Post Content

Is it chilly in here? Or are we all just shivering with laughter at this week’s top comment?

“I’m not clear on the rules for business meal deductions, but maybe Dithers figures if he and Dag ‘talk business’ for thirty seconds he can write off the cost of the meals on his taxes? ‘So, Bumstead, about that Grumwald contract you turned in last week — has your broken collarbone healed yet? Welp, time to order. I’m having fillet mignon in truffle sauce. You are having half a grilled cheese sandwich. You’re welcome.’” –Shrug

The runners up are also very funny!

“‘Friendship is another word for love,’ said someone, probably? In any event, I’m saying it now.” -pugfuggly

“Loweezy is right to be distressed. That ‘Z’ has been in the same position all night. Snuffy died in his sleep, most likely from some kind of coronary event. Time to revert to the name Barney Google & Spark Plug for this strip.” –taig

“It’s good that Tommy has someone living nearby that can care for him and assist him. But it’s great that it doesn’t have to be me!” –Ettorre

“Someone named ‘Kristin’ from a place called Highlands Ranch, Colorado, with a household income over $100k? These days they’ll let anyone be a plugger so long as they eat a lot and then poop.” –matt w

“It’s traumatic enough when your dad goes out for cigarettes and never comes back — imagine learning that he filed paperwork about it first. ‘Daddy, we just want you to come home!’ ‘Please direct all inquiries to my attorney.’” –Navigator

“There is no way this doesn’t end with Tracy arresting the entire convention for degeneracy.” –TheDiva

“Like many comics nowadays, this is actually a veiled threat against competing comics in an ever-shrinking numbers of newspapers and comics pages. Beetle Bailey is warning Snuffy Smith not to encroach on its territory in the comics pages.” –Philip

“With the focus on Franklin it’s easy to overlook the fact that he and Curtis are ‘studying’ blank sheets. In a cut scene Franklin says, ‘So you see, Curtis, when you look into the void the void also looks into you.’ Then he demonstrated the same principle with his gaping mouth. Curtis, however, focuses on minutiae, unwilling to face the existential implications of non-being. You speak for all of us, Curtis.” –Spunky The Wonder Squid

“What’s green, furry, has three black holes and three black flags, and needs a trim? That’s not a set-up to a joke, it’s just a question I have.” –Voshkod

“Dadburn grownups still ain’t never heard of spiders.” –made of wince

“Silas did in fact have a radioactive spider but refused to part with it for less than a whole cow.” –ectojazzmage

“I just assume the tablecloth is to hide Dagwood’s arousal when the food arrives.” –Tabby Lavalamp

“Nah, I’m just going to write about pizza and cancer.” –Ned Ryerson

“‘You wouldn’t think that an oral history of a crappy Cleveland bedroom community would change history, would you? But, as we all know, a comic strip about that same community changed the medium forever! Never underestimate what can be done by one genius!!! Bwah hahahaha!’ ‘Uh, just so you know, there are people who knew I was coming here.’” –Rube

Remember: If you want an ad-free version of this site sent to you every day via email, for $3 a month you can become a Comics Curmudgeon newsletter subscriber! And if you never want to see banner ads on this site, and want to get cool comment-editing features to boot, for the same low price you can become a Comics Curmudgeon website subscriber! And if you just want to give me money directly, you can put some scratch in my tip jar, or back me on Patreon! Thanks to all for your support and readership!

Post Content

As you digest your turkey, please enjoy this comment of the week:

“‘I didn’t think you needed a prescription to get ibuprofen.’ ‘Look, who’s the fake doctor here? Do you have scrubs you got at a post-Halloween costume sale? No. Now shut up while I write you another script for an ice pack.’” –Truckosaurus

And the very funny runners up!

