tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post4243326021460420747..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: ComicsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88810162416358554592017-08-04T13:59:49.004-07:002017-08-04T13:59:49.004-07:00If I ran a newspaper, I would enlarge the funnies ...If I ran a newspaper, I would enlarge the funnies and make some of them full page, like a real comic section. Make it a selling point! Cut all these corners, and you'll have nothing left! Have the vintage stuff and the best of the new stuff side by side in your wonderful new expanded comic section and watch circulation rise!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1473034155620953172017-08-04T13:28:35.279-07:002017-08-04T13:28:35.279-07:00MAD Magazine is part of the publishing wing that i...MAD Magazine is part of the publishing wing that includes DC Comics. DC moved to Burbank 3 or 4 years ago, and now MAD is joining them. The current editor is a New York guy through and through, and has declined to switch coasts. He's being replaced by the man who ran the Simpsons comic book line for almost 20 years. <br /><br />And to anybody who hasn't been paying attention to MAD for the last few years or decades (which, let's face it, is most people): you've been missing a lot of A+ material. And also some B material, and some C-minus material, as it always was. But A+ material for sure, including loads of biting political pieces in these days of Trump. And for those choked with nostalgia, you'll even see some of the same creative names you would have seen in any 1960s or 1970s issue of MAD, including Sergio Aragones, Al Jaffee (aged 96!), Dick DeBartolo, Paul Coker Jr, and Arnie Kogen (Newhart, Empty Nest, etc etc).<br /><br />RIP Dept: Stan Hart, a MAD mainstay of the 1960s and 70s who also wrote for "The Carol Burnett Show," just died last week.Dropsy N. Snidenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82721165689209645512017-08-01T13:28:01.913-07:002017-08-01T13:28:01.913-07:00Brian Fies is too modest to mention it, but he has...Brian Fies is too modest to mention it, but he has a limited run comic currently running at http://www.gocomics.com/the-last-mechanical-monster?ct=v&cti=1795291. It’s an interesting concept: he continues the story of a villain in one of the Paramount Superman animated cartoons 50 years later when he finally is released from prison. Be sure to go back a couple of months to the start of the story.<br /><br />Brian is also responsible for me finding http://www.comicstripoftheday.com/, where Mike Peterson takes a non-ironic and non-snarky look at several different comics (both editorial and strips) every day with his very strong commentary. I’ve added several strips to my reading list through Mike’s blog. Thanks, Brian.<br /><br />I also enjoy joshreads.com for the snark, especially of the few remaining soap strips.<br /><br />Current strips that I enjoy (some mentioned by others):<br /><i>Arlo and Janis<br />Between Friends<br />Breaking Cat News<br />Brewster Rocket<br />Cul de Sac</i> (sadly discontinued due to the death of its author, but it is new to me)<br /><i>Little Dog Lost </i>(ended, but in reruns)<br /><i>Retail<br />Scary Gary</i> (a 300 year-old vampire and his henchman move to the suburbs)<br /><i>You Damn Kid!</i> (webcomic at http://www.youdamnkid.com/, and probably even funnier if you were raised Catholic).<br /><br />Obviously, not all of these will be to everyone’s taste, but I think it’s simply not true that there are no good comic strips left. True, there is nothing that reaches the heights of <i>Calvin and Hobbes</i>, but how many strips of that quality do you expect to see in a lifetime?Hank Gillettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17328364486555780403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54405276027587883302017-08-01T07:23:51.978-07:002017-08-01T07:23:51.978-07:0070 comments here at the of this reply. For a &quo...70 comments here at the of this reply. For a "dying" platform (newspapers) and a "dying" medium (the funny pages) there sure seems to be strong interest. Maybe syndicates and editors ought to rethink the reader's intelligence and consider raising the bar for what is published. Brian O.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06135578015612515545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85691333313016201442017-08-01T07:11:41.623-07:002017-08-01T07:11:41.623-07:00The comic strips today are all too self-aware. I ...The comic strips today are all too self-aware. I miss the days when the characters were all set, and you let them into the arena and watched what happened.Nick Archernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27968060296195912652017-07-31T20:40:44.110-07:002017-07-31T20:40:44.110-07:00Tour the house that Dilbert built:
https://www.yo...Tour the house that Dilbert built:<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43oV01a6qY8<br /><br />And now, a short visit with Scott Adam's latest girlfriend. She's 28, plays five musical instruments, and graduated with a Masters of Art in Financial Economics at Berkeley:<br /><br />https://www.instagram.com/kristinabasham/?hl=en<br /><br />Conclusion: Fuck sitcoms! Ken, please share more of what you might know about comic strips!<br /><br />–AmazedbertAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87540220390127722022017-07-31T16:14:21.889-07:002017-07-31T16:14:21.889-07:00About writing 365 strips per year (as a syndicated...About writing 365 strips per year (as a syndicated cartoonist) Ken wrote:<br /><br /><br /><i> I would have to come up with seven jokes. Every week. Like clockwork. Who could possibly perform under that kind of unimaginable pressure? </i><br /><br />And then he (along with Isaacs of course) became a TV comedy writer (like a real live Rich Petrie) - and seven jokes per week looks like a piece 'o cake!<br /><br /><i> Recently I picked up the comic section of a major newspaper (and) was shocked by how bad they were</i><br /><br />Wasn't it always so? <br /><br />Subject of a study - go get a bunch of strips from 1975-79 and a bunch from 2012-17. Mix them up - with suitable controls - and get folks to rate them - get some teens, and folks in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. <br /><br />Process statistically and get an "objective result". <br /><br />As for MY favorites, the general trend is that a cartoonist starts our sharp and gets stale.<br /><br /> First I'll cite an exception - Pickles by Brian Crane. His stuff has been consistent - I suspect he works hard and rejects much of what he comes up with. He is mostly NOT "topical" - except for broad cultural topicality - mostly about Earl and Opal (in their 60s-70s) being "behind" with computing and social media. Mostly he is all about married life, which does not date. <br /><br />Scot Adams was wickedly funny at first - and dead on. Readers "protested" that Adams must be working where they worked (where has he been hiding?). Once Dilbert "took off" he had a standing offer with the head of his Dept. at Pac Bell to leave without a fight. Some moron "accepted" Adams' offer and he left (Adams, alas, NOT the moron). Dilbert has since descended into mediocrity and I'm convinced that if he still had a relevant day job that decline would have slowed. <br /><br />His "golden age" was from May 1989 until June 1995 when that moron intervened. <br /><br />Get a copy of "The Dilbert Principle" (1996) for some bona fide management wisdom. I will cite one corrolary of the Principle, which I find is dead on, and which I have twice cited to an actual manager "over" me: <br /><br /><i>If a manager doesn't know how to do something he assumes it must be easy</i><br /><br />I looked up a couple items - apparently this is a paraphrase. For more see here:<br /><br />http://users.rcn.com/alderete/humor/norm/dilbert-princ.html<br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilbert_principle<br /><br />Garfield was "good" for a few years - but.....Jahn Ghaltnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56178769188505797882017-07-31T15:18:50.927-07:002017-07-31T15:18:50.927-07:00Dorothy: What's so funny?
Blanche: Oh, Marmad...<br />Dorothy: What's so funny?<br /><br />Blanche: Oh, Marmaduke. Look at how he drives that car! I love my comics. Every day, "Marmaduke" and "Apartment 3-G."<br /><br />Dorothy: I haven't read "Apartment 3-G" since... 1961.<br /><br />Blanche: Oh! Well, let me catch you up -- it's later the same day... Greg Ehrbarhttp://www.gregehrbar.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38933397962798591412017-07-31T13:27:21.626-07:002017-07-31T13:27:21.626-07:00I don't pay much attention to comic strips but...I don't pay much attention to comic strips but Jim Toomey's Sherman's Lagoon has been funny for years now.Stevenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85768071619490105352017-07-31T12:30:15.654-07:002017-07-31T12:30:15.654-07:00As others have pointed out, some of the best talen...As others have pointed out, some of the best talent has moved on to webcomics. Newspaper syndication is a pale shadow of its former self. I'm a member of the National Cartoonists Society I know of some cartoonists who have daily syndicated strips appearing in major newspapers and yet they have to work day jobs just to make ends meet.<br /><br />Also, the best cartoonists have to master not one but two disciplines: drawing and writing. Not many people excel at both, which really narrows the talent pool. Of the two, I think writing is the most important (Gary Larson was not a great artist but the Far Side had terrific jokes). <br /><br />There's a lot of talent out there if you look for it. Off the top of my head some of the best right now are Jim Benton (http://www.jimbenton.com/page14/page14.html), Sarah Anderson (https://www.patreon.com/SarahsScribbles), Mark Parisi (https://www.offthemark.com), and Dave Coverly (https://www.speedbump.com). Much, much further down the line is my own work, where I've started posting my own gag cartoons at http://www.SketchbookSilliness.com. (Apologies for the shameless plug - feel free to delete this post if it violates any