Metapost: What a week! A week for comments!
Post Content
It’s Friday, y’all, and you’ve earned your reward: This sweet, sweet COTW.
“Sure, Mary may be getting a pet. But me? I’m off to get a PET. The doctors are determined to find out why my brain makes read this drivel.” –I’m Not Cthulhu, But I Play Him On TV
Your runners up are also funny and delightful!
“I’ll accept that they gave no lines to Dustin’s Dad as a belated Valentine.” –nescio
“I’m kind of charmed by the parallel universe Dustin lives in. It’s the present day, but it’s also a perpetual 2008 where there’s no jobs, a perpetual 1960 where people wear kicky ascot scarves, a perpetual 1920 where the funnies are the height of pop culture, and a perpetual 1880 where people dress up formally to read the newspaper.” –Schroduck
“Mother Goose didn’t give Ariel anything to sit on. No wonder Atilla’s confused, that girl’s just flopping around on the floor! That’s gotta trigger some predatory instincts in a sapient feline.” –Victor Von
“How long does that awkward pause in the second panel last? I’ll say, 20 minutes.” –Joe Blevins
“In a field … somewhere? Or maybe it’s not somewhere. Maybe it’s nowhere. Maybe this whole comic strip thing is but a dream — your dream, a creature of your imagination. But I, your poor narration box, have revealed you to yourself and set you free. Dream other dreams, and better!” –Peanut Gallery
“Stroll on the boardwalk, long walk off a short pier, whatever will end this God-awful conversation.” –Hibbleton
“The most disappointing thing to emerge from modern comics is ‘CODE-FIVE-O’ not meaning, ‘I’ve spotted a man with magnificent hair reminiscent of Jack Lord’s!’ If you’re going to write in a medium that mostly appeals to Boomers, THEN APPEAL TO BOOMERS!” –Tabby Lavalamp
“This is where Herb and Jamaal’s famous nonspecificity stings. I want a detailed catalogue of Herb’s many crimes!” –matt w
“I didn’t expect Hagar to be complicit in the Triangle Trade, but honestly I can’t say I’m surprised.” –TheDiva
“Sorry, Herb, but dunking a teabag in hot water really is the least you can do for your mother-in-law. If you want karmic rewards, how about sticking a book or TV set in the sad corner where she sits all day, or at least finding her a better hairstylist.” –BigTed
“I’ll tell you what IS brutal! The warden’s time at the tanning salon, am I right? Unless this prison is actually building staff out of hot dogs, which would be … huh. Adjectives defy me, here.” –A Grave Mind
“The sign is clearly visible. This greatly reduces Rusty’s parents’ chances of winning that lawsuit when he falls off a cliff/is eaten by a bear/gets near-fatal poison oak.” –MKay
“A pet, Jeff? Really? Mary already has pets, dozens of them — and they live in a Habitrail named Charterstone. Here they scurry, there they scamper, nibbling at their Mary-provided muffins and providing her with hours of daily entertainment as she watches them run on their busy little wheels, or flop in their cute little dust baths, or, in Wilbur’s case, probably get their leg stuck in the water bottle somehow and try to gnaw his way through it.” –els
“I love how careful we are to protect Bogdan’s reputation. He’s not the snitch. Someone who overheard them was the snitch. Will April let Randy keep Bogdan if he asks really nicely and promises to walk him every day?” –richardf8
“‘Deputy Chang, how’s the leg?’ ‘Whose leg?’” –Bob Tice
“‘Why is this happening?’ is a question that really should be asked in the middle of every Gil Thorp strip, even if the answer just demands more questions.” –pugfuggly
“Dot wants to be the FIRST female president specifically, which obviously means that she wants every other woman in the country to fail at becoming president until her term so she can get all the praise. Ergo, Dot is a misogynist and this is a callout post. #DotIsCancelled” –ectojazzmage
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — while showing off a woman’s ass — forever.” –Ettorre
“Give Ox a break — not having any hair, his experience with hair dryers is limited.” –Pozzo
“It’s gotta be hard knowing friend from foe when you all wear the same khaki colored uniform. Maybe Jungle Patrol recognize each other through their ‘THRACK’ sounding kicks, which is different from whatever sounds their foe makes.” –Philip
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28 replies to “Metapost: What a week! A week for comments!”
I’m glad to see the Habitrail comment made it.
Long balls week:
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
pugfuggly
February 14th, 2026 at 4:39 am Reply
Plugger: Actually, I think that’s your husband finding a cutesy way of telling you to shut the fuck up.
Charterstoned
February 14th, 2026 at 4:40 am Reply
MW: It’s good to try NEW THINGS. But this is Mary Worth we’re talking about. “…We are eating at the ‘Old Familiar’!” is a reference to Mary and Jeff dining at the Bum Boat and not to some spicy late-night entertainment Mary has planned for their Valentine’s Day.
Hibbleton
February 14th, 2026 at 5:42 am Reply
MW: Jeff suggests they go to a tapas bar if Mary wants to enjoy small samples of different foods.
“Just what I feared.” Says Mary through clenched teeth. “Bad Bunny has ruined America!”
Jay Fawley
February 14th, 2026 at 4:58 am Reply
MW: “It’s good to try NEW THINGS. You can LIGHTLY TOUCH me with your LEFT arm when we leave this dump.”
MKay
February 14th, 2026 at 4:57 am Reply
MW: They aren’t going to spend the entire meal continuing to marvel about Ian and Toby acquiring birds, are they?
Oh, and how does Dr Jeff ALWAYS know to call Mary for a date right when she’s wrapped up a fascinating adventure?
