something new tonight.
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:08 am [Reply]

How’s about that who guy said “Red Sovine’s as American as truckin’ an’ a hot cup of coffee’
Hobbes Fan
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:17 am [Reply]

Wednesday’s Beetle Bailey: Am I the only one who never understood why or how “Sarge dangling from a cliff” became a running gag in the strip? General cartoon hijinks aside, what does such a joke have to do with the comic or its characters…it doesn’t even play on any known stereotype regarding overweight, angry, or bossy people (unless army personnel are notoriously clumsy).

It would be like if once every other week “Dick Tracy” ran a strip depicting Flattop with his head stuck in a toilet.
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:17 am [Reply]

Women of the World Untie!

(yes, it should be ‘unite’ but this record album cover calls for something else)
Zamboni_Rodeo
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:24 am [Reply]

My three comics:

Pearls Before Swine
Red Meat
old reruns of Bloom County

My worst earworm:
Oh jeez, there are so many. The first thing to come to mind for whatever reason though is “Good Morning, Starshine,” so I’ll go with that.
Mibbitmaker
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:40 am [Reply]

#132 (Deena in OR): 1975. And I’m sorry I know this.

Adam: Because, once again, all women love opera and all men hate opera. Adam should find a friend with a Flintstone Flyer (or Barney Copter).

GT: Moonie spins the game positive because he knows Gil has a hit on him.

S-M: Today’s the day to be thankful that all men are not male chauvinist piggy like Peter Parker is.

H&L: …Nor all women female chauvinist like the female population of this strip.

A3G: The beginning of what would come to be known as the Great Thanksgiving Day Brawl of 2007.
True Fable
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:55 am [Reply]

Snarkolicious!

9CL Is this constant staring into space the new Unicorn?
A3G Margo’s first in line for the train to Gina’s place, am I reading that right?
FBoFW That’s the most sense John ever made, including his inane conversations about model trains.
JP Good save, Sam; but you might want to look her in the eye as you are telling her these things.
MT Gunfire! Boating! Mounties! Mon Deus, what ees gwan to ‘appen to ol’ Johnnay, eh? Ees eet curtain for zee loveable ol’ fuckair?
MW Price is no object, she says to the veternarian; but to the pet store clerk it’s a different story! Huh? Whuzzat? Oh YEa-a-a-ah!
MC Heh. Score one for Norm!
Phantom I can’t wait to see the pygmy people’s reaction when Phantom tells them to climb 40 floors to paint over his picture. His knees will be the first to go.
Preteena I am sick and TIRED of “Stick”. I give thanks that I will ignore this strip as long as that airhead putz is in it.
RMMD “There’s a time and a place for saying “fucking”, Niki, and I’ll show you as soon as we get rid of these visitors.”
True Fable
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:01 am [Reply]

Congratulations to Skullturf Q. Beavispants on his multiple trophies, and to the runners up! Great job all!
Frank Parsnip
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:02 am [Reply]

Worst earworm? Definitely the oompa-loompa song! That thing is still in my head. That insidious starting bass line going right down with a chorus of midgies in wigs breaking into solos as key words come spinning out of the screen? It’s an earworm so bad I see video…
True Fable
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:00 am [Reply]

Worst earworm: Toss up for me between Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks or Torn Between Two Lovers by …I don’t know, I despise the song so much i never cared who sang the damn thing. Still, the refrain crawls around in my brain and won’t budge until I flush it out with some really good Motown sounds.
The Avocado Avenger
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:12 am [Reply]

#78 ltrftp – I like “Corner Gas” a lot, but it gets sadly pre-empted on the only station that carries it. Er… okay, I got nothin’, and I can’t even post pics of boobies to make my comment more interesting.

Archie – GAH GET IT OFF. For god’s sake, panel 2 about gave me an infarction.

Dennis – Sadly, this was kind of funny to me.

GT – It’s a good-news bad-news situation, I’m afraid. Marty Moon is sadly alive, but at least Cully is now a boy prostitute turning tricks in front of other high schoolers for cash.

Spider-Man – I have no snark here (what’s new) but I did want to mention I got my husband a Mr Potato Head Spiderman toy for Giftmas. It’s called a “Spider Spud”, and the box advertises that it also has “Peter Parker Parts!”

I cannot WAIT until Giftmas.
The Avocado Avenger
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:21 am [Reply]

#65 – I guess I’d pick Sheldon, Get Fuzzy and some kind of soap opera strip. While stuff like RMMD and Mary Worth isn’t really good, the fact that they tell a linear story is something I really appreciate. Even when it’s mega lame or almost incoherent, that kind of storytelling sparks my interest, makes me think a bit, tweaks my imagination. I think I’d go with Gil Thorp, although the alternate stories I concoct with RMMD are pretty entertaining. (In my head, Niki is a Russian ballerina…)
dreadedcandiru2
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:47 am [Reply]

#147: True Fable – Without a doubt, “Sometimes when we touch” by Dan Hill. The man spent the whole song sounding like he had his daddy parts caught in a garbage disposal. Which, when you come to think about it, is what he deserved.
dreadedcandiru2
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:50 am [Reply]

#144 – TF: Oh, yes! ‘Stick’: the female equivalent of Thorax from 9CL. In both cases, lazy writers have created wacky ciphers so they can spit out weeks of looning out instead of having to write real stories.
Calico
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:32 am [Reply]

Worst non-tunes – “Loving You (is easy cause you’re beautiful)”
Or, “Afternoon Delight”
Or, “I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates.”

RM – “It’s a (Margoing) Bear!”
“Now Niki, remember you’re a part of my strip, Rex Morgan, NOT Mark Trail.”

“Niki, when you’re a little more experienced I’ll make sure to get you a Bear.”
The Spectacular Spider-Brick
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:38 am [Reply]

AMC @ 115: Bravo! Bravissimo! “Alice’s Restaurant” is one of my Thanksgiving traditions, that is, something I do every year on Thanksgiving with my friends and I. And I loved your version.

reebchan @ 66: “Christmas music” was Wednesday’s FC. “Eggs” is Thursday’s. I don’t think there was any censorship going on. Josh just gets a little behind posting the strips sometimes.

And now, let’s fill up some of this dead air with some comics stuffed inside some snark stuffed inside a blog. Yes, it’s blognarkomics. Hmmm, sounds like a failed socioeconomic theory.

9CL: Sad thing is, her mouth isn’t the only thing that’s… y’know. But I did like the way Edda apparently smacked her forehead into her palm so hard that her ponytail flipped forward. Nice detail, Brooke.

A3G: I think both of them want the apartment for Ruby… but for different reasons.

Archie: I never, ever want to see the floating Archie head again. Not even in my deepest nightmares.

GA: Cripes, when are some of these characters going to die already?!

GF: Hate to say it, but this has gone from the “cute” stage to “phoning it in.” Not to mention… 1) since when does a clock that small have a cord instead of a battery? 2) what’s the point of a cord that short? and 3) why would it not be plugged in? Weak, Darby.

GT: “We just couldn’t keep their offense off the field”? In other words, Milford’s defense sucks too. Milford is so lame that in panel three, Third Squad Captain Ichimaru Gin makes a special trip from Soul Society just to taunt Cully.

MT: Aimin’ a little high there, aren’tcha, pally?

MW: Ha, ha! Oh, Mary! Your wry commentaries on our consumerist society just kill me! Kill me! Please! Will somebody just KILL ME?!?

Phantom: “Is the artist trying to summon me? Taunt me? Praise me? Prompt me to renovate Downtown?”
Is this strip trying to bore me? Infuriate me? Reduce me to tears?

6C: Have five of the chix gone on vacation? This strip has been singularly lame recently.

SFx: How To Draw A Turkey. 1) Draw a turkey. 2) Color it in.
Calico
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:49 am [Reply]

#153 – SlyFox – what is that thing the 7 year old drew – a Jackalope?
The Spectacular Spider-Brick
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:51 am [Reply]

Liberty Meadows fans should note that Webcomic PVP is starting a crossover with LM today (though the storyline containing the crossover started with this strip.)
Just_human
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:05 am [Reply]

I just want to point out that Luann is reusing a very old Garfield gag, in which Garfield gives Jon the blender instead of the motor designed to turn the tree nicely.
John C Fremont
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:07 am [Reply]

Wow, that was a mighty short ride on the float, but let me tell you, I drove the hell out of that thing. As Red Sovine might say if he weren’t so dead, I took to that cab like I was born there. They say you’re supposed to stick to the parade route to avoid power lines, but I say that’s sissy talk. It was a wild ride, man. I felt just like Andy Griffith in Pray For The Wildcats!

(I’ll pay for the damages, Josh.)

Happy Day After Skullturf Q. Beavispants Day! Do people in “Torono” celebrate the day the same way we do, with turkey stuffed with other food items? America. What a country. Eeeegh, eeegh, eeegh! (That was my Yakov laugh.)

MW – Toby seems awfully interested in that sale on leashes. I think a certain chin-bearded fellow is about to get a lesson in obedience. In the mean time, Mary prattles on like an 18th century aristocrat who’s been caught in a time machine and fast-forwarded to the 1970’s.

MT – We really need to settle the Mountie/Park Ranger/Doughboy controversy once and for all. Does anybody have Elrod’s phone number?

Ghost – “And why do all the paintings make my nose look so big? Is the artist trying to tell me something about my nose?”

RMMD – That last panel! Rex is morphing into Gil Thorp! Aaahhgg!

JP – Oh, Abbey. Abbey. Cleavage. Abbey.

And now, thanks to AMC, I have to find my copy of Alice’s Restaraunt.

Oh, and come on back, truckers, and talk to Teddy Bear. (Teddy Bear didn’t understand the truckers’ hostility toward him.)
Comic Connoisseur
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:34 am [Reply]

Continuing the sexual innuendo in Herb & Jamaal, alternative dialogue for today:
Panel 1 – “Hey buddy, looking for a good time?”
Panel 2 – “I only have time for a quick BJ…”
Panel 3 – “… and be sure to watch the teeth this time.”
Panel 4 – “Pleasure doing business to you.”
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:36 am [Reply]

John C. Fremont: You can ride my float anytime and on any route you want to (And I don’t mean that in a Morganesque sense, not that there’s anything wrong with that)
lesles
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:43 am [Reply]

from fleen about mid-ohio con:

High-fiving: official sport of webcomics. Also on tap for Mid-Ohio, David Willis, who may be surprised to find that one of the guests of the show will be a one Mister Tom Batiuk. Funky Winkerbean, meet Funky Cancercancer. Fleen will pay a bounty of five dollars American cash money to anybody that gets a photo of Willis and Batiuk together.

i’d pay money to witness that meeting.
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:51 am [Reply]

Go Goshen!
Trotzenbonnie
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:55 am [Reply]

Congratulations SQB!!!! When we say our Thanksgiving grace later today, you’re ears will start burning and my in-laws will be saying, ‘Huh?’ and trying to convince Mr T to divorce me.

Three comics? – Mutts, Mutts, Mutts

Earworm? – ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ That’s okay, no need to thank me – or curse me.

And, tofurkey people! (Yes, Red Beangracks, I’m looking at you!) If you don’t want to eat meat, like I keep telling My Rotten Kid, just eat some damned leaves or twigs with a seaweed confit. Stop trying to disguise all of your food to look like meat. Otherwise, just order a damned brontosaurus burger and get clogged arteries like the rest of us. :>D
Hey, I feel another Scadutoization coming on…

Number of posts? – 8,000! More comments, mules!

And Happy Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Every day is thanksgiving when I read Josh’s posts and your comments because I never forget how grateful I am that I found this place.
Trotzenbonnie
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:57 am [Reply]

ahhhh! I meant ‘your’ !
Am I drunk already?
AhClem
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:09 am [Reply]

A few thoughts before the tryptophan overload festival begins:

Desert island comics:
PBS
Far Side reruns
Calvin & Hobbes reruns

Worst earworms:
Sylvia’s Mother by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
MacArthur Park by Richard Harris (bad) or Donna Summer (worse).
Anything by the Archies

Fortunately, I’ve got a Bruce Molsky concert playing in the background, which is keeping the earworms at bay … for now.

Oh, yes … comics:

FOOB – It looks like the Batuik smirkoma has finally metastasized to this strip. If Elly gets cancer as well, many of our problems will be over.

JP – Sam’s right index finger missed Abbey. Sam himself is thinking, “Ewww! Girl germs!”

Happy Thanksgiving, all!
lesles
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:12 am [Reply]

think i might have found some possible clue to chester’s backstory
Anna Nimity
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:15 am [Reply]

Happy Thanksgiving, American Mudges! Go stuff that Turducken! (Except for you, Rex Morgan. Give your turducken a rest.)
C. Havoc
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:17 am [Reply]

#65
3 Comics:
Get Fuzzy
Pearls Before Swine
Judge Parker: (To create the illusion that time is actually moving faster on the island.)

Speaking of JP:
Thursday: Faced with the horror of actually contemplating his feelings about a kiss, Sam chooses instead to take this opportunity to practice his ventriloquism. That way, it’s the glass speaking, you see, not him.
AMC
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:17 am [Reply]

JP Sam’s wine glass says all the things he can’t….
Tabby
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:27 am [Reply]

102 – I think you’d break Lio’s heart!
That may be one of my 3 – I just like it more & more.

115, that is teh bomb!! I only read Rex & Mary because of this site, but the whole molesto-story line is really starting to squick me out.

I am bored with MW now that there are no more strangely tiny ponies in odd tack. I am also so completely bored with foob that i do not think i can bear to follow it, even for keeping up with snark.

So, I’ll second the DTWOF for my second choice.

And for my 3rd . . .
Doonesbury – I’ve followed it for years, so I know the characters. If you read it over 30 years from now, I think you’d have a sort of graphic history lesson.

-OR- for something completely different

Pibgorn – I might get tired of this. I might very well get tired of this. But for the moment, I’m willing to give it a chance just for being different.

And 162, really, you’ve got an excellent point. But the charm of the tofurkey is the easy prep on a day full of stuff to cook. When my kids are older, we might go to some more elegant main dish, but for now, this is perfect!

Worms: Try either “Fire, Water, Burn” – and Dingo, be careful if you start humming this in a room full of those kind of people, don’t be suprised when something really does combust (in a call-the-fire-department way, not the sort of way one might see in one of your links) -or-
“Teenagers” – My Chemical Romance, who credits their inspiration to Sgt. Pepper, Queen & Pink Floyd.
lightsyrup
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:39 am [Reply]

#65 – 3 comics

Peanuts – at least we know it won’t get any worse
Over the hedge
Apartment 3g
Comic Connoisseur
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:50 am [Reply]

65:
Get Fuzzy
Frazz
Dilbert

No snide comments or attempt at wit – just my favorite three.
Niall
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:10 am [Reply]

Let’s see how many turkeys we can find in US strips today…

How can Beetle have access to the Sarge’s personal bathroom? Unless, of course…

I don’t care how good a caterer Blondie is, it is sheer fantasy to have a clean counter while cooking thanksgiving dinner. Good way to alienate thousands of people.

A nice, thoughtful Curtis today. No humans shown. Correlation? Also, from previous first-day-of-school strips shown here, after the first three panels, I was expecting a shot of Curtis dragged away from the dinner table. Instead, we have some unidentifiable pie.

Dennis scores 5 Menace Points for stating the disturbingly obvious.

And we now get the explanation for the Philadephia FC yesterday; they didn’t censor the strip, they just ran the wrong caption. Which makes me wonder – how the HECK can you mix captions and images? Aren’t they sent as part of the same image file? If not – WTF are the syndicates playing at? Also, I had to think many times to see the pitiful joke. Because a “twelve pack” of eggs actually makes some sense, and is technically true, and is not super-cute for a child to say. I wonder, did the Philly paper run yesterday’s caption under today’s image? It would still make sense, considering grocery stores have been pumping christmas music here for over a week…

H&L actually has an amusing joke. Note that the wives make sure the menfolk are all asleep, and will never repeat this little bon mot to their face. Fear still rules their clan, despite this short moment of “peace”.

Sorry, JP, but Red O’Riley looked like a natural redhead. Your wife is a Clairol Redhead. But you’d never know that she wasn’t a natural, would you.

MT continues to baffle me. They’re in a fishing and hunting area. It’s night. Doesn’t it make sense for hunting to go on during the night? When many animals are actually awake? I admire the rifleman’s firearms safety, though. Sure, you could scare Malotte more if you shot right across his bow, or in the water next to him, but you’d also risk hitting him in the dark and all – much better to go clear over his head.

The last few days have redeemed My Cage’s Norm to me. Today was particularly delicious.

…”Game Boy”?? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Meanwhile, The Phantom keeps standing watch. O Ghost-Who-Micromanages, you might want to actually turn around and make sure no one sees you, if you so want to remain inconspicuous. In your bright purple, striped leotard. (And his thought balloon just begs for a Holy Grail treatment.)

The most disturbing thing about the Thung in Popeye is that is clearly is shown to have navel. This means it was brought by live birth. Meaning there are female thungs and male thungs which had sex. And as it’s naked and shows nothing, this may be a female Thung. So the strip is X-rated.

Rex Morgan was finally starting to get away from pederasty, but now Niki is really afraid that a hirsute bearded stoutly-to-portly man is standing right on the other side of the door. He knows what they always want from him. He was finally glad to have Rex, a nice, thin, clean-shaven man as a change of pace, but the darned bears just wouldn’t leave him alone!

And in SF, Hil casually invites Faye knowing she’s already accepted as part of the family. Sally may not clue in that it isn’t as a sister…

Today’s Slylock is of course completely unsurprising. But, dare I ask if we’ll ever get a “How to draw Cassandra Cat”? Or would that violate ratings law? :)

In Spider-Man, alas, the reader is always the one who’s going to be the least surprised, as plots are telegraphed weeks in advance.

There are many, many disturbing things in today’s Archie, not the least of which is the disembodied floating head in lieu of panel 2. Then there’s the magically-reducing TV tray. At least the joke can’t be disturbing, because there is none.

BC says something about a Gravy Boat, which I saw referenced yesterthread. Is that the actual name for the gravy pouring receptacle? For real? A “boat” which you tip and pour someting out of? As Malotte fils found out, isn’t that kind of a bad thing to happen to a boat? At least they didn’t ask BC to go look for the gravy train…

Get Fuzzy avoids getting boring with today’s Panel 3, which wins so much on so many levels. That’s actually amazing and bold for the comics page. Kudos.

There are extremely dusturbing levels of sexual imagery all over today’s Gil Thorp. Ugh.

…same in Garfield Double Ugh.

If the Plugger kid was so completely vague that he didn’t tell which DVDs he wanted, he deserves what he just got. (Psst, kid, by the way, you can always use more of those anyway.)

So, in retrospect, there wasn’t much to be thankful for in the funnies today.
SecretMargo
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:27 am [Reply]

Niall, indeed this is known as a gravy boat. Although I rather like this painting by a New Zealand artist who plays on the puzzling phrase as she paints “Cook’s Gravy Boat”

Re: captions, Gary Larson has written and provided examples of a newspaper that frequently switched the captions of his cartoon and Dennis the Menace, usually to hilarious effect. You’re right, though, in the era of computer formatting and layout, it’s surprising that it still happens.

But not as surprising as thinking that 12-pack joke was funny.

Happy Snow In Southeast Canada Day, Niall!
The Spectacular Spider-Brick
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:36 am [Reply]

Niall @ 172 wrote:

The most disturbing thing about the Thung in Popeye is that is clearly is shown to have navel. This means it was brought by live birth. Meaning there are female thungs and male thungs which had sex. And as it’s naked and shows nothing, this may be a female Thung. So the strip is X-rated.

You may be right… but I’m wondering if the Thung is actually standing on its hands with its head not visible because it’s in the back. That would mean its “hands” are actually prehensile feet, the bushy “top” of the Thung is not its head but some sort of loincloth, and that thing sticking out of the hair is… its… *huurrrrl*

Niall also wrote:

Today’s Slylock is of course completely unsurprising. But, dare I ask if we’ll ever get a “How to draw Cassandra Cat”? Or would that violate ratings law?

How To Draw Cassandra Cat
Step 1. Get some tracing paper and one of your dad’s Playboys.
Step 2. Add pointy ears and a tail to your drawing.
Step 3. Add a few lines to make it look like Cassandra is wearing a bathing suit. (optional)
gkl
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:41 am [Reply]

Pluggers: Dammit, that joke is ripped off from the 1989 made-for-TV movie “Your Mother Wears Combat Boots,” starring Barbara Eden and her real-life son and directed by Potsie from Happy Days. In that film, Jeannie mistakes BDUs (Battle Dress Uniforms) for BVDs (underpants). It was about as funny then too.

In other news, I desperately need to be slapped silly.

MT: Gee, whoever is evil and has a gun couldn’t possibly be shooting at you, could they? That would be so unrealistic. Almost like a comic strip!

MW: As Mary learns that there is a price to self-righteous do-goodery. If only she would learn that lesson again, when the Chester’s real owner visits Charterstone in a drunken, mullet-wearing, gun-toting rage and shoots Toby just to watch her die.

