Big and/or small business
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Judge Parker, 5/27/26

The humble diner now appears to be the soap opera strips’ go-to employer for those seeking to abandon a hectic, go-go lifestyle and reconnect with good, honest work — a group that includes everyone from former movie stars disillusioned with the Hollywood grind to scammers in search of redemption. Anyway, the proprietor of this establishment was understandably somewhat hesitant to hire a literal con artist, but I predict he will quickly accede to Alan’s request so he doesn’t have to hear any more details of Parker family emotional drama.
Hagar the Horrible, 5/27/26

Not that I expect Helga to be a big expert in macroeconomics or fiscal and monetary policy, but she has only her husband and his fellow warrior/traders to blame for this! Looted silver and gold coins from England and the Carolingian Empire, along with revenue from increased trade with the Byzantine and Islamic worlds via the Russian river networks, has had a naturally inflationary effect. Sadly, Viking society isn’t advanced enough to make use of this influx of wealth by increasing productivity, so instead they’ll just face sharply rising prices for the near future.
Mother Goose and Grimm, 5/27/26

Look, it’s one thing for Mother Goose and Grimm to try to pass off yet another widely known street joke as a punchline in a newspaper comic — I think we’ve all come to accept that at this point. What bothers me is that it’s trying to pass off yet another widely known street joke about a retail chain that stopped operation more than three years ago. Sure, it’s true that the website formerly known as Overstock.com acquired Bed, Bath & Beyond’s intellectual property and has subsequently been wearing the deceased brand’s skin, but you know that if Mother Goose had bought that stuff via this newfangled “online shopping” process, that would’ve been the heart of the joke.


19 replies to “Big and/or small business”
Oh, God, Alan has whatever acrewed up Double Tap. This is annoying! This is annoying!
“Ha ha! Our caregiver can’t really afford her spending! Funny! Good thing I’m a dog, and will cheerfully eat my own poop!”
Judging by everything in this strip BESIDES Helga, the year is 1966. Hopefully she conducts her business and leaves before she must make any contact with The Munsters, and her son continues to wuss out of Vietnam.
MG&G: Where indeed? Judging by the number of bags she chose to carry, someplace that sells marshmallows, feathers, rice cakes, and ramen?
Nancy: I usually miss arists’ mistakes, but this one was so overt I was confused as soon as I saw it.
JP: Alan makes the hollow gesture of offering to secretly pay her salary.
“Eh, waitresses are paid way less than minimum wage by law, right?”
Between Friends : Maeve, the reason you haven’t tossed this idiot out of your home
preferably out the windowBETTER be that you’re not physically strong enough to overpower him in that manner, otherwise, yeah, this isn’t a situation where you give a friendly warning and hope he changes his behavior.************
Family Circus : …thanks for sharing that, Jeff Keane.
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Ripley’s Don’t Believe It :
a) Imagine the
only goodbest adaptation of your favorite book being a movie you personally starred in. That part’s crazier than choosing that movie to be the last thing you watch before you die.b) So there’s a non-zero chance you can bump into someone who’s into Warhammer if you go to Valhalla?
c) It’s not every raven-haired girl who has fantasies of growing up to become Morticia Adams (or some such spooky vamp), but it’s not THAT notable to note that one raven-haired girl who DID is a celebrity now.
************
Safe Havens : “OH BOY! I can’t wait to go back to this place where a bunch of strangers amorously jammed their noses up my butt again!”
Pam, your new boyfriend is discovering THINGS about himself, and I’m not sure they’re good for your ongoing relationship…
MW: Oh noes!! It’s the return of Dirk the Dick! And Dawn has no bowling ball with which to crush his foot!
Seriously though, I just bet that is Dirk, with Tommie coming up right behind to play the White Knight.
JP: Never mind your daughter, Judgey Wudgey. Whose lump of flesh with a coffee cup glued to it is that in the first panel? It’s freaking me out!
GT: ‘Oh, and honey you simply *must* do something about that coolant leak in your eye socket. That stuff will just ruin your dress!’
Ph: Uh, he could *still* do all that, Schmelon Schmusk. Now that he knows it’s all an illusion, you mean to tell me that Eric ‘Nomad’ Sahara doesn’t have the mental discipline born of fighting Stripeypants to push past your little parlor trick? Also, take off that stupid mask! Takeitofftakeitofftakeitoff!!!!
HTH: As I understand it, the Viking diet consisted mainly of pickled cabbage, fermented fish and barley ale, and this seems to be an awfully big parcel of those. It might make for a nice wedding evening, but I’m concerned it’ll throw a spanner in the wedding night.
Andy Capp:
I’m sure the police want to serve a gourmet breakfast so the worthless bum would try and get locked up every night.
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Wary Morth:
“Hey, Dusk! Want a little quick energy boost for your run? The first one’s free!”
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Wrecks Moregone:
To be fair, egg and potato salad seems to be about the right cuisine level for the Glenwood Cafe.
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Murky Tail:
“….a 28-year-old exotic dancer, she said. I assume that means she’s an exponent of dances from Morocco or Bali.”
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Wrecks Moregone (2):
Tomorrow, a furious Jordan Like The Country arrives, lawyer in tow, demanding to know why Doug Like The Pompadour’s employee Luis Like The Cartel has bought up all the wholesale food supplies in town. Hilarity does not ensue.
HtH: The young woman appears to be wearing a tee. I have those. This costuming wouldn’t pass muster at even the mangiest Ren Faire.
GT: C’mon, Beth! You’re the feisty barmaid. Cram the old lady’s head into her wine glass.
RMMD: Mr Manager is truly a man unprepared for success.
MW: They left out the “BAHAHAHAHA!” that should have followed P1.
Since when does Hélg? go *shopping* instead of ordering Hågär to just go out and loot everything?
JP: Alan just wants a woman on the inside so that the next time he invades the diner to shove family photos in the patron’s faces, he can’t be kicked out.
GT: So has Gil’s mom always been evil, or is this a recent development?
@Ukranazi Stepan:
Since probably always, because
a) This is a comic strip that originates from the 1950s, of course it plays the “Women be shopping” trope.
b) Hagar is dumbass who would blow all his gold on ale and whores immediately upon acquiring any lucre, to the point he’d be sold into slavery to pay his debts. Helga is the one who manages the finances to make sure that doesn’t happen (a similar set-up is present in Snuffy Smith).
JP: “Another favor Nick, could you use a big Norwegian bouncer?
@The Quiet Man: Dawn, in Friday’s strip: “The old Tommy would never have beaten up another man just for being rude to me! Is is possible he’s changed?”
Hagar the Horrible: Macroeconomics-shmacroeconomics. I want to hear more about the trade networks that brought glass-and-stainless-steel refrigerated meat cases to Viking society. (Also about how this newlywed’s husband dies brutally in Hagar’s next raiding party, but I am willing to be patient.)
MG&G: Judging from Mother Goose’s eyes in the first panel, I’d say she does most of her shopping at “Stimulants “R” Us.”
Judge Parker: Diners are also favored by pinheads, but this is Alan Parker we’re talking about, so I guess that’s not really news?