BigTed
February 14th, 2026 at 4:48 am Reply
Marvin: So Marvin has dog food in his cheeks, his belly, and his diaper all at the same time. It’s kind of funny if you never, ever, ever, ever really think about it.
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
The Quiet Man
February 15th, 2026 at 5:32 am Reply
MW: Next week, thrill as Jeff takes Mary home in the Giant Purple People Eater while she tells the Parrot Story again!
Charterstoned
February 15th, 2026 at 5:53 am Reply
MW: “I’ve changed and grown so much in the years since meeting YOU, Mary…and I’m GRATEFUL!” Jeff knows that Mary had nothing whatsoever to do with resolving the Parrot Problem. He understands that HE must be the one to give Mary a victory lap, and resigns himself to praising Mary and expressing gratitude for her existence.
I speak Jive
February 15th, 2026 at 8:31 am Reply
Mary Worth – This is proof that Jeff actually tunes Mary out and doesn’t listen to her semi-human blathering. He should have jumped on the change and growth are good. Look the old bat in the eye and say something like, “Well, how about some really good change and growth as we move this stagnant relationship beyond hand holding and platitudes? Do you realize that I’ve never seen you naked? After ten years! My place or yours?”
Mary Titsworth
February 15th, 2026 at 9:53 am Reply
@I speak Jive: Mary Worth – Do you realize that I’ve never seen you naked?”
Eew! Maybe Dr. Jeff should count his blessings. I’d wager that Mary’s veejay looks like a dried-out old catcher’s mitt.
MKay
February 15th, 2026 at 5:36 am Reply
MW: Whoa! Get a room, you two sex fiends!
LUANN: Does that guy look like he knows jack-all about erotic underthings? He’s more likely to come back with some weirdly-shaped sex toy, thinking it’s a sculpture.
matt w
February 15th, 2026 at 5:20 am Reply
I would like to headcanon today’s Luann as “because that’s where you’ve been spending all your money on SEXY LINGERIE FOR YOUR MISTRESS,” with LuannDad suddenly fleeing for his life. But would someone else sleep with LuannDad?
Weaselboy
February 15th, 2026 at 6:40 am Reply
Luann – Frank realized his mistake when he saw the scowl on Nancy’s face as she opened the box. He hadn’t thought through his decision to buy her a padded bra.
Anonymous
February 15th, 2026 at 5:35 am Reply
Luann : has the maturity to understand underwear as being erotic? I thought she was still at “Haha, pants fall down, funny” level!
The Rambling Otter
February 15th, 2026 at 6:27 am Reply
“The racy underwear place”
“From clueless to Nascar”
Wow, Luann almost formed something nearly containing what might be considered possibly a joke.
Liam
February 15th, 2026 at 4:37 am Reply
Luann-“We know, Frank. We know what you wear under those clothes.”
FC-“Hey, Al! Look over here. That chick is in the shower again.”
LG Titz
February 15th, 2026 at 6:59 am Reply
@Liam: FC-“Hey, Al! Look over here. That chick is in the shower again.”
***
“Hey, that ‘chick’ is my daughter-in-law!” Al replies. “Aw, what the heck,” he thinks as he reaches under his robe.
Jay Fawley
February 15th, 2026 at 7:50 am Reply
FC: Whoa, heaven has guillotines? (Squints) Oops, my bad.
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
pugfuggly
February 15th, 2026 at 4:44 am Reply
Dustin What do you figure she’s reading? Pluggers? Probably Pluggers.
BigTed
February 15th, 2026 at 4:52 am Reply
Dustin: Of course Dustin’s mom loves the comics section — being terrified of the news, angry at people’s opinions, jealous of neighbors’ property, and sad about aging is all proof that she’s a plugger.
ectojazzmage
February 15th, 2026 at 7:30 am Reply
Dustin: The only conceivable way that Dustin could’ve become even worse was to take a turn into delusional self-fellating. So that’s exactly what it did. The people on Dustin’s creative team are truly dedicated to making their comic as miserable of an experience as possible.
Peanut Gallery
February 15th, 2026 at 6:31 am Reply
Dustin – This is obviously just blatant pro-comics propaganda. What else is in that paper, Helen? “Oh, I see here that Oceania is at war with Eastasia. Hmm, turns out Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.”
Derdrom
February 15th, 2026 at 5:57 am Reply
This is the most positive emotion we’ve ever seen in Dustin, right? Like being the tallest jockey. Pretty sure the rest of its top 10 is schadenfreude.
Horace Broon
February 15th, 2026 at 10:09 am Reply
Dustin: Is this the first time we’ve seen both the Dustparents smiling at the same time? Naturally, it’s by being shills for their own medium.
Artist formerly known as Ben
February 15th, 2026 at 11:18 am Reply
Dustin: Just because your arm is made out of ink and/or pixels doesn’t mean you don’t risk breaking it by patting yourself on the back. The last time Dustin ever reminded me that there was good in the world is never.
Hibbleton
February 15th, 2026 at 5:53 am Reply
Dustin:
Editor: “People are reading your strip with contempt and disgust. Can’t you do something about that?”
“Look, I’m already drawing Dustmom’s boobs as big as I dare.”
Menace the Dennis
February 15th, 2026 at 5:36 am Reply
Dustin – What are those big floppy white things? How is Dustin’s mom “reading the news” without a phone anywhere in sight? What is an “editorial section?” Anyway, 676767 no cap periodt
2+2=7
February 15th, 2026 at 6:17 am Reply
@Menace the Dennis:
What are those big floppy white things?
