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B.C., 9/1/09

Since Johnny Hart’s death, B.C. has spent significantly less time dwelling on evangelical Christianity, and, in a perhaps not unrelated development, more time dwelling on infidelity and the suggestions of infidelity. Today’s strip is kind of interesting in a narrative-theory sense in that it features the ant family characters — “features” in a very loose sense, as none of them are actually portrayed. We see only word balloons emerging from exterior of their anthill home, itself so stylized as to be unrecognizable outside the context of the strip; I’d have to assume that, unless you were a regular B.C. reader, the whole thing would be completely incomprehensible. Still, there is a certain perhaps accidental bit of visual interest, particularly in the silent penultimate panel, in which the absence of dialogue forces you to contemplate the rather phallic nature of this anthill of lies, just at the moment when the she-ant is coming to grips with her spouse’s inability or unwillingness to control the wandering of his own sexual organs.

Momma, 9/1/09

As ever, Momma is significantly less subtle. Momma wants to make sure that her sister knows that Francis is a man-whore, not a he-prostitute.

Jumble, 9/1/09

Meanwhile, these poor Jumble folks suffer from a (possibly drug-induced) paranoia so powerful that it’s negatively affecting their sex life. The hubby plans to keep wearing his slippers throughout their carefully planned sex act, to prevent prying eyes from seeing his toes.

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B.C., 8/15/09

Ha ha! It’s funny because one of the B.C. characters whose name I don’t remember wants to sleep with one of the other B.C. characters whose name I don’t remember, and thinks the best means to that end is to act like she’s a stripper, or a prostitute!

Gil Thorp, 8/15/09

Ha ha! It’s funny because Ted is going to find out how much blow you can buy for $60,000, or get punched in the face, or both!

Family Circus, 8/15/09

Ha ha! It’s funny because the litigious nature of society, which is tearing our civilization and sense of community apart, is ingrained in children at an age so young that it’s impossible to dislodge! Also, it’s funny because their vacation is ruined!

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Hi and Lois, 8/6/09

Hmm, something has gone very, very wrong in the relationship between Trixie and sunbeam. It used to be that she’d welcome sunbeam through the windows whenever it wanted to come in, and missed it when it was gone. But now she’s actively trying to flee from it, huddling behind a tree in hopes of remaining undetected. Has she realized that sunbeam is a little too persistent? That hanging up heavy curtains is too high price to pay for privacy? Is Chris Hansen going to show up with a camera crew at any moment? “You knew this innocent young girl wanted you to stop coming in through the window, and yet you persisted! Why? Why? Your silence convicts you!”

Crankshaft and B.C., 8/6/09

Well, since I made everyone who may have been avoiding it look at a snake attacking a little dog, I feel obligated to inform you that, against all odds, a pup who can’t weigh more than about ten pounds is going to survive a dose of snake venom that would have felled a full-grown man who has been kept alive for decades longer than his natural lifespan by an unkillable core of pure spite. Don’t take this as evidence that the Winkerverse will cease to be a abattoir of soul-slaughter, though; it’s just that in drama you can get away with doing awful things to people that you could never do to animals, as B.C. seems to have figured out, albeit belatedly.

Mark Trail, 8/6/09

“God, these gangsters have such a terrible grip on me … it’s like they’ve got my nuts locked between their teeth! Sorry for the weird metaphor, sis, but it just popped into my head for some reason.”

Beetle Bailey, 8/6/09

Beetle’s right to be freaked out. Everyone knows it only starts being gay when you can see the other dude’s face.