Clip art
B.C., 1/8/05
I know, it’s been literally weeks since I last tore into B.C. So, at the risk of making a mockery of my be-nicer New Year’s resolution, I offer this strip up for you consideration. I’m not even going to bother dwelling on the ostensible joke of this strip, which (1) isn’t funny, (2) doesn’t really make sense, and (3) is about three years late, assuming it’s a stab at “topical humor.” Rather, I’d like to point out the prevalence of B.C. running gags that the call for the same art time after time. The “you know” jokes are a good example, though they have the slightly amusing conceit of some sort of stone-age, pedal-driven mechanical system for dispensing witticisms from a hemispherical stone. “The book of phrases,” meanwhile, just involves a book on top of a rock. Strangely, despite the fact that the humor in this strip would work just as well if the image of Peter looking at the book were cut and paste from the first panel to the second, if you look closely you can tell that this bland scene was in fact drawn twice. I suppose I should respect Johnny Hart’s old-school dedication to the fine art of manual art-creation, but, really, if it’s in the service of lame-ass Enron jokes, I must withhold my approbation.
manfire
January 10th, 2005 at 12:28 am
Also, shouldn’t this one be a “Wiley’s Dictionary”, not a “Book of Phrases”?
Rick C
January 10th, 2005 at 8:36 am
If you look at the ground line running out from the rock it looks like writing, more so on the second panel.
Kristen
January 10th, 2005 at 9:20 am
You’re right it does look like writing. The second panel looks like “snicker” to me. Maybe thats the real joke. Although it is also not actually funny.
Hubris
January 10th, 2005 at 10:11 am
I think it says “send Snickers.” A malnourished Hart issuing a desperate plea from the cell where he is forced to churn out shitty comics.
Eliot
January 10th, 2005 at 5:34 pm
It definitely says something. “Mary is”… “Snickey”?
charles
January 11th, 2005 at 11:24 am
first says “macy” second says “mockey”
Andy Baio
January 11th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
I didn’t even know Enron existed in the days of the cavemen.
manfred
January 12th, 2005 at 8:36 am
You keep missing the hidden meaning in this comic
Vance
January 17th, 2005 at 2:12 pm
It’s not Peter, it’s B.C.
How can I take anything you say seriously if you can’t tell the strip’s title character when you see him?
barney
January 17th, 2005 at 6:47 pm
His face in the second panel has a more perplexed look, while in the first you can tell he’s just reading–no expression.
lynette
January 27th, 2005 at 6:11 pm
excellent point, Vance.
Faith
August 29th, 2005 at 3:12 pm
I’m willing to bet that Johnny Hart uses these two panels every time he does a “book of phrases” comic. He just changes the words around.
Amy
October 30th, 2007 at 1:29 am
actually i think it says “mickey” in the second frame..
lol