Those are her breasts, dear. See, Helen has what we call “low-hangers”
I speak Jive
February 15th, 2026 at 8:31 am Reply
Rex Morgan – Johnny is nine years old!? Considering the discussion before and after the surgery, I thought he and Michael were five or at most six.
This reminds me of Leave It To Beaver. When he was six or seven, his behavior was kind of cute. However, the older he got, the cuteness of the clueless behavior wore off. By the time he was in junior high, he was annoying.
Eddie Haskell, however, was always entertaining. Maybe RMMD needs an Eddie Haskell.
Terry Rhoden
February 15th, 2026 at 6:16 am Reply
Rex Morgan: “I’ve had an art show, two books published, plus amnesia — try harder, li’l bro”, certainly Sarah but what have you done lately? You’re a has been that never really was at 14, Sarah!
Marvin: At least this one has Marvin’s grandfather and friend blowing off a guy in a slightly rude but good natured way and has nothing to do with infant neglect or feces.
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
TheDiva
February 15th, 2026 at 6:21 am Reply
JP: I swear Bogdan loses English fluency with each successive strip…
Ukranazi Stepan
February 15th, 2026 at 6:52 am Reply
Pudgy Jerker:
“Parker, Arr! This be Talk Like A Pirate Day, matey!” (In the Private Prison Tongue)
Hibbleton
February 16th, 2026 at 5:36 am Reply
FC: When I was a youngster staying with my Grandmother in Manhattan, she told me the President’s motorcade was going to pass down her street and I should go sit on the stoop and wait for it. I was very disappointed when it passed and I didn’t see George Washington. So I’ll give Jeffy this one.
MW: A “massive coronary event” might be Jeff’s best chance of getting some mouth-on-mouth action from Mary.
Dick Biter
February 16th, 2026 at 6:15 am Reply
@Hibbleton: MW: A “massive coronary event” might be Jeff’s best chance of getting some mouth-on-mouth action from Mary.
What would he have to do for mouth-to-wiener action?
InvasionOfTheZIM
February 16th, 2026 at 4:39 am Reply
MW: Now would be a good time to segue to a Wilbur plotline, if such a time exists. Zoom in on the slice of pie and artistically zoom out to reveal a mayonnaise sandwich.
Gil Bates
February 16th, 2026 at 4:46 am Reply
MW: “Why did we order the flaming marshmallow under glass along with our pies?”
Ken
February 16th, 2026 at 6:01 am Reply
MW: This whole conversation deserves a prominent place on the TV Tropes page for “actions speak louder than words.” As many have noted, they say “change is good” but they do exactly what they always do, except for minor changes in their dinner order.
Of course maybe Moy and Brigman are going to subvert our expectations and Mary and Jeff will end up in bed together, with this major change in their relationship being the basis of the next story arc and leading to a late-summer wedding. But I really, really doubt it.
Peanut Gallery
February 16th, 2026 at 6:07 am Reply
MW – Looks like a certain narration box has gotten tired of all the sophomoric jokes and added a little extra clarification to today’s installment. “At the Bum Boat restaurant. It’s the name of a restaurant, you filthy-minded adolescents!”
Victor Von
February 16th, 2026 at 6:27 am Reply
Mary Worth: I read left to right (like an American), so when Mary said “something something a al mode,” it felt like she was anticipating Dr. Jeff’s comments on his apple pie.
I’d say it was the worst use of precognitive powers ever to grace the comics page, but I’ve read the Mary Worth strips about Olive the Magical Tween, so I know I’d be wrong.
BeetleGuy
February 16th, 2026 at 6:52 am Reply
Even by soap comic standards, Mary Worth moves at a glacial pace. And yet I can’t look away.
TheDiva
February 16th, 2026 at 7:11 am Reply
MW: Pie without ice cream? After ordering the grilled seafood platter? What next, will Mary and Jeff stroll the other direction down the boardwalk? Anything is possible with these daredevils!
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
Bob Tice
February 16th, 2026 at 4:42 am Reply
Gil Thorp:
“Read you loud and clear, Lois. Hawaii Five-O. I’ll queue up the reruns f rom the original Jack Lord series!”
pugfuggly
February 16th, 2026 at 4:45 am Reply
GT “Read you loud and clear! I’ll throw on my Steve McGarret suit and be right over!”
Peanut Gallery
February 16th, 2026 at 5:54 am Reply
GT – “Read you loud and clear, Lois. Book ’em, Danno!” “Not yet, not yet! I’ll tell you when it’s time for that.”
Schroduck
February 16th, 2026 at 5:58 am Reply
GT: A Code Five-O is what they call it when they’re too drunk to teach so they bunk off work to go and watch Hawaii Five-O boxsets.
Nekrotzar
February 16th, 2026 at 9:58 am Reply
I know I’m not the first person to think of Hawaii Five-O. But surely this will involve the Milford Marching Band proceeding through the school hallways, with sousaphone and snare drums confronting the stubborn officer?
UncleJeff
February 16th, 2026 at 7:10 am Reply
GT: The issue of police officers in public schools has been quite a controversy over the past several years….and now we have ICE/DHS showing up at schools under questionable circumstances (see: Mpls Roosevelt HS with a special surprise appearance by Jesse “the Body” Ventura).
But the unexplained and sudden appearance by an apparently legitimate “New Milford” (WTF?) police officer getting into a rapidly escalating tiff with a staff member (Teacher? Principal? Hall Monitor? Lunch Lady Doris?) and immediately requiring the intervention of Lord God Coach Thorp (Instead of, say, the Superintendent) and Henry’s history has me thinking we’re going to be using the word “ham-fisted” quite a bit this week.
