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Call social services

Dennis the Menace, 11/9/05

You read it here first: Dennis the Menace’s house is covered with porn!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at 09:18 pm and is filed under Dennis the Menace. |

74 responses to “Call social services”

Romanetti
November 9th, 2005 at 9:28 pm [Reply]

I always suspected that Dennis’s dad was a little twisted….
Pickup Line
November 9th, 2005 at 9:36 pm [Reply]

What about the home videos?
Chet McCord, Wildlife Defender
November 9th, 2005 at 9:37 pm [Reply]

Hey, we all knew that.
edgeways
November 9th, 2005 at 9:37 pm [Reply]

Yup, people everywhere will be scratching their heads over that one.. Porn? Evolution magazines? what can she be hiding? odd… very odd
Guy
November 9th, 2005 at 9:52 pm [Reply]

I think the pastor is actually a jewish rabbi. c’mon, look at that hair, and those glasses. Give ‘im one of those scarve-deals and some side-burns, and he’d be the prime example of a jew.

He could quite possibly be a jew in disguise, andf dennis knows what he’s up to, but with an air-tight alibi, dennis pretends to think it’s actually a pastor, who would actually give a damn about a few playboys. A jewish rabbi would’nt really care what they were reading.
This gives Dennis’s mom ample time to grab the shotgun to get what they believe to be a devil incarnate away from their door.
selfee
November 9th, 2005 at 9:54 pm [Reply]

No doubt the latest issues of “Satanist Monthly” and “Wife Swap.”
Beasley
November 9th, 2005 at 10:07 pm [Reply]

That’s spelled “pRon”, you darn intramanet m1sspellar!
plankface
November 9th, 2005 at 10:10 pm [Reply]

This is the type of comic that’s funny to speculate/joke about, but the thing that will bug me for days is that I HONESTLY DON’T GET what it’s supposed to be referring to. Presumably they’re not really indicating that Dennis the Menace’s mom has copies of Playgirl sitting out on the coffee table. So what does it mean? Seriously.
Occam
November 9th, 2005 at 10:28 pm [Reply]

If I had to go out on a limb here, I suspect that what Dennis’ mom is really doing is tidying up–scooping up all those stray magazines and newspapers and shoving them into a cabinet or some such. Only from Dennis’ point of view, she’s “hiding” them.

Regardless, it’s still not funny ….
Swimmy
November 9th, 2005 at 10:28 pm [Reply]

Maybe it’s just Cosmo. Everyone knows Cosmo is sinful.
Pickup Line
November 9th, 2005 at 10:34 pm [Reply]

I was thinking National Enquirer and other “trashy” type gossip and Hollywood magazines. Either that or Dad’s copies of “Swinger,” “Barely Legal,” and “Uncut Threesomes.”
Pickup Line
November 9th, 2005 at 10:40 pm [Reply]

BTW, who is the attractive young lady modeling the “Roadside” T-shirt in the Comics Curmudgeon Gear ad? She looks like Kirsten Dunst, only attractive.
Marc
November 9th, 2005 at 10:47 pm [Reply]

Sorry Josh, I’m afriad Big Al had it first..
Wha?
November 9th, 2005 at 10:48 pm [Reply]

Kirsten Dunst not attractive? Blashphemer!
Marc
November 9th, 2005 at 10:48 pm [Reply]

http://img169.imageshack.us/my.php?image=priest1ct.png

I made this. You’ll have to copy it into the address bar probably, but it’s funny.
2fs
November 9th, 2005 at 11:16 pm [Reply]

Uh-oh, Carol’s got another fan…
Beasley
November 9th, 2005 at 11:19 pm [Reply]

“BTW, who is the attractive young lady modeling the â€œRoadsideâ€ T-shirt in the Comics Curmudgeon Gear ad? She looks like Kirsten Dunst, only attractive.”

It’s Ces’ hot g/f, wife, whatever their relationship is. Very hot.