TDIET: Hey, Scaduto has learned that work sucks. Let’s all give a hand to Scaduto.
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:49 am [Reply]

So, Tabby. Are you following the latest blog thread on DTWOF? What pic would you send in?
AMC
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:52 am [Reply]

Three on an island – which to me means they’d have to new and daily:

Arlo & Janis
Doonesbury
Rhymes With Orange

God help me, I actually considered 9CL
Tabby
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:59 am [Reply]

Deena, sadly, no, this is the most computer play time I’ve had for a while! Gotta make hay while the sun be shinin, ’cause things get verrrry slow come Jan & Feb for me! However, I promise myself to catch up this evening, once kitchen things settle down & boys get lost in movies.
Tabby
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:00 pm [Reply]

173 loooove the “cooks gravy boat”!!!
ralph
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:02 pm [Reply]

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! (waves)
For Crabby Genes and others, here is a virtual feast for you: Along with the usual turkey and veg alternatives, I’m serving your favorite regional foods and favorite memories of good foods. All are welcome! Bring lots of laughs. Just good company here. (And because it’s virtual, no calories.) I’m putting my grandmother’s Swedish meatballs out for you to enjoy. When I went to Sweden I tried to find some that could compare, and was unsuccessful. Although she gave me the recipe, the ability to make them died with her. So I serve them today with happiness.
The Divine O’F
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:06 pm [Reply]

Spider Brick: Good question!

My three for the island:

1) Mutts
2) Get Fuzzy
3)–and it’s a good thing I’ll be all alone on the island because everyone else HATES HATES HATES this comic while I LOVE LOVE LOVE it–PreTeena.

Earworm: This changes regularly. They stick around for a few days and then mutate into something else. Not so terrible, actually.
Bill Wright
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:06 pm [Reply]

#124 – Dingo:

Thanks for the laugh. The image of a dancing Neil Sedaka that I now have seared into my brain is alternately horrifying and hilarious. And I must say, whoever directed that Brook Benton film must have gotten hold of some bad acid.
commodorejohn
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:07 pm [Reply]

9CL – It was funny the first day, Brooke.

A3G – “Gina, about your apartment…Ruby and I are going to need a place to…you know, wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more?”

Archie – AHHH AHHH AHHH AHHH AHHH AHHH AHHH AHHH

A.D. – This is…actually, it’s kind of funnier. Like, funnier than pre-death B.C. funny. I guess that’s something to put on my list of things to be thankful for today.

BB – I’m revising my theory on Beetle Bailey. As you may or may not recall, I’ve been of the opinion that Camp Swampy is in fact an insane asylum run by the inmates, and the woods are a consensual hallucination in which all the inmates have their “episodes.” Here’s my new theory: long ago, back when the strip began, Camp Swampy was a fairly normal if slightly cartoony military installation; however, as in the movie Troll, an alternate reality has gradually been encroaching on the camp – presumably, the rest of the world has already been assimilated, and the camp is surrounded on all sides by this surreal alternate reality, in which Beetle can parachute upside-down and survive and gnomes are available to cast spells on people. Today we see the infiltration of the alternate reality into the camp itself – this may very well be the beginning of the end for Beetle Bailey. As long as we get to see the part where Miss Buxley becomes a leaf-clad wood nymph, I don’t mind terribly.

Crankshaft – Please, tell me Crankshaft did not just unwittingly make reference to what it seems he made reference to. (Definition #4, folks.)

FC – HOLY POOP BILLY HAS AN ALMOST NORMAL-SIZED HEAD

FW – Things to be thankful for, #2: Batiuk’s other strip seems to be mercifully free of any autofellatio references.

GA – Man, Clovia’s hot in any outfit.

GT – Meanwhile in Milford, Gil’s brilliant new defense strategy works like a charm.

H&L – That look of unmitigated glee suggests some sort of secret murder pact on the part of Lois and Irma – they’ve been counting on the magic of tryptophan, the energy drain of post-gluttony food-processing, and the drone of the football announcer to put their victims to sleep, and now they’ll kill, drain, gut, stuff, and roast them like the bird they just consumed. Dot looks on in similar satisfaction, while Trixie merely wonders what’s going on. Decades later, she’ll confess this to her therapist and the media circus will begin.

JP – That was a rhetorical question, Sam. Abbey of all people knows you’re asexual.

Lockhorns – A younger E from The Incredibles makes a guest appearance.

MT – I hate to kibitz, but in a wooded area, there’s any number of things people could be shooting at any time, day or night. A bear gets in your garbage can, you fire a round to scare him off. A sasquatch is banging on your door, you shoot it. Gunshots aren’t exactly worthy of note out in the woods.

MW – This is, I think, the very first Mary Worth I’ve ever seen with a punchline. Unfortunately, it’s Herb & Jamaal-caliber in its lameness.

MC – HELL YES. You tell ‘im, Norm!

OBH – Well, Joe, I understand there’s a house for sale in Canada that has what you’re looking for.

Pluggers – …I’m willing to bet that three pairs of BVDs cost more than the $1 DVD a Plugger would pull off the discount rack at Wal-Mart and that this Pluggers is therefore fundamentally flawed in all aspects.

RMMD – What, not even “it’s a @#$%ing bear!?” Criminy, Niki is the least believable street kid in all of ever.

SF – So…Faye has no family of her own?

Edison Lee – “This is my ‘Reverse Operation’ game.” Translation: “I suck too much to get the pieces out without setting off the buzzer, so I’m going to pretend that putting them in counts for something.”
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:18 pm [Reply]

Avacado Avenger
I get it on WGN cable.
Marie de la Mer
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:20 pm [Reply]

3 comics…

PBS
Pooch Café
Stone Soup

but as I would become more and more fruitcake…

A3G
MW
FC

and lots of Sudokus
SecretMargo
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:22 pm [Reply]

180: ralph! I wasn’t always a Canuck, or a pesky pescovegetatarian, and growing up my grandmother would always hold a cocktail party on Christmas Eve and on the day before Thanksgiving for family and friends that baosted a huge buffet of the best part of any meal: the hors d’oeuvres, which are at their greatest when they actually become the oeuvre, like equivalent of eating an entire turkey made out of the succulent, crispy skin. Anyway, I always looked forward to the two types of meatballs that would appear: “cocktail” meatballs in a red, sweet / spicy sauce piled high in a chafing dish, and a pan of creamy Swedish meatballs (as my Grandmother is part Minnesotan Superior Swede). Nothing like them. Ahhh, memories.

Today, I would probably bring my scalloped kabocha, which adds slices of Japanese pumpkin-y squash to traditional scalloped potatoes, making a rich, gooey, colorful mess. Mmmm!
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:23 pm [Reply]

Happy Thanksgiving to all you U.S. Americans! We had our first snowfall of the year here in Torono.

My three desert island comics:

Lio
Bizarro
–and it’s really hard to pick a third. Either TDIET or Piranha Club or Sherman’s Lagoon or Agnes.
Buck Remus
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:47 pm [Reply]

Skullturf: I couldn’t see your post b/c I was setting my alarm clock.

No Fuzzy tho? Are you a Satchel hater? Is it something in the water in the Great White North?

Tell us about Torono. Seriously. I want to learn.
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:51 pm [Reply]

I like Get Fuzzy but I’m just not sure if it’s in my top three. It would be in my top ten or twelve for sure, though.
Marie de la Mer
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:51 pm [Reply]

Torono is near Monreal, and both are covered with heavy snow today.

have fun and test your geography ! I was stopped at level 9.

http://minijuegos.com/juegos/html/index.php?id=5974
Helena Handbasket
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:58 pm [Reply]

#162 Trotzenbonnie: Nope, I’ll take the yum without the clog, thanks! Which reminds me, I gotta get going on my veggie Tibetan BBQ, or my meat-eating mother-in-law will be very cranky if I show up for Thanksgiving without it!
Helena Handbasket
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:03 pm [Reply]

Since we’re talking about veggie food, and trying to gather extra comments, here’s a link to a cookbook I started writing a while ago, intending to maybe shop it around and see what happened. It got put on the back burner ages ago and I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to finish it. Nonetheless, here it is in its unfinished form for your reading and cooking pleasure.

I’m going to lose hosting space soon, so download while you still can!

Anyone know a nice cheap hosting company?
Niall
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:09 pm [Reply]

173 SecretMargo: Oh, as bad as we’re thinking we’re having, I know you’re having it worse. We get the remnants of Montreal. And my mother is moving from your area to mine this weekend… she always has horrid timing for these things. :(

174. Brick: wow, the Brick reads my comments! *gasp!* :) And… well, I actually don’t know if navel placement in mammals is always the same, actually. Ours is near the legs, but I admit I have no idea where feline or canine navels are located. Your guess, however, is more disturbing than mine.

Also:

Step 4. make sure her pinky is extended, knife or no knife.

Happy Turkey day for our cousins to the south!
Niall
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:14 pm [Reply]

157 John C Fremont:

How Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving varies a lot. A number of anglos do the same as the US. Some francophones simply have whatever is in season, though game meat will be the main dish.

Things get a little more mixed when you have people 0 or 1 generation away from immigrants. My father is from Ireland, and his wife (not my mom) was raised in Barbados. Thanksgiving dinner alternates each year between turkey and ham. (My dad makes the ham usually. He doesn’t cook much, but he does know how to make a mean ham.) Trimmings vary each year as well, but starch and veggies are the usual (including brussel sprouts and carrots). (Yes, I like brussel sprouts.) (Shut up.)

My mom cares a lot less, being deep Quebec raised. As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters. (Though there’s expectations of something at least a little fancy. Ordering St-Hubert would be rather gauche.)
Niall
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:15 pm [Reply]

190. Marie de la Mer: does that mean I live in Oawa now?
Uncle Lumpy
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:30 pm [Reply]

#192 Helena –

Dunno about cheap (aren’t they all pretty much the same?), but Josh is really happy with ServInt. My son Spiff uses WebHost Freaks, who have some really low-cost plans, as long as you don’t have Josh’s bring-down-Estonia-style bandwidth requirements.
Marie de la Mer
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:34 pm [Reply]

Exacly, Niall…

and you’re right, we don’t celebrate la Thanksgiving too much in Thereseland, although what may remain is a get together meal.

PS : Haha !! St-Hubert would certainly be gauche… and could be worse : Swiss Chalet ;)
Helena Handbasket
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:39 pm [Reply]

Thanks, Uncle Lumpy! The Webhost Freaks seem like they have some really low-cost plans that would work for me (I get almost no traffic, really need no e-mail accounts or anything. It’s just a vanity site, I guess.)
Angel\'s Flight Slacks
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:50 pm [Reply]

That just cuts it! I going full-on carno today, I’m gonna eat a whole Wombachester with oyster sauce
SmartPeopleOnIce
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:52 pm [Reply]

Pssst! Lumps! Ixnay on the stonia-eay!
Gold-Digging Nanny
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:54 pm [Reply]

Tuesday’s SFx Six Differences with the Gold-Digging Nanny (sorry, but short work week = approximately same amount of work in fewer days):

1) The man on the far right in the first panel will whip out his camera to get a few up-the-skirt shots for his booming online dino porn business.
2) The little girl on the left is the result of a secret tryst between Ruby of A3G and Dagwood — hence the hair ribbon and oversize button.
3) The long red waving item on the man on the right is not a tie but the tongue of an alien about to burst from his chest.
4) The growling person in the dinosaur skull on the left is, as many Curmudgeons have already guessed, our own Pope Josh. On the right, it really is the dinosaur growling, and the little girl is just talking to one of the voices in her head.
5) The dinosaur skeleton on the left was actually sculpted out of petrified marshmallow creme.
6) The man on the right is wearing a suit made out of paper bags. That explains the wide pant legs.

This episode of Six Differences with the Gold-Digging Nanny has been brought to you by Kraft.
Angel\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Flight Slacks
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:56 pm [Reply]

Josh, what’s up with the back slashes?
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:00 pm [Reply]

202 and counting!!!!
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:01 pm [Reply]

Ooops! Well, it was true when I said it…
Angel\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Flight Slacks
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:05 pm [Reply]

First!
Cerulean Pointing Hand of Doom!
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:06 pm [Reply]

… somebody with more patience and time on their hands than I have simply *must* create Herb and Jamaal Mad Libs and put them on the Internets for use to play with.
Angel\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Flight Slacks
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:11 pm [Reply]

Oh yes my friends, that Wombachester will be stuffed with well-hung chipnuns.
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:16 pm [Reply]

Those \\\\\\\\\\\\\ posts was me. Have a holly jolly. I love you all, yer pal-Red
SecretMargo
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:31 pm [Reply]

198: Helena — Your recipes look tantalizing…I may try one soon (mushroom-squash lasagna maybe?). I’ll keep you posted!
Dick, the Doorbell
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:37 pm [Reply]

# 65 – My three:

Brenda Starr – the only interesting soap going;

the reruns of Li’l Abner – a classic, and – Hey, Look! – backgrounds!

The Meaning of Lila – unless Boyd gets his own strip – which he deserves.
Brown-eyed Girl
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:52 pm [Reply]

190. Marie de la Mer. Cool site! I only got to level six; I know nothing, nothing about southeast Asian geography.

My three desert island comics:

Lio
My Cage
Pearls Before Swine
Helena Handbasket
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:53 pm [Reply]

CrabbyGenes, Baka Gaijin and anyone else who’ll get the joke, for Thanksgiving I suggest you, “Eat a ducky mass!”
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:00 pm [Reply]

190. Oooh, that’s addictive. Wish it had existed when I taught middle school geography….
Poteet
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:12 pm [Reply]

# 144 & # 151 — Sir Fable MTK and dreaded, you are so right. Stick has become totally annoying and needs to disappear for good. I’d suggest hiring the Persuader to make it happen, but what little I’ve seen of him does not impress me. Maybe that gun-totin’ dude behind the DT portrait (is it a dude?) would do us a favor.

As for earworms, let’s face it — no decade produced them like the Seventies. It’s like a curse was laid on all the radios.
SmartPeopleOnIce
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:14 pm [Reply]

Today’s Pluggers. Even more disturbing once you think about it.

My three desert island comics:

Get Fuzzy
RMMD (counts twice, if you know what I mean)
Niall
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:20 pm [Reply]

212. Helena: “Eat a ducky mass” is my second BWAHAHAHAHA of the day!!! That’s beautiful!

197. Marie de la Mer: Well, pish-tosh. Swiss Chalet doesn’t count. It’s a pesky invader wannabe. A pale imitation. Its poor attempt at sauce is risible.
Niall
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:23 pm [Reply]

I must be lucky, just about none of the earworms mentioned here have any meaning for me.

190. Marie de la Mer: I can’t access it from work, but I’ll try it from home later (after physio… and after going to the arcade…)

(…who, me, blatantly trying to up the reply count to 1000? Surely you jest! *QUACK* AHHHH!)
Saluki
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:27 pm [Reply]

Doonesbury
Pearls Before Swine
Arlo and Janis

Honorable Mention
OBH and Luann (May God save my soul).

Go Dawgs.
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:36 pm [Reply]

#217 “….and stop calling me Shirley!!!”
Uncle Lumpy
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:01 pm [Reply]

Please forget anything I may or may not have said about Estonia.

Thank you.
Captain Thunder
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:09 pm [Reply]

Another new Dennis, Viscount of Stokington has been posted.

Menacing House
Angry Beaver
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:15 pm [Reply]

#65–Why, why must you torture us by only choosing 3?!? :D But I have my 3 and they are:

1. The Far Side-reruns

2. Meaning of Lila

3. Lio

I could go on but I won’t. Happy Thanksgiving.

AND Dingo, thanks for the Scopitones, the ‘Calendar Girl’ video reminded me of when MST riffed on the movie, ‘The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies’, check out the ‘Schick Out of Shape’ number and you’ll see!
Dennis Jimenez
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:24 pm [Reply]

A3G – And who’ll be parking in your garage, Gina?

Blondie – Coast is clear to grab some of Blondie’s fine, fine breast meat, Herb.

DtM – Well, it was well stuffed, Dennis. I’ll bet it’s been a long time since Alice could say the same.

Foob – Oh, Ellie – that sly smile – you know what’s going on. I wish someone would share it with me – I mean WTF.

MT – It’s a long, long way to tip a duck boat.

MW – You cheap harpy – the least you could do is get Jeff a new leash – they’re on sale this week only.

Plugger – No grampa – I said I didn’t want you playing inside my shorts anymore.

JP – Sam thinks – I wish this was a double.

FC – No Billy, but I’ll need at least 10 of PBR to make it through the Thanksgiving holiday with that SOB your father.

Adios Amigos – Feliz Turducken Day Y’all
bats :[
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:41 pm [Reply]

157. john c fremont: what I want to know is how the hell you managed a wheelie with that float?

162. trotzenbonnie: I have to agree with you about “fake meat”. There are so many swell vegetarian cuisines, that a tofu hotdog just seems a crime against….um, everything.
But, okay, Boca burgers are pretty darned tasty, and they let Mr. bats (who has problems with stockyard-type of cattle and pigs) have a burger at Denny’s with all the goopy cheese and ’shrooms and onions on them…

RMMD: wouldn’t it be great if there actually WERE a *#@&$ bear outside the door?
It could only be better if it were Dingo! (I resist the urge to PhotoShop this possibility…)
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:48 pm [Reply]

There was a girl who put her luck in
Preparing Thanksgiving turducken
She was quite a bit late
With her serving plate
Now her husband won’t give her a fuckin’!
Poteet
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:00 pm [Reply]

Hmmm, I’m beginning to think my 900-comments estimate maybe won’t be so off-target after all. Bless you, my talkative sister/brother Mudges. May whatever you are eating today be even tastier than you hoped.
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:14 pm [Reply]

In deference to GWB, I’m eating Pakistani.
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:22 pm [Reply]

…I don’t even know what that meant, but it sounded vaguely cockpitiful.
Deena in OR
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:40 pm [Reply]

Red…and Dingo’s limerick WASN’T? (grin)
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:41 pm [Reply]

#221
Capt’n Thunder
I love your work, up to and including your molestation of Jane Austin’s Mrs. Bennett.

But please promise me that any genital contact between Dennis and Lady Margaret occurs ONLY after the peasants and Chartists have arisen and chopped all the gentry to little, little, very little pieces.

Thanks.
Boston Charlie
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:13 pm [Reply]

Inspired by the quest for 1,000 comments, I’m making my first comment ever.

I just need to say that I was both pleased and horrified yesterday when I thought Judge Parker was the funniest comic in the Washington Post. I used to be normal before I delved into the world of curmudgeonry (okay, normal is probably a little strong).

Desert Island Strips:
Get Fuzzy, beyond a shadow of a doubt
The other two would probably be PBS and Heart of the City
John C Fremont
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:22 pm [Reply]

Too. Much. Turkey. No room for the chicken and duck.

Bats :[ – The secret is – Don’t use the four wheel drive. Use the conventional drive and load all the candy to the rear. Weight distribution is critical.

Dingo – Your limerick made me laugh inappropriately in front of my in-laws. I chose not to explain it to them. “Take the high road,” I always say. No, wait. What I always say is “Take the cheap shot and run like hell.” Anyway, well done, sir!

And now, Eegah awaits. Watch out for snakes!
Uncle Lumpy
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:56 pm [Reply]

#231 Boston Charlie –

Deck you all! Your fine self.

My take on both Judge Parker and is that the writers, trapped by the conventions of their medium and the expectations of their audience, have turned on their characters with a savage vengefulness. I can almost pity Sam and Rex. Almost.

The artists just draw pretty women, leaving room for the speech balloons and sometimes wondering what goes in them. It’s a happy life.
Uncle Lumpy
November 22nd, 2007 at 7:00 pm [Reply]

#233 –

. . . Judge Parker and Rex Morgan, MD is that . . .
Artist formerly known as Ben
November 22nd, 2007 at 7:12 pm [Reply]

Capt Thunder. I read Menacing House. You are not well. That is a compliment.
Moss_Moses
November 22nd, 2007 at 7:36 pm [Reply]

I thought Mary Worth’s beloved late husband left her a comfortable pension when he croaked. Why is she so parsimonious about buying a few pet supplies? So, she is a self important, egotistical, nosy, meddlesome, platitude spewing cheapskate biddy. Hopefully Chester has shit and peed all over her carpet and chewed her vomitous pink sofa while she’s out posting flyers and shopping.
SecretMargo
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:00 pm [Reply]

221: I’ve finally gotten a chance to catch up with the Viscount, and I say: Write on, knave! I loved every neo-Gothic inch of it! Hoooo!
ralph
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:08 pm [Reply]

SecretMargo, 186, scalloped Kabocha sounds wonderful. It’s now on the virtual table with all the other delicious dishes. It would go well with the turkey I (really) had today, which my hosts had the wisdom to cook in a Japanese pottery barbecue. Sad to say I cannot remember the name of the pottery barbecue but I bet one could really smoke some great vegetables in there, too. Also thanks for the reminder; I had half-forgotten those little red meatballs (our grandmothers definitely offered us the same cooking heritage), so I have put lots out on the virtual table for happy memories. Enjoy!
Spotted HØrse
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:17 pm [Reply]

Congratulations, Skullturf to the Q. You gotta way with the H&J vague, baybay. Float on, you beautiful Mudges!

