The Comics Curmudgeon

Main Menu

Social Media

Comment of the Week

Is Dr. Jeff's 'again’ meant to indicate that he's already (willfully?) forgotten what Mary's told him, or does it display his belief that Wilbur's life is a karmic circle of disasters that are superficially varied but basically the same thing happening to him over and over?

—Pozzo
Comments are closed

Funkyverse quickies, Momma longie

Post Content

Momma, 10/9/14

You guys, today’s Momma illustrates a very important point: when you tell old people about how the Kids Today do things, make sure you explain all the details and don’t assume they can fill in the blanks. Like, if you say “oh, Kids Today like to send each other pictures of themselves when they’re dating,” make sure they know those pictures are on their cell phones, because otherwise you end up with comic setups like “Momma, a cute boy I met today gave me some pictures of himself! Like, actual, physical pictures! Where did he even get them?” Anyway, today’s strip takes a quick turn from “wacky out of touch follies” to “what is even going on here” as Momma … encourages MaryLou to send some other girl’s picture back? Even though the boy has already seen MaryLou? Despite all this, the thing that most unsettles me about this strip is the fact that MaryLou is wearing a baseball hat. Does she usually wear baseball hats? I don’t think she does.

Crankshaft, 10/9/14

Look at that face! Is Crankshaft experiencing shame? Is that even physically possible?

Funky Winkerbean, 10/9/14

“By the way … happy anniversary. I got you some passive aggression!”

Comments are closed

ALERT: MARY WORTH PLOT IN HIGH GEAR, CANCEL ALL MY APPOINTMENTS

Post Content

Mary Worth, 10/8/14

Congrats to Mary Worth for deploying an actually interesting narrative technique this week! After yesterday’s head-on collision, we smash cut to Ian, sweaty and wild-eyed, barging into his own home and gibbering wrathfully at his terrified trophy wife. We’re left to imagine the trail of verbal carnage he left in his wake. The sneers! The condescension! He’s clearly been driven into a frenzy of fender-bender-based superciliousness, and everyone is going to hear about it! Poor Toby: you get the feeling this isn’t the first time she got a finger wagged in her face because of something unforgiveable that somebody else did.

Shoe, 10/8/14

Ha ha, it sure does look like you live alone, Perfesser! Because generally most people don’t like living in unsafe hoarding-zones filled with literal trash. Say, remember how you used to live with someone else? Your nephew, Skyler? Ring a bell? It’s not clear if he’s finally decided that life as a homeless runaway would be better than the unsanitary lifestyle you keep, or if he was just crushed to death under a pile of newspapers.

Heathcliff, 10/8/14

It’s true: far too much garbage ends up in the ocean, disrupting ecosystems vital to life’s long-term survival on earth. Heathcliff is right to look so sad.

Comments are closed

With any luck, he’ll be bloviating through Sunday

Post Content

Mary Worth, 10/7/14

Few things have unsettled me more today than Hanna thinking to herself “My grandson is safe with his mother … for now.” What could this possibly mean? Safe from what? Is he the Chosen One of Prophecy, with a magical protection charm keeping evil at bay as long as he stays in his mother’s home? Is this why Hanna’s been so reluctant to babysit him, because while his mother’s out finding self-actualization or true love or whatever, Hanna must maintain constant vigilance against the emboldened dark forces who seek to snuff out Gordon’s life before he can come into his full powers? Probably not, and I guess we’re never going to really find out, because right in the middle of this reverie she just stone-cold rammed into the front of Ian’s car, and I assume that his condescending rage will be both extensive and hilarious.

Apartment 3-G, 10/7/14

Kudos to Margo for maintaining her utter dominance over both Tommie and Lu Ann with one power move. I certainly hope that every third night over the past few months she and Lu Ann sat together staring at empty plates for several hungry, agonizing hours. “Look, Margo, I don’t think she’s coming home tonight, I could cook something real quick–” “No. It’s Tommie’s night.” “Well maybe we could just get some Thai food delivered, or–” “It’s Tommie’s night, and put that phone down RIGHT NOW or I am not responsible for the consequences.”

Better Half, 10/7/14

Remember, only in the sweet grip of death can you escape the extractive power of the tyrannical state! SUICIDE IS A REVOLUTIONARY ACT