“The future, DustinDad, is sweatpants.” –random driveby commenter

“What the hell is up with Buck in the next to last panel? ‘Hmm, I guess that’s good news. I need to tell Truck what’s up, [thought bubble] and warn him that the poison didn’t work.’” –Hibbleton

“Well, I’ve done nothing, my work here is done.” –TheDiva

“No, Billy, you will not be going to market today, for the red star is a symbol of the glorious Communist revolution that is now upon us! (You’re going to re-education camp. Take your jacket. There will be no recess.)” –pastordan

“‘*Sigh* I’ve been expecting you’ is the Funkyverse’s version of ‘Norm!!!’” –taig

“Is an insult or a compliment if someone calls you ‘a very funny man‘ but it’s literally in the context of a fairy tale?” –Joe Blevins

“If you don’t have a neck and there’s no differentiation between your head and your body, just a round hairy cone tapering steadily out from scalp to gut, and your chin is growing from your breast bone, and without clothes to disguise it your naked body is revealed as an unholy abomination, you’re probably a plugger.” –Schroduck

“The unsung hero colorist on Dick Tracy almost certainly got editorial instruction like ‘his face is darkly colored from the MRI accident’ and had to pick just the right color to avoid an Incident.” –Dan

“I’m skeptical that pluggers ever quickly realize anything.” –nescio

“They didn’t steal your car. You just did a hospital procedure without insurance (crime pays but does not have job benefits) so instead of charging you and passing your debt to a collection agency, the hospital decided to cut out the middleman and simply take your car.” –Ettorre

“In janitor-man’s time everybody makes terrible jokes and is allowed only two expressions: smug and bored. He’s here at ground zero to kill that future in its cradle.” –gormadoc

“As usual, there’s a lot to unpack in this strip, but what confuses me is the big bold NOVEMBER in the first panel. This is a daily strip, right? Is it … just there to remind their readership what month it is? Do they think that the people who enjoy their work are also the types to forget what time of year it is? Harsh, man.” –pugfuggly

“Grampa gives a hearty chuckle. ‘Yes, loathsome little beast, isn’t he? I keep telling them better late than never when it comes to, er, family planning, but you know how young people are these days. No gumption!’” –Violet

“Look at the bright side, Fitch. At least you’re apparently drinking during the day in a well lit bar.” –Tabby Lavalamp

Remember: If you want an ad-free version of this site sent to you every day via email, for $3 a month you can become a Comics Curmudgeon newsletter subscriber! And if you never want to see banner ads on this site, and want to get cool comment-editing features to boot, for the same low price you can become a Comics Curmudgeon website subscriber! And if you just want to give me money directly, you can put some scratch in my tip jar, or back me on Patreon! Thanks to all for your support and readership!

Post Content

FOLKS … nothing gold can stay, because everything gold will eventually develop cancer, or CTE, or a hearing disability, and that’s why Funky Winkerbean at the end of the year will, in the words of the Daily Cartoonist, “reach completion” (ew?). I guess this explains why Funky is retiring and Summer is writing a book about her dad’s boring old friends. Don’t worry, though: Tom Batuik will still be posting occasional Funky stories on Tom Batuik dot com, and Crankshaft will keep on aggressively malaproping indefinitely, so there’s still hope that we’ll eventually find out whether Cayla divorces Les or not.

Funky Winkerbean has of course been one of my favorite strips to make fun of since the Masky McDeath days, and it goes without saying that I am sad to see it go! Say what you will about all the cancer, but it was its own unique multilayered world and, somewhat bizarrely, had multiple lives as a cultural touchstone. I hope Batuik enjoys (semi) retirement. I just want to point out that I’ve been doing this blog since 2004, and I never taught my spellcheck the word “Winkerbean” and now, sadly, it appears I’m never going to have to. RIP to a real one.

But we must plod on and do what we can in a Funkyless world! Credit goes to Bowsnonk on Twitter for the title of this post, and credit must also go to the comment of the week:

“One thing all the building-up of the Truck Tyler legend didn’t prepare me for was how exquisitely bitchy his between-song patter is.” –Artist formerly known as Ben

And here are this week’s runners up! Very funny!