TheDiva
February 16th, 2026 at 7:11 am Reply
GT: I think we all knew the moment a Spanish-speaking student and her family showed up that we’d be seeing an ICE raid on Milford eventually. Fortunately this isn’t the real world, and deterring them won’t take a sustained multi-level community effort involving mutual aid, alert systems, and brave souls willing to risk imprisonment and even life by directly opposing state enforcers. They don’t even need to bother Dr. Pearl–just call on Gil Thorp, White Male Protagonist, and he will arrive to lecture the neo-Gestapo on how They Are The Baddies, and they’ll slink away with their tails between their legs.
Doghouse Reilly (Minneapolis)
February 16th, 2026 at 8:54 am Reply
Gil Thorpe: she’s going to … report him to SCHOOL MANAGEMENT!
A. Mulyak
February 16th, 2026 at 9:04 am Reply
9CL: If Not-Seth can “put down” a cow so casually that he’s rolling on the floor with Fleurrie 10 minutes later, Dr. Ed should hire him for ANIMAL HOSPITAL.
Banana Jr. 6000
February 16th, 2026 at 4:51 am Reply
Pluggers: Pluggers are idiots. Because the IRS only requires you to keep old tax documents for seven years, but older documents can be scrutinized if you have them.
BigTed
February 16th, 2026 at 4:47 am Reply
Pluggers: For a full 50 years, this plugger and his friends have started every meal by saying “How’s business?” “Oh, fine,” then deducting all the diner receipts from their taxes. The audit is going to be spectacular.
Guillermo el chiclero
February 16th, 2026 at 8:29 am Reply
Pluggers: I call foul. No plugger makes enough to require that much tax paperwork. It’s 1040 short form all the way, baby.
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
Ukulele Ike
February 16th, 2026 at 7:29 am Reply
JP: “Parker, R.! As the one-millionth customer here at Siberian Prison Camp 15-B, you’ve won an unconditional release and a first-class ticket back home to wherever you came from.”
”Hah! I knew I was going to escape from here somehow!”
Lord Flatulence
February 17th, 2026 at 4:28 am Reply
MW: “But you’re still not getting any tonight!”
Charterstoned
February 17th, 2026 at 4:40 am Reply
MW: “But Jeff, dear, you DO realize that you’re only a PLACEHOLDER, don’t you? An occasional, neutral—dare I say ‘neutered’—character whose sole function is to listen sympathetically to me as I recount the most recent interactions I’ve had with the people I actually care about and make muffins for and listen to and advise, without ever attempting to offer an opposing view but only seeking to affirm my own good judgment and praise me for my wisdom? You’re only here to take up time and panel space until the next—oh, is that WILBUR I see up ahead?”
Bob Tice
February 17th, 2026 at 4:55 am Reply
MW:
This is like reading the print version of The Carpenters Greatest Hits.
CanuckDownSouth
February 17th, 2026 at 5:18 am Reply
MW Is even Brigman getting tired of the endless congratulatory rounds? because that second panel looks like a couple who are fed up with each other reciting these lines with extreme sarcasm.
Everything Is Better With Monkeys
February 17th, 2026 at 5:37 am Reply
Sitting in rush hour traffic.
Watching paint dry.
Mary and Jeff strips.
Hibbleton
February 17th, 2026 at 6:33 am Reply
MW: Next, they’ll break out singing “You Gotta Have Heart” from Damn Yankees. Yeesh.
BigTed
February 17th, 2026 at 7:17 am Reply
Mary Worth: Awww, Mary and Jeff still love each other! Which doesn’t explain why they’re back-hugging each other like a couple of college dudes on the way to a frat party, but that’s life at the Bum Boat.
GarrisonSkunk
February 17th, 2026 at 9:31 am Reply
Mary’s Worst: “Lets take a walk on the Boardwalk,and Marvin Gardens. (Insert joke about it being the only garden that supplies its own fertilizer.).
Guillermo el chiclero
February 17th, 2026 at 7:47 am Reply
MW: So fuck, already, for Chrissakes!
Ukranazi Stepan
February 17th, 2026 at 4:44 am Reply
Wary Morth:
“But, Jeff, before you ask, the answer is….”
“Still no?”
“You take all the fun out of my saying it!”
_____________________________________
Wrecks Moregone:
One thing Wrecks didn’t miss, even in Widdle Sawah’s art?
His pissyface.
Weaselboy
February 17th, 2026 at 6:21 am Reply
RMMD – Sure, this is stupid, but it could be worse. Johnny could be recapping the story of Toby’s parrots.
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
Banana Jr. 6000
February 17th, 2026 at 4:50 am Reply
Luann: I can’t tell if Tiffany is leading Ox on, or if she’s genuinely afraid of him. I’d ask the Evanses, but I don’t think they know either.
Anonymous
February 17th, 2026 at 4:55 am Reply
Luann : “Doesn’t it get kinda creepy, living in this big mansion by yourself?” “Yeah, that’s THE EXACT REASON why I don’t actually live here, I live at the Moony Uni dorm, remember?”
…I bet the strip also forgot about that broken window incident, too.
Lauralot
February 17th, 2026 at 5:00 am Reply
JP: What does he mean, “smiling idiot”? No one ever smiles in Judge Parker. Their faces are all stuck that way, just as their mothers warned them.
Ken
February 17th, 2026 at 5:40 am Reply
@Lauralot: No one ever smiles in Judge Parker.
Come now, you can’t possibly have forgotten the time Charlotte smiled. I certainly haven’t, despite weeks of therapy.