#231 Boston Charlie: Welcome! And a Walla Walla Wash and a Kalamazoo to you!
CrabbyGenes
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:29 pm [Reply]

#180 ralph. Thank you! Between school duties today, I’ll drop in and have a bite. Mm, those meatballs look tasty! But I have to proctor an exam before I can sample them.

#186, SecretMargo, did you know that Japanese kabocha-squash makes the BEST American pumpkin pie EVER? I discovered this ages ago, when I couldn’t find any canned pumpkin here. So for years I made our pumpkin pie (on Christmas, usually) with kabocha. Then one year, I found imported, canned pumpkin. “This is the real thing!” I announced to my kids when I served it, “this is the pumpkin pie that I grew up eating!” They tried it, made faces, and said, “Mom, your recipe that uses Japanese kabocha is better.”

And the funny thing was…I agreed with them!

#238 ralph. Are you referring to “kama-meshi?” If not, then we’ll have to wait for SecretMargo to provide us with the answer, since I’m not sure what else “pottery barbecue” could mean. Perhaps “nabe-mono?” But I don’t think that could be it…
Red Greenback
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:33 pm [Reply]

Kabocha rawks!
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:34 pm [Reply]

#236
Why is Mary cheap about pet supplies?
Let’s start with a few assumptions: A) her condo is paid for, her biggest expenses on a daily basis are for B) food and C) medical supplies. Let us also assume that most of her income is tax sheltered and she wants pay even less in taxes than she pays now.

Okay?

About B) Either others pay for her meals or judging from her lasagna, she uses her own wastes to make meals. She has taken recycling to a new level. Perhaps she will enlist the dog in this project so she has no problems paying for food….but until he starts showing a profit, she probably will not offer the pup many fringe benefits.

About C) Let us assume Mary has a Medical Savings Account. Virtually everything Mary buys for herself, other than clothes, hairspray and plane trips to Viet Nam, she uses pre-tax dollars (those few taxable dollars she does receive) to pay for. Not true for the pup. So in her mind,
the dog costs an extra 30% than what she pays because she is NOT using pre-tax dollars.

But what about the Vet expenses? Mary, I bet has had a few Trusts set up to A) shelter income, and B) allow to spend money on herself tax free. I bet if we look at Mary’s tax return for 2007, her trip to Viet Nam and the medical expenses of the dog were paid out of funds from Trusts that Mary controls. But ongoing expenses for the dog will not be allowed under Trust rules.

I know it may surprise you that anyone could think Mary is not the epitome of generousity, but I think many folks have had the wool pulled over their eyes for too long by her.
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:55 pm [Reply]

Hey, folks. I just checked and Eric Zorn is now allowing people to comment on the political parody Christmas carols. You can see all of them at Zorn’s website. I wrote Taxes Grow! and Richard Daley, Mayor for Life a few days ago and today added the following:

Romney the Mormon
sung to the tune of ‘Frosty the Snowman’

Romney the Mormon
Is an odd flip-flopping pol
In the public sphere he’ll embrace the queer
But in private damn his soul

Romney the Mormon
Thought weddings were not for gays
But the courts said, “Yes!”
And at his behest
City clerks put in delays

Conservatives seek magic
Keeping Hillary at bay
But if their man is Mormon
Certain Christians feel dismay

Romney the Mormon
Says, “Religion? Don’t you care.”
Mine is not a cult
Elect me! Result?
We’ll have ethics left to spare

Rude Giuliani
Won’t give in and let things be
Mitt’s the one to serve
Rudy’s got the nerve
To campaign like Hillary

All should pay homage
To the last great shining hope
Bush has trashed the clan
Mitt’s the only man
Who can help the party cope

If Romney finds a losing streak
The party must explain
He’s cuter than Fred Thompson
And he can beat that bitch, McCain

Romney the Mormon
Has to win without delay
Let’s not hear complaints
‘Bout Latter-Day Saints
On your knees now, c’mon, pray!

Stumpety stump stump
Stumpety stump stump
Look at Romney go

Stumpety stump stump
Stumpety stump stump
Come on! Let’s win with Ro’!

Feel free to write your own songs and submit them but, otherwise, please give me some sugar!
Loopina
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:14 pm [Reply]

MW: forget sleeping, what has the dog been eating since she brought him home? Casserole? Metamucil? Peanut butter?

Ah – this is what holidays are all about – eating exceptional food (thanks, mom!), miscellaneous relatives, and sitting on my ass watching cable tv. Or satellite tv. I forget. Hitchcock marathon, whee!

Speaking of tv and also earworms, some of my favorite songs are tv themes – the best by far has to be Dukes of Hazzard. Second – What’s Happening!. Third – either Welcome Back Kotter or possibly Taxi. Hometown favorite: Mr.Belvedere, which is possibly the only sitcom based in Pittsburgh.

Dingo – Can you cook up one about Giuliani and Clinton? Bonus points if you use the Heat Miser song. Mit Romney is growing on me – I actually didn’t know he was Mormon. Doesn’t mean anything one way or another, really, I can’t really tell the gentiles apart.
SecretMargo
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:37 pm [Reply]

CrabbyGenes, ralph — Are you thinking of a shichirin (round version, the more familiar [to me] square version)? Those things are cool! I kind of wish I had one here for one-person grilling purposes. I also miss the little fish/vegetable grill that’s built into most countertop ranges in Japan.

And CG — kabocha pie sounds great! I will definitely have to try it. Alas, I just made regular ol’ pumpkin pie as my sole sop to the holiday (I called the fam and heard about all the other food I was missing…wah! But Christmas is soon….), but it was enough. Mmmmm…custardy/clove-y.
ralph
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:52 pm [Reply]

245, No, sorry, the Japanese pottery barbecue that cooked the turkey is much bigger and has a lid. Everything cooks inside. It looks like a combo between Sputnik and a vaccuum cleaner on hormones. I’ve e-mailed my friends to ask the name. They regularly barbecue their meats in it. Stay tuned!
I feed my dogs canned pumpkin and they love it. Maybe we’ll all switch to kabocha!
Poteet
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:06 pm [Reply]

# 240 — Crabby, I just returned from dinner with Diane, where we had some pumpkin soup made from cut-up cooking pumpkin. Mmm, yummy. The other day I was in the food coop when a man came in and was asking how many pies (or how much of a pie) he could make from one largish cooking pumpkin. So the use of real pumpkins hasn’t died out here, fortunately.

Meanwhile, upon your virtual table, I place Diane’s latest chocolate dessert, which is her best ever, IMHO. Enjoy!
CrabbyGenes
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:11 pm [Reply]

#245 SecretMargo. When you’re ready to try it, email me and I’ll give you my recipe. It’s actually a very good pumpkin pie recipe that I got from a friend in Iowa, which I started using kabocha to make.

It’s a tradition for us (when the girls are in Japan, anyway) to carve a jack-o-lantern out of a kabocha on Halloween night, light it up for a while, and then blow it out. The next day I chop it up and cook it for pie, smash up the cooked chunks, put them through a sieve, and freeze the mixture in amounts appropriate to make the pie. It keeps well until Christmas, at which time we finally eat ol’ Jack.

The photos you linked to might have been I was thinking of. It does look like you could balance a small ceramic-lidded pot on that grill and boil something in it. There’s a lot about Japanese cooking I still don’t know, (and may never). I’ve never lived away from the Tokyo area, and I know that there are regional styles of cooking throughout Japan.

#246 ralph. What an intriguing (and funny!) description. Yep, I’ll be waiting to hear what you find out!
Poteet
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:12 pm [Reply]

# 244 — Loopina, you just had to go and mention Welcome Back Kotter, didn’t you? Now I have to hose out my brain, quick…arrrgh, too late…welcome baaaaack….eeesh, now I have to turn on the tube and hope I’ll hear something almost as awful to drive it out.
SecretMargo
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:14 pm [Reply]

Haha, it occurred to me after I hit post that your friends cooked a turkey in it, so it probably was covered and much larger. Was it a heavy duty kama, like CrabbyGenes suggested (here’s a more Sputnik-y view, and here’s one made out of pottery)? They’re usually used to make rice (kama-meshi), but I think they can make other stuff, too. Incidentally, the somewhat pejorative term for gay men (sometimes transvestites, too) “okama” comes from this piece of kitchenware, for….less than delicate reasons. The more you know!

But anyway, I’ll be interested to hear what your friends say.
CrabbyGenes
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:15 pm [Reply]

#247 Poteet. Thank you! Mmmm!!! Good!

Send me an email and tell me all about your dinner, please. I’d love to celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S. again; I’ve missed 25 straight at this point. And I certainly wouldn’t mind celebrating it at Diane’s house! That woman KNOWS how to cook!

I wonder how the girls’ dinner was? And I wonder if they’ll ever email me to tell me?!
SecretMargo
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:22 pm [Reply]

248: I actually found a Japanese blog that described cooking a turkey that way, setting what the author called a “Dutch oven” (dacchi oben) on top of a large shichirin, apparently outside (where else would there be room in the average Japanese house?). Huh.

Whenever I hear “Dutch oven,” I can’t help but think of when people fart beneath blankets and ambush their partners…although now I also think of Josh’s dad calling the practice gassing your own people
CrabbyGenes
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:26 pm [Reply]

#252 “Whenever I hear “Dutch oven,” …..

Oh God, SecretMargo, I am still laughing like a hyena over here. Thanks!
CrabbyGenes
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:39 pm [Reply]

Well, since embroidery happens to be one of my hobbies, and since it’s one of those LOONNGG weekends without Josh, here’s my contribution, which I can now get away with posting because SecretMargo (#252) was the one who brought it up. I wrote this out for some friends recently, and since they enjoyed it, maybe you people would too.

We used to have a very dear little green-and-yellow parakeet named “Paco.” This is my favorite story about him.

One night when Daughter #1 was eight and Daughter #2 was four, I was upstairs reading to Daughter #2, trying to get her to go to sleep. Daughter #1 and Mr. CrabbyGenes were downstairs. Suddenly I heard a SHOUT of laughter from both of them. I had to wait until Daughter #2 was asleep before I could come down and ask what had happened.

Apparently, Daughter #1 and her dad had been sitting at the table. I think they were both reading quietly, and there was no TV or music on. Mr. CG suddenly let out a FART–one of those lengthy, loud, punctuated ones that goes on forever. Paco, (who had been silent up until then) suddenly BURST into a fit of severe scolding! “TCH,TCH,TCH,TCH,TCH,TCH, TCH,TCH…!!!”

On hearing the story, I laughed too. And then went over to the birdcage and said, “You tell ‘im, Paco!” I mean, how many YEARS have I been trying to train Mr. CG to say, “Excuse me” after he farts instead of just LOOKING PLEASED WITH HIMSELF and LAUGHING?? (And I’m
STILL trying!)
Trotzenbonnie
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:54 pm [Reply]

What could be better during the waning hours of Thanksgiving 2007 than a good fart story, eh, Cr*bby G?

I hate to utter a discouraging word to you, CG, but my dad is 75 and still looking pleased with himself after every bilious outburst.
And asking Mr T to say ‘Excuse me’ after he farts would mean he would only need those two words in his entire vocabulary.
Dingo
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:58 pm [Reply]

Dutch oven
Brown-eyed Girl
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:22 pm [Reply]

243. Dingo. all three of your submissions are far better than anything else sumbitted. Good job.
ralph
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:23 pm [Reply]

Kamado, they say. Also looks like R2D2 grown all tall and weedy.
When the food is just great,
Flies to mouth from the plate,
That’s Ka—ma-do.
Niall
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:31 pm [Reply]

190 Marie de la Mer: Great world geography quiz! First attempt netted me 302k points to level 9…
The Spectacular Spider-Brick
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:36 pm [Reply]

lrftp (not so first time) @ 242 wrote:

About C) Let us assume Mary has a Medical Savings Account.

Screw ‘dat. Mary’s got a licensed doc for a sugar daddy. I’m sure he gives her all the free samples she wants.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:48 pm [Reply]

#260
SpecSpi-Bri

“Mary’s got a licensed doc for a sugar daddy. I’m sure he gives her all the free samples she wants.”

MSA’s pay for virtually everything from Mary’s Chap-Stic to her Diapers. The Medical Fructose Papa (more like younger brother, really) does not get samples of those.
SecretMargo
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:53 pm [Reply]

258: ralph: Oooh, like one of these? How achingly cool!
The Spectacular Spider-Brick
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:54 pm [Reply]

To the virtual table I add my holiday broccoli, a recipe I got from my mother. It’s broccoli steamed in chicken broth, slathered with condensed cream of chicken soup, topped with an obscene amount of shredded cheddar and baked in the oven. Mmm-mmm artery clogging. Mary Worth would approve.
The Spectacular Spider-Brick
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:55 pm [Reply]

I’m off to bed. Night all!
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:00 am [Reply]

Me2
G’night
Niall
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:04 am [Reply]

…361k, failed during level 10. World Cities Very Hard is Very Hard indeed, I hadn’t even heard of over half of those countries, some being little islands somewhere…
CrabbyGenes
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:45 am [Reply]

#262 SecretMargo. #258 ralph. Achingly cool indeed! Boy, those are beautiful! And fascinating. I’ve NEVER seen one before. I’m going to click on your link and show Mr. CrabbyGenes when I get home today–I wonder if he is familiar with them?
ralph
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:47 am [Reply]

SecretMargo, 262, hurray! Yes. It’s very similar to those. If you get a chance to eat food prepared in one, take it.
cheers,
Red Greenback
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:52 am [Reply]

Number one brainworm with a bullet: Woolverton Mountain,hands down.
True Fable
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:16 am [Reply]

FBoFW What the hell is wrong with people who adore Mike Patterson? This character is a malevolent little bastard who deliberately and continuously taunts his baby sister with a cookie, eating it in front of her while doing so, and then has the unbelievable GALL to claim he taught her to say “cookie” when all she was doing was shrieking for a bite of the one he was slurping down in front of her.

That isn’t sibling rivalry, it’s a mean little kid cruelly taunting his baby sister. It’s not that he doesn’t want to share – hey, kids like cookies and they don’t like to share, Ithat’s how things are, I’m not faulting a fact of life. My point is, he goes beyond not sharing, to openly dangling said cookie before her, knowing she can’t have it, knowing he’s going to keep it ju-u-ust out of her reach, KNOWING she’s calling for it, TEASING her with it, EATING it in front of her.

And THIS is the character people grew up with and have grown to ‘love’? We’re supposed to admire this sadistic little shitheel? This isn’t the only time this kid does this, he pulls similar stunts like this their whole young lives.

“Oh Truman, they’re only comic strip characters.” Yeah, these very words from people who PRAY for those same comic strip characters. Holy shit.

I am thankful today not only for the good things in my life, but that the Pattersons of fictioinal Milborough ARE only comic strip characters.
/rant
bergamot
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:17 am [Reply]

A belated congratulations to SQB and the rest of the COTW royalty. Snark on!

Three desert island comics: Mutts, Pearls Before Swine, and Doonesbury. It is hard to think of giving up Lio, but I think I could actually figure out the news from Doonesbury. Also, add me to the list of people who want a biweekly special dispensation for DTWOF.

Worst earworm: The Song That Never Ends (from the Lamb Chop and Shari Lewis Show). Runners-up include everything on Monty Python Sings. I’m working on two projects on the English Civil War this semester, and I can’t see the words “Oliver Cromwell” without hearing John Cleese caterwauling in my head.

And I am adding to the Mudges’ groaning virtual Thanksgiving table sweet-and-sour glazed shallots; Gram’s potato salad (with green onions and mustard greens, dressed in vinegar and oil); cranberry beans baked with chard, garlic, and smoked onion in a saffron broth; wilted endive with shredded yam; mushroom stuffing; cornbread; cranberry relish; and two pies (apple custard and pumpkin). The apartment still smells good.
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:19 am [Reply]

Damn. I tried to play some Squack but Red and Trotz broke it. For those of you who missed it the first time around:

http://hodgeproj.ltc.arizona.edu/guessword/

renamed Squack for our beloved Squid Countess, who introduced it to us, and for its crack-like addictive properties.

But it doesn’t seem to be working right now…*sob*
Poteet
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:51 am [Reply]

RMMD — Oboy oboy oboy, Death is waiting at the front door of the cabin. This is great. Take them both, Death! Grab ‘em and haul ‘em away! I’ll throw in the coins for when they cross the River Styx!

DT –Honest to G*d, what do we have to do to get a decent villain around here? First it’s the unpersuasive Persuader, then the anachronistic Bull Malone, and now the Gloating Dweeb Behind The Painting. Geez, Captain Hook was scarier than this. So was Smee.
Poteet
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:53 am [Reply]

All by myseeeeellllfff….g’night, all.
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:54 am [Reply]

Oh, Friday’s komics are kool.

FOOB. I have to agree with True Fable’s rant. Although I think classic FOOB is a victim of modern FOOB. Would little Mikey inspire such loathing if we didn’t know what a self-centered dick he is as an adult?

Phantom — I loved it yesterday when the Ghost Who is Fucking Oblivious was too busy watching other people work to notice the giant drawing on the building behind him. I love it even more today when someone else had to point out it out to him.

GF — I’ve enjoyed Satchel’s guilty looks, but yesterday he didn’t look guilty, and I thought the joke was getting stale. Now I can’t wait to see where Conley is going to take this.

A3G. The judges give Margo a 10 for the quality of that insult.

RMMD Whoa! or as Niki would say, @#$%!
CrabbyGenes
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:56 am [Reply]

#274 Poteet. You’re NOT all by yourself, but good night anyway!
Billys Left Buttock
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:57 am [Reply]

I read Cathy everyday and I likkded that shit.
True Fable
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:00 am [Reply]

9CL Diane ought to just say, “Edda, we fucked like rabbits.” Maybe the dense little thing will take the hint, shut up and drink her coffee then.
C’haft This just in: Crankshaft farts. Film at eleven.
DtM In a moment of menacing zen, Dennis advises the team to take a dump on the field in order to stop the clock.
FC Uh… I guess this means Dolly is putting a modern spin on an old fairy tale, but it’s coming off more like a joke in the middle of being told and we’ll never hear the punchline. Just as funny, too.
Fred Bassett Fred Bassett helps you do the crossword puzzle, not that it’s supposed to be funny or anything but because it is in keeping with the whole “so what?” theme of this strip.
FW I’m so relieved to finally be out of AllCancerAllTheTime stories, I’ll gladly sit through Harry Dinkle Has Second Thoughts now.
GA The Two Morons suck, but I do like the little donkey.
Oh dammit, I was going to ignore this strip. crap.
JP well, that’s one way to start a whole new storyline, I guess.
MT How can he tell? Unless it says “Bull Malone’s boat”, it looks like any other watercraft made by Jackelrod Ball, Inc.
MW Oh, Mary knows how to deal with meddlers, Toeby. She is the Time Lord, after all.
Momma SQUICK. Does anyone else read incest in today’s strip?
Pluggers Note to self: Never ever get a big chicken woman mad at you. Geez, she’s freakin’ scary.
R&R Goatmeal. That’s what it’s all about, man.
RMMD It looks like our old friend Buck (remember him, spring of 2006?) is loaning out his clothes again. And check out Rex’s close-up!

#275 Brown-eyed Girl – re: Foob – he inspired loathing back then and he does now, for me at least.
Uncle Lumpy
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:13 am [Reply]

#278 TF –

I’m so relieved to finally be out of AllCancerAllTheTime stories, I’ll gladly sit through Harry Dinkle Has Second Thoughts now.

Yeah, you wait — Dinkle is a marked man.
True Fable
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:30 am [Reply]

#279 Uncle Lumpy – “No one gets outta here alive!” and in Winkerland, no one gets outta here without a long, slow, debilitating illness, either!
Joe Btfsplk
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:10 am [Reply]

Mark Trail – Prediction: Someone else has shot and killed Bull Malone, just a few minutes ago, while Johnny and Steve were inside having coffee. The perpetrator, someone who knows Johnny well enough to predict how he will react to being shot at, is cleverly luring both Johnny and Steve to the scene. Steve will find Johnny, rifle in hand, standing over Bull’s still-warm body, and will reluctantly pin the murder on his friend. This, and the trading-postful of witnesses who heard Johnny threaten Bull earlier, will make things look pretty grim for our moustachioed hero. Some blindingly obvious fact, like maybe there being no evidence that Johnny’s gun has been fired recently, will be overlooked by everyone until Mark Trail shows up to figure it out and save the day. The real murderer will be punched.

My prediction success record has been something of a disappointment to me. But I feel good about this one.

Uh, wait, people in this strip do occasionallly actually get killed, right? I don’t know for sure.
Frank Parsnip
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:23 am [Reply]

A3G: Yeah, what a big, fat load off her couch! Damn, that Ruby’s got more chins than a Chinese telephone book. Her ass has its own zipcode. When she stands up, the shadow casted makes people think there’s an eclipse. OK, but moving across the hallway still doesn’t take away the risk of imminent collapse to the building. Fortunately, it’s only a temporary solution at most — the market for movie starlets with Gina’s freaky hair has pretty much been dominated by Helena Bonham Carter and Phyllis Diller.