/not being rude…compliments only.
//lucky dog! ;)
romanetti
November 10th, 2005 at 12:00 am [Reply]

I don’t see too many comments here @ Brewster Rockit (have to confess I love it!), but I must report that today they have finally succumbed to the dreaded “comic cross-over” virus that has infected so many comics of late. See what I mean here:

http://www.comicspage.com/brewster/brewster.html

Is nothing sacred?
Chad
November 10th, 2005 at 1:23 am [Reply]

The really weird thing? Dennis’ mom either shares in Dad’s porn addiction or is totally cool with it.
Doug Puthoff
November 10th, 2005 at 2:42 am [Reply]

I think she’s hiding comic books. Wocka! Wocka!.

I remember a panel from wayyyyy back wherein Dennis shows Tommy a calendar with a naked woman (her nasty bits concealed) and tells him his pop told him that a friend of the family who lost all of her in a fire.
Mibbitmaker
November 10th, 2005 at 2:53 am [Reply]

11/10:

A3G: Margo should run. Her mom’s starting to spout MW-style platitudes! Worse, DR. PHIL platitudes. Run, Margo, run!!

FW: Gee, speak of the devil…

Spiderman: Looking in on a married couple! Peeping Tom!

Tiger: Say goodnight, Gracie.
mooselet
November 10th, 2005 at 5:59 am [Reply]

FBOFW: If I were doing a probability study, April, I’d say your sister would 100% not give a rat’s hat about you wearing her stuff. If she didn’t take it with her to Mtigiwannahackaloogie, chances are extremely high it means nothing to her. It’s not like you’re raiding her closet under her nose. Twit. Still want to smack the living daylights out of Apri.
mooselet
November 10th, 2005 at 6:10 am [Reply]

MW: In panel #2 Mrs. Hand doesn’t look at all distressed about the thought of ditching her hubby of 7 years. Looks pretty happy at the thought, actually, or maybe she’s peering around the corner and checking out the pool boy. Hard to tell.

MT: What’s with the flying carpets on all the walls? Don’t they own a car?

RMMD: OH MY GOD, not financial difficulties!!! The shock on June’s face, complete with dramatic hand to face gesture…. too much!

Sherman’s Lagoon: Megan, I’m with ya!! I may have to make me one of those dolls for Mr. Mooselet.
Lee
November 10th, 2005 at 8:17 am [Reply]

Yes, Margo’s mom has become possessed by the meddling spirit of Mary Worth. Given that The Professor is similarly infected by Jeff, I fully expect that the two of them will now hook up for Very Special Dinners where platitudes and dead-fish analogies prove futile substitutes for actual foreplay.
anon
November 10th, 2005 at 8:28 am [Reply]

I think Dennis’ mom is just tidying up the place, sticking magazines and newspapers and junk into a closet, which looks to Dennis as if she’s “hiding” them.

Didn’t I read some years ago that it was definitely established that Dennis and family live in Topeka, Kansas? That cutting-edge, 21st century, progressive state of Kansas? Someone make something of that, if you will, please.
Jacob Haller
November 10th, 2005 at 8:56 am [Reply]

Today’s Rex Morgan, M.D. has the crappy attempt at artistry that I’m such a big fan of: http://www.azcentral.com/ent/comics/rexmorgan.html

I’m not sure if I prefer the up-nostril shot in frame 2 or the weird silhouette in frame 3.
mooselet
November 10th, 2005 at 9:10 am [Reply]

#24: If that’s so, perhaps she’s hiding various Darwinian journals, along with National Geographic and Scientific American. And of course her copies of the Darwin Awards.
Ken
November 10th, 2005 at 9:40 am [Reply]

You know where she’s hiding them, here’s a hint-she rolls them up together first.
yellojkt
November 10th, 2005 at 10:01 am [Reply]

I think its her copies of TriCycle, Watchtower, and Kaballah Weekly. She’s such a pan-theist slut.
King Folderol
November 10th, 2005 at 10:17 am [Reply]

