Post Content

Panel from The Lockhorns, 6/29/25

One of the great mysteries of The Lockhorns that haunts all of us Lockheads is the identity and nature of the non-Lockhorn people who make occasional appearances in the strip. They never have any dialogue, instead just staring dumbly at our title duo as they engage in their passive-aggressive antics, and generally are not, with the exception of a few medical professionals and Leroy’s bartender, recurring characters. And yet we must assume a certain degree of intimacy has somehow developed before we see the vignettes in which the strangers appear, because often they’re in the Lockhorn home! I suppose we can guess at what drives their interest in seeing the inner workings of this hell-couple’s dynamics. For instance, this lady no doubt wonders if the rumors are true: does this seemingly anti-intellectual downwardly mobile lower-middle-class suburbanite pair really enjoy playing chess at home? And does Leroy really lurch about in a grotesque parody of a victory dance when he wins? Still and all, now that her curiosity has been sated, the visitor won’t be back. For most people, a little of this goes a long way.

Mary Worth, 6/29/25

On the one hand, Wilbur’s glad Belle is once again being heavily medicated by her brother, who looks exactly like him but taller. On the other hand, he still wants to grab a last-minute ticket on Spirit Airlines and jet over to Florida and have sex with her. Is this normal, Mary??? Oh, wait, you’re saying it is normal? I, uh, did not expect that, and frankly don’t really like it.

Post Content

The Lockhorns, 6/25/25

I really like the way Leroy is clutching his chest dramatically here. I imagine he already did this routine inside at the concession stand cash register, and Loretta is extremely over it, but now some new people have come along upon whom he can inflict this bit. Or, perhaps even better, he’s doing it specifically because he knows it will humiliate Loretta by forcing her to explain the bit to these people, whom I assume to be total strangers to the Lockhorns. I truly will never tire of analyzing in minute detail the passive aggressive antics that these two will never tire of subjecting each other to.

Luann, 6/25/25

Man, remember when this strip’s ribaldry was over-the-top and grotesque? Now nobody involved can seem to muster up any energy as they talk about handling buns and weenies or biting into dripping, phallic breakfast food or whatnot. Sad!

Beetle Bailey, 6/25/25

Remember when “Miss Buxley Wednesday” was a fun, wholesome opportunity to see an old man (audience stand-in) ogling his sexy secretary? Now it’s just women callously announcing that their professional and economic futures are secure while an old man (audience stand-in) weeps about the fact that society has abandoned him. Maybe political correctness has gone too far?

Post Content

Crock, 6/21/25

Not sure if we’re seeing a singular mind at work here or if this is the product you’d expect to get from someone who’d been writing a comic for 20 years by 1997 and had arrived at a specific creative/cultural milieu as a result, but insulting someone by referring to their leadership style as “real barf” is extremely funny to me. Since this blog is like 20-25% hatred of Crock by volume, I think you know that I’m being very sincere here. “Real barf”: real funny.

The Lockhorns, 6/21/25

I do praise The Lockhorns a lot, so perhaps it’s lost its oomph when I do it now, but I also think this meh joke is elevated by the way Leroy is holding that bowl of burnt (?) coal slaw aloft, like Hamlet contemplating Yorick’s skull.

Blondie, 6/21/25

Hmm, what’s that, Dagwood? You were in the middle of preparing a midnight snack, but then you just dozed off face-first into the sandwich you were making, capturing in one sad moment your terribly disordered relationship to both food and sleep? And yet you claim to be perfectly happy in the situation, thus encapsulating the vibe your character has been giving off on the comics pages for decades now? Interesting. Interesting.