MT: The mooses (mice?) in the foreground of panel 1 seem not to give a damn that a gun’s been fired nearby. This truly is a Lost Forest. “What was that?” said one moose.

MW: Toby knows that Mary ought not to get her hopes up. The real owner could come forward, the dog could have another of its mysterials middle-of-street fainting spells … or Toby could take it home and cook it.

Sex Organ, M.D.: IT’S DEATH! Oh, lawdy, finally we’re going to see some justice brought down on these sinners!

BGSS: If Lureen needs to find a man, first on her list of self-improvement steps ought to be to get some teeth and buy a bra. Female fashions have come and gone over the years, but I think it’s fair to say tits you can tuck into a waistband have never been “in”.

Funky Pantysniffer: In panel 1, the role of Harry Dinkle will be played today by Jiggs from “Bringing Up Father”

Mallard Fillmore: Hey, another great thing about college football games at Thanksgiving time… with many stores closed, Tinsley might be willing to sit at home for a couple of days, pounding beers while he heats up several turkey TV dinners to eat alone.

Spider-Man: I don’t think I have seen a hairdo like the one in panel 1 except in period dramas set in pre-Revolutionary France. And those are usually wigs. And the person wearing them is usually saying something about peasants eating cake.

Jugs Parker: Abbey’s mind has somehow been taken back to that scene in “The English Patient” where Ralph Fiennes’ character desperately tries to use a biplane to save his lover. Consider this the equivalent of her putting her fingers in her ears and saying: “lalalalalalalalalalala” to avoid Sam’s questions about the sort of things she was doing with other men in Paris.
Jack Parsons
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:15 am [Reply]

Get Fuzzy: Satch seems to be going all Apocalypse Now on us.
The Avocado Avenger
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:00 am [Reply]

#270 True – Today’s FOOB was really pretty disturbing, especially the look of undeserved glee on Michael’s face at the end. He seems to have been deliberately written as a little shit back then. It’s an understatement to say that I really don’t like where the characters have gone over the years.

The Phantom – Where is the Phantom, anyway? I just noticed that the guys painting over Tendai’s graffiti are Masai (I think, I could be wrong) and since no one knows who “the hero” is, I assume they’re not in the U.S. It’s embarrassing to be confused by The Phantom. It’s like losing a game of Trivial Pursuit to Carrot Top.
Baka Gaijin
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:04 am [Reply]

#53 Deena in OR: What an odd coincidence. I just left Misawa. I guess I need to think up a new username since I’m not returning to Japan. Eh, that’s too hard, I’ll stay a stupid foreigner.

I call 285sies!!!
Baka Gaijin
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:35 am [Reply]

Helloooooooooo! Is this thing on? We’ve gone a half hour without a comment, so here goes.
Wednesday’s Cow and Boy: This is wicked funny! I admire anyone who can smash two such incongruous concepts together and still be humorous.
dreadedcandiru2
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:07 am [Reply]

#278: True Fable — I can see something really stupid happening in GA because I know how stupid Nit and Wit are. I’d say, off the top of my head, that ‘Boogie-Woogie’ is probably the beloved and missing pet of some rich old lady. Since Joel is a superstitious, moronic old coot, he’d turn down the generous reward in his relief to be rid of the ill-omened feline and bully Rufus into refusal.
Billys Left Buttock
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:02 am [Reply]

Today Lio takes on Magmaduke, and wins!
Billys Left Buttock
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:22 am [Reply]

And Mary Worth! Way to go, Mark T!
Billys Left Buttock
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:26 am [Reply]

Boss 290!
JamesinMaine
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:27 am [Reply]

MT: “Someone appears to be shooting a rifle at me from afar. I better go closer to check it out.” Further proof that Johnny Lamoustache did not go to college?
JamesinMaine
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:34 am [Reply]

MW: The way Mary is gingerly carrying what is at least a 20-pound bag of kibble and a full bag of dog paraphenalia, it is no wonder that Toby has not offered to help. Mary Worth: yet another person in this world who would beat me in a fair fight.
Calico
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:41 am [Reply]

RM – I didn’t know the Scouts went door to door way up in the mountains to sell cookies.

FOOB – Yes, Lizzie learned a new word – “Asshole.”

MW – now the doggie ka-ching reality is setting in, eh, Mary?
When you get your credit card bill poor Old Chester will be right back up on that road where you found him. So much for charity and virtuousness.

3G – Margo is just the apogee of grace and patience, isn’t she?
Plus, now Prof. Ari can bang Ruby in the same bed where he’s been doing it with Gina lately. Argh.
(Squik squik)
The Spectacular Spider-Brick
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:58 am [Reply]

Wow, snark is slow this morning. Everyone must still be sleeping off their tryptophan-induced comas. But not this brick! I’m a snarkin’ machine!

9CL: I thought Edda was being coy before. Now she’s being dim.

Agnes: Good for Agnes’ mom, or grandma, or aunt, or neighbor lady, or whoever that presumably female lump of deboned ham in a housedress is, for deflating Agnes’ ego. More smartmouthed comic kids should have equally witty adult foils. (That’s part of why I like Heart of the City too.)

Archie: Hey, look, it’s the Unknown Lummox! Wow, Moose must have the tiniest head in the history of the comics. The previous record-holder will have to go merely by the name “Zippy” now.

BH: Two strips about identity theft on the same day? And neither of them funny? What are the odds?

(WT)DT: How many times can I skate by on pointing out that the guy in the painting looks like John Cleese? Please, please, something happen in this strip. I’m begging you.

Doonesbury: Actually pretty funny, as well as relevant. Doonesbury rarely pulls off both in one strip.

GF: Oh, yes, there will be vomit.

GT: Bad boys don’t go to The Bucket.

H&J: So, what do you think came before the concluding sentence “And that’s my opinion of our govenrment!”? I imagine it was something along the lines of “And what is the deal with our government? Am I right? What is up with that? It’s crazy up there in the capital city! Crazy, I’m tellin’ ya! I’ve never seen such insanity! And those politicians! Whoa! Don’t get me started! Especially that one guy? Am I right? Don’t get me started on him!” I have arrived at the conclusion that H&J is written by failed Jerry Seinfeld wanna-be’s from the 1980s.

JP: I believe that machina contains Abbey’s deus.

MT: When Johnny gets accused of shooting Bull, don’t forget that I called it.

MW: Mary is none too pleased at Toby’s insistence on reminding her every strip that she may have to give Chester up. Mary is clearly wondering if that mysteriously growing sofa cushion she’s holding will be dense enough to smother Toby.

MC: A sexy turkey pinup for Miss November? That’s… that’s just wrong. Deliciously wrong.

Phantom: It’s not just “Ghost,” it’s “O-Ghost.” Like an honorific. I think Phantom is set in Japan. Which explains why the blacks are invisible.

Pluggers: Oh, god. Do I see the gleam of intelligence in that pup’s eye? “…Children or pets.” “…CHILDREN or pets.” Finally we see the result of dog-chicken miscegenation, and it’s as horrifying as we imagined.

RMMBLAin’ Man: Rex is so startled that the color has drained from his irises. And the window.

SFx: I think we’re looking at the prelude to some hot, hot jungle lovin’.

S-M: Is that supposed to be… Oprah? Finally, someone who can toe-to-toe against Persuader both in personality and build. (Though MJ is looking like a linebacker herself there. Lay off the Pilates, woman!)
Calico
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:01 am [Reply]

#270 – Nice rant True.
Even mean kids would probably share a little teensy bite of cookie with their sibling.

You know, I thought Mike Author/Writer was a jerk before, but these retro bits of torture are really making me dislike him even more.
I thought the laptop/fire/Deanna-get-the-kids thing was the cherry on the sundae, but no, we have to go back in time and see the foundation of moral ineptitude get laid as well.
Calico
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:06 am [Reply]

#294 – Tryptophan – sweet, sweet Tryptophan.
Plus sweet potatoes, peas, cranberries, and wine.
And the traditional dog show (not Mary Worth-related).
Dingo
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:24 am [Reply]

Mary is not carrying a 40-pound bag of kibble on her shoulder; that’s the pricy dog bed. I’m surprised she doesn’t let Chester sleep next to her in her large, empty bed.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:40 am [Reply]

The newest update of the AJM is working very well today.
Honestly, the joke works. Should we be happy or scared?
John C Fremont
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:51 am [Reply]

I was just over at the Kamado website. I’ve got to get me one of those!

Lio – No, Lio, not the hot tub! Didn’t you see that Simpsons episode?

MT – Man, Johnny’s coat is really flying in the breeze. He must have upgraded to that new 50 horse Evinrude.

A3G – Is Margo singing her last line? Hmm. Couch. Load. That’s got to be some piece of Andrew Lloyd Webber crap. Stay away from those community theater people, Margo!

JP – They’re filming a remake of Von Richthofen And Brown next door? Wow, too much!

RMMD – That’s not Death on the porch. It’s just some hood. Get it? Hood? Ha, ha! Um, I’ll just shut up now.
Dennis Jimenez
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:40 am [Reply]

DtM – They don’t have any time-outs left – now let’s beat the piss out of ‘em.

Foob – MA, I taught Lizzy a new word – Asshat! By the way – the Outlook spell check suggests Lezzy for Lizzy.

MT – Yes – run to the sound of the guns, Johnny. You are indeed wise.

MW – I doubt they’ll miss that cushion from the sofa in their waiting room.

RMMBLA – Don’t fear the reaper, Rex. Baby he’s your man.

Pluggers – So which is it – child or pet? I guess we’ll just have to consult Jerry Hoersten of Columbus Grove, OH.

JP – I don’t like the thought of same kissing any woman – and neither does he. Actually I don’t care much, either way.

FC – A better Dolly-ism would have been Cinderella’s two step sisters didn’t want her to get balled.

Adios Amigos
Moss_Moses
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:44 am [Reply]

278. TF, I had the same reaction that PusBoy had returned for some steamy cabin fun with Rex and Niki. The hood is all part of the foreplay that is getting Rex all hot ‘n bothered. Or…maybe it’s Rex’s life partner, Troy, on the lam in disguise.

The Bull Malone murder idea makes perfect sense except for the fact that people never die in Lost Forest and when they are critically injured, they make amazingly fast recoveries, despite the 1950’s era hospital infrastructure. How did Johnny ever get to be Mark Trail’s buddy? The guy is dumb as a stump. Common sense would dictate that one would head in the opposite direction of the trajectory of a bullet fired at a person, not towards it to investigate. Oh, that’s right, this is Lost Forest where people have no common sense, always take matters into their own hands and rely on animal instincts rather than cognitive thought processes.
Tabby
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:57 am [Reply]

243 Lots of sugar – that’s a scream!!!

Stumpety, stump, stump !!!!

classic!

Also, my favorite evah 3rd rexxx has gotta be that bugged out eye. My kids have that same Grimm suit – it can also be used for “Eyegor”, if you put it on backwards.
Marie de la Mer
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:58 am [Reply]

CShaft – haha ! Crankshaft eats dog farts !

… uh… ok, I get it. Anyway, ewww. That’s low.
The Divine O’F
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:59 am [Reply]

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:

…To everyone here, for the great parodies, the fascinating/funny links, the three comics to a desert island, the earworms, the virtual food, the righteous rants (I’m looking at YOU, TF), and the generally genial chitchat.

Please don’t let Josh know, but I have long felt that these “free” threads are the best. I think it may be because we all feel relaxed, and can just be ourselves, rather than trying to come up with something for COTW. Competition is overrated, IMHO.
Catastra
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:04 am [Reply]

#162 Trotzenbonnie says: “More comments, mules!” So, out of lurkdom I come.

I doubt I have the chops to keep up with this group, but I do so enjoy reading all the comments and I’d love to join the party.

My dessert island three:
Frazz
Rhymes with Orange
Bizarro

I think. Maybe.
Dingo
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:09 am [Reply]

Mmm… dessert island. Much better than a desert island, in my book. Hills of marshmallow creme with waterfalls of hot fudge and floating maraschino cherries to whisk you around to the other side. All that’s missing are the Oompa-Loompas and an intoxicated Matt Damon to give you aging suburban father darkened garage sex.

My desert island three:

Get Fuzzy
Mutts
Frazz
Catastra
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:14 am [Reply]

Preview is good.

Need we say more?
Dingo
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:22 am [Reply]

Catastra, join us at the adult table! You’ve moved from lurkdom to a post and I, for one, welcome you. And, yes, I think that each of us who actually types out messages on here has at least once just gone for Post — the ‘mudgeon equivalent of doing the New York Times crossword puzzle in pen — and suffered the consequences. I remember having almost an entire long comment written in italics because I forgot the second bracketed tag.

Remember: when you don’t use preview, a puppy dies.

This message is brought to you free of charge but next time there will be a Catastra fee. Waitress! Veal!
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:28 am [Reply]

Dingo
Don’t you mean “Remeber: when you don’t use preview, a puppy diets.”?
Billys Left Nunchuck
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:29 am [Reply]

I for one am appalled and excited.
Niall
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:30 am [Reply]

Friday – the race to 400 replies!

A3G: Professor, when someone says “It’s the perfect solution”, it’s usually when they have a clever idea, not an obvious one.

Beetle is just plain stupid today – since when is an order to clean an incentive? Plus, that’s not an anvil, that’s a pi! And how did he… no, I won’t brun IQ points trying to make sense of it.

Oh, please, Dennis, don’t you know the rules by now? It’s real football, which you know as soccer. There are no time-outs, unlike the sport you normally know as football. It’s two 40-minute sessions of non-stop run, run, run. On the nice side, there’s a good mix of boys and girls playing.

So many things just ugly and wrong with FC today. I’m tired. Forget it.

…okay. “What The..?” is the most appropriate response to today’s JP. I’ll give tiny credit to Wilson, he’s roaring right along to another storyline, and on a Friday no less! It’s as if even he was fed up with the stupid talk. Is this plane known to long-term readers? And judging from its WW1 vintage, it’d have to be pretty darn long-term readers. (They must have finished the last WW1 storyline what, in 1960?)

Wait, MT shows that when fired upon, it’s a good reaction to go towards the shot?? Even if you’re armed? And on a lake, where you are a sitting duck? (QUACK!) Ahhhh! Sorry Shirley.

Mary Worth freezes with a thousand-yard stare at the very mention of the possibility that the dog, her ticket to self-congratulatory martyrdom, might be taken away. Also, were the prices “amazing” because they were low? There’s nothign worse than someone who first complains how high the prices are, then mentions how they still could have bought the store. No one likes the boastful miserly rich, Mary.

My Cage still entertains. And hey, Norm, everyone uses slang – it’s when you use slang that’s not appropriate for one’s age, social status or situation that it’s painful. I’m sure you’ve used “cool” at some point, which is slang too…

I knew about the O-Ring, about the O-zone layer, about the Big O even, but now the Phantom is the O-Ghost?? Also, Tendai is breaking world graffiti speed records.

Rex Morgan channels Keanu Reeves. For a monk in the forest. Agfgla!! The stupid, it burns today!

Sally Forth discovers one of the reasons it’s called Black Friday. (Personally, I wish everyone stayed away one year from stores today, just to show the retailers they shouldn’t expose their employees to unreasonable and dangerous (even life-threatening) behaviour.

I wonder if today’s Slylock was a bone thrown to creationists after all the dinosaur facts, or if the syndicate “strongly suggested” he does a “counterpoint”. The saddest part was that the background clearly suggests this is Mt Kilimanjaro, but the humans are Nordic. Imagine if he’d have been historically accurate there too and shown dark-skinned humans! The histrionics!

I’m already used to the S-M stupid, but it still burns. No security area! No escorts for guests who are expected to find their own way out through deserted corridors!

Same with the Archie stupid. Except I’m ashamed enough to admit I’ve actually read this that I would want to hide my face.

The GT Bad Kids are worried about someone parking next to them? While they’d do it to anyone else in a heartbeat? And real bad guys don’t need an excuse to key another car. Meanwhile, I predict Cully Smash to hit Tuesday. (Tomorrow: setup. Sunday: recap. Monday: resumption of setup.)

Run, Liz. Run from Jon and Garfield while there’s still time.
Catastra
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:35 am [Reply]

Thank you Dingo, that’s very kind.

Let me ask you: is there an easy way to update the page while reading comments? ‘Refresh’ isn’t doing anything for me. (It still says 306 comments) I have to navigate away and come back. That ain’t right.

And, thanks to Poteet for the late night earworm. Let me give you this: All Out of Love.

Ha!
commodorejohn
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:35 am [Reply]

A3G – Margo… *contented sigh*

BB – Beetle is some kind of gravity god. He’ll fall as slow as he wants to.

Crankshaft – Today’s display of mutual loathing almost makes up for the vile reference of yesterday’s. Almost.

DTM – Whoa, total departure from the standard Dennis visual formula today! It’s almost…like, artwork or something!

DT – Whoever this villain is, he’s so lame he has to laugh at his own jokes. I want my Gretchen.

FOOB – Wow, Michael was a self-absorbed little bastard even way back then! This whole “flashback” thing is shedding new light on these characters, all right!

FW – “But, ya know, I’m deaf.”

GT – WHAT IS GOING ON IN THAT FIRST PANEL WHY IS THAT HAND WITH THE PIZZA JUST FLOATING THERE AHHH

JP – I’m…I’m at a loss to explain this. Is that supposed to be some kind of visual metaphor for what happened in Paris, like when a movie has two people in bed and then cuts to a train going through a tunnel? “BAM BAM WHRRR” happened in Paris? Help me out here.

Luann – Evans, STOP DOING THIS.

MF – Do I even need to say it?

MT – So…what, Bull Malone steals other people’s customers and then shoots them?

MC – I always get a kick out of Norm’s calendar, but today’s is particularily funny.

RMMD – Niki prepares for the Heather Maneuver. Rex sees Death or perhaps a member of the Dark Brotherhood on the porch.
Red Greenback
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:36 am [Reply]

Uncle Lumpy,?! Why aren’t you moderating in Josh’s absence?
Marie de la Mer
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:39 am [Reply]

Hey Niall – level 10 – you know your stuff… I’ll give you extra credit if you can pin Sainte-Pie-de-Bagot, within a 50km range ;)
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:42 am [Reply]

Today’s Funkshaft Crankerbean contains an instance of “overnegation”. I’m pretty sure what Harry really means is that he misses being a part of that, i.e., he regrets not being a part of that anymore.

Language Log cited the Comics Curmudgeon in December 2005 regarding overnegation in a Hagar strip. In fact, that was right around the time I discovered CC and that could even have been the link that originally led me here! (But I can’t remember for sure anymore.)
Red Greenback
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:42 am [Reply]

RM(WTF)/Mary crossover: “What’s that noise on the pooch?”
Dingo
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:47 am [Reply]

Red Greenback, what’s that noise on the pooch? Must have fed it some turkey.
John C Fremont
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:48 am [Reply]

# 306 – Didn’t Homer Simpson have a fantasy like that? Probably involved donuts. Or maybe I’m confusing that with his Flushing Meadows fantasy…

# 307 – Yes, Catastra, Preview is good. But I miss the days when the button said “See it before you say it,” which made me think of the See ‘n Say, which led to a ritual which required me to say “The cow goes moooo” out loud every time I clicked on the button. I think my family is glad I don’t do that any more.

Oh, and I agree with The Divine O’F. As usual.
The Divine O’F
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:50 am [Reply]

Dessert Island (if I were still eating sugar):

lemon meringue pie
pecan pie
hot fudge sundae with chocolate-chip ice cream
Deena in OR
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:52 am [Reply]

Catastra-”reload” works for me-even brings me back down to the spot I was at on the page. Have you tried scrolling down after you reload?
Red Greenback
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:53 am [Reply]

Naw, that beagle’s gotta be Turkistani, I dare say!
Deena in OR
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:58 am [Reply]

Dessert Island-

New York style cheesecake. Plain. As dense as you can make it.

Marionberry pie.

Fudge.
Red Greenback
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:58 am [Reply]

Too much giblets,
Catastra
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:01 pm [Reply]

Thanks, Deena, it’s working now.

Okay, Dessert Island:

Apple pie ala mode
Cheesecake, as above
Root Beer Float
indrifan
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:05 pm [Reply]

Philadelphia area readers got a special Thanksgiving day treat from the paper version of the Inquirer: as you may recall, Tuesday’s FC had Billy repeating “some older people seem to repeat themselves”, and Wednesday’s had Dolly asking if it is a sin to sing Christmas Carols before Thanksgiving. Yesterday’s “Inky” print version had Billy standing in the store aisle, holding a dozen eggs, with the caption “Is it a sin to sing Christmas Carols before Thanksgiving?”
I thought, what a strange and un-FC-like meta-joke, or something. It never occurred to me, until I saw no comments here and double-checked online, that it was just a local mistake. Or the layout lemur thought it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

The sad thing is, I read 3 Family Circus comics in a row. Hi, my name is Indrifan and I’m an FC reader.
ralph
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:07 pm [Reply]

Wow, keep adding those delicious foods (and great memories) to the Mudge virtual table, yum!
I honestly couldn’t come up with three comics I wanted to read on a desert island, just Calvin and Hobbes. But I could easily think of three comics to leave stranded forever on one: Funky Winkerbean, For Better or For Worse, and Marmaduke. Eat or be eaten.
Also, I agree with those commenting that Mary Worth is displaying classic irresponsible dog ownership. She loves to talk about the concept of saving the dog, the concept of her personal heroism, and the concept of a dog as a pet that offers “innocent love.” But she’s already grumbling about the time and money she must devote to real love and responsible care, and also how to fit a dog into her life and her home.
Baka Gaijin
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:11 pm [Reply]

# 288 and #289, Billys Left Buttock: It’s a trifecta: add Ralph Drabble’s “The Glare” to today’s Lio.
AhClem
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:14 pm [Reply]

BB – Hey, Beetle. Why don’t you just, you know, LET GO of the anvil? If you’re lucky, it’ll land on a coyote in the desert below.

