November 30, 2004
Strip Jobs
Sadie points us to a brilliant take on Marmaduke by Kilgore. Now celebrating 50 years of flaying a one-joke gig.
May I add a few strips to the list of mediocrity? Family Circus. Hi and Lois. Garfield. Fucking Heathcliff. Marvin.
Andy Capp is a god, of course, but the way he channels Velociman is scary. I cannot bear to read him.
I would like to see an adult version of Steve Canyon. Maybe Stephanie Canyon, Underground Film Actress. And I am reminded of the great MAD Magazine take from the early days, when they had people like Mickey Spillane write Nancy ("Catch a ride, baby. Me and Aunt Tootsie here have business").
The Lockhorns, Dennis The Menace, Ziggy. One sad fact is just how fucking lame Peanuts was. I know, I know, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and the football, the Great Pumpkin. Icons to us boomers one and all. But face it, the daily strip sucked. Schultz did more for America by exposing the masses to the Vince Guaraldi Trio than he ever did by drawing that one trick pony.
Posted by: rankin' rob at November 30, 2004 9:01 PMYes, interesting possibilites on the 'Stephanie Canyon' thought. And, I did have an 'Aunt Tootsie', she was hot. I, alas, was young.
Posted by: mudmarine at November 30, 2004 9:22 PMAlso, I meant to say, certainly add "Mary Worth" to that list of 'easy money' strips. I think 'Tootsie' distracted me.
Posted by: mudmarine at November 30, 2004 9:26 PMMy mom threw out all my MADs from the early 70s - 82, but I was able to buy them all back off eBay. Schmoe. Dumb Dumb Afternoon. Supercool. Ah, the memories. But yeah, there was a great insert in one of the issues in like 77 where Archie was re-done as a grown up strip.
Anyway, I'm just rambling now. Not even on topic. Stupid silk boxers -- I never know how they're going to affect me.
Posted by: Jeff G at November 30, 2004 10:35 PMHey V-Man...was that the cartoon with Sluggo? If not, do remember which one it was? Hmm. Underdog was da bomb.
Posted by: Sadie at December 1, 2004 12:00 AM"Mutts" tops my list of current stupid comics. what a waste of ink. But the Absolute Worst? David Lynch's attempt at a comic strip, Angry Dog or something equally non-memorable.
Posted by: Mamamontezz at December 1, 2004 3:38 AMFamily Circus? How dare you?
The one's in which Billy's mom calls him he cavorts along a wacky dotted line path home are CLASSICS.
They remind me of my carefree yooot. Save the fact they always seem to leave out gamboling through the Jone's house, sniffing Mrs. J's panties and stealing her husband's Jack Daniels.
Posted by: rightisright at December 1, 2004 12:02 PM