Lockhorns 11/10: Is Leroy really worried that he’s not going to find the right card for Loretta? Does he think that a great greeting card is going to fix their marriage and cure everything that ails them? He’s been pretty oblivious and callous in the past…why does he suddenly care so much about the right card?
MotoMike
November 10th, 2005 at 10:28 am [Reply]

Re #9: Occam, I tend to agree; if I were forced to bet on this I’d say that the “joke” consists of Dennis’s reporting his mother’s ordinary cleaning up the place in terms that imply that she’s hiding magazines – with the spicy bit being that we’re all wondering “if she were hiding magazines, what type of magazines would SHE be hiding” as opposed to Daddy, who, it’s a slam-dunk for sure, would be assumed to be hiding the latest Penthouse, etc. I think this is kind of a stock situation in DtM: the parental units are doing something totally innocent, say, helping Ruff check out various types of dog food, and Dennis saying to his teacher something like “My folks tried a lot of them last night and they really prefer Purina to Alpo”, implying, of course that dog food is a regular item at the home. Hilarity. Ensues.
DtM actually stems from the same freshet – nay, wellspring! – of humor that spawned the 60s domestic sitcoms like Dick Van Dyke and Bewitched, wherein disasters could happen if a home, being visited by a clergyman, city council member, or boss, didn’t come off as pristine and totally home-economics-class perfect. These days, of course, the joke would revolve around the preacher not being able to tell whether the odor coming out the door was from ganja or a meth lab that Dennis had hooked up for his second grade school experiment. And, finally, both Mom and Dad would be packin another 50 pounds at least.
Kaliflower
November 10th, 2005 at 10:42 am [Reply]

You’re all wrong, Dennis’s mom is hiding magazines of ammunition!
MotoMike
November 10th, 2005 at 11:18 am [Reply]

BTW, on another note entirely, Get Fuzzy portrays the equivalent of Charlie brown finally kicking the football. And it feels pretty good. Rock on, Satchel.
Zinco
November 10th, 2005 at 11:25 am [Reply]

Is there a particular reason the pastor has visited the Mitchell household in his church outfit, carrying his bible? A routine exorcism, perhaps? At the very least he doesn’t seem particularly pleased upon seeing Dennis.
BigJoe
November 10th, 2005 at 11:31 am [Reply]

MT: Does Mark always allow his St. Bernard to sit at the dinner table with him? Looks like the dog’s even sitting in a chair. Mark also set a plate for the dog, sans sliverware which the dog obviously does not need.
Tirdun
November 10th, 2005 at 1:03 pm [Reply]

FC: I have to agree with the “trashy tabloid” side of the musings. Ye olde father O’Flannery is coming over in full regalia and mom is hiding the Cosmos and Enquirers.

The innocent tidying up seems too much of a stretch, otherwise the view would be from inside with mom’s eyes all huge as she overhears Billy at the door, her hands full of magazines going into some random cabinet.

Oh, and Kaliflower cracked me up.
Pickup Line
November 10th, 2005 at 1:07 pm [Reply]

Re: my comments in #12, the Roadside girl. Sorry if I offended any Kirsten Dunst fans out there, I meant that this hottie is even more attractive IMO. Sometimes Kirsten looks a little “squinty eyed” to me. And try Googling “Dr. Sunken Tits” sometime. Anyway she does have a little Kirsten thing going on. Very nice. Anyway…

To return to the topic, the gag of Dennis revealing an insult, potentially embarrassing family information, or something that can be taken the wrong way, has been a staple of the strip for years. Some of my favorites involve Dennis telling his mother in the presence of a guest something like, “Hey Mom, you were wrong! She looked at the clock and it didn’t stop!” or “I don’t see any chip on his shoulder!” The gag involves Dennis’ five-year-old brain not understanding figurative speech and double meanings.
comics
November 10th, 2005 at 1:16 pm [Reply]

Pickup Line, to be more specific about something that was said earlier, the “roadside girl” is Carol Hartsell, who is married to Francesco Marciuliano, who writes (but does not draw) Sally Forth. Sadly, our pleas to get Cathy Guisewite’s husband to model a “Roadside” thong have gone unanswered.