rules).Cedricstudiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06281239965682009232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32560689143953698242017-07-31T10:15:24.156-07:002017-07-31T10:15:24.156-07:00I read the New York Times, so I only sporadically ...I read the <i>New York Times,</i> so I only sporadically get to see comic strips on paper, but here are some I like:<br /><br />In print:<br /><br /><i>Rose is Rose</i><br /><i>Rhymes with Orange</i><br /><br />In non-U.S. papers (or online):<br /><br /><i>The Realist</i> by Asaf Hanuka <br />Tom Gauld's strip for the <i>Guardian</i><br /><br />Web comics (mostly on WebToons):<br /><br /><i>Phoebe and Her Unicorn</i><br /><i>Power Ballad</i><br /><i>Space Boy</i><br /><br />The last two are serialized, continuing stories and not always humorous, but they're very much worth reading.Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15616847561066820280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38673120714373864052017-07-31T09:35:48.843-07:002017-07-31T09:35:48.843-07:00This would be a great place for you to post a new ...This would be a great place for you to post a new comic strip. Maybe a Sunday Funny. One joke a week!Starts With Storyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13178299983770215150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82853788506612406442017-07-31T09:16:27.082-07:002017-07-31T09:16:27.082-07:00Outside of collecting the Calvin and Hobbes books ...Outside of collecting the Calvin and Hobbes books when I was growing up in the 90's I didn't read comics at all. <br /><br />A passing glance at them in the years since has only confirmed your point Ken that most of the new ones are bland and unfunny. <br /><br />The old stalwarts such as Garfield and Dilbert and others I'm unfamiliar with are tired and unfunny due to years of overexposure. That's why Calvin and Hobbes will always be my favorite: Not only was it consistently funny and done with integrity, but Bill Watterson had the foresight to end the strip after a great 10 year run. Thus it never really declined in quality.<br /><br />As others have mentioned, Pearls Before Swine has a self deprecating quality about it that's pretty funny. Stevennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34575675096789685592017-07-31T08:03:02.022-07:002017-07-31T08:03:02.022-07:00@Brian Fies pretty much said what I came to say, s...@Brian Fies pretty much said what I came to say, so go read his comment! The only other thing I'll add is that the mid-80's seem like the halcyon days to me (of course this is when I was in college, so it's kind of the halcyon days for everything). We had new Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes, Doonesbury, and Bloom County. Good times.J. Allisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08051619757979084465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88748435653471084142017-07-31T07:25:46.003-07:002017-07-31T07:25:46.003-07:00I grew up in the 80's, which were like a golde...I grew up in the 80's, which were like a golden ago of comic strips. You had Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County, and the Far Side in particular. When I occasionally revisit those comics, they still hold up. Works of genius.<br /><br />The only contemporary one that I still laugh at on occasion is Dilbert. It's funny because it's accurate - I have worked with people like that.<br /><br />I kept up with Peanuts while it lasted. Even though it had lost its creative momentum, it still brought a smile, and felt like a tradition worth keeping. I was genuinely emotional when Schultz died, a day or so after his last cartoon ran. It was like a big part of my childhood was gone.Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20694249571002794042017-07-31T03:16:55.663-07:002017-07-31T03:16:55.663-07:00Should note that after King Aroo faded away, Jack ...Should note that after King Aroo faded away, Jack Kent became an extremely successful author / illustrator of children's books. There are two volumes of reprints that cover the first four years.DBensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01144515471557731622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74676148320572245802017-07-31T03:07:42.052-07:002017-07-31T03:07:42.052-07:00I've always been one of the guys who read all ...I've always been one of the guys who read all the comics; even the soaps (although that had something to do with well-drawn girls. Juliet Jones's sister Eve was clearly modeled on Monroe). Now, thanks to a couple of syndicate websites, I go through a few dozen daily. Some new, some newish, and a bunch of venerables.