Lauralot
February 17th, 2026 at 5:41 am Reply
@Ken: Oh dear God. The horror…the horror…
The Quiet Man
February 17th, 2026 at 5:14 am Reply
JP: I notice neither of these pissyfaced guards are speaking in comic opera broken English…
Hibbleton
February 17th, 2026 at 6:33 am Reply
JP: “Are you sure you want to focus on the Strip’s least interesting character?” –Copy Editor, North American Syndicate.
Popper Cherry
February 17th, 2026 at 11:56 am Reply
JP: Cmon, Manley, if you aren’t going to give us Neddie’s sweater puppies, can you at least give us Bogdan’s moobs?
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
TheDiva
February 17th, 2026 at 6:13 am Reply
C’shaft: Look, I know PBS needs all the help it can get these days, but cameo appearances in Crankshaft can only be counterproductive…
Horace Broon
February 17th, 2026 at 10:00 am Reply
Crank: Since everything I know about This Old House comes from Home Improvement, I had to check that Tom Silva actually existed and wasn’t Batty’s parody-name version of Bob Vila.
I speak Jive
February 17th, 2026 at 6:20 am Reply
Frazz – They need to figure out how to insert Mrs. Olsen into this blather about William Henry Harrison so they can insult her behind her back.
Flail those arms!
Activists
February 17th, 2026 at 11:45 am Reply
Rest in power, Rev. Jackson. No, don’t rest– your work is still needed– Power On!
6CX: Minneapolis week? (The issues still aren’t resolved)
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
Hibbleton
February 17th, 2026 at 6:44 am Reply
FC:
Funny: Jeffy makes his gums bleed brushing with a stiff-bristled toothbrush.
Funnier: Jeffy rips out his hair combing with the dog’s wire brush.
Funniest: Jeffy rubs his skin raw using steel wool as a loofah.
Guillermo el chiclero
February 17th, 2026 at 7:47 am Reply
FC: Mommy! My gums look like the insides of one of your used sanitary pads!
Terry Rhoden
February 17th, 2026 at 6:53 am Reply
GT: Milford’s best being escorted from the blank white area while another man records this with his nondescript gray square.
treetown
February 17th, 2026 at 7:50 am Reply
GT: C’mon kids – didn’t you splatter mud or put a screen on the license plates and cover your faces? Or did some one rat them out? Did you use your own cell phones? No burners? What do they teach you in school these days.
UncleJeff
February 17th, 2026 at 7:23 am Reply
GT: And here I was kinda, sorta hoping for a storyline about some ICE-related thing about Milford’s Latino/Somali students or somebody getting tracked down through facial recognition software for something they did at a protest.
Instead we get slight overreaction to a graffiti case that at worst would result in citations being sent in the mail.
But Great White Father Gil will take care of it.
I speak Jive
February 17th, 2026 at 6:20 am Reply
@UncleJeff: Re GT – The facial recognition software would explode if it tried to read those faces.
Why are they holding their handcuffed hands up in front of tbem? Don’t the police handcuff arrestees’ arms behind their backs?
I can’t wait to see the girls put into a lineup. It’ll look like the end of Eye of the Beholder on Twilight Zone.
treetown
February 17th, 2026 at 8:18 am Reply
@I speak Jive: Are those Zip-ties? The kids should hold their arms up and yell “Attica, Attica” but I suppose Dog Day Afternoon is ancient history.
Schroduck
February 18th, 2026 at 4:37 am Reply
JP: When Friends finished, they knocked down the sets and shipped them to foreign countries to use as low-cost prisons. I’m pretty sure this room used to be Ross’s apartment. Could it be any more 90s brownstone?
A Grave Mind
February 18th, 2026 at 4:30 am Reply
I’ll tell you what IS brutal! The warden’s time at the tanning salon, am I right? Unless this prison is actually building staff out of hot dogs, which would be…huh. Adjectives defy me, here.
But What Do I Know?
February 18th, 2026 at 5:18 am Reply
JP — For a place presented as having only ice and time, the warden still considers it necessary to wear a tie and jacket like he’s selling insurance in the 1990’s. No WFH in the gulag, kids!
I’m Not Cthulhu, But I Play Him On TV
February 18th, 2026 at 5:37 am Reply
Judge Parker: “Parker, do you have any idea how difficult it is to furnish a prison office above the Arctic Circle, from the Sears catalog? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a warden such as myself, straight from central casting for Charlie’s Angels? Do you? Because if you did, you’d know how disrespectful it is to try to escape. Now, back to your plan to ride out in a laundry basket and meet up with a late-70s Lincoln Town Car.”
TheDiva
February 18th, 2026 at 5:39 am Reply
JP: Give it up, Randy, there are a great many things you aren’t suited for and “dry-quipping action hero” is right near the top of the list.
Lauralot
February 18th, 2026 at 5:41 am Reply
JP: I’ve never planned a prison escape, granted, but it seems to me that step one is to not loudly discuss your plans around the general population.
Voshkod
February 18th, 2026 at 6:10 am Reply
The Bogdan Redemption, starring Randy Parker, Bogdan Danbog, and the Warden, will get you to the edge of your seat, because you’ll be getting up to leave the theater as soon as the trailers are done.
Ukulele Ike
February 18th, 2026 at 7:00 am Reply
JP: Iron-fisted warden of a brutal Siberian prison camp, or vice-principal of a junior high school somewhere in suburban Ohio? YOU MAKE THE CALL!!!
