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Judge Parker, 7/4/10

So it turns out that Neddy’s lunch date “Mark” was not her ex of “tongue thing” fame; that was “Bob,” proving that, for whatever his faults, Jules has at least helped break Ned’s addiction to guys with bland, WASPy names. Anyway, Mark, despite apparently being of collegiate age, has since parting with Ned gotten married and then divorced. I have to actually speak up in favor of the dialog in this strip: while soap strips are usually filled with awkward, unnatural speech, this installment is actually marked by the realistically awkward speech you’d hear when two exes with unresolved feelings get together. Mark’s final line is a nice touch. “Ned, uh, even though we discussed getting together in the near future, which would involve one of us calling the other, do I have permission to call you? Just making sure! I think about your body all the time! Uh, I mean, say hi to Jules for me!”

Funky Winkerbean, 7/4/10

OK OK WE HAVE RESOLVED THE FORM OF TIME TRAVEL UNDER QUESTION HERE, which is that Funky’s fiftysomething body has been propelled back to his high school days. This raises another question, though. Tom Batuik has said that the chronological question raised by the strip’s time-jumping — that is, whether the recent jump shoved the cast into 2017 or what — doesn’t interest him, an attitude I have sympathy with! However, if that’s not a question the strip wants to grapple with, then adding a time-travel plot isn’t the way to avoid it. How old is Funky supposed to be, anyway? I said “fiftysomething” above because that’s how he looks to me, but all Westview inhabitants are prematurely aged by grief, so I’m not actually sure at this point. If he’s supposed to be, say, 45, then he’s back somewhere around 1980, I suppose. And I’m sorry, but this crowd is looking insufficiently outrageous for the tail end of the disco era.

Panel from The Lockhorns, 7/4/10

I enjoy the vaguely simian but still contemplative look Leroy is giving that poster here. “‘Dracula,’ eh? He looks scary enough, I suppose, but he’s no The Blob.”

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As we roll into the holiday weekend here in the States, we should reflect on the Founding. What did our Founding Fathers have in mind, when they started this great nation?

Panel from Apartment 3-G, 7/3/10

They almost certainly foresaw the rise of television, and its logical use, reality television, and would smile to know that Americans were being humiliated and ambushed for the amusement of others, possibly suffering coronaries in the process.

Panel from Rex Morgan, M.D. 7/3/10

And, of course, they fought for the freedom of attractive young people to spend a little “basement time” with one another, if you know what the Founding Fathers mean, and they think you do.

I’ll be away for the holiday weekend — see you Monday night, probably!

Oh! Also! I don’t always talk about my Wonkette stuff here, but I will be at this event, on July 7, at 5:30, in Washington DC! BE THERE!

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Beetle Bailey, 7/2/10

I have to admit that I love the expressions of both characters here in panel two. The look of unalloyed happiness on Cookie’s face is pretty heartwarming; all the abuse he receives from most of the soldiers whom he serves doesn’t diminish his joy in food — either in preparing it or just watching a master eat it. And Sarge’s expression of earned self-satisfaction is also charming. At least there’s something he’s good at that doesn’t involve cruelty or violence (other than violence to his circulatory system, I guess).

Dick Tracy, 7/2/10

Wait, did I claim yesterday that Anja Nu was on the side of good? Ha ha, what the hell do I know, this is Dick Tracy, everyone’s trying to kill everyone else as painfully as possible, obviously.

Panel from Mary Worth, 7/2/10

I reproduce here this panel in isolation because I thought you’d all want to see, in as much detail as possible, the moment when the good drugs kicked in. See how Jenna’s eyes are bugging out? That’s because she can see through time, man.