HotC – Speaking of post-Thanksgiving fart jokes…

(WT)DT – Even the fact that the painting looks like Albert Einstein with a Hitler mustache fails to generate any interest whatsoever in this lame plotline.

Diesel Sweeties – Despite the heavily-pixellated artwork, and the fact that I’m about 30 years older than the targeted demographic, this strip is starting to grow on me. I loved today’s punchline.

FOOB – for some reason, the term “insufferable prick” has become a persistent earworm whenever Michael, at any age, appears in this strip.

(DT)GT – Whose desembodied hand is holding the pizza in the first panel?

Luann – Man! Cutting-edge humor! Who would ever suspect that strings of Christmas lights get tangled up?
Ribinin
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:15 pm [Reply]

Red and Rover And you are also one typo away from having True Fable come over and slap you silly.
AhClem
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:16 pm [Reply]

#308 Dingo -
Hey, I always do the NYT crossword puzzle in pen. The results are often a smeared, scribbled ink-stained mess, but still.
Catastra
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:18 pm [Reply]

Well, I can see 400 from here!

For the table: Grandma’s raisin stuffing.

3 to leave on the island (great twist, ralph!)

Mallard Fillmore
BC
Heathcliff
Helena Handbasket
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:27 pm [Reply]

#326 indrifan: Were you also the one who had the caption about the, “12-pack of eggs” on the Christmas carol FC comic? That caption belonged with today’s strip.

I add maple pecan pie to the table (boiled down maple syrup replaces the corn syrup).
mattt
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:27 pm [Reply]

S-M How long has Mary Jane had a man chin?
Calico
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:52 pm [Reply]

#311 Mary Worth – you wrote
“Also, were the prices “amazing” because they were low? There’s nothign worse than someone who first complains how high the prices are, then mentions how they still could have bought the store. No one likes the boastful miserly rich, Mary.”

I think I see a really good submission for TDIET right there, even if Mary is or is not real.
John C Fremont
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:58 pm [Reply]

Non-Dessert Island:

Soup Bone
Dog Biscuit
Porterhouse Steak
Carpet Slipper

(I didn’t know I was going to have to eat my words.)
The Divine O’F
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:00 pm [Reply]

Comics to LEAVE on a desert island:

Spider Man
One Big Happy
RMMBLA. I know there are plenty who read this only for June’s sweater puppies, and I’d hate to deprive you. Still, the homoerotic/pederastic subtext has gone way beyond annoying. I no longer find it fun to read, snark about, or read snark about.
Joe Btfsplk
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:01 pm [Reply]

294 Spectacular Spider-Brick – Arrrgghh, call it you did, damn you. Now I’ll have to fall back on my earlier call, the long-lost cousins thing. A much longer shot, in my opinion.

They’ll DIE Time – A quarter-can of beans is enough for each of them at a meal? No wonder they can afford to waste fancy restaurant food. Pesteena’s lofty disdain toward doggy-bags is a bit hypocritical, if she’s going to take the bottle of wine home anyway. Oh, and the table, with tablecloth, and the chairs, too. And probably the curtains. I bet that’s the busboy’s apron she’s wearing. They’ll have to go back again for the glasses, though; wine out of teacups is so tacky.
Calico
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:05 pm [Reply]

#326 – That is so cool!

Sounds a bit like the Dada-ist “Garfield Random Panel Generator.”

We could do a collective mix n’ match for Family Circus – the round panel text mixed up with the bottom text, but from different days when each ‘toon is displayed.

Dingo or Dean Booth, could you do this?
Gold-Digging Nanny
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:08 pm [Reply]

Desert island comics:

PBS
Get Fuzzy
Lio

Today’s comics:

SM: Mary Jane’s looking more and more like a Maury John.

JP: What the hell kind of lettering is that? I would expect to see that font in Gasoline Alley. Also, of all the plot twists I expected in this strip, a dangerously low-flying crop duster was not one of them. And one more thing — Sam’s “That’s two of us!” comment could be taken to mean that he doesn’t like the thought of another woman kissing Abbey. Something tells me he’s in the minority on this point.

276 True Fable Re: Momma — DOUBLE SQUICK. I read it that way.

Yesterday’s comics: Archie 2nd panel — AAAAAHHH DECAPITATED ARCHIE.

Dilbert and F-Minus made me laugh my ass off.
bats :[
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:32 pm [Reply]

Back from the early Black Friday expedition (which was to Ace Hardware for icicle lights (free! after rebate), JoAnn fabrics (no farkin’ way I’m standing in TWO lines there, one for cutting fabric and one to pay), CVS (cheap 2-l Coke))…whoo, some shoppin’! At least we ate breakfast out. On to da Black Friday funnies!

A3G: wow, you can only hope Ruby is an incessant nocturnal flatulist, and that Margo’s couch is a victim of it!

FC: because dyslexia is funny, let’s make fun of it!

MW: go, Mary! Go, Mary! Don’t let Headband Girl mess up your dreams!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9545446@N07/2057050591/

RMMD: please be Dingo…please be Dingo…please be Dingo…

Pluggers: in Pluggerland, children = pets.

9CL: little does Edda realize, that when two virgins marry, you can send them anywhere on their honeymoon, and they’ll have no idea where they are.
Seth and Mark put Diane and Francis up in a small storage room in the basement of Mark’s apartment complex. “Paying for the honeymoon” was cheaper than a weekend at Motel 6.

FOOB: okay, all together now: CHRIST, WHAT AN ASSHOLE!
Girl Reporter
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:47 pm [Reply]

Hmmm. I better stock up on leashes this week. After all, they won’t be on sale forever.
Munkeyhed
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:49 pm [Reply]

Can anyone explain today’s Six Chix to me? Is the humor so subtle and sophistictaed that it sailed right over my (admittedly, turkey & vino hungover) head?
lightsyrup
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:55 pm [Reply]

3 to leave ON the island:

Family Circus
RMMD
The Phantom
bats :[
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:57 pm [Reply]

Oh, yeah…damned, sassy teenagers!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9545446@N07/2057121365/
dyslexic dog
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:57 pm [Reply]

#316: Skullturf Q., I could care less about overnegation, but nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.

#311: Niall, where do you see GT on Sundays?

#343: Munkeyhed, Ha ha, nurses are overworked!

H&L: Chip almost makes Mikeyfoob tolerable.

Archie: What does that amputee have in his backpack? A box of toothpicks?

Here’s to all the fat puppies!
Spotted HØrse
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:01 pm [Reply]

#60 Poteet: Damnation, I’ve been in SSB’s described L-tryptophan coma, and forgot to detail and gas up private supersecret uberluxurious invisible float. Curses! Um, I’ll make sure to be ready to roll on Sunday, with canned peas for all. Okey dokey?

#124 Dingo: Wow, that Scopitone video was sumpin else. Thanks for the link, amigo! You’ve provided me and mine with mucho potential surfing pleasure! Man, I get the coolest, weirdest culture from the good folk here at the CC.

#324 Red Greenback: Tofurkey giblets? Sound homogenous, nonfunctional and just plain wrong. Not that I, as a food wimp, generally throw down with the organ meats, as it were, I dare say.

Top 3 comics? I’m looking at PBS, Mutts, and Mark Trail. Today’s panel showing Malotte’s lovingly rendered, bejeaned buttocks peeking out from his flapping coat reminds me that no one, but no one, does it like the Jackball.

FC: I’m loving me Dolly’s batholith sized noggin.
Catastra
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:01 pm [Reply]

Munkeyhed

Neither subtle nor sophisticated. Nurses are so overworked that they look worse than their patients.
Spotted HØrse
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:05 pm [Reply]

H&L: Hey, Trixie, Snoopy’s gonna want that supper dish back.
Girl Reporter
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:07 pm [Reply]

I am avoiding going into the dang kitchen to wash the electric roaster, the crock pot and two big stock pots.

– It was fun to watch the kitten discover his first snow this morning. He picked up and shook each paw as he walked. (He had the best day of his life yesterday – Mr. Girl Reporter gave him the decimated turkey breast to work on.)

– I made leftover sandwiches for breakfast.

– I had two days of funny pages and 348 posts to read.

– Those Japanese barbeques are cool lookin’.

– Brenda Starr, Frazz, Doonsbury.

– Marmaduke, Cathy, B.C.

– Green.
Little Guy
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:20 pm [Reply]

278: 9CL: When the ~~shit-eating~~ missionary position grin fades from Diane’s face, her lower body will be paralyzed by pain for at least two months.

JP: I’m feeling a little Charlie Brown with Abbey. I know, there’s cleavage and ass-creavace, but it’s just not the same as Red. *sigh*
Dingo
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:24 pm [Reply]

I believe the point of today’s Six Chix is that the “artist” is making fun of woman #2’s dickie. She’s purchase a fuchsia dickie to wear with her pale blue smock yet the store forgot to remove the security marker from it when she left. The nurse is so fraught with worry wondering what is happening at home between her live-in boyfriend and her visiting mother that she’s dressed and come to the hospital completely oblivious to it. The nurse on stage left pays no attention to her because she doesn’t care for dickies. Secondly, she’s currently going through chemotherapy treatment and her blonde wig is constantly moving out of place. She has more on her mind than fuchsia dickies. Both watch the monitor set up in the cafeteria to prevent employee theft. On the screen, nurse Eileen Scharski is seen collapsing onto the floor after succumbing to the Dcon-laced coconut cream pie that was left for Dr. Gilberto by his ex-lover, Tarara Bomde’ay, chief of hospital operations.

While Six Chix constantly looks like it was written by a couple of junior high school girls on lunchbreak, it rarely reaches that level of sophistication. I hope this helps explain today’s panels.
True Fable
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:24 pm [Reply]

#330 Ribinin – I was just about ready to take my barky stick after them, when I realized they were eating Goatmeal, not having a meal made of Goat. Or at least that’s how I chose to stick my head in the sand about it.

Hey, ‘Mudgeons! Now that Thanksgiving Day is over and it’s Black Friday, we can all hang out at Weed’s Food Trough and see what the funnies are having:

As pointed out, Red & Rover are serving Goatmeal.

Mary Worth not only has her Gray Cassarole, but she’s also got a side boat of Weasel Broth.

It’s next to the empty plate of Prime Rib that Grampa never got, as well as five different kinds of cassroles plus a stack of grease-dripping hamburgers, cole slaw and mud pies from Foobville.

Rex Morgan MD donated some of his ubiquitous Stock Pot Soup.

Sam can’t cook, but Randy Parker has once again brought over his lobsters and is still offering to show you how to work them like a claw.

And let’s not forget that yummy Good Wing Sauce! Just the thing to pour over Ubiquiduck. But one thing we can’t serve is potatoes.

In the first place, I doubt His Galacticness would allow it, and in the second place, since Lost Forest potatoes actually TALK, the screaming would distract from the taste.
Spotted HØrse
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:30 pm [Reply]

#353 True: Let’s serve the new Monsanto hybrid, LoFo Mute Potato.
Spotted HØrse
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:30 pm [Reply]

Mmmmm…. silent tuber screams.
gkl
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:32 pm [Reply]

GA: Pooping on the English language since 1918.

GT: That’s the most detailed depiction of the keying of a car that’s ever been drawn, I think.

Pluggers: I hope that dog poops in pluggerchickenlady’s bed.

MW: Even if Chester’s real owner comes forward, I bet he’ll choose to stay with Mary. What dog could resist a woman who buys him a vaguely rectangular brownish thing?

MT: If this keeps up, I’m going to start thinking Bull Malone might be a bad guy.
Spotted HØrse
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:36 pm [Reply]

You’re a bad LoFo Shut yo’ mouth!… just talkin’ bout potatoes.
dyslexic dog
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:39 pm [Reply]

#352: Dingo, if I recall correctly, Tarara Bomde’ay was Mrs. Peel’s successor on The Avengers.
Loopina
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:49 pm [Reply]

I’m enjoying using a computer that actually has sound – mine at home doesn’t have speakers. Found the Benny Hill and Kung Fu Fighting MW videos – any other recommendations?

Ah, Youtube – I found at least a dozen really superior renditions of the Mario theme songs.
Mario 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jawSFZhFvAE
Mario 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzP7TXpFlQg
Mario 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz1V19GpgqQ
Red Greenback
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:14 pm [Reply]

Hey, I like Heathcliffe! I am especially enamored with that guy who’s head looks like a light-bulb. My no 1 d.i. comic: Mutts oh, I also like Tundra a great deal.
Loopina
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:27 pm [Reply]

GA: Great, now these guys are talking like the FC kids.

BB: It looks like Beetle is carrying Pi.

H&J: Whoa, politics! This is about as edgy and topical as H&J gets.

SFx: Tarzan has a debt monkey.

Pluggers: Children *or* pets… because sometimes it’s hard to know the difference. Isn’t the chicken lady married to a dog?
Anonymous
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:45 pm [Reply]

Phantom: The first rule of Project Mayhem is you do not talk about Project Mayhem.
dyslexic dog
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:48 pm [Reply]

Three desert island comics:
C&H
Dilbert
The Duplex
PBS
OBH
At least three of them are bound to be funny.

Three desert island soap operas:
MT
Li’l Abner
JP
9CL
RMMD
At least three of them are bound to be funny.
Zamboni_Rodeo
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:52 pm [Reply]

Damn cookies… 362 was me.
Dingo
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:01 pm [Reply]

And you were brilliant, Zamboni-Rodeo.
Spotted HØrse
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:12 pm [Reply]

Bad earworm: Ain’t nobody gonna breaka my stride, nobody gonna hold me down, ah no, ah no, I got to keep on movin’

I’d get it stuck on my brain as “breaka my spine”.

Also Culture Club’s I know you’re mince meat, I know you’re mince meat… I know you’re mince meat pieeee. Aye.
dyslexic dog
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:18 pm [Reply]

Earworm ’60s:
Gary Lewis and the Playboys – Meshuginah Miss Her
Red Greenback
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:28 pm [Reply]

Earworm: “The Rapper” by The Jaggers.
Dingo
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:29 pm [Reply]

A few weeks ago on Carpoolers — a television series I only know about because of my parents’ addiction to Dancing with the Stars — the guys in the car were playing a game of which of two entities with whom they’d have sex. Finally, a man asked whether they’d choose Dame Judi Dench or a bear. His seatmate looks at him and says, “Describe the bear.”

So…

1: Mary Worth or Brooke Astor
2: Dick Cheney or an incontinent mastiff
3: Bill Clinton or George Bush
4: The boat wrestling guy or Gadge Cubic, Mole Preener
5: Toeby Cameron or Chesty McLoveStrumpet (Red?) from Judge Parker
True Fable
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:51 pm [Reply]

#369 Dingo – add ons!

6. 9CL’s Juliet or A3G’s Margo
7. Jeremy Duncan or Chip Flagston
8. Samantha Hill or Molly the Bear
9. Thel Keane or Dee Patterson
10. Edda or Neddy

#367 Dyslexic Dog – I’m still chuckling over Meshuginah Miss Her! XD
Captain Thunder
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:08 pm [Reply]

Yet another Dennis, Viscount of Stokington is up.

Menacing House
Zamboni_Rodeo
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:14 pm [Reply]

#365, Dingo:

Aww… *blush* You’re just sayin’ that…

*looks self-consciously at shoes*
dyslexic dog
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:28 pm [Reply]

Nos. 369, 370:
1. Brooke would be $0 much more, uh, grateful.
2. Lynne Cheney
3. Chelsea
4. Shirley
5. Toeby Camelon, nah. Red, nah, not enough meds. I pick Abby. She’s still virginal.
6. I imagine everyone smells better in 9CL.
7. Viral
8. Describe Samantha.
9. You leave me no choice, True. One of each.
10. As much as I want to spend the rest of my life with Edda, fictional though she may be, I have to go with Neddie.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:55 pm [Reply]

Any motor heads out there?
Anyone own/like/dislike the Taurus X (aka Ford Freestye)?
Any input is grateful.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:55 pm [Reply]

Actually, any input is welcome.
I will be grateful.
Red Greenback
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:56 pm [Reply]

I’m an IROC zed man
SecretMargo
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:02 pm [Reply]

371: O Captain, my Captain! I especially enjoyed the “sirrah” exchange. Godspeed, madman!
Red Greenback
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:08 pm [Reply]

Not to be confused with “I’m An Urban Spaceman”…I’m all for the short shirt, myself.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:35 pm [Reply]

Red
Here’s your car:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNKG225VDLRY67J
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:39 pm [Reply]

Talkin’ to myself……
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:03 pm [Reply]

380. ltrftp(not so first time). Not exactly. You are being observed. Not that you should feel paranoid or anything, but we are watching you.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:05 pm [Reply]

Who said that?

Hello?

Listen, this isn’t funny.

HEllO?
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:07 pm [Reply]

Guys?
Ghostly Echo
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:10 pm [Reply]

OOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo……
Jack Parsons
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:11 pm [Reply]

RMMD: Is Rex going to play chess with Death? Or just shoot a few rounds of hillbilly golf?.
Chill Wind
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:11 pm [Reply]

Woooooshhhhhhhhhhh. . . .
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:14 pm [Reply]

What was that?
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:14 pm [Reply]

I’ve had enough.
I’m going back to car.
I’ll leave the flashlight here.
John C Fremont
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:17 pm [Reply]

They’re coming to get you, Barbara! I mean, ltrftp!
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:22 pm [Reply]

Hmmm, I’ve never heard my name pronounced that way.
Barbara?
Hanna?

What’s that white lump over there?
Citric
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:30 pm [Reply]

MF: Considering where the thought balloon is emanating from, I initially thought that it should read “The nice thing about porno is no writer’s strike”, but who knows, maybe Tinsley likes watching the tight ends in their tight spandex pants.

Pluggers: There’s a difference between plugger children and pets?
gkl
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:31 pm [Reply]

369, 370:

1: Brooke Astor, and that’s taking into account the fact that she’s dead.

2. The mastiff. Duh.

3. Clinton. I’d like to have a beer with Bush, but only because then I could smash the bottle over his head.

4. Mole preener. Don’t know who that is, but it sounds cool. Unless there are actual rodents involved.

5. Chesty McLovestrumpet. Toeby would probably involve incredibly slow movements and incredibly awkward angles.

6. I’m actually tempted by Margo, just because I suspect it would be… well, not so much amazing, but the kind of story you could tell at any bar and drink free for life. But as I suspect she kills after mating, I’d ultimately have to go for Juliet.

7. Yikes… I’ll go with Chip. But I think I should be able to substitute Judi Dench here…

8. … and the bear here! Molly in a landslide. I have no hostility for you.

9. Trick question; both are non-anatomically-correct plastic dolls.

10. By this point, your gonads have withered and fallen off, so it’s kind of moot.
Strange Noises
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:40 pm [Reply]

Tap . . . . Tap . . . . (tap).
Tap . . . . Tap . . . . (tap).
Tap . . . . Tap . . . . (tap).

Aaa!
Poteet
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:55 pm [Reply]

# 312 — Now wait just a minute, Castrata. I didn’t mean to send out a NEW earworm. I was just repeating an earworm that had already been mentioned earlier in the thread, and…okay, I do see your point. In any case, your delayed-action earworm has just reached my brain and is cheerily warbling away. So for anyone who missed Castrata’s original comment and is unlucky enough to remember the song, here we go! Ah-one, ah-two… “Ah’m ALL outuh LUV…Ah’m SO lost withOUT you…”

# 347 — Thank you, Spotted H0rse. I’ll be ready with more eggnog and more astonishing invisible beauty to match your own fantastic invisible good looks. I wish I could extend this invisibility thing to other aspects of my life. My bedroom is a pit right now, and making it invisible would definitely be an improvement.
Poteet
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:05 pm [Reply]

# 394 — I beat my head against the wall in deep remorse. I hate misspelling other Mudges’ names. Catastra, Catastra, Catastra, Catastra. Profound apologies.
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:10 pm [Reply]

394. GAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!! Make it stop!!! GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
Poteet
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:14 pm [Reply]

# 395 — And speaking of remorse, I’m again regretting my original estimate of 900 comments before our Pope returns. I think my only hope of being sort of right is if he returns late in the day on Monday, and I’d much rather he returned early.

Anyway, rather than try to answer # 369 and # 370, I’m now trying to imagine some interesting/disastrous intercomic hookups.