Josh
Pickup Line
November 10th, 2005 at 1:26 pm [Reply]

Josh, when you wrote “Cathy Guisewite’s husband” I just pictured Irving in a thong, with sweat beads jumping off him like when Cathy tries on a too small bathing suit.
Howard Erk
November 10th, 2005 at 1:27 pm [Reply]

BTW, on another note entirely, Get Fuzzy portrays the equivalent of Charlie brown finally kicking the football. And it feels pretty good. Rock on, Satchel.

You know that in ten years GF is going to be on the same memory scale as Garfield is today. Strips that try way too hard do not stand the test of time.

Sorry sport.
Anon
November 10th, 2005 at 1:38 pm [Reply]

If anyone wants to elicit a comment from Howard Erk on this site, just say something positive about Get Fuzzy.
Laughing Boy
November 10th, 2005 at 2:04 pm [Reply]

Get Fuzzy Rules!!

There, that outta do it!
Lulu
November 10th, 2005 at 2:17 pm [Reply]

# 41: Personally, I don’t really see the point of constantly criticizing Get Fuzzy when we have the likes of DtM, Lockhorns, B.C. and all of our beloved serials. Why spend time knocking down a decent comic when there is so much bad, bad stuff out there? Ah well, to each their own.
David
November 10th, 2005 at 2:17 pm [Reply]

Marc – I honestly don’t get your Dennis re-write. Is it just me? It can’t be just me. . .
Woodrowfan
November 10th, 2005 at 2:21 pm [Reply]

“Get Fuzzy” makes “Calvin and Hobbes” look like “Momma”
Mibbitmaker
November 10th, 2005 at 2:22 pm [Reply]

#30: Two words: no sex!
BigJoe
November 10th, 2005 at 2:23 pm [Reply]

Re: #44 – David, think in terms of scandals involving priests.
Mibbitmaker
November 10th, 2005 at 2:27 pm [Reply]

#45: Well, let’s not go THAT far.

That’s like saying “The Office” makes “Arrested Development” look like “My Mother the Car”. YMMV.
Howard Erk
November 10th, 2005 at 2:32 pm [Reply]

grraarr mika esa a; me hjave keeborde t2day!!11 dalaav
Library Cat
November 10th, 2005 at 3:04 pm [Reply]

re: #49

Howard are you channeling one of your favorite comics, Adam by Brian Basset? Correct me if I’m wrong and I’m sure you will, but I think you had mentioned that one a long time ago as one you like.
rich
November 10th, 2005 at 3:06 pm [Reply]

#5: No need to say “Jewish rabbi”. “Rabbi” would cover it.
Jim
November 10th, 2005 at 3:17 pm [Reply]

I think “My Mother the Car” has been unfairly maligned over the years; I’ve seen a few episodes, and it’s certainly not much worse than any other example of the “high concept” ’60s sitcom — you know, the type in which the theme song explained the whole premise (or the opening animated titles explained the whole premise because the theme song was instrumental, e.g. “I Dream of Jeannie”).

Now I’m trying to think if there are any animated-for-TV adaptations of comic strips in which they felt the need to explain the premise of the strip in a theme song, and I can’t think of any. I guess we have Vince Guaraldi to thank for that — imagine if the theme to “A Charlie Brown Christmas” had been something along the lines of “he’s a round-headed kid who no one likes, la la la…”
Braniff
November 10th, 2005 at 3:19 pm [Reply]

To Romanetti–

This is somewhat off the topic, but on behalf of all of us who enjoy making fun of The Family Circus, you found a good comic strip!!! Well done!!!
Mary Brandt
November 10th, 2005 at 4:03 pm [Reply]

Oh…my…

-MB
Dennis Jimenez
November 10th, 2005 at 4:06 pm [Reply]

I’m a bit reluctant to post this, cuz one thing I like about this blog is there has been a minimum of political bickering. Anyway, for those of us who are wont to ridicule FC, this bit from Mother Jones is good for a laugh.

