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Dennis the Menace, 6/16/10

I have to admit that I find today’s Dennis the Menace funny. No cutesy puns, no adorable kid antics, just Dennis straight-up gettin’ pissed as he realizes that he’s been bamboozled into dressing nicely and going somewhere boring. And he’s being genuinely menacing towards adulthood’s veneer of politeness, the pretense that we put up purporting that we want to be doing the things we have to do, even when we don’t, that keeps civilization from collapsing into chaos. Henry’s tiny smile seems to indicate that he approves of his son’s agitation. “Ha ha, yes, nothing ever good happens to you when you put on a tie, kid! But don’t worry, your belief that you can change your life to make it more like one you want to live will be broken, soon enough.”

Family Circus, 6/16/10

Today’s Family Circus is also funny to me, though much more difficult to get a handle on. Was a sleeping Jeffy attacked by a suddenly wakeful Kittycat, leaving his blanket in shreds and his tiny mind fixated on etymology? Or is he just wandering around the house in his underwear spouting groggy cat-related nonsense for no reason?

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Hi and Lois, 6/15/10

I will admit that, weak little bit of 1950s-era wordplay though it is, the fact that Hi and Thirsty’s employer is named “Foofram Industries” or whatever amuses me. However, before today’s strip, I had always just assumed that the company was some generic and modest white collar concern. This strip seems to indicate that, even before this planned merger, Foofram is corporate giant, with employees filling two skyscrapers, one of which is decorated with the enormous word FOOFRAM, proudly proclaiming the founder’s name to pedestrians below and to the Fooframers in the other tower. (Do you think that both buildings have FOOFRAM signs, so that employees in both buildings are constantly reminded of the man to whom they owe fealty?) Anyway, I think at this point it goes without saying that I hope that the post-merger combined company keeps the Foofram name. It’s a very strong brand!

Beetle Bailey, 6/15/10

Although its only the shoe-chewing whose aftermath we see, the “mess” in “mess up his floor” is clearly code for peeing and/or defecating. And yet Otto is wearing undershorts! Is Sarge so dim as to think that wearing pants magically potty-trains a creature? Because it doesn’t, Sarge. Just think of how full those boxers must be! Sarge is a terrible pet owner! No wonder Otto looks so sad.

Spider-Man, 6/15/10

Oh, look, it’s a set-up for one of the very worst kinds of Spider-Man plot developments (yes, there are worst kinds): some pointless thing sends Peter Parker into a downward spiral of inadequacy and sullenness vis-à-vis his relationship with his wife and his perceptions of his own masculinity. Whee! We’ll have much time to dwell on this, but for the moment I just want to point out that both Parkers are !ing in panel three, which I find cute.

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Your top comment this week is about 9 Chickweed Lane — trust me, it makes sense if you follow along:

“Hoo boy, will all you people feel silly when this strip goes back to unicorns and finger-fucking. ‘Bring back the Nazi!’ you’ll say, but too late.” –Buck Ripsnort

And the runners up! Very funny!

“Jenna must be a good accountant if she’s able to detail the Johnsons’ finances on a single sheet of paper. I imagine she simplified their money problems down to the basics: Income: $84,000 (very good!) Miscellaneous expenses: $56,000 (not bad!) Hideous pastel outfits: $49,000 (whoopsies!)” –BigTed

“Meanwhile in Trailville, sideburns have arrived.” –Sheila Sternwell

“Is there some kind of drug that you can inhale that makes basic budgetary details seem interesting? If so, financial counselor Jenna Thomas has been sniffing it off her right index finger all week.” –nescio

“The hostility coming off the clowns probably has something to do with Dagwood’s ridiculous hair and giant yellow button. I’m guessing they thought he was betraying his clown heritage, like some sort of clown Uncle Tom.” –BananaSam

“I’m pretty sure Mark Trail is just working its way down to advocating a return to a completely lawless, survival-of-the-fittest society. ‘This social contract, it only serves to rob poor, innocent, old women of their animal companions. Laws did this.'” –Dave

“‘Margo and Luann love lasagna, and they can’t bicker with their mouths full.’ I was praying that panel two would be a cut to Tommie sitting at the dinner table, covered in half-chewed lasagna that is shooting at her from either side.” –Grump

“Oh now that’s just ridiculous. You can’t arbitrarily stick a C3 (Commercial/Light Industrial/No Dogs Allowed) designation in a block full of R2s (Cheesily Sinister Snobbish Residential).” –Hogan

“[Wilbur] is stuffing food in his face in the least graceful way one can stuff food in one’s face without involving a pie cannon or spray cheese rocket.” –Chip Whittle

Too long to reproduce here in fall, but also worthy of your attention, is this epic Luann fantasy from Old School Allie Cat.

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