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
Charterstoned
February 18th, 2026 at 4:37 am Reply
MW: @Sid, Agent to the Animal Stars! It looks like you’re finally in negotiations with The Ladies to place your hairless Sphynx client! Hope that deal works out—a wrinkled cat should fit right in with the Charterstone gestalt!
Sid, Agent to the Animal Stars!
February 18th, 2026 at 6:42 am Reply
MW: Man oh man! I KNEW we were gettin’ somewhere with our push for A Pet for Mary!! And now The Ladies are actually bringin’ up the subject! So it’s definitely gonna happen…
You know, we’ve presented numerous scenarios – just a question of which they’ll choose…. if they wanna go with a Cat – and it looks like they do – we first thought, as @Charterstoned suggested, that the role would be perfect for our hairless Sphinx Cat, Cleo… but she nixed the idea – thought her appearance would blend in too much here and she wouldn’t be the center of attention. I personally think she’s being a bit too high maintenance, but it’s her choice. So they may have Jeff announce that he’s undergone the trouble and pain of allergy immunotherapy shots – just for her!!
Of course we have a plethora of Cat talent available at all times, many on stand-by for the long-awaited role of Brandi’s Cat. We’ve gone through multiple generations waitin’ for that. So we now gotta figure out how Mary will meet cute with our newest Feline Superstar! Hey Intern, line up some promising candidates – we’ve got work to do!!
A Grave Mind
February 18th, 2026 at 4:34 am Reply
“I was going to turn this into a raunchy joke, like ‘you’d have to let me pet your pussy sometime,’ but I remembered I’m Dr. Jeff, and completely emasculated. The End.”
Yes, he said “The End” out loud. Wouldn’t you?
InvasionOfTheZIM
February 18th, 2026 at 4:50 am Reply
MW: If Mary ever gets a pet, she would invest so much time into it that she would barely be able to meddle with the people around her. It would be so disconcerting to her neighbors that she would either be forced to rehome the pet or would be given several more pets as presents.
Ukranazi Stepan
February 18th, 2026 at 4:52 am Reply
Mary: “A pet? Oh, I already have Wilbur.”
Dr Jeff (begins wheezing and sneezing uncontrollably and breaks out in hives).
nescio
February 18th, 2026 at 5:12 am Reply
MW: Mary doesn’t need a pet, everyone at Charterstone is her guinea pig.
pugfuggly
February 18th, 2026 at 5:21 am Reply
MW: I mean, Jeff already has an occasional companion who demands affection but gives little to none in return. Sounds like he’s got the full cat experience.
Jvwalt
February 18th, 2026 at 5:29 am Reply
MW: “Have you considered getting a cat so I’d have an excuse to turn down your famous ‘bowls o’ brown glop’ dinners?”
Victor Von
February 18th, 2026 at 5:40 am Reply
Mary Worth: Either someone paid Dr. Jeff with hypoallergenic kittens that he’s trying to unload, or he’s embarked on a six-part plan to break up with Mary.
“I’m afraid you were right, Mary! My allergies can’t handle this! I’m a weak man whom no one could want! Whatever shall we do?”
Where’s Rocky?
February 18th, 2026 at 6:45 am Reply
MW. “Well, how about a one-eyed trouser snake…” (Laughs like Butthead, fade out…)
Charterstone: Dune
February 18th, 2026 at 5:23 am Reply
Pluggers wish to return to being wrinkly whiney little turd factories completely dependent on others for their minute-to-minute care and well-being? How is that any different from what they are now?
Banana Jr. 6000
February 18th, 2026 at 5:37 am Reply
Hey Pluggers, did you know you really *can* reset your body to its original settings? It’s called “dying.” Look into it!
nescio
February 19th, 2026 at 4:49 am Reply
GT: Plot twist: it’s the MILF Sheriff’s Department.
Schroduck
February 19th, 2026 at 8:18 am Reply
GT: If I had a daily comic about a town called “Milford”, I’d be a lot more careful about where I drew my speech bubbles.
pugfuggly
February 19th, 2026 at 4:53 am Reply
GT ‘Why is this happening?” is a question thst really should be asked in the middle of every Gil Thorp strip, even if the answer just demands more questions.
The Quiet Man
February 19th, 2026 at 5:21 am Reply
GT: So did Gerads actually provide any proof of the graffiti allegations, or did he just say ‘arrest those three nonwhite/nonheterosexuals!’ because he knew those three are apples in Thorp’s eye and the cops thought ‘Hot Dog!’ I know which my money’s on.
ectojazzmage
February 19th, 2026 at 7:18 am Reply
Gil Thorp: I’m starting to get the vibe that school sports coaches are the mob bosses of the town of Milford. Presumably this conflict will therefore escalate when Gil wakes up to find Marty Moon’s decapitated head in his bed.
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
Banana Jr. 6000
February 19th, 2026 at 4:54 am Reply
Pluggers: The teenaged descendants of Pluggers often fart in their food containers.
BigTed
February 19th, 2026 at 7:52 am Reply
Pluggers: Dear pluggers — if “something smells funny,” sorry, it’s you. But that’s better than not being funny at all, sort of!
Everything Is Better With Monkeys
February 19th, 2026 at 5:04 am Reply
H&L – Dot is precociously aware of the underlying misogyny in the American electorate and knows it will be at least 3 decades before they are ready to elect a woman president.
Ace
February 19th, 2026 at 5:36 am Reply
Sadly, Dot is probably right that it will take another 30-50 years before America is ready for its first female president.
ectojazzmage
February 19th, 2026 at 7:18 am Reply
Hi And Lois: Dot wants to be the FIRST female president specifically, which obviously means that she wants every other woman in the country to fail at becoming president until her term so she can get all the praise. Ergo, Dot is a misogynist and this is a callout post. #DotIsCancelled.