1. Nikki (RMMD) and Neddie (JP)

2. Rex (RMMD) and Mark (MT)

3. Abbey (JP) and Rusty (JP)
Poteet
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:18 pm [Reply]

# 396 — Oops, forgot that genuine human suffering could ensue. Sorry, sorry, Brown-eyed Girl…umm…in the spirit of fighting horror with horror, try humming “Muskrat Love.”
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:32 pm [Reply]

398. Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my punishment for teasing ltrftp(not so first time). Devoured by earworms!

Oh please, angry god, I wasn’t the only one. Mitigate my suffering or have someone else join me in my misery.

Doe anyone else remember a Saturday Night Live video (I think is was SNL) where hordes of smiling children devoured grilled rodents while “Muskrat Love” played? I suppose I could look it up on YouTube, but then I would risk hearing that song again. Anyone who lived through the era when it got regular radio play should get special dispensation for just about everything.
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:32 pm [Reply]

399. Including typos
Tabby
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:35 pm [Reply]

374 From too many years in the used car biz I can tell you some things. Avoid these: Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable (same thing), Pontiac Grand Am, Mitsubishi. But it’s easier to tell you what to look for – in two words: Honda Toyota
Poteet
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:35 pm [Reply]

# 400 — I agree, B-eyed Girl, and those of us who deliberately inflict memories of that song upon others should get down on our knees and beg for mercy. I hereby get down and beg.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:36 pm [Reply]

And as he started to go…
She said “Billy keep your head low……

You’d think they’d learn by now the first one killed is really the killer!
Poteet
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:40 pm [Reply]

# 369 & # 370 — Just to clarify, Dingo and Sir Fable MTK, I did try to start choosing between the, um, interesting alternatives you offered, but my brain rebelled within about fifteen seconds and started shrieking “No! No!” It took several pieces of chocolate to calm it down.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:42 pm [Reply]

Tabby
I know.
But….
(long boring complicated story

I have option of accepting Taurus X in lieu of suing and winning lawsuit against an estate.
sonneta
November 23rd, 2007 at 8:55 pm [Reply]

A day late, and a dollar short-

Desert island strips:
Get Fuzzy
Far Side (reruns)
Foxtrot (reruns weekdays; new ones on Sun.)

Leave them on the island strips:
FOOB
Lockhorns
Dennis the Menace

Dessert island:
Strawberry shortcake (w/ whipped cream)
Chocolate cheesecake
Key lime pie (chocolate crust)
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:09 pm [Reply]

I have never told anyone this until now-If I read Marmaduke I feel a part of life has been wasted.

There is no comic that fills me with this cosmic ennui. Others I dislike, detest even, but Marmaduke is my Comic cosmic kryptonite.

There, I feel better.
Tabby
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:15 pm [Reply]

It’s all about the $$$. Look in your paper to find out about how much that year Taurus is selling for in your area & compare that to the lawsuit potential. The sticky part, of course, is the part between getting the car & selling it (or trading it) vs the part about waiting for the other stuff to wend it’s way through the courts and crossing with silver all the open palms between here & there. If you live in a urban kinda place, try the Auto Trader if you decide to go with the car & sell it. Good luck!!

Leaverites:
cathy
garfield
mallard fillmore

desserts:
ben & jerry’s carmel sutra
chocolove bars (any over 65% cocoa content)
anything from Elizabeth’s on 37th’s (in Savannah, GA) dessert cart
Billys Left Ventricle
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:18 pm [Reply]

Giddy Up Four-O-Nine!
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:18 pm [Reply]

407. Maybe we need a new catagory: Sealed in Lead and Launched into the Sun. Momma is my choice; everytime I see it I’ve feel like I’ve had slow poison injected into my soul.
Zamboni_Rodeo
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:19 pm [Reply]

Snuffy Smith: Ya know, everyone in this strip looks like Willie Nelson minus the braids.
Dean Booth
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:20 pm [Reply]

Congrats, Skullturf on your amzaing two-fer, and kudos to the COTW runners up and to MWGallaher.

I met my brother-in-law’s mother at Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. She’s from California, and she looks just like Mary Worth! I tell ya, it was freakin’ me out! If she had started talking about rescuing a dog, I would have lost it.

My choice of three comics: Lio, Get Fuzzy, and… this is a tough choice… PBS, MW, or Popeye. I’ve started to really enjoy Popeye lately — it’s like Zippy the Pinhead in a soap-style strip.

A couple of mash ups:
MW: The Ecstasy of Saint Mary

RMMD: To Catch a Morgan (Inspired by someone here, but I couldn’t find the comment.)
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:22 pm [Reply]

Tabby
Indeed. Part of the pain is that I actually have to take title (he left a very complicated estate – my bet is that he had another identity.).

My wife is kinda interested in keeping the car as it is (probably) tax free if we keep it, but may not be if we sell it.

