For certain limited definitions of “fun”
Uncle Art’s Funland, 9/5/04
One of my favorite words in the English language is “avuncular.” It literally means “in the manner of an uncle,” which, since a substantial majority of males in this world are uncles, can denote just about anything. Usually, an avuncular person is like one of your fun uncles: pleasant, funny, maybe a little bit corny, but generally indulgent.
But some uncles, especially those who don’t have kids of their own, don’t really know what to do with children, and often come up with misguided ideas of what fun is for their nephews and neices. That, I’m afraid, is the kind of uncle that Uncle Art is. The “Riddles ‘n Giggles” are mostly execizes in cruelty, and the “Memory Game” is a collection of random, unrelated objects that Uncle Art presumably likes to draw. The contest, in the lower middle panel, is the final insult, though. As if the solution weren’t obvious enough, the feature’s tuxedo-clad mascot is holding the writing implement in question mere inches from the jumbled letters. Hey kids! The answer is “pencil!” Now let’s hope that the flood of correct answers in to Uncle Art’s Funland teaches him to make things harder next time.
Actually, I just noticed that the small print indicates that responses to this six-letter word jumble are judged on originality before accuracy! So maybe there’s more to this than meets the eye. Is Pilnec the brand name of a perscription medication they’re giving to kids with ADD these days?
As a final note, I’m wondering now if that dapper gentleman in the contest panel is supposed to be Uncle Art himeslf. Does he really work on this strip wearing a top hat and tails? God, I hope so.
Isaac B2
January 25th, 2005 at 2:54 pm
You are too funny, and I am sooo blogrolling you.
PizzaBagel
March 15th, 2005 at 12:58 am
Uncle Fart’s Unland – I haven’t seen this Sunday strip in quite a while. And, regarding the “contest,” I was gonna say the answer is “nipcle.” (I was never very good doing the Jumble®.) But you have to admit that it satisfies the originality-over-accuracy criterion.
Mat
January 7th, 2006 at 6:55 pm
What’s the egg like thing in the Memory Game?
BigJoe
January 25th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
#3 – I believe it’s a pear.
Carrie
July 26th, 2006 at 9:42 pm
I believe it’s just an egg.
Applemask
May 1st, 2007 at 6:48 am
Q: What did the tree say to the axe?
A: OH DEAR GOD NO HOLY MOTHER OF JESUS WHY OH GOD WHY JESUS CHRIST NO NO CHRIST OH CHRIST NO
nemoErensenuT
February 9th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links:
Warren
February 20th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
What I find interesting is that last week’s “winners” (of what I presume was an earlier contest in the vein of the anagram one) get their names, locations, and what I assume to be newspapers listed, but not the answers they gave. Quite a pity, since that means nobody ever got to see the “original” answers to “unscramble the word ‘pencil’” except Uncle Art himself.
Then again, maybe I’m misreading it. Maybe those things in quotes aren’t periodocials, but rather the answers given. I’m not sure what sort of puzzle you could write that would prompt a child to respond with “Appeal Democrat” or “Herald Republic,” unless I’m also wrong about the cities, and these “children” really introduce themselves as “Catheryn Z. Stockton” or “Shane R. Weston.”