“Boy it’s true what … [flips over to open google tab] … Indian actor and film producer Mohanlal says: ‘Life is just a collage of events.’ Really. That’s why, every once in a while, it’s ok to have a Sunday strip that doesn’t advance a storyline, provide any new information, or is interesting in any real way. Because chatting with someone in the lobby of your building is just one of those ‘events’ that we gluestick onto the great poster board of life, ok? Just enjoy the collage, folks.” –pugfuggly

“I kind of wonder what’s going on in Sarge’s mind right now. He gives his bipedal, clothes-wearing dog a command, and the dog responds by walking away in silence with a sad, resigned look on his face, only to come back moments later with a bottle of hot sauce and an air of grim determination. Is he horrified at how his cruel order is affecting his loyal companion? Or is he worried that he’ll wake one morning to the smell of hot sauce and hot, drooling breath just inches from his leg?” –TheDiva

“I bet someone hooked Mary up, whether Tommy is still dealing or not. Just look at panel two. No way does a simple shopping trip for a bagful of groceries provide that much dopamine — not in this economy! Have you seen the cost of butter lately, dude?” –made of wince

“[tries for five minutes to express my feeling of queasiness and revulsion at a married couple submitting to Pluggers together] Do pluggers really like pistachio?” –matt w

“With his army routed by the winged hussars of Poland and the campaign to capture Vienna an abject failure, Grand Vizier George Wilson Pasha is punished as befits a high-ranking Ottoman officer, by strangulation with a silk cord. [1683, colorized]” –jroggs

“The best part of Dennis the Menace is how resigned both Wilsons are to Dennis murdering one of them. Mrs. Wilson is at least a little surprised that her husband isn’t even trying to fight back against the child he outweighs by a good 150 pounds.” –Tabby Lavalamp

“‘How are things going in your life, Iris?’ ‘Amazingly well…’ ‘Excuse me, Iris, I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to the flowers outside. You’re not the only Iris here, you know. So rude.‘ ‘Things are going great, Mary, thanks for asking. Sunny day, so photosynthesis is underway, and I think a bee might stop by later!’” –Voshkod

“I want to take the opportunity to congratulate Walker & Associates for getting it right and presenting a recognizable — potato? lemon? — foodstuff in the first panel. Way to go, Contract Worker #36! You have earned work until Thanksgiving.” –Bobby Sneakers

“Mr. Dithers seems a bit confused by this protest, as well he should be. Who are these people? Why are they shouting and circling in the middle of his office? How have they managed to corral his dipshit office manager into their antics? No, wait, he’s got that part.” –pastordan

“Hi is microdosing testosterone to make life more bearable. The beard shows that the physical effects are there, but the face shows it did not solve the psychological issues.” -Ettorre

“What is that empty space where they’re picketing? This strip does this all the time; they are post-modernists who have deconstructed the concept of a ‘room.’ Here’s a wall, here’s a floor, here’s some wainscoting, here’s a … doorway(?), all scattered randomly without logical connection.” –Tom T.

“Say what you will about Dorothy, but I for one appreciate how accommodating she is in the midst of tragedy. ‘Get up! I’m going to kick your #&%.‘ ‘Why, certainly, Keri! One mo. Do I face you, or the wall, or what?’” –els

“I suspect what Dorothy is laughing at is some parents’ choice to spell their daughter’s name as ‘Allyson’. That’s much too trendy for Milford.” –seismic-2

“Are they actually selling a Trixie NFT? Because between this and the mug… I dunno, I just think maybe somebody at King Features is overestimating how much people like looking at Trixie.” –Dan

“The audience is so disappointed. They were hoping to hear songs from Mud’s new album, Glutton for Nourishment.” –Inspector Gotcha

“I don’t know the name of the town in this strip, but the citizens have shown they’re pretty progressive by electing a mayor who’s a sex android.” –BeckoningChasm

“Notice that Henry is taking advantage of Dennis’s complaints to slip his food back into the serving dish. Maybe he and Dennis are working in tandem, and maybe Alice’s food really is awful. This whole family is made of menace!” –Spunky The Wonder Squid

“Didn’t Coach Hernandez refer to his kid as the ‘Little Bedwetter’? Maybe this common bond of sons with nocturnal enuresis will unite Gil and Hernandez — enemies on the streets, but plastic beneath the sheets?” –Old School Allie Cat

“Look at these disturbing creatures. They should rename this strip Uncanny Alley.” –Anonymous (but not that one)

Remember: If you want an ad-free version of this site sent to you every day via email, for $3 a month you can become a Comics Curmudgeon newsletter subscriber! And if you never want to see banner ads on this site, and want to get cool comment-editing features to boot, for the same low price you can become a Comics Curmudgeon website subscriber! And if you just want to give me money directly, you can put some scratch in my tip jar, or back me on Patreon! Thanks to all for your support and readership!