Doghouse Reilly (Minneapolis)
February 19th, 2026 at 8:04 am Reply
H&L: Good luck, Dot. Assuming we’ll still have elections in thirty years. Or now, even.
Ken
February 19th, 2026 at 7:28 am Reply
HL: What would make this truly depressing would be if this were a re-run from, oh, 35 years ago.
Peanut Gallery
February 19th, 2026 at 6:37 am Reply
H&L – Yes, it would be depressing if Dot is wishing that there will be no female President of the United States until she’s 35 years old. But she didn’t specify president of what. But it’s also depressing if her elementary school has never had a female class president.
MW – “You shoulda heard that Balinese cat play the reyong! He was cookin’! And the feline was nice too.”
Sid, Agent to the Animal Stars!
February 19th, 2026 at 5:23 am Reply
MW: Hey, Intern!! Get a move on – things are poppin’ on the Pet for Mary project!! We’re gonna need a hypoallergenic Cat ASAP!! Do we need to sweeten the offer for Cleo, the hairless Sphinx? Find out what she wants – maybe throw in an exfoliation package. And check on other breeds that may be eligible… or if shaving is an option… Oh, and golf skills may be a plus. Yes, you heard me…
Voshkod
February 19th, 2026 at 5:54 am Reply
God frowned. He had gotten this close to taking out Dr. Jeff with the Universal Hole Punch, but missed.
Tabby Lavalamp
February 19th, 2026 at 5:58 am Reply
Okay, okay, Karen Moy, you’ve got me interested. Show us to this odd golf buddy of Drew’s who brings his cat to other people’s houses. It’s been a few months since you’ve introduced us to a brand new weirdo and the regular cast can’t do all of the heavy lifting of not acting like real people.
Morgan Wick
February 19th, 2026 at 5:14 am Reply
“My friend brought a hypoallergenic cat, that is, one that doesn’t trigger allergies, home and my allergies didn’t flare up. Clearly this means my allergies are gone and my girlfriend can bring home a cat of any kind. I understand logic and reasonable conclusions.”
Treadwell
February 19th, 2026 at 7:11 am Reply
MW: “Turns out I don’t have an allergic reaction to animals that naturally don’t cause allergic reactions!”
Jay Fawley
February 19th, 2026 at 5:13 am Reply
MW: Keep the cat in the bedroom. Problem solved.
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
Al of the Christian Singles Jungle Patrol
February 19th, 2026 at 12:54 pm Reply
Luann: Reminds me of an old sitcom routine:
[raining very hard outside]
Guy #1 — “This is the wettest I’ve ever been.”
Guy #2 — “That’s something I’ve always longed to hear. Just not from ‘you’.”
TheDiva
February 19th, 2026 at 6:41 am Reply
Luann: “Your pants are getting wet!” “That’s okay, the rest of me is also wet” just rocketed up towards the top of “Conversations I Never, Ever Wanted to Hear From Luann Characters.”
C’shaft: Protip: If you’re doing a week’s worth of strips based on the concept, “This Old House, but for doghouses”….well, first, rethink the idea because that’s a single-panel gag at best, but if you do go through with it you probably shouldn’t have a character show up and say, in effect, “You know, this whole thing is kind of stupid.”
Activist
February 19th, 2026 at 7:49 am Reply
@Scratchy Scrotum LXIX:
#2. CS: Buttcrack! So that’s the link that connects readers of Crankshaft with an NPR audience. Thanks.
Terry Rhoden
February 19th, 2026 at 5:54 am Reply
Crankshaft: “You called me out here for this? I could be charging ridiculous rates for slipshod workmanship on an actual house at this moment!”
Marvin: No smart-alec commentary from Marvin or jokes about his filled diapers this time, just the ever present open resentment his parents have for each other. Comics!
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
ValdVin
February 19th, 2026 at 9:40 am Reply
Zits is getting refreshingly literary on us. It’s not every comic that will retell Schnitzler’s La Ronda, and substituting the common cold for the original’s gonorrhea is the only way it will pass the censors.
I speak Jive
February 19th, 2026 at 9:46 am Reply
FC – They have a piano in a bare room in their house. A piano we’ve never seen before and will never see again. The piano joins a list of other one appearance items.
Human-eared Dragon
February 19th, 2026 at 10:18 am Reply
@I speak Jive:
The piano was seen in the Dysfunctional Family Circus once in a while (the Spinnweb one to narrow it down). Most memorably was a comic where little Billy was playing the piano with his butt.
GarrisonSkunk
February 19th, 2026 at 10:45 am Reply
The Familliar Mucus: The Keanes went to the Stepford Garage Sale for that “Smile” sign.
Artist formerly known as Ben
February 19th, 2026 at 2:31 pm Reply
JP: We’ve all seen what it looks like when Randy blames his wife: whiny and pathetic. The prospector beard and Elmer Fudd hat can only improve the experience so much.
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
Hibbleton
February 20th, 2026 at 4:44 am Reply
FC: I’m with Billy on this one. He didn’t put on his best leisure suit to hold the door open for that twerp.
CanuckDownSouth
February 20th, 2026 at 5:09 am Reply
FC Good grief, Billy! Forget your petty rivalry, let Dolly through, and hurry up and get home before your mom’s underwear elastic realizes there’s celery in that grocery bag!