<br /><br />We're living in a golden age of reprints, with excellent selections of some strips and ongoing complete libraries of others. Many are period pieces but still stand up. If you're a fan of any of the following, you can run down a volume or more of all of these, usually in very handsome editions: PRINCE VALIANT, POPEYE, TERRY AND THE PIRATES, KING AROO, POGO (the complete newspaper runs -- Kelly would edit and rearrange for the paperback books), BARNABY, THE HEART OF JULIET JONES, KRAZY KAT, MARY PERKINS ON STAGE, BLONDIE (including her premarital flapper years), ALLY OOP, DICK TRACY, GASOLINE ALLEY (The charming 1920s; the books are titled WALT AND SKEEZIX), FLASH GORDON, BUCK ROGERS, RIP KIRBY, WASH TUBBS, CAPTAIN EASY, TERRY AND THE PIRATES, THE LITTLE KING, NANCY (the 1940s), AGENT X9 (the Dashiell Hammett years), MICKEY MOUSE, DENNIS THE MENACE, PEANUTS (the whole 26 volumes are out now), LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE, and even INSIDE WOODY ALLEN.<br /><br />If you have a favorite old strip, ask at your local comic store or check online. DBensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01144515471557731622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74475585986165418062017-07-31T01:38:26.232-07:002017-07-31T01:38:26.232-07:00Tank is still running, and you'd do well to ch...Tank is still running, and you'd do well to check it out. Writer Jeff Millar passed away in 2012; artist Bill Hinds now writes as well and does a good job of balancing sports satire with Tank's own adventures.DBensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01144515471557731622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33258595218061748312017-07-31T01:07:07.168-07:002017-07-31T01:07:07.168-07:00The size of the broadsheet page itself has shrunk ...The size of the broadsheet page itself has shrunk dramatically over the years, so a Sunday strip is now not much larger than a daily strip was back in the day.<br /><br />Comic strips, comic books, candy bars, orange juice "half gallons", television programs ... all have shrunk steadily over the course of a generation. And don't get me started on Crackerjack prizes. DBensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01144515471557731622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71946737838319660032017-07-31T00:46:26.601-07:002017-07-31T00:46:26.601-07:00Not sure where else to put this, maybe make it a m...Not sure where else to put this, maybe make it a monday-friday question...<br /><br />David Misch has on his website his script for the unproduced seventh episode of the ZAZ classic "Police Squad!" series (they got cancelled after six):<br /><br />http://davidmisch.com/television/police-squad/<br /><br />Link to the PDF is at the bottom.<br />Could you direct this style of comedy? Or write it?Markusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72162503641954458682017-07-30T21:02:02.391-07:002017-07-30T21:02:02.391-07:00I've been reading comics for almost 65 years a...I've been reading comics for almost 65 years and I think the ones from my childhood are miles better than the garbage out today--with a few notable exceptions. I one bought a stack of 100 newspaper comic sections from the mid-1930s and they were stunning. Even the lesser strips were much better drawn than 90% of today's fare. I understand the changing dynamics of newspaper publishing and that perhaps the day will come when there aren't any strips. But I can't believe tripe like MUTTS or PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN are being purchased even in a down market. By the way, and despite its popularity, I hate PEARLS BEFORE SWINE. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33501400970431466472017-07-30T20:25:19.375-07:002017-07-30T20:25:19.375-07:00Newspapers seem interested in putting in comic str...Newspapers seem interested in putting in comic strips for adult audiences. The result is I won't subscribe to the newspaper, because I don't want my kids seeing them. It's OK if it's something like Doonesbury, but these sex themed ones are not something they need to be seeing.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71043952709579185542017-07-30T20:21:59.145-07:002017-07-30T20:21:59.145-07:00For me and every other engineer, the favorite has ...For me and every other engineer, the favorite has got to be Dilbert. I use to take them and change the words so that they pertained to whatever company I was at the time. I used to really enjoy the funny pages back when I was a kid. Kind of sad, I never read them anymore.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00760229533287495672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4526472115769903742017-07-30T17:21:38.291-07:002017-07-30T17:21:38.291-07:00You should check out Stephen King's prescient ...<br />You should check out Stephen King's prescient foreword to a Far Side collection from the 80's. He talked about it being a golden age of comic strips (Bloom County, Calvin and Hobbes). For most of the 20th Century, everybody read the comics. Everybody talked about the comics. By the end of the 90s, the strips had lost all impact.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14705408455380402571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-42005542942892395542017-07-30T17:13:21.451-07:002017-07-30T17:13:21.451-07:00A strip that started this year in print after a fe...A strip that started this year in print after a few years after a webcomic is Breaking Cat News. It's very good.Mike B.noreply@blogger.com