Andertoons (AMS) takes a daring step, making a joke based on the reader having a good vocabulary, but which is funnier if the reader has just enough of a good vocabulary to know what the word means and to feel somewhat proud of that. That is, if ubiquitous/ubiquity were more common words, there’d be nothing […]
An obvious but timely meme, to which I’ll add an old but timely joke: “What is the difference between ignorance and apathy?”“I don’t know and I don’t care.“ In Amusing Ourselves To Death, Neil Postman argued that the model for our dystopia was not Orwell’s “1984” but Huxley’s “Brave New World,” because we were not […]
I believe comics can be educational without being educational comics, and today’s Rubes (Creators) brought to mind a visit to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo when my boys were about three and seven. We had a family membership and visited often, and I think the boys learned something every time, but never so much as the […]
Kal Kallaugher could run this anytime, but it’s particularly relevant at the moment, as we face the twin factors of emerging technologies that make forgery and fraud easier, and political operatives who are willing to lie in your face. There have always been kooks in the world, but in addition to the gullible who believe […]
As Jeff Stahler (AMS) notes, the writers’ strike in Hollywood has been settled and, as he also notes, that doesn’t mean that Paddy Chayefsky and Rod Serling are being loosed upon the TV studios once more. It also doesn’t mean that I’ll be any less aghast watching the promos during football for the next little […]
Today is a “Where do I begin?” day, but, with no particular plan in mind, let’s kick off with Bizarro (KFS), because Harold and the Purple Crayon came out when I was five years old and, while I had other books I really enjoyed, like Millions of Cats and Make Way For Ducklings, this was […]
Grand Avenue (AMS) marks a cultural change that has often sent me digging through the memory banks. I suppose the sign might have been when the streetlights came on, and it’s possible, since they were more likely set to a specific time rather than light actuated, which would have sent us straight home from the […]
I wasn’t looking for anything too brain-involved today, and so the predictable foolishness of Sherman’s Lagoon (AMS) seemed just right. But even the funny stuff involves thought. Example: “Predictable foolishness” is different than repetitive or monotonous foolishness. There are all sorts of strips which simply repackage the same few gags in different settings. “Predictable foolishness,” […]
Stephen Collins reflects on the death of water cooler TV, a combination of too many things to watch, too many ways to watch and too many choices of when to watch. (Larger version here) It comes hard on the heels of a whole lot of Festivus references, which reminds us of the days when we […]
Asked and answered, Prickly City (AMS). It’s not so much that he’s defied the law as it is that so many powerful people are willing to twist themselves into knots to justify his behavior, and, if Ex-Dear-Leader were held accountable, the last 30 years of rightwing rabble rousing have brought forth a decentralized army of […]
Our comment feature appears to be broken beyond repair, at least for our current platform, which inspires (finally!) a redesign, which will take a while. In the meantime, we hope you’ll give us feedback on the social media where we announce our new postings. (Illo by Henry Justice Ford) There’s a lot of political […]
Paul Fell comments on an extremely toxic part of the world we’ve built. I, too, liked it better when you could believe that false, hateful rhetoric was perhaps a misunderstanding, a difference of interpretation. What I really liked was the world referenced in this 2005 Jeff Danziger cartoon that I’ve run many times, a […]
(Some thoughts about newspapers, while I take Mother’s Day off to go visit the Aged P.) Here’s the protagonist of an 1867 novel, “Ned Nevins, the News Boy, or, Street Life in Boston,” in which the plucky lad worked to rise above his grim surroundings, as plucky lads would in popular literature for the […]
Deflocked (AMS) sets the theme for today. As noted yesterday, we’re no longer in Perpetual Panic mode, but it is nice to put the serious issues aside for a moment. OTOH, Mamet doesn’t simply put them aside but keeps his head buried, and it’s depressing to see the absolute garbage available on TV. But take […]
I can counter-quote Mr. Boffo: You coulda had class. You coulda been a political commentator. You coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what you are, let’s face it. Being a grown up ruins everything. Juxtaposition of the Day (The Argyle Sweater – AMS) (Too Much Coffee Man – AMS) F’rinstance, I’ll admit […]