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Comic strips New Launches

Barney and Clyde to launch in June

1 minute 45 comments

The long rumored comic strip by Gene Weingarten, Pulitzer Prize humor columnist for the Washington Post, has a launch date. Michael Cavna reports that the strip is a partnership between Gene, his son Dan and David Clark (1996 NCS Newspaper Illustration division award winner). The strip “Barney and Clyde” launches June 7 and is described as “an accidental friendship between a billionaire and a bum.”

UPDATE: Gene has a Facebook page with artwork from the strip.

Description of strip: “Barney — J. Barnard Pillsbury — is the billionaire founder and CEO of Pillsbury Pharmaceuticals. Barney thinks he has it all – power, wealth, a pampered existence with a statuesque trophy wife – until he meets Clyde Finster, an intelligent, entertaining (and possibly crazy) street person.

“Clyde’s satisfaction with his circumstance surprises and confounds Barney, whose success in life has been hard-fought and won. For Clyde, Barney’s acceptance is validation of a life lived without compromise. “

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Comments 45

  1. Whoah. What year is this, 1936?

  3. More like 1968 and THE ODD COUPLE. Or for the comics, 1965 and EEK & MEEK. That’s comedy gold, Rodd, gold! And Gene Weingarten is just the genius who can mine it!

  4. Maybe it’s actually in the distant future, where the Internet has been destroyed, people are jailed for unwarranted snark and formulaic cliches are the sought after comedic muse.

    You know, the new good ol’ days.

    EEK & MEEK. Nice.

  5. How many days before the billionaire says something about how the homeless guy is the truly rich one because he enjoys sleeping under the stars or picking apples or whatever?

    I think 3.

  6. Money says the homeless guy speaks in rhyme.

  7. Am I wrong, or is there an air of cynicism and derision to be detected in this thread?

  8. PANEL 1

    Billionaire: (pompously)
    Whoever dies with the most toys, wins!

    PANEL 2

    Hobo: (sincerely) The greatest man in history was also the poorest –Emerson

    PANEL 3

    Hobo walks off and Billionaire looks on with steam coming out of ears

  9. I really like the drawing style. Got a chuckle from the “foxy lady” and “butt kiss” characters on the Facebook page. Even though their names sound a little contrived, they’re pushing that edginess everyone seems to be talking about.

    Considering the financial challenges that so many families have been facing lately, I’m very curious about what the reception will be like. The strip’s description makes it seems like the moral of this tale is, “Be happy you’re broke!”

    Still, that street-wise Clyde is entertaining (and possibly crazy) … He must be a cartoonist!!

  10. Mark, Corey, Guy…
    Man, you dudes sound so cynical.
    Is it because this has been done about 1,765,348 times before?

    In the soon-to-be released film version, J. Barnard Pillsbury will be played by Kevin Costner as he comes to a ‘Dances With Wolves’ type realization that all he ever stood for is evil.

    Robin Williams will portray Clyde Finster using the same brilliant rubber nose and characterization he brought to the illuminating ‘Patch Adams.’

    It will be in 3D and James Cameron is set to direct.

  11. wow… the jokes will almost write themselves….

  12. FADE IN

    INT: AN EMPTY TAVERN. AT ONE END SITS AN ANGRY – EYEBROWED CARTOONIST. NEXT TO HIM STANDS A BARTENDER, READING A NEWSPAPER.

    THE BARTENDER CHUCKLES LOUDLY AND TURNS HIS PAPER TO SHOW THE CARTOONIST THE SOURCE OF HIS AMUSEMENT:

    A COMIC STRIP:

    PANEL 1

    Billionaire: (pompously)
    Whoever dies with the most toys, wins!

    PANEL 2

    Hobo: (sincerely) The greatest man in history was also the poorest ?Emerson

    PANEL 3

    Hobo walks off and Billionaire looks on with steam coming out of ears

    BARTENDER: “Now that’s a funny comic… And it still has a message!”

    CARTOONIST: “Heh. Yeah.”

    THE BARTENDER TURNS BACK TO HIS PAPER, STILL CHUCKLING. THE CARTOONIST PICKS UP A FORK AND STABS HIMSELF IN THE EYE.

    FADE OUT.

  13. Yikes! And I thought I was cynical! I think it’s tough to draw conclusions based on the premise–after all, what’s so special about a strip about a cat and a dog?