I realise there are worse problems to have, but the amount of time and effort it took to get to this settlement has been wearing on me and my family.
Ash
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:25 pm [Reply]

~~~~~WORKSHED~~~~~
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:26 pm [Reply]

Brown eyed Girl

YES!
But not our sun.

Just in case…..
Billy K\'s Left Ventricle
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:32 pm [Reply]

Mary Worth looks like a Q-Tip on steroids.
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:02 pm [Reply]

Crawling slowly toward post number 420 on a Friday night…
AMC
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:05 pm [Reply]

RMMD Just what this story arc needed – Ninjas!

Next, look for some ninja-endos…. “Are those nunchakus or are you twins?” Or, maybe: “You want to go see Crouching Tiger, Hidden Trout?”

MW No worries on Chester’s owner taking him back as long as there are still cliff around Charterstone. Mary knows how to make it look like an “accident”.
SecretMargo
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:23 pm [Reply]

416: true dat.

GT — Oh, Gil Thorp, you make me thankful for so many things. Today, I’m thankful for your delightfully cavalier approach to perspective, which made me think the first panel showed a car pulling up too close to a pizza and being chastised, much like a dog would be for begging too indiscreetly for turkey scraps. And indeed, if any strip was going to veer into all-out Maximum Overdrive-style sentient-machine-attack mode, it would be Gil Thorp. Though now that I think of it, between this and the chainsaw storyline, maybe that’s where we unwittingly already are?

A3G — I am also, of course, thankful for the very existence of Margo. I love the weighing/palpating motion she’s doing with her hand as she “unloads” her zinger, as if she were employing the international sign for “each breast is like a sack of flour, I’m tellin’ ya” to sell it to the cheap seats.

MW — After despairing somewhat that this storyline would dawdle eternally in a dog-drool-drenched, self-congratulatory stupor, I am now thankful that I stayed with it long enough to enjoy the spectacle of petty number-crunching being passed off as a display of self-sacrificing love (just in time for Chirstmas!). I’m a bit giddy with anticipation for the showdown between the rightful owners and Mary “Do You Have Any Idea What This Dog Bed Is” Worth, but today I’ll content myself with savouring the daggers Mary’s shooting from her eyes at Toby as the latter dares to dirty The $64,000 Dogcessory with her common paw.

The ‘Shaft — I’m thankful that we were left to imagine, rather than have to see, a dog farting in the face of a grateful old man for whom this is the closest semblence of intimacy and affection left.

Pluggers — I’m thankful that the artist has finally produced a comic that reads equally well whether a puppy is considered a pet or a child in the Pluggerverse. Now everyone can be equally happy/creeped out.

JP — If any strip desperately called out to be interrupted midstream and turned into a shot-by-shot re-enactment of North by Northwest, it was certainly this one. So I’m thankful for that too.
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:25 pm [Reply]

(spark, puff…)
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:29 pm [Reply]

417. Following a chain of thought that is far too boring and convoluted to explain, your post got me wondering if there are any songs out there with “friday night” in the title, or that feature the phrase? I can think of several with “saturday night” (Bay City Rollers, anyone? Talk about earworms.), but “friday night” eludes me.
ralph
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:33 pm [Reply]

Say, Mr. Spotted HØrse, 347, does your personal float, um … float? Because if it were amphibious, wouldn’t it be great to take a tour of some of these dessert islands? For example, check out 406. Not that I’m condoing any piracy of desserts. Not me. No sir. … Er, it is invisible, right? Your best friend ever, ralph
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:33 pm [Reply]

Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the scene
You come to look for a king
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:34 pm [Reply]

You are the DANCING QUEEN, young and sweet, only seventeen
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:34 pm [Reply]

There are also a ton of songs that say “seventeen”.
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:39 pm [Reply]

423. I’m ashamed of myself for missing that one.

Parody time:

Friday night and the snarks are slow
Notwithstanding Secret Margo
ralph
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:39 pm [Reply]

Wow, 422, me, I checked preview and still missed “condoning.” I may need a “remedial preview” button.
Loopina
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:40 pm [Reply]

RMMD: They have good reason to be scared – “Onion” is out on the porch! Get ready to cough up that lunch money, Niki.
Loopina
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:43 pm [Reply]

I get my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine.
Brown-eyed Girl
November 23rd, 2007 at 10:47 pm [Reply]

425.

I learned the truth at seventeen
That love is meant for dancing queens
Citric
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:00 pm [Reply]

This is some completely insane thinking, but Pluggers might just be a terrifying glimpse into our future.

Basically, knowing that, based on evidence, evolution goes in fits and starts. So, unless something in the environment, say the earth getting warmer and more filled with houses, there’s not too much reason to evolve beyond your present form. But, say you’re the common bear. You used to have it pretty good, sleep when it got cold, eat lots of fishes and the occasional hippie, and you’re sitting pretty. But, because of urban sprawl and global warming, your habitat is getting pretty dire. Right now, lots of bears will wander into towns and eat garbage.

Imagine, then, the clever bears learn how to adapt themselves to human devices. They aren’t quite as smart as people, but they figure out how to wear flannel and that this generally makes it less likely for them to get a dart up their ass and wake up in the middle of nowhere. The bears get slightly more and more clever each generation, eventually getting hired to perform menial tasks, use rudimentary language skills, and suppressing the urge to eat everyone. The bear, in order to save the species, evolves into the working class for the human race. They turn into pluggers.

Lord knows how they marry kangaroos and have dog offspring. Or quite how sensible this will seem when fully conscious.
Niall
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:03 pm [Reply]

346. dyslexic dog: I don’t see GT on sundays, but its existence has been discussed here before by a few. I would figure the syndicate site might have it.

124. Dingo: I finally watched Calendar Girl. Miss August.. WOW. I don’t know about the beach, but any number of bars would certainly welcome her! (And look at that hat!..) What made me goggle, though, were the mod dress by March and the stripy number by May. March: “I’m gonna march you down the isle”? So back then weddings were in early Spring? Lots of December babies, eh?

350 Girl Reporter: kittens discovering snow is the funniest yet cutest thing ever. The complete “WTF? What IS this thing? It’s.. cold!!! but… I have to.. explore! But.. it’s COLD!” expressions are priceless.

394. Poteet: I see your All Out Of Love, and up with: “Oncccccccccccccccce…. Long agooooooooooooo…. A word from your lipsssssssssss… and the woooooooooorld turns arouuuuuuuuuund…” :) And I still maintain we’ll get four digits.

I still get only five or less of the earworms. “Muskrat Love” is one I know I know, but can never associate the music, because it’s one of those songs I can’t figure out the lyrics to.

428 Loopina: Onion – HAHAHA!!! Fantastic!!
Loopina
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:32 pm [Reply]

#425:
When I was seventeen – it was a very good year.
It was a very good year for small-town girls and soft summer nights
We’d hide from the lights
On the village green
When I was seventeen.

My seventeen year: Kurt Cobain offed himself, OJ didn’t kill his wife, Tonya Harding smackdown, Friends premieres (I don’t watch it until about 6 years later). Awesome movies: Pulp Fiction and The Lion King. All my friends loved The Crow but I just didn’t “get it”. I bought my first CD (Dookie) and first Starbucks cappuccino.
Spotted HØrse
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:33 pm [Reply]

#422 ralph:

Say, Mr. Spotted HØrse, 347, does your personal float, um … float? Because if it were amphibious, wouldn’t it be great to take a tour of some of these dessert islands?

Hello ralph! I’m glad you asked! When designing my private supersecret überluxurious invisible float, I was inspired by the thrilling, climactic hovercraft chase sequence that finishes Jackie Chan’s seminal “Rumble in the Bronx.” You know, where they blow over the bad guy, thereby scraping off his pants, exposing his evil pale ass and skinning him of his dignity.

So, over hill, over Dale, over estuaries we go. Dessert islands off the port bow!

Sorry Poteet, I know you don’t want to Quack-AHHHH! any waterfowl, but “estuary” is funnier than “docks.”
Spotted HØrse
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:38 pm [Reply]

Anubble earworm: When cooking scrambled eggs, a lacy egg residue cooks onto the perimeter of the frying pan. I look down at it and my mind says, “Egg lace. Paper Lace. I heard my mama cry, I heard her PRAY the night Chicago died, lalalalala LA LA!”

Also, “In the year 2525, if man is still alive, if woman can survive blah blah blah.” This earworm is not egg related.
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:47 pm [Reply]

The year I turned 17, popular albums included (if I remember correctly) Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Achtung Baby, and Nevermind. It was also the height of Vanilla Ice’s popularity. It was the year that Mario Lemieux’s Penguins and Michael Jordan’s Bulls each won their first championship, and it was the year of the Iraq war that only lasted six weeks. It was also the year that the World Series was considered to be among the best ever (the one between the Braves and the Twins that had tons of extra-inning games), and it was the year Freddie Mercury died.
Dingo
November 24th, 2007 at 12:03 am [Reply]

Catastra, this is one of the things you have to love about this site. Here you misspelled a word and now we have all of these wonderful posts about people’s dream of a dessert island. Folks, if y’all were in Ottawa tonight, I’d have had you ride on a float. It was my parents’ Holiday Lights parade that they hold each year the night after Thanksgiving and this was year 20. Holiday Lights
Dingo
November 24th, 2007 at 12:06 am [Reply]

Attention! Vicki Lawrence! Vicki Lawrence, please! Mark Trail needs you in Lost Forest pronto. You have a song to sing for Johnny Malotte and Bull Malone. Malotte is gonna fire a round just to flag ‘em down and the World War I field marshal is gonna say, “Why’d y’do it?”
Comic Connoisseur
November 24th, 2007 at 12:14 am [Reply]

Is the mom in Cathy wearing a strap-on pointed straight at us?
http://www.chron.com/apps/comics/showComic.mpl?date=2007/11/23&name=Cathy

I am not proud of the fact that my mind’s eye went for that interpretation a split second before it registered “shirt tied in knot”
The Avocado Avenger
November 24th, 2007 at 12:33 am [Reply]

#296 Calico – “Daria” quote for the win. Of course, Jake was drinking milk, not turkey…

#352 Dingo – I have no joke here, I just like saying “dickie”.

Glad to see the comments up over 400. I thought we’d have trouble getting to 500, but it’s within reach. (Now, I could yammer for days and contribute 100 comments myself, but I’ve been busy toodling around the house. Toodling takes more energy than you realize.)
Billys Lost Hat
November 24th, 2007 at 12:42 am [Reply]

Here’s an earworm:
“We can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
‘Cause your friends don’t dance and if they don’t dance
Well they’re no friends of mine”
Billys Lost Hat
November 24th, 2007 at 12:42 am [Reply]

Here’s an earworm:
“We can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
‘Cause your friends don’t dance and if they don’t dance
Well they’re no friends of mine”
Poteet
November 24th, 2007 at 12:44 am [Reply]

# 412 — Dean, THE ECSTASY OF MARY WORTH is uberwonderful.

# 432 — Niall, I don’t recognize that song. Does this mean that there is actually a bad song from the Seventies that I missed?

# 434 — Spotted H0rse, I’m totally up for the estuaries, because riding on an invisible float means never having to say you’re sorry. But earworming us with Paper Lace is another matter. “Then there was no sound at AWWWLLL…but the clock upon the wall!” Ooog…
Billys Lost Hat
November 24th, 2007 at 12:46 am [Reply]

Sorry sorry ’bout ’bout that that..
Uncle Lumpy
November 24th, 2007 at 12:48 am [Reply]

Dean, on Thanksgiving Day I gave thanks for Dean’s Comic Linker. If loving it is wrong, I don’ wanna be right.
Poteet
November 24th, 2007 at 12:48 am [Reply]

And when I was seventeen, the mighty supercontinent of Pangaea was just starting to break apart. I remember it well. And we all rode unicorns and rubbed sticks to make our signal fires.
dyslexic dog
November 24th, 2007 at 12:51 am [Reply]

#432 – Niall:

I figured you were just too polite to ask…

Muskrat, muskrat candlelight
Doin the town and doin it right
In the evenin
Its pretty pleasin

Muskrat susie, muskrat sam
Do the jitterbug out in muskrat land
And they shimmy
And sammys so skinny

And they whirled and they twirled and they tangoed
Singin and jingin the jango
Floatin like the heavens above
It looks like muskrat love

Nibbling on bacon, chewin on cheese
Sammy says to susie honey, would you please be my missus?
And she say yes with her kisses

And now hes ticklin her fancy
Rubbin her toes
Muzzle to muzzle, now anything goes
As they wriggle, and sue starts to giggle

And they whirled and they twirled and they tangoed
Singin and jingin the jango
Floatin like the heavens above
It looks like muskrat love

(Willis Alan Ramsey)
Helena Handbasket
November 24th, 2007 at 12:52 am [Reply]

Take to desert island: Lio, Get Fuzzy, Sally Forth

Leave on desert island: Andy Capp, The Lockhorns, B.C.

Eat on dessert island: chocolate cake, maple pecan pie, blueberry pie
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 24th, 2007 at 12:54 am [Reply]

Dessert island:

Black forest cake
Mint chocolate chip ice cream
Fudge brownies.
dyslexic dog
November 24th, 2007 at 12:58 am [Reply]

Pez
SecretMargo
November 24th, 2007 at 1:01 am [Reply]

445: Or that other product of Dean Booth’s genius, the comics database. Or maybe…maybe I’m just thankful for Dean Booth qua Dean Booth.
Helena Handbasket
November 24th, 2007 at 1:06 am [Reply]

You want the ultimate earworm?

I did a study in which I determined that I could walk up to any group of three or more people from within five years on either side of my age, start singing this song, and by the end I would have at least one person singing along with me.

Imagine, if you will, a psychedelic pinball machine…

1 2 3 4 5,
6 7 8 9 10,
11 12,
Do do-do do-do do do
do do-do do-do do do
12!
doodle doodle do (12!)
doodle do doodle do doodle do doodle do (12!)
bum bum bum bum bum!
12! 12! 12!
1 2 3 4 5,
6 7 8 9 10,
11 12,
(key change)
1 2 3 4 5,
6 7 8 9 10
11
tweeeeeeeeeelve!
Paul1963
November 24th, 2007 at 1:09 am [Reply]

I’m still amazed at the reference to Late Night with Conan O’Brien in The Phantom the other day. I’m not sure which is more amazing–the fact that Conan is broadcast in whatever African city this is supposed to be (that looks just like a generic American Big City), or the fact that the Phantom has apparently found the time to watch it.

And then we see that whatzername apparently is the fastest graffiti artist ever, covering what has to be at least six or eight floors of a sizable office building with an image of the Phantom–in perfect proportion, yet! Y’know, I expect the Pygmy Poison Cleanup Squad is going to be rather conspicuous up on that scaffold trying to whitewash that image away before the city wakes up…

The Luck of Dennis St.Michell, Viscount Stokington is dead brilliant, and I’m looking forward to seeing how long it keeps going.

The last time Gasoline Alley spent too long in insipid territory, I started writing an alternate storyline on the GA board at comicspage.com. I’m about ready to start another one if “Rufus and Joel and the Black Cat” goes on much longer.

Rejected Garfield strip:
Liz has come to Jon’s place for another sexless evening with her boyfriend, the cartoonist who never draws anything. She looks around curiously. “Didn’t you used to have a roommate? Lyman, wasn’t it? What ever happened to him?”
Jon points silently at Garfield, who is sitting on the table as he always does so he’s in the frame with them. Liz’s eyes grow wide. Garfield looks over his shoulder. “What?” he asks. “He was asleep and I was hungry.”
Poteet
November 24th, 2007 at 1:16 am [Reply]

# 281 — Mygawd, Joe, you’re a genius. Do you do stock market predictions? May I touch your sleeve?
Deena in OR
November 24th, 2007 at 1:17 am [Reply]

Helena-

Yes! Yes!

And how about….
“Easy Reader, that’s my name….unh, unh, unh…”
Zamboni_Rodeo
November 24th, 2007 at 1:18 am [Reply]

Fresh snark for Saturday!

A3G: Whoever called Ruby becoming Margo’s new assistant party planner… I think you’re onto something.

BaBlu: I can’t help it: Zoe’s friend Thelma is hysterical (partly because she reminds me of my own dear, departed grandma).

Curtis Chutney’s mom should never have accepted that transfer to FW.

Grin & Bear It: Usually this one isn’t comment-worthy, but the colorists have created an interesting dichotomy in today’s strip. They’ve either killed the so-called punch-line or gone strangely meta. I can’t decide which.

Pluggers: So… Plugger designer clothing is a giant patchwork muu-muu?
Poteet
November 24th, 2007 at 1:23 am [Reply]

Eat on dessert island — the chocolate dessert supplied at Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, chocolate mousse, Stam chocolate gelato. I might get tired of chocolate, but I’m willing to risk it.

11/24 DT — And now comes the magic inevitable DT tipping point at which the already senseless plot slides even further into insanity.
Loopina
November 24th, 2007 at 1:25 am [Reply]

#452: I love that song! Family Guy did an excellent parody. Or tribute – they basically did it. I found it on YouTube – I forgot how absolutely random it is, gotta love the groovy funk music.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=HgocE-JfWFI
Poteet
November 24th, 2007 at 1:28 am [Reply]

GA — I’m a cat fanatic and even I am sliding into deep ennui. I coulda tried to think of a plot for a bestselling book, or gotten really good at playing the horses, or discovered a better way to unclog arteries. But no, I had to get hooked on this inane zombie of a strip.
Poteet
November 24th, 2007 at 1:30 am [Reply]

Good night, sweet Mudges. May flights of sarcastic angels snark thee to thy rest.
Cornwhacker
November 24th, 2007 at 1:39 am [Reply]

(huff…huff…pant…) Hi all, sorry I’m late to the party (I brought lemon-roasted almonds if anyone has room for ‘em).

I’m dropping in to help the post count and — perhaps most importantly — to be the first to say this about Saturday’s Judge Parker:

Mr. Dickens’s chickens! Mr. Dickens’s chickens!

or should that be chickenses?
dyslexic dog
November 24th, 2007 at 1:40 am [Reply]

#458 – Loopina:

Thanks for the YouTube. I was going nuts trying to figure out what it was. I almost made it work with “Rite of Spring,” but the do-do-dos kept getting in the way. (Of course, you can do Old MacDonald to it too.)
Cornwhacker
November 24th, 2007 at 1:43 am [Reply]

458, 452: And we all know that’s Pointer Sisters funkily counting to twelve in that Sesame Street sequence, right?
dale
November 24th, 2007 at 1:43 am [Reply]

360 – Red Greenback
First mention of Tundra I’ve seen.

In the few weeks it’s been running on trial in the Raleigh paper, the guy has used the same gag twice. The first time, which I really liked, Death is carrying a leaf rake because the scythe is in the shop for sharpening. Second, several days ago, witch wearing baseball cap explains regular hat is at cleaners.

On 11/22 we see that the author is taking suggestions. I think I read he’s new to the business or at least the strip is.
I wondered about the joke that day because we’ve always been led to believe that Einstein was a mediocre student as a child.
Cornwhacker
November 24th, 2007 at 1:44 am [Reply]

er, the Pointer Sisters.

Yes, I do my crosswords in ink at this time of the night.
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 2:10 am [Reply]

Yes Dale, Tundra hits my Fonebone 93.9 percent of the time. I’ve given Chad Carpenter props before on Josh’s blog.
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 24th, 2007 at 2:18 am [Reply]

Leave it on the island: ARCHIE
Uncle Lumpy
November 24th, 2007 at 2:19 am [Reply]

MT — “Eets Bool Malone! Sacre bleu!
dyslexic dog
November 24th, 2007 at 2:29 am [Reply]

H&L: You’re pretty desperate when you have to announce at the very beginning that there’s a “Gag” coming up.

RwO: That seems to be the case with practically every news story.

The Duplex: What an awesome way to drop the lbs!

PBS: “No Larry. Payless Shoes sells dead alligators.”

GA: “Also, he likes that name better than his old one, Thrash Metal.”

S-M: “I wish MJ could tingle my spider sense that way.”

9CL: Well. So finally Francis emerges from under the table.

(GONNG! Next.)
Mr. O'Malley
November 24th, 2007 at 2:41 am [Reply]

452. Unfortunately, this is what came into my head:

1 2 3 that’s how elementary it’s gonna be, like taking candy from a baby

or

1 2 3 it’s as easy as ABC (some stupid disco song)

Now I have to sing a few verses of something else to get them out of my mind. What was it someone said a couple of hundred posts ago?

In fact it was a little bit fright’ning
But they did it with expert timing
It’s an ancient Chinese art
Everybody knew their part
Funky Chinamen from funky Chinatown
Here comes the big boss (Huh! Hah!) let’s get it on
dyslexic dog
November 24th, 2007 at 2:51 am [Reply]

“Give me a break, give me a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar.”
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 2:54 am [Reply]

“Banana Phone” ’nuff sed.
Big Sims
November 24th, 2007 at 2:57 am [Reply]

Congratulations Skullturf Q. Beavispants! Win, Place and Show! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I wish I could write and interact more but the home computer is busted and IT Trolls are not too happy with the ‘mudgeon… sigh.

New computer is on order. Happy Black Friday to all!
Big Sims
November 24th, 2007 at 3:02 am [Reply]

IT Trolls at work, where I’m at now.
Duh.

IT Trolls at home a likeable, if inept bunch.
Mr. O'Malley
November 24th, 2007 at 3:06 am [Reply]

458. Well, that explains it. My impressionable years were spent with Howard the Turtle on “Razzle Dazzle”. Now THERE was a show with a theme song! Years later I found out it was actually “Tiger Rag”.

Before that it was the Argonaut’s Club with Russ Tyson. Judging by the small number of references to Ginger Meggs around here, I would be surprised if anyone else had this experience.

Desert Island Comics: Lio, Monty and …? Maybe a rotating selection of Dilbert, GF and PBS.
Mr. O'Malley
November 24th, 2007 at 3:19 am [Reply]

RMMD: If there were any continuity in this strip, it would be “Eightball” out on the porch, still after Niki. Or at least Niki would say “It’s MARGOing Eightball coming to get me!”.

He’s a doctor and she just told him her husband had an accident. Does he grab his doctor bag or at least a first aid kit and rush off to apply a tourniquet before the guy bleeds to death? No, it’s “Come on in and and take a load off your feet. I’ll make a pot of coffee.”

And speaking of continuity, how is it that she knows his name and he doesn’t know hers? She recognized him from the comic strip? Wait a minute …
Mr. O\'Malley
November 24th, 2007 at 3:31 am [Reply]

A strange coincidence–I made that comment about RMMD and then I find this.
Here\'s Aldo!
November 24th, 2007 at 3:37 am [Reply]

Dangitt, Mary, You bought a dog a comfy bed and wouldn’t even give me a piece of the pie! “A rose by any other…fuck you Mary, FUCK YOU TO HECK!
Mr. O'Malley
November 24th, 2007 at 3:38 am [Reply]

I should have “done the crossword in ink”. Preview puts those backslashes in.

Actually I always do the NYT crossword in ink. And I’d do the Cryptoquip in ink too, except that my wife usually gets to it first.

Almost 500 comments and still two days to go. We can make four digits easy.
Baka Gaijin
November 24th, 2007 at 3:44 am [Reply]

#360 Red Greenback: I met Chad Carpenter at the Alaska State Fair (Fairbanks Edition) and bought 2 copies of a Tundra compilation. Very cool dude for sitting in that musty tent, wayyyyy over therrrrre, beyond the small ampitheater, inhaling mousepad fumes for hours a day. Tundra’s compilations include mostly new comics, not just daily reruns. Definitely pick one up.
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 3:54 am [Reply]

Baka Gaijin. That’s the kewlest!
Angry Beaver
November 24th, 2007 at 4:00 am [Reply]

helena– I remember that myself!! In fact I broke down and bought the DVD of ‘Sesame Street: Old School’ when I worked in Hell oh wait I mean Wal*Mart. :) Its fun to watch ‘The Ladybug Picnic’ and remember the words.
Baka Gaijin
November 24th, 2007 at 4:01 am [Reply]

#481 Red Greenback: I had him sign one copy, something to the effect of: Get you own copy, cheapskate! That’s the copy I lend to people. Or lent to people before I started this world tour.
The Avocado Avenger
November 24th, 2007 at 4:05 am [Reply]

The most awesome thing about the Phantom is being new to the strop and not knowing what the hell is going on. First, he looks like Phantom Limb from “The Venture Bros”, so that’s confusing enough. Then I realize he’s got a troop of volunteer pygmy painters as an entourage, and now he’s riding a horse! With no explanation! The wonder never ends with this strip.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 24th, 2007 at 4:13 am [Reply]

Using kid’s songs is cheating…..right?

My name is Luka…..
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 24th, 2007 at 4:17 am [Reply]

G’night

Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 24th, 2007 at 4:17 am [Reply]

twice on the pipes
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 24th, 2007 at 4:23 am [Reply]

repeat?
Mr. O'Malley
November 24th, 2007 at 4:57 am [Reply]

Poteet, Texas, is in the news.
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 24th, 2007 at 6:10 am [Reply]

Time for my six am Advil.

Who is the sumbitch who put “The Night Chicago Died” in my head?

Meow Meow Meow Meow …. I like tuna chicken liver…
Skulking on the Outskirts
November 24th, 2007 at 6:25 am [Reply]

Cornwhacker, 461–only if your real name is Smeagol.
The Avocado Avenger
November 24th, 2007 at 6:28 am [Reply]

#484 Me – what the hell is a strop? I swear, I proof these stupid posts before sending them, it just doesn’t look like it.
TB Tabby
November 24th, 2007 at 7:11 am [Reply]

492 Avocado Avenger: A strop is a device used to sharpen straight razors, usually a strip of flexible material such as leather.
Pinback65
November 24th, 2007 at 7:25 am [Reply]

1) Dessert Island choices? Easy:
Chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate chip cookies

2) This week’s Tom The Dancing Bug made me laugh out loud.

3) MST3K debuted nineteen years ago today! This calls for a Manos/Skydivers double feature!
Vince M
November 24th, 2007 at 8:05 am [Reply]

421: Lady Madonna, without a suitcase.

When I was a kid I always heard that song by the Dixie Cups as:
Going to the jack-o-lantern
Gonna do ma-agic
dyslexic dog
November 24th, 2007 at 8:38 am [Reply]

#493 – …and a comic strop is used by Curtis’ barber.
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 8:40 am [Reply]

Although I adore The Who immensely, “you better, you better, you bet.” is a major ear-worm
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 24th, 2007 at 9:18 am [Reply]

Red
Usually I get parts of Baba O’Reilly stuck in my head.
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 9:20 am [Reply]

One day at my place of toil, I was out on the patio enjoying a smoke and a steaming cuppa joe, when a co-worker of mine who hailed from Vietnam asked me: “What are those trees..they are very beautiful.” I told him “jacarandas” and he said “Oh yes, for halloween!”
dyslexic dog
November 24th, 2007 at 9:33 am [Reply]

Are we there yet?
Baka Gaijin
November 24th, 2007 at 9:45 am [Reply]

#500 dyslexic dog: Damn, is there ANYTHING not covered in Wikipedia?
The Divine O’F
November 24th, 2007 at 9:49 am [Reply]

431 Citric: BRILLIANT theory.

499 Red: BWAHAHA!
Baka Gaijin
November 24th, 2007 at 9:49 am [Reply]

Saturday’s Lio: Party down, Mittens!
Tabby
November 24th, 2007 at 9:54 am [Reply]

OMG!!!!! Joe Bf… ’s 281 is coming to pass!! Spooky!

Earworms (a good kind) – anybody else ever do some sort of work that requires repetitive concentration with music in the background, only to find that, weeks later, you can still hear the music when you handle whatever it is you were working on? This only seems to work for stuff like fabric, wood, some kinds of painting, etc. – not computer stuff or paperwork. It’s kinda cool, but I’m wondering if I’m the only one this ever happens to?
Dingo
November 24th, 2007 at 9:59 am [Reply]

Okay, I’m scared that I know this but… the owner of the car scratched yesterday in Gil Thorp is none other than Momma’s husband from Momma. I’ve already thought that he was dead but it seems he just wandered off one day and has been waiting in Central Casting for the chance to be in another strip. Now if only he’d go back to Momma, fuck her senseless, kick his son out of the house, get cosmetic surgery for that gorgon of a daughter, and create world peace.

Plus, Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
dyslexic dog
November 24th, 2007 at 10:03 am [Reply]

#501 – Baka Gaijin:
I was just hoping I wouldn’t have to resort to the backup.
Baka Gaijin