ValdVin
February 20th, 2026 at 6:17 am Reply
FC: This is a crossover with Slylock Fox where we spot the differences, right? The door in this drawing doesn’t have a jamb or hinges and appears to be floating in space.
Banana Jr. 6000
February 20th, 2026 at 5:13 am Reply
CS: When you bring back a dog that hasn’t been seen in a decade, and that dog belongs to a 107-year-old man with dementia issues and a lack of interest in anything other than himself, you probably shouldn’t build jokes around forgetting to feed and water the dog.
Menace the Dennis
February 20th, 2026 at 5:19 am Reply
Luann – I refuse to read “Luann” now that it’s experienced a sexual awakening. Although to be fair, I refused to read it before that, too.
Tabby Lavalamp
February 20th, 2026 at 6:07 am Reply
One notable thing about hair dryers is that you don’t put them in the wet hair. RIP, Ox.
Pozzo
February 20th, 2026 at 5:32 am Reply
Give Ox a break — not having any hair, his experience with hair dryers is limited.
Old School Allie Cat
February 20th, 2026 at 6:02 am Reply
Luann – I dated a guy who might have been the nephew of Sex-Negative Nelly when I was that age. He was raised with a religious belief that premarital sex was an express ticket to hell. Nicest guy on the planet. But there I was – a really cute 19 year old whose body would never look better, and I couldn’t get him to second base, meanwhile, the third base coach is waving him home… obviously, we split up eventually. My point is, Ox – when someone suggests you take your clothes off, do it!!!
Banana Jr. 6000
February 20th, 2026 at 6:44 am Reply
@Old School Allie Cat: I think Ox’s refusal to take the hint, and inability to even detect the existence of the hint, as what we’re supposed to find charming about this. You’re absolutely right, though.
In any battle between a resistable force and a movable object, I bet on the movable object. As your story (and too many dating failures in my own life) illustrates.
TheDiva
February 20th, 2026 at 6:35 am Reply
Luann: You just know Karen Evans had a long, long conversation with her father about why the hair dryer needed to be angled up.
Scratchy’s Scrotums of the Week
lynn
February 20th, 2026 at 6:59 am Reply
Dustin: If you leave out the word ‘the’ before ‘ten’, moves into Epstein files territory.
Special Scrotal Awards to the Best No. 69 and Beyond of the Week
69. matt w
February 14th, 2026 at 8:04 am Reply
H&L: Well, that went sour fast.
69. Tabby Lavalamp
February 15th, 2026 at 7:58 am Reply
I’m very impressed by the quality the Dustin team managed to put into today’s comic while all of their hands were busy patting each other on the back.
***
How much of a sexless schlub does a parent have to be for a daughter to be this happy about it finally happening again?
Special Scrotal Awards to the Best No. 69 and Beyond of the Week
69. TheDiva
February 16th, 2026 at 7:23 am Reply
C’shaft: I’m just surprised Batiuk didn’t use Bob Vila for this.
Dustin: Look, if Mr. Beast can somehow wind up as the head of his own media empire, then Dustin can definitely be a successful radio host. Hell, I’m kind of surprised he doesn’t have his own podcast already.
MT: Look, the ‘Mudges don’t even make boat explosion jokes anymore, you need to quit beating that dead horse.
Special Scrotal Awards to the Best No. 69 and Beyond of the Week
169. Baja Gaijin
February 16th, 2026 at 11:07 pm Reply
Rex Morgan: There are only three guaranteed things in life (in America): 1. Death; 2. Taxes; and 3. Rex’s Pissyface.
69. Dr. Larry Erhardt
February 17th, 2026 at 8:19 am Reply
Crankshaft: Dear god, how many dogs did he let die in there?
69. Little Blue Bicycle
February 18th, 2026 at 6:49 am Reply
MW: “I have an allergy, so what? I haven’t stayed over since the Obama Administration, and that was on the couch.”
169. A Grave Mind
February 18th, 2026 at 2:26 pm Reply
@Scratchy Scrotum LXIX:
Going political here is lame. This is lame. C’mon, man.
Special Scrotal Awards to the Best No. 69 and Beyond of the Week
69. Ettorre
February 19th, 2026 at 6:58 am Reply
Jeff, Jeff. The problem has never been you being allergic to Mary’s pussy, but Mary’s pussy being allergic to you!
Congratulations, Cthulhu! Thanks, Scratchy!
Thanks, Scratchy.
Oh, snap! Thanks, Josh and Scratchy! Riding the top of the float puts me in an unusually generous mood, so I’ll allow you all to go insane before you are consumed. No, wait, I think we’re already there…
Thanks Scratchy! :3
Congrats, Cthulhu, and the same to all you hilarious Floaters. Thanks for the mentions, Scratchy!
Now time for the Golden Otter Awards! :3
Here’s your cute chubby scallop loving host Rambling Otter!
First up Garrison Skunk
(Tuesday February 17th)
“Let’s take a walk on the Boardwalk, and Marvin Gardens (Insert joke about it being the only garden that supplies its own fertilizer”
Congrats Garrison! Enjoy your tiny replica of me :3
Next the award goes to Ukulele Ike!
JP: Iron-fisted warden of a brutal Siberian prison camp, or vice-principal of a junior high school somewhere in suburban Ohio? YOU MAKE THE CALL!!!
Last but not least:
Twinkles The Elf!
“That Jungle Patrol lady has a very long leg. How does she walk, when the other one is normal size? Is it, like, retractable?”
Congrats!
Enjoy your day everyone! And thank you all ^^
Thanks Josh (and Scratchy), and congrats to INCBIPHOT and all the COTWs!
Thanks, Josh and Scratchy!