  14. haha…Tom, we’re just giving Gene a taste of what to expect. Paying him back in his own coin, so to speak. He’s been riping on comics in his Washington Post blog/column for so long, if he’s going to now get into the comic strip game, it had better be something f***ing extraordinary.

  16. I didn’t mean to sound so negative – it’s probably Gene’s strategy to appeal to the 80 year old newspaper reader who reads Little Orphan Annie and still uses the word “bum”. He may have the last laugh.

    I wish him the best, and hope he takes note.

  17. I was just looking for an excuse to collaborate with Tatulli on something.

    I agree with Rodd. It’s clear sense of Moxie and Carpetbaggery will be the perfect fit for newspapers.

  18. I think it will be good as long as there’s a rabbit.

  19. If it goes into web animation, Michigan J. Frog could do a cameo and sing the Varsity Drag….

  20. I want to know more about that rabbit.

  21. I counted 11 characters in the cast. Isn’t that illegal?

  23. You guys are being too kind, really.

    What we’re aiming for here is uber-cliche. See, it’s a very modern strip, filled with ironic detachment. We’re TRYING to suck.

  24. Wow, that sounds amazing! No wonder it takes three people to create one comic strip! I can’t wait to see samples! Really, I can’t wait.

  25. Gene,
    I’m actually looking forward to seeing it. It can’t be all that bad simply because of what it DOESN’T have…

    Sulking, bored, too-hip-for-the-strip smug to the teeth teenagers making smart eleck, eye rolling comments about stuffy ol’ adults.

    Yep, had enough of that crap…

  26. Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle, I feel like a real palooka, and I don’t mean maybe!

    Wait ’til you get a load of these guys…

  27. Shane,

    What paper do you read?

    Or does Dagwood seem like a teenager to you?

  28. Guy,
    I used to read the Austin Unamerican Mistatesman, but dropped my subscription a few years ago.

    Dagwood as a teenager to me? Nah, but I do think the theme to ‘A Summer Place’ is a jazzy little number…does that mean I’m old?

  29. Shane, militia newsletters printed in Judd’s shed don’t count as newspapers.

  30. Shane, you should start getting the Statesman again. It’s one of the few papers that actually runs our strip.

  31. I just checked the Facebook page for this. A sad billionaire and a happy bum–wow. Sure does capture the zietgeist, doesn’t it? But where’s the talking dog? Surely a comic that features this level of innovation and creativity must include a talking dog!

  32. The maid’s name is Consuela, and the black lady is Ms. Foxx… oh, this is going to be cutting edge.

    When do we meet Pillsbury’s accountant, Hebrew McYarmulke?

  33. @Guy Endore-Kaiser: I don’t know about the accountant, but the stuffed bunny has a, umm, “eyebrow-raising” name.

  34. That?s almost as unimaginative as a strip about a girl (instead of a boy) and her talking pet.

  35. Geez, people here are brutal. No wonder I always come here.

  36. Oh c’mon, Gene! Throw out your connections in Washington and your artist associate and learn to draw while putting your strip on Sherpa and slowly and gradually pick up readers and a few papers through hard work like a real struggling cartoonist does. Aren’t you interested in the creative angst that you’re going to miss out on? Hey, your strip could be the rich billionaire and my strip could be the bum!

  37. Gene said: “What we?re aiming for here is uber-cliche. See, it?s a very modern strip, filled with ironic detachment. We?re TRYING to suck.”

    Gene is being modest. I don’t think he even has to try.

  38. All kidding aside, this strip looks really fun.

  39. All kidding aside, this strip looks really fun.

    Yup!!

  40. When do we meet Pillsbury?s accountant, Hebrew McYarmulke?

    Actually, that would be awesome. I say we start a petition!

  41. Does he have a lawyer yet?

    Sharky McSwyndyle

    Or a cook?

    Burnit Deflame

  42. @ Mark,
    How about the National Review in Rush Limbaugh’s outhouse, does that count?

  43. Barney and Clyde, that sounds so familiar… Wait! I got it: it’s a riff on BONNIE and Clyde! They’re going to steal our hearts away, aren’t they? I think Gene is the cat’s pajamas!

  44. The karmic payback from decades of Gene’s bloviated asshattery blowing up in his face will be delicious to watch. It will almost be worth the pain of reading the strip. 23 Skidoo!

  45. Pillsbury. Why? Cause he’s got “dough”, boy.

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