November 24th, 2007 at 10:19 am [Reply]

#506 dyslexic dog: Ahh, yes, magical 501. The sum of the first 18 primes. Speaking of prime, who but Lío would name a lobster “Mittens” and keep him as a pet?

And Saturday Mary Worth is going totally Aldo on that beagle. I hope he pulls a Snoopy and kisses her right on the nose, causing Mary to run out of the condo, hands waving in the air, screaming about dog germs. Ohhhh yeah!
Niall
November 24th, 2007 at 10:31 am [Reply]

Saturday time – let’s go for 600!

I honestly have to say that the Beetle was amusing. The setup was reasonable, in -character, and though not new, it fits the setting.

Blondie shocked me mostly because it’s a rare admission in mainstream comics that public transit even exists. And that Dagwood deigns to use it.

After all the strained jokes of the last week, Curtis suddenly wahmmies us with something real, honest, and sensitive. I don’t even see a joke at the end, though it’s an attempt at levity to cheer up the girl. Yeah, it could be twisted the wrong way, but… I don’t want to. This is rare enough I want to keep it nice and give kudos to the cartoonist.

Meanwhile, Dennis loses 100 menace points.

FC and H&L both have gas pump jokes today. Is it coordination or lack of it?

Holy fark – The Brick was RIGHT on the MT plot twist! Meaning we CAN have a real villain – and now the bets are open as to how much facial hair he’ll have. From the silhouette, I call a full bushy moustache.

If that’s how Mary Worth is “not too attached” to a dog, I’d hate to see what it would be if she were. She’s in deep denial. Toby is toying with grave danger now. The Biddy Denied is dangerous.

Another great My Cage – but this time Bridget serves the dish. :)

I’m with Sally Forth. Watching the Star Wars Holiday Special more than once, much less annually, is grounds for divorce. Sure the Boba Fett cartoon rules (early Nelvana, yay), but first, you have to go through *shudder* Bea Arthur singing. And the troupe of dancers. Augh!

We’re back to the full (WT)DT appellation. What realtor is up and in their office at sunrise?? And why? To sell the old mansion? WHy would they need Dick Tracy to do it? I know of no real estate deal that went through solely because a cop called it in…

Too long a setup for GF’s punchline, This shoudl have happened Thursday.

Another Garfield that would be improved without the cat and his thought balloons.

…okay. You know what? I actually liked today’s GT. The natural reaction of the car owner, that actually funny-sassy retort by Mitch, and Cully’s simple, yet devastating abandonment of his erstwhile companions. Well, if yesterday’s “What do you think you’re doing” was said by Cully. And in my mind, it was. Because we need more setup for Cully’s reaction than Gil’s pep talk with no reaction from Cully from last week.

So, am I allowed back on this site now?..

Okay, do Pluggers dress up in quilts now?..

Okay, so when can we find Shoe’s expiration date? As in the strip? It’s oficially overstayed its welcome today.
bats :[
November 24th, 2007 at 10:42 am [Reply]

429. Loopina: rock on! (Can you say that about a stage musical?)

Saturday funnies!

MT: O no! Eet eez mah ahrch nemeesees, Boeuf Mahlone! Ahn me weeth ah gun een mah hahnd! Ah em, how you say, “screwed”!

RMMD: “My husband, he was shot by some wacko, French-sounding guy, running through the woods!”
Moss_Moses
November 24th, 2007 at 10:48 am [Reply]

Doc Jeff is now officially below roadkill on the Mary Worth pecking order list of who her meddling life revolves around. Undoubtedly, Chester’s owner will be found and an important life lesson will be learned, vindicating Mary’s love and generosity but teaching us not to get too attached to things that don’t last.

Bull Malone is wounded. People never die in Lost Forest, even detestable creeps like him with evil nicknames. SSB, allow me to extol your prognostication prowess. You called this one!
John C Fremont
November 24th, 2007 at 10:52 am [Reply]

JP – First thing. This can’t really be the beginning of the new story line, can it? We finally get Abbey back, and we’re going to focus on a chicken farming, fly-boy neighbor? Dickens’ Chickens? Crap! I want Neddy, dammit!

Second, “New?” “New airplane?” Okay, I know biplanes are still being manufactured, but I think the “BAM… BAM… WHRRRRR…” says that this is supposed to be some old jalopy. (Wait, does the word “jalopy” apply to airplanes?) In other words, I’m saying that Sam Driver is an idiot, but we already knew that.

Oh, and I don’t remember specifically what was on the radio when I was seventeen, but I think it’s safe to say that Bachman Turner Overdrive was involved. And maybe that Radar Love song, but that might have been earlier. And pre-Michael McDonald Doobie Brothers, but I try not to think about that, although Michael McDonald inspired some of SCTV’s best gags.
Niall
November 24th, 2007 at 10:54 am [Reply]

433. Loopina: My seventeen year: Trudeau retired, Denis Lortie scares the crap out of everyone, Miss America got nude, the Olympics lost even more luster, Reagan joked about bombing Russia, we get Mulroney for seemingly forever, the first Canadian goes to space, it was the year of Band Aid, which was sadly well-named, and Bhopal showed us how much industrial folly we can get. Also crack makes its appearance. Ghostbusters and Star Trek 3 entertained us, though I admit also enjoying Romancing the Stone. Don’t ask me what I bought as records, I don’t remember. Not much though.
wellsey
November 24th, 2007 at 10:56 am [Reply]

MW – Can you think of anyone better for me to spend my time on than a dog that no doubt already has a home? No, Mary. Certainly not the broken-hearted owners who are worrying their dog is lying dead in a road somewhere, or kidnapped for medical research. No. Because it’s all about you, Mary. And your precious dog, too!

Predictions: Cool way: Chester’s owner turns out to be a handsome widower who is grateful to Mary, but whose attention triggers another killing spree for Mary cueing up Aldo 2. It’ll all be an elaborate set up in which Mary will be able to, affecting just the right amount of sadness and pathos, say at the end, “Well, Chester. It looks like there’s no one left but me to care for you now.
Lame way: Chester is just some little kid’s dog forcing Mary to unwillingly give up the dog, but not before some unwanted advice and truisms about leash laws and an unwanted brownish yellow baked dish.
queek
November 24th, 2007 at 11:00 am [Reply]

I have been away doing Thanksgiving stuff, and I apologize if this has been covered already, but yesterdays My Cage, with the fantasy football/D&D take, was BRILLIANT.

Take a bow, Ed.
Moss_Moses
November 24th, 2007 at 11:03 am [Reply]

Mutts treacly platitudes week. That is as bad as any zombie strip and definitely a case of the author getting lazy and mailing it in. I prefer Mary Worth platitudes to the sappy, crappy Mutts junk, anyway.
Dingo
November 24th, 2007 at 11:15 am [Reply]

Moss_Moses! Hush yo’ mouth! Mutts is the best comic strip out there since the demise of Calvin & Hobbes. Shame on you. Shame!

As penance, you must rescue a small dog from the side of the road and purchase a large quantity of goods for it in a local pet store.
Buck Ripsnort
November 24th, 2007 at 11:25 am [Reply]

I know we’ve gotten beyond the ear-worms (a GREAT title for a scifi channel movie) but as a retail peon, I’ve been subjected to TOO MANY different versions of Rudolph and Frosty. The common denominator– they all suck wet farts out of dead pigs.
Lindsey
November 24th, 2007 at 11:29 am [Reply]

Mary Worth: Who better for it to revolve around?
[pause]
Mary: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Toby: You, if course, Mary…
Zamboni_Rodeo
November 24th, 2007 at 11:30 am [Reply]

#464, dale: Whassup, fellow Raleigh ‘Mudge!

Tundra is definitely better than some of the other stuff they’ve been running in that space, but I have an awful feeling that some horrid strip like Mallard Fillmore is what will ultimately end up winning the permanent slot. What’s funny is, ever since I started reading CC, I’ve discovered that I wouldn’t mind if they brought back one of the old strips they dumped, like Gil Thorp. Of course, none of it matters a whole lot, since nine times out of ten I read the comics at Chron.com to begin with.

#505, Dingo: I’m just a bill, I live on Capitol Hill…
Helena Handbasket
November 24th, 2007 at 11:32 am [Reply]

MT: Cue Fisticuffs-watching Park Ranger/Mountie. Luckily, ballistics was able to easily prove that Mr. Malotte had been framed, and he went free by morning.

MW: This is Mary’s way of letting Toby know she has nothing to live for. When Chester returns to his real home, she’ll be found in the Charterstone garage breathing exhaust fumes. Unfortunately for her, suicide is against the condo rules. Hilarity ensues.

S-M: That’s quite an intuitive leap there, given the non-specificity of previous spider-sense tingling.
Loopina
November 24th, 2007 at 11:50 am [Reply]

#513: Even cooler: Mary discovers that the dog wasn’t injured by the side of the road, just exhausted. Seems he’s been searching all over for his beloved owner Aldo, who mysteriously drove off a cliff some time ago. Ever see “The Painted Hills”? (speaking of MST3K).

#517: Worst Christmas song: “The Christmas Shoes”. Bleah!
Best: “Santa Baby” – Eartha Kitt, not Madonna. If they made Slylock into a cartoon, Eartha would play Cassandra.
Dennis Jimenez
November 24th, 2007 at 12:01 pm [Reply]

A3G – My only explanation is they’re all taking a ride on the green fairy.

DtM – A puddle on the bed might have been sort of menacing – well, not really.

MT – Rip a couple of signal shots in the air, Johnny! Take his wallet for safekeeping and put your fingerprints on everything – that’s what I’d do.

MW – Well now Jeff knows where he fits in the pecking order.

RMMD – Steve Earle tried opening for a Toby Keith concert – it was a formula for trouble, right from the start.

Pluggers use blankets for clothing, huh. I haven’t seen that since Princess Summerfallwinterspring.

JP – Dickens Chickens, huh.

FC – Yes, Bil – I’m sure minimum wage Wayne is very interested in the toilet habits of your brood. This one is destined for the bound classics publication.

Adios Amigos
Uncle Lumpy
November 24th, 2007 at 12:13 pm [Reply]

Worst Christmas song — “The Little Drummer Boy.”

I always felt sorry for Melchior: “Hey, Kid! I ride my camel here all the way from freakin’ Arabia, and you blow me off to listen to some drum solo? Lissen, Pal, you got any idea what frankincense costs? You, Mary and Joseph, Kids today got no respect!”

“The Little Drummer Boy” is directly responsible for all the trouble in the Middle East.
sonneta
November 24th, 2007 at 12:14 pm [Reply]

BC: Hansel and Gretle were brother and sister. Are you saying they committed incest, Fat Chick?!

517- I, too, used to work in retail, and my personal least favorite was “(Simply Having) A Wonderful Christmastime”. Aaaagh, it’s in my head now!
Niall
November 24th, 2007 at 12:18 pm [Reply]

I apologise – I emant JOE BTFSPLK had the Mark Trail callout, not Spider-Brick. I misread the appropriate post. Don’t ask me how.

437. Dingo: …that wasn’t MY Ottawa for sure! But neat floats!

441/2. Billy Lost Hat: Safety Dance is not an earworm – it’s a tradition at every fandom-related convention dance I go to. :)

432. Poteet: No recognition for the overemphasized lyrics in Styx’ Suite Made Blue? Wow. I’m impressed.

447 Dyslexic dog: Still nothing. I can’t get the melody in my head from the song or the lyrics, because they’re dissociated. And I never make out the lyrics. You’d have to link to a midi file or something.

452. Helena Handbasket: I have a good techno rework of that counting song. It’s really great. :) I’m cueing it now… (Called “Eleven Twelve” by Braces Tower) I haven’t heard the original in ages. wait.. youtube to the rescue!

470. Mr O’Malley: I actually have to play ABC several times during the DS game Elite Beat Agents. I’ve learned to tolerate it. And come on, that opening “Oh-ho-ho-hoooooooooo!” is just classic. Depressing that in big dance halls, I seem to be the only one recognising the song from that, and not from the first chorus…

472. Red Greenback: Oh, you asked for it.

500. dyslexic dog: I salute you, and your little link too.

504. Tabby: it happens to me too. It’s a well-known cognitive association thing going on – if you use the non-memory part of your brain for a task, the memory part latches on to the audio. For that reason, whenever I re-read Lord of the Rings, a couple of specific records play in my head as they were playing a lot when I was reading it for the first time.

511. John C Fremont: That “new airplane” is in the sense of new acquisition, so I didn’t snark on that. It’s currently coasting at the beginning of a new storyline, so I’m in a holding pattern in snarking. I’ll see how it goes once it gains a little altitude.

52 Loopina: the worst christmas son I’ve ever heard was… someone’s horrid rendition of O Holy Night. Horrid because so earnest, yet so off the mark.

As for dessert island.. I’m about to start making another cranberry pie… (It’ll warm up the apartment on this bloody cold day when the heat’s not catching up)
commodorejohn
November 24th, 2007 at 12:36 pm [Reply]

A3G – Sorry, Ruby, she’s merely setting you up for an absolute zinger.

A.D. – Oh great, as if one Herb & Jamaal weren’t enough…

Crankshaft – I don’t actually care about football, but if I were in Crankshaft’s position I’d be pretty pissed.

DT – WHAT THE EXPLETIVE

FOOB – Argh, another amusing strip ruined by retconning. Yes, Lynn, we know that Liz was a Bad Girl when she ran off to live with the coloreds, okay? We know that she should have stuck around for her arranged marriage with the Mustache. We know all this, you don’t need to ruin a once-funny strip by playing it into your always-at-war-with-Eastasia theme, okay?

FW – The world’s largest-capacity VHS tapes.

GA – Why does Boogie-Woogie look like a Life In Hell extra in panel one?

JP – This plot promises to be as astonishingly stupid as anything in Dick Tracy. Let’s just hope that Mr. Dickens has a busty daughter/assistant/who cares what she does?

MF – Mallard unwisely reminds us of funnier things we could be reading.

RMMD – “Come in…tell me what happened! And tell me…where did you get such nice skin? It’s very…wearable.”

SM – The Persuader looks totally different in panel two.

TDIET – I really want to know the story behind this one.
Godzooky
November 24th, 2007 at 12:49 pm [Reply]

#508 & #525 Niall re: MT: See #281 & 294: Joe Btfsplk called it on this thread, but SSB’s ESP kicked in a couple a days earlier.

As for the culprit, hey, fur-hat Lenin (as Trilobite named him) does have the requisite facial hair.
The Divine O’F
November 24th, 2007 at 12:50 pm [Reply]

523 Uncle Lumpy: I think you’re right! If “The Little Drummer Boy” could somehow be removed from the space-time continuum, peace would reign in the Middle East and global warming might even abate.
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 12:59 pm [Reply]

Uncle Lumpy and Divine O’F: Y’all best not be blaspheming the Der Bingle/ Ziggy version!
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 1:13 pm [Reply]

Ear-worm: Anything by Sondra Prill.
Uncle Lumpy
November 24th, 2007 at 1:15 pm [Reply]

#530 Red –

Sondra Prill achieves singularity — her name itself is an earworm. What’s that, an earwormhole?
kingklash
November 24th, 2007 at 1:16 pm [Reply]

I’m with Red Greenback here, don’t be dissin’ on Crosby/Bowie up in this piece, ya yeller-bellied varmints! I always sing along with The Sovereign when it plays on the radio. Anyone who don’t groove with that particular version will recieve a severe attitude adjustment, Crosby-Style, from yours truly. So, you’d better clarify yourself in a minute, maid!
Uncle Lumpy
November 24th, 2007 at 1:17 pm [Reply]

“The Little Drummer Boy” is loathesome in all versions, for all time. A man’s got to stand for something, and well, this is what I’ve got.
Dingo
November 24th, 2007 at 1:18 pm [Reply]

I finally just watched the Scopitone of Brook Benton’s Mother Nature, Father Time and have to admit that I loved it way too much. Just exactly what song are those two women dancing to while he sings? It’s like someone combined Mark Trail and Apt 3G.
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 1:27 pm [Reply]

Uncle lumpy…to the earwormobile! Toot sweet, I dare say!
wellsey
November 24th, 2007 at 1:28 pm [Reply]

#521 Loopina – Sweet! That’s totally the best scenario and I’m not just saying that because you’re a fellow MSTie! I look forward to Chester pushing Mary off the cliff a la Lassie, now!
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 1:33 pm [Reply]

And she hosted a public-access teevee show in Florida. Go figure!?
Buck Remus
November 24th, 2007 at 2:02 pm [Reply]

470 (Mr. O’ Malley): Some stupid Disco song? How dare you trivialize the Jacksons’ masterpiece!!Sure it’s pop candy in the age of disco, but it si brilliant and catchy nonetheless.

As far as Kung Fu Fighting being your earworm…did you or did you not see the brilliant animated pastiche by Dingo (I believe) of Mary Worth, primarily Dr. Drew’s breakup related images to that very tune, sir? If you did not catch it, please read the backlog, Josh referred to it in his blog sometime within the last month.
Buck Remus
November 24th, 2007 at 2:06 pm [Reply]

Dingo baby, send us all a repost of that..great..link…
make us all agog with your …oh hell, I’m no Eartha Kitt.
Moss_Moses
November 24th, 2007 at 2:08 pm [Reply]

Uncle Lumpy, “ah rump pah pum pump, rump pah pum pump”.
HB Glord
November 24th, 2007 at 2:08 pm [Reply]

Crankshaft: I guess it’s been definitively determined once and for all that ’shaft isn’t included in Batiuk’s Great Leap Forward. But them the fact that the strip doesn’t currently consist of a different character in each panel every day whizzing on a grave kinda bears that out.

Now, excuse me while i go read the 539 messages that preceded my bon-est of mots. Be back in 8 minutes.
Dingo
November 24th, 2007 at 2:14 pm [Reply]

HB Glord, it’ll take you eight minutes just to read my comment #30.

Scopitones

Neil Sedaka’s Calendar Girl – wait for Miss August and that hat!

Brook Benton’s Mother Nature, Father Time – Dance, girls! Dance as though the fate of the world depended upon you!
Spotted HØrse
November 24th, 2007 at 2:19 pm [Reply]

RiR: Wyke a weef wainbow! Awwww… bleeearghhh.

Note to cartoonists everywhere: Considerate parents understand that cuteness plummets once removed from the family sphere. They monitor their sharing of “cute what baby did” stories accordingly. And Brady, get this: your characters long ago sloughed off any residual cuteness, no matter how spastic their grins, no matter how many floating candy canes and rainbows they offgas/exude/excrete. Capische?

#525 Niall: Hey, that rendition of O Holy Night is some kinda boxcar. Truly remarkable. One of my favorite movie musical moments is Paint Your Wagon’s spotlight on Lee Marvin’s abbreviated singing chops.
bats :[
November 24th, 2007 at 2:19 pm [Reply]

Mary Worth Kung Fu fighting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnLxrZGkJco

I don’t think this is Dingo’s work (heck, it might be — I have the memory span of a gnat), but I think it is a CCer.
SecretMargo
November 24th, 2007 at 2:33 pm [Reply]

544: Yeah, the end credits cite the site, and the ‘mudge LCausey. It is great, too! The editing syncs the words to the images exceptionally well.
bats :[
November 24th, 2007 at 2:45 pm [Reply]

542. You laugh, Dingo, but that August beach outfit is the exact match of what I wore to San Diego this summer!

(No, not really. Wow, what an excruciating ‘video’…and I thought Billy Idol ones were bad…)
HB Glord
November 24th, 2007 at 2:50 pm [Reply]

Popeye: I read our favorite cycloptic seafarer’s dialogue balloon in the second panel as “I yam gon’er knock yer in the sweetpeas!” Now that’s sailor talk!

#13: My successful TDIET submission was just written as a plain narrative, with the implication that it was a true-to-life incident, which it was (see text below):

[Here's my idea, based on the truth (you can dress up the language to fit the comic's style if you like it):

"My wife wakes me up in the middle of the night to tell me that my snoring is disturbing her. So now I'm wide awake and can't go back to sleep. But of course, she falls right to sleep and -- you guessed it -- starts snoring like a buzzsaw! So there's no way I can get any shut-eye now!"]

#30 — Another tour-de-farce, Dingo! Never has so much expert care and attention been employed in the service of an object since the last time Roto Rooter unclogged my toilet.

(Jumping ahead in CC time, my favorite Scopitone is “Web of Love,” by Joi Lansing, proving she’s so much more than one of the stars of the “Citizen Kane of hillbillies in a haunted house films,” namely Hillbillys [sic] in a Haunted House!

#41, 69:The carnivorous Mme. Glord always chides about the fact that though i’m a vegetarian, i have this “me too” attitude when she’s preparing a particular meat-based dish for herself. With that in mind, i proposed the Tofurbocanot — a Not Dog stuffed in a Boca Burger stuffed in a Tofurky! (As for how to prepare it — deep fry it, microwave it, don’t make no nevermind.)

#65: SSB — GF, Mutts, PBS.

Lemme take another deep breath and dive back in (Jamus’ comment #71 alone is gonna give me the bends.)
Skullturf Q. Beavispants
November 24th, 2007 at 2:55 pm [Reply]

In general, I feel sorry for Better Half. Just how lame a strip are you if you’re “the poor man’s Lockhorns“?

However, I actually thought today’s was reasonably amusing.
Dingo
November 24th, 2007 at 2:57 pm [Reply]

Bats, I’d pay good money to see you in that August outfit but only if you dance and wear the matching hat!
HB Glord
November 24th, 2007 at 3:03 pm [Reply]

#162, 224 — When i stopped eating meat 15 years ago, i wouldn’t touch fake meat with a bum boat pole. it was only five years later when i started living with the future Mme. Glord that meat substitutes started making sense. She would prepare a dish that could be served with real animal flesh for her and the fake stuff for yours truly.
Niall
November 24th, 2007 at 3:18 pm [Reply]

534 Dingo: Holy mother of something or other! That was such a visual/aural dissonance! So weird!

I’m downloading many more scopitones. I think I may have seen a few of those, like Les Classels. (Big thing in Quebec for a while.)
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 24th, 2007 at 3:36 pm [Reply]

First!
ltrftp(not so first time)
November 24th, 2007 at 3:38 pm [Reply]

I guess not so first after all….
Anonymous
November 24th, 2007 at 3:38 pm [Reply]

RE: FW. “All in the Family” premiered in 1971. The first VHS VCR was introduced in 1977. I guess that the strip’s time shift not only affected the ages of the characters but the dates that TV shows and technology were introduced.
HB Glord
November 24th, 2007 at 3:40 pm [Reply]

#479: Mr. O’Malley! I haven’t seen you around in a while (a very likely prospect as i’m not around the CC as much as in days of yore). How are you feeling these days?

#495: That’s a different subject altogether — what you’re referring to is called a mondegreen. The one i recall from when i was five was thinking “He’s got the whole world in his hands” was “He’s got the whole world in his pants.” (Hey, i was five!)

#534 — I’ve always enjoyed in “Mother Nature, Father Time” how the women are doing their shimmying and shaking to some completely different, much faster song — perhaps an earworm lodged in their heads?

#551 — My favorite Quebecois ’60s group is Les Sultans — the 45 “Vivre Sa Vie” (not based on the Godard film) is an absolute favorite. You a fan?
dyslexic dog
November 24th, 2007 at 4:06 pm [Reply]

#525 – Niall:

I’m really sorry to have to do this, but you want Midi, you get Midi.

On the other hand, if you can stand only thirty seconds, try this.
Poteet
November 24th, 2007 at 4:07 pm [Reply]

# 489 — Wow. Thanks, Mr. O’Malley. I would probably never have seen that if it weren’t for you.

# 525 — Niall, maybe that song was too classy for the radio stations I could get on my car radio.

9CL — MMMPH! MMMPH! *slaps duct tape over own mouth to prevent violation of personal rule not to try to snark about Brooke’s work because it brings out hostile comments, not humor* MMMPH!
jonathanstew
November 24th, 2007 at 4:23 pm [Reply]

My 3 strips:
Pearls Before Swine
Get Fuzzy
F Minus
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 4:45 pm [Reply]

Didn’t Soupy Sales get his walking papers by stating on his awesome television program:
“My wife’s not a good cook, but she makes my banana cream.”
Jamus The Bartender
November 24th, 2007 at 5:03 pm [Reply]

Okay…
Earworms: Whenever that damned Polly Purebred/Lois Lane anthropomorphic (sp?) poodle clone would start singing “Oh, where, oh where has my Underdog gone, oh where , oh where can he beeee…” whenever one of the bad guys tied her up. Underdog was a good cartoon. Except for that. It was all I could do not to pick up Daddy’s twelve gauge and put a couple of rounds in the set, but Dad would have gotten mad at me. Not for putting a bullet in the set, but for using his shotgun without asking.
Captain Thunder: My hat’s off to you, sir. I’ve got Sir Dennis Viscount on my favorites lists, and it comes when LoEG: Black Dossier hit the shelves. I’m thinking of putting Cat And Curmudgeon and the Harry Potter/Buffy/Dick Tracy League on a blog of their own. It’s ON.
When Jamus Was Seventeen. A young Jamus The Bartender was watching Miami Vice, the very FIRST Wrestlemania, Moonlighting, read Crisis On Infinite Earths, wondering if DC was serious about killing off Flash and Supergirl, and he made a habit of fondling the really hot flute player in the orchestra pit during rehearsals of Oliver ! She’s got two kids now I believe.
Damn.
gkl
November 24th, 2007 at 5:04 pm [Reply]

GT: Cully Vale: Proof that reformed rebels can still be douchebags.

FW: The band director’s going to realize that you can be a bigot and lovable, and then he’s going to try it out, only (being in Funky Winkerbean) he’s not going to be lovable, but he is going to get shot. I think most of us win there.

MW: Someone interesting?
HB Glord
November 24th, 2007 at 5:04 pm [Reply]

#558: Hooray — another fan of F-, my favorite robot-drawn absurdist one-panel strip! My local newspaper of choice, the New York Daily News, buries it in the “bullpen” — i.e., the classified section alongside Girls & Sports, a strip that has slowly grown on me. F- will occasionally make its way into the paper’s main comics pages when a strip “goes on vacation” (i.e., runs an even mildly controversial theme).
Dingo
November 24th, 2007 at 5:06 pm [Reply]

Urban myth, Red. Urban myth.
HB Glord
November 24th, 2007 at 5:14 pm [Reply]

When HB Glord was seventeen, the Bronx was burning.

#563: You’re probably next going to claim that little kid never told Bozo to “cram it, clown!” Well, my cousin’s best friend’s sister saw it, so there!
Jamus The Bartender
November 24th, 2007 at 5:15 pm [Reply]

562. Oh, thanks HB. Wait until you see where this bunch is gonna meet up later and who’s President.
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 5:16 pm [Reply]

Howzabout: “These fingers are for Pookie and Hippie, these fingers are for White Fang and Blacktooth, and this finger is for my sponsors.”
UncleJeff
November 24th, 2007 at 5:24 pm [Reply]

566 et al: He didn’t get fired but I think he did get suspended for suggesting all the little kiddies “go to mommy’s purse” and mail any green things they found inside to the TV station.
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 5:25 pm [Reply]

Ouch! Those well-hung chipnuns are not settling in good for the Red-man.
HB Glord
November 24th, 2007 at 5:32 pm [Reply]

#565: Amy Carter’s our current president — right, Jamus? Right?
Spunky N. Tadpole
November 24th, 2007 at 5:33 pm [Reply]

@ # 567 – :

Supposedly old Soupy garnered $80,000 from that little “suggestion” (not bad for 1960 or whenever) – the stations were (to say the least) under-amused.

(supposedly that show was shown on New Years’ Day: Soupy figured Mom and Dad would be sleeping off their revels)
SecretMargo
November 24th, 2007 at 5:33 pm [Reply]

567: Is that the reference for the Simpson’s episode in which Krusty does essentially the same thing when his ratings go south (an episode that also contains Worker and Parasite, my favourite iteration of Itchy and Scratchy to date)?
Jamus The Bartender
November 24th, 2007 at 5:37 pm [Reply]

569. Not exactly…..what’s Amy Carter doing now?
Uncle Lumpy
November 24th, 2007 at 5:55 pm [Reply]

#572 Jamus –

Silly Jamus, you know where to find stuff like this..
Uncle Lumpy
November 24th, 2007 at 5:56 pm [Reply]

Grad school at Tulane — didn’t have the grades for Fourlane.
Red Greenback
November 24th, 2007 at 6:21 pm [Reply]

Wasn’t that New Year’s Morn when Soupy told us kids to go to mom and pop’s room and poke thru mom’s purse and dad’s wallet and find those pieces of paper with dead president’s pictures on them and send them to him?
Niall
November 24th, 2007 at 6:32 pm [Reply]

556. Dyslexic dog: Wow, I think all I ever heard of this was the two lines at the end of the chorus. And those lyrics are… wow. This was popular? :)

570: Soupy did say something similar, in grumpiness of being forced to work new year’s day, but he did not get any cash. Parents were nonetheless miffed.
wellsey
November 24th, 2007 at 6:48 pm [Reply]

Lawrence Welk meets the Velvet Underground for your viewing pleasure. Kung Fu Fighting reminded me of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i48BP1PUoFI
Anonymous
November 24th, 2007 at 6:54 pm [Reply]

434, Mr. Spotted HØrse, I’m really enjoying your grand tour of dessert islands! What a fabulous float, and all equipped with the latest in GPS magic technology.
Dingo, that is the coolest thing in the world to have parents who build floats. One time many years ago when I was a reporter, I got to interview a family of float builders and there were the funniest props and float pieces lying around the house, like the fake rocks sitting on a desk or the giant rabbit near the piano, just everyday-ordinary floatbuilder lifestyle. Thanks for the Holiday Lights!
ralph
November 24th, 2007 at 6:56 pm [Reply]

whoops, I apparently ate too many cookies on the dessert island tour. 578 was me.
ltrftp(not so

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