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/fiore/2005/11/circus.html
Howard Erk
November 10th, 2005 at 4:19 pm [Reply]

Iâ€™m a bit reluctant to post this, cuz one thing I like about this blog is there has been a minimum of political bickering. Anyway, for those of us who are wont to ridicule FC, this bit from Mother Jones is good for a laugh.

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/fiore/2005/11/circus.html

Commies.
Frank Drackman
November 10th, 2005 at 4:27 pm [Reply]

During my time in the marines we had a squadron chaplain who was a real prick. He liked to throw his rank around and tried to force us to attend his lame sermons. We were on deployment to Italy where they happen to have some really sick Porn with animals. We took a collection and purchased a small collection that we would put in his waiting area from time to time, mixed in with the readers digests and religious tomes.
hacky
November 10th, 2005 at 5:03 pm [Reply]

Frank Drackman says:
We were on deployment to Italy where they happen to have some really sick Porn with animals.

Like there’s any other kind…
Marc
November 10th, 2005 at 5:27 pm [Reply]

Haven’t any of you noticed Josh’s new favicon? What is it tho….hmm..
Dennis Jimenez
November 10th, 2005 at 7:38 pm [Reply]

Re: Post 56: Ah, touchÃ©, Howard! Tis not so wide as a church door, nor deep as a well, but ’twill serve, it twill serve….
Adouble
November 10th, 2005 at 8:14 pm [Reply]

In five years, Get Fuzzy will be remembered as the single worst thing that mankind has ever produced.

Get Fuzzy is totally not funny. Anyone who thinks it is is a moron.

Any funny Get Fuzzy joke was stolen from a previous comic strip.

Get Fuzzy = Garfield.

Hey Howard,
I made a post to save you some time. Whenever you want to post, you can just cite 11/10/05, post #61.
Chet McCord, Wildlife Defender
November 10th, 2005 at 8:48 pm [Reply]

There are a few things I envy about that Mark Trail fellow:

1) Cherry has the courtesy to identify callers for me whose name I’ve forgotten, e.g., “telephone, Mark, it’s Ed Wilson, a friend of yours”

2) Now, even though I have friends I’ve forgotten all about, they never call me out of the blue to invite me to come along on expenses-paid adventures. But that seems to happen to Mark at the beginning of every one of his capers

3) Good dog, Andy

4) Lives near the Whiskey Store

5) Whammo cakes are darn good eatin’

6) Cherry
beasley
November 10th, 2005 at 9:41 pm [Reply]

re: #61

Sally Forth will be remembered as being the most…”PC?”. Though, I will admit, the fact that Ted is starting to “come out” ( as I see it) is interesting. I mean, who ever decreed that it must be the ‘wife’ who enjoys a good spanking?!
Lee
November 10th, 2005 at 9:56 pm [Reply]

You know that in ten years GF is going to be on the same memory scale as Garfield is today. Strips that try way too hard do not stand the test of time.

I don’t recall Garfield ever trying.
Romanetti
November 10th, 2005 at 10:41 pm [Reply]

RE #53: Thanks, Braniff!

I’m probably the lone Brewster Rockit fan here, but I feel obligated to report in anyway…more cross-over madness at BR:

http://www.comicspage.com/brewster/brewster.html

Yesterday it was Dilbert, today it’s FC. Tomorrow, who knows? Oh, when will the insanity end???

