Starting this week, the Baldo comic strip will deal with diabetes, a disease that disproportionately affects hispanics. The story-line will run through July 10 and include a toll free number for readers to get additional information.
Baldo is written by Hector Cantu and drawn by Carlos Castellanos.
So, I guess diabetes is a racist disease then. Right?
Hey, maybe they could put up a toll free number so folks could get help finding a strip that’s actually funny…
Seriously, that strip stinks.
Yeah…nothing worse than a strip trying to bring some awareness to a disease that affects millions of people…those inconsiderate jerks.
“Baldo” is brilliantly drawn and a sweet family strip that features a very positive hispanic viewpoint to the comics. It’s not cutting-edge funny, nor does it try to be. It’s like blasting a light comedy film because it wasn’t “Citizen Kane.” I’d read it just to look at Carlos’ artwork…there aren’t many better out there.
Wow Shane, tell us how you really feel.
Hey,different strokes and all that, no problem. I just think it (to me) seems ridiculous to use a format like a comic strip to bring ‘awareness’ to a disease. I had the same issue with that long, dreadful ‘Lisa’s Story’ joy-killer of a story that appeared in Funky Winkerbean.
Look , if diabetes is so prevelant in the hispanic race, I’m pretty sure they’re not so dumb as to need a strip like that to inform them of their potential problems. And anyone who needs a comic strip to educate themselves on their own medical health is probably to ignorant to be able to care for themselves anyway.
I just think it’s a waste of precious comics real estate to go on these little crusades. To me, the funnies are supposed to be funny. And Baldo is about as funny as Type 2 Diabetes, no matter how well it’s drawn. I think we already cut this up when I ripped Doonesbury & Mallard Fillmore – artwork not withstanding, they simply aren’t funny and neither is Baldo, TO ME.
Unless Herr Obama has repealed the 1st Amendment already, it is just my freely expressed opinion – there are some comics on the funny pages that need to be retired because (and this is the real problem with the comics pages IMHO) there just aren’t enough that are actually laugh loud funny.
And Baldo is one of them, along with Blondie, Hagar the Horrible, The Born Loser, Sally Forth, Funky Winkerbean, Dennis the Mencae, Popeye, Herb & Jamal, etc.
What’s wrong with thinking a strip that stinks if it isn’t funny yet appears on the funny page? Hmm…
Oh and BTW, my comments about diabetes being racist were simply making light of the recent flaps over the chimp-getting-shot cartoon and the recent ‘money lenders’ Jewish cartoon.
If the erudite class think racism comes from every pore of society and is just waiting to club innocent ‘marginalized’ citizens at the drop of a hat (or a Micron pen), then surely they must think a disease that picks on one race more that others is racist, isn’t it?
I was only highlighting absurdity through an absurd statement. Don’t think more of it than it was.
The funny thing is, I agree with you on a lot of points….I wasn’t all that fond of the whole “Funky Winkerbean tackles death” thing either. It’s cast rather a pall on the whole strip, as well as Crankshaft. You just sit there waiting for terrible things to happen…bad enough reading the news with my coffee…do I really need this? 🙂
But, at the same time, Funky raised a ton of awareness and money for the breast cancer cause, so there’s that.
And I’m all for freedom of expression and what you like and don’t like. I guess I’m just less likely to say “this strip stinks” in what is primarily a site for supporting comics….I’d rather focus on the positive. Lord knows I’ve made fun of some strips that seem to have stagnated over the years, or are hanging on for no apparent reason. I suppose I’ve come to more of a “live and let live” attitude. It does no good to make fun of something like, say, Garfield…when it’s really pretty much aimed at younger kids. We all loved Garfield when we were younger…and we all outgrow it. And let’s face it…the real bottom line is that the comics you mention aren’t going anywhere because they’re cash cows. In an industry having some real problems, that’s not a bad thing.
Bottom line, though, is that you’re pretty much right, Shane. You can slam a comic as much as you can praise one, and that’s what forums are for. I still think “Baldo” is great, though. 🙂
First off, Tom…Thank you.
I admit I have the Irish trait of no filter between brain & mouth – maybe I type before I think. But at anyrate, I ahve to say it is really nice to have someone respond as agreeably as you did – ya’ don’t always get that in online forums.
Anyway, maybr I shouldn’t have used the word ‘stinks’ but I just don’t get how certain strips that are so bland in their writing can be ‘cash cows’.
I guess you could call it the Michael Bay syndrome. I can’t fathom why his movies, as boring and predictable as they are, make big money, but the do – I guess some comic strips that do the same thing.
But again, nice return post.
Thanks
Just read that post I put up.
Gollie eye wicsh auy kuld tiype beattur.
Geez, man…don’t get me started on Michael Bay. I’ve said for years Hollywood needs to institute the Michael Bay Tax…where 10% of his 200 million dollar budgets need to go to deserving independent filmmakers. Balance out the karma. 😉
Criticism on line is tough…hard to get the point across with tone of voice, sarcasm, etc. And Shiva knows I have ripped my share of movies to pieces. Maybe we’re just used to things like movies getting savaged in the press, so it doesn’t seem as harsh? Probably totally unfair, that.
Either way, thanks for your kind words as well. I’m all about the discussion and finding the common ground. I’d have made a fine diplomat if I didn’t think 95% of people were morons. 🙂
(I’m half Irish and mostly New Yorker, too…so I understand the lack of editing between the brain and the mouth/fingers. It’s a struggle.)
I’m about 75% Irish and 100% Texan, so the Lord knows I relate to the struggle!
Erin Go Bragh and I’ll see you around cyberspace, pal.
G’night.
(BTW, I’ve found the antidote to Michael Bay is Michael Mann. Love that guy’s work…)
Gee, I’d have said the antidote to Michael Bay is Andrei Tarkovsky …