Oh, and it was nice to FINALLY see Satchel get an “Edith” moment. (obsure reference to an old 70’s sitcom…never mind…)
meg
November 11th, 2005 at 12:01 am [Reply]

Can’t we all just get along?!?!
Get Fuzzy is awesome — well drawn, well-developed characters, some local humor/references… if you don’t like it, go find another strip; you don’t have to trash on something that’s not to your taste.
I think it would be interesting to develop a personality inventory that would investigate what a person’s comics preferences say about their personality. (For example, what does it say about a person who favors GF, Mutts, The Boondocks, Pearls Before Swine, and Rose is Rose? Twisted…)
Marc
November 11th, 2005 at 12:01 am [Reply]

David- Its about the priests..little boys.. you know.
Howard Erk
November 11th, 2005 at 8:44 am [Reply]

Mega dittos #61
MotoMike
November 11th, 2005 at 9:44 am [Reply]

Re: 66: Good point, and two words: M*ll*rd F*llm*r*.
Adouble
November 11th, 2005 at 4:26 pm [Reply]

Allow me to clarify. I agree with post #66, and not post #61 (my own post). While a site based on comic curmudgery is certainly the place to bash comics, I don’t enjoy reading threads like:
Steve: I really liked the second panel in today’s “Flabiddy Floo”.
Bob: “Flabiddy Floo” sucks. So do you.

Keep it fun I say. I would try to fun-up this post by including a picture of a koala bear, but we can’t do that in the comments. Josh, why do you hate koala’s so much? Mark Trail probably loves koalas.
Occam
November 11th, 2005 at 7:20 pm [Reply]

#70 Adouble and #66 Meg:

I agree totally, well, except for maybe about the koalas. Part of the fun of this site is when people disagree about a particular comic, be it the artwork, the plot, the characters, etc. It’s refreshing to see that more than 99% of posters can disagree with a fellow poster’s opinion without dissing the poster.
Gradioc
November 11th, 2005 at 7:21 pm [Reply]

I read this blog every day with this thought in the back of my mind, “This is the day Josh discovers Brewster Rockit and we see the most eviserating post ever.” How can anyone who cares about humor find that… wait, I’m looking for the word… steaming pile amusing? It has a promising premise. It could have been The Tick or the Capt. Kirk parody from Futurama. The problem is that everybody is stupid in the strip. It needs an iconaclastic straight man to laugh at the idiots around him. God, I miss Milo Bloom.
Linus
November 25th, 2005 at 6:52 pm [Reply]

Hello! If you’re new, welcome to the anti-For Better or For Worse site. If you’re here, you must hate FBOFW, or you’re nothing but a good, decent human being who must be shot at by us. We are the evil ones who hate the Pattersons, and we will complain and complain until everyone gets tired of us and leaves the Comics Curmudgeon in droves! We have no real lives except to hate the Pattersons! We’d like to admit the comic stopped being good only a few years back, but we must hate the comic all the time because we will be nothing successful like the Pattersons! Fear us!
Len
November 28th, 2005 at 7:14 pm [Reply]

Last week, in “Rose is Rose,” on Nov. 21, 22, and 23, the continuity shows Jimbo attempting to grow a beard and hide it (because Rose doesn’t like beards). After three days, she hands her husband a new razor and shaving cream, and insists that he repair to his lair and de-hair. Meanwhile, on Sunday’s “Dennis the Menace” (Nov. 27), an episode titled “Fuzzy Thinking,” Dennis watches his dad shaving in the bathroom, and wonders when he’ll be able to shave, too. Henry Mitchell attempts to dissuade his offspring from obsessing about future daily denuding of his face, but admits “most women prefer a clean-shaven man.” Girl-hating Dennis is struck with inspiration, and in the last panel passes Margaret in the street wearing a flowing, long false beard — guarenteed to drive away girl cooties!

It hasn’t been a great comics week for those of us men who enjoy having furry faces. I couldn’t help wondering, where did Dennis get the false face fuzz? “Mom, could you buy me a fake beard? I want to scare away Margaret.” Or maybe he shaved good ol’ Ruff and glued the fur to some cardboard? Wrong color fur… Can’t imagine where a kid would get phony facial hair from. And is it true, in 21rst Century America, that women don’t like beards? Dennis lives in a time-warp, of course, where beards are typical of Bolshevicks and Beatniks. Ah well, the curse of the furry face, as Snoopy once complained…

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