The fact is this is a comic. No real people have died in this strip. However the idea that a comic should be funny is just as absurd. There are many comics that are not funny. Look at Phantom or Prince Valiant.

As for the debate whether the author shouldn’t be writing such a grim story, especially about a sensitive subject like cancer is a moot point. He has the right to his 1st amendment rights.
As long as he is not spewing obscenities or inciting sedition, it is no one’s business but his.

If the newspapers or the advertisers in those newspapers have objections, then they can pull the strip.

I know people who have survived and died from cancer. Cancer is real. It shouldn’t be trivialized but in the case of the comic, I don’t think the author is deliberating trivializing it.

Also, if you are posting, don’t lie and tell people you don’t read this comic. You wouldn’t be commenting if you didn’t.

While we are on the subject–should Ellen never have come out of the closet? Should Margaret Cho just sack all her material becomes she turns personal pain into a way to reach out to people, by making them laugh?

Now, whether Tom Batiuk is trying to lure in more readers and thus more money by a making one of his characters die, I don’t know. I don’t know Tom Batiuk personally and so I can’t be certain of his motives. But if something good comes from this strip–maybe in the form of someone donating to cancer research, for example, I know, you shouldn’t need a comic strip to remind you to do that, but there you go–I don’t really care what his motives are.

But while we are on the subject, I’d like to mention something about media as a whole, not just the comics–
I’m happy that cancer gets attention, but I would like to see some concern about Alzheimer’s disease, or diabetes, or heart disease, which actually kills more people per year than cancer does. Again, I’m not saying that I’m sick of hearing about cancer, but it’s not the only disease out there. Again, cancer should get attention, but I think Alzheimer’s and heart disease should too. And not just in the comics, I’m saying that Alzheimer’s should get an awareness month and heart disease should have walk-a-thons and diabetes should have fund raisers too.

But I guess the Horse-blinder Society’sâ„¢ definition of “influenced” only applies to people being weepy. And remember, “If YOU know about something, EVERYONE knows about it, so using art, films, books, news, comics, the Internet and all media in general to highlight an issue is unnecessary.” We’re all born knowing about everything, right?

Sorry, Alan, I just had to say it. And I have to ask, did you intend “pew” as a pun, or was that an accident? lol

We get it that you weren’t moved by the story line; we get it that you don’t like certain features; we get it that you don’t thinking highly of those who connected with the story, but it’s time to move on to something else. You’re not contributing anything anymore to the discussion.

Thanks,
Alan

I am not impersonating anyone else, nor are they me. The only name I post under is “Chris” or “Chris Myers” (what a shock, my name!

Like I told the previous poster, if anyone is actually influenced by a comic strip, they are simply a stupid person.

I still go with, terrible strip, terrible story arc, it’s simply an attempt to make the strip be something it’s not, important.

There are too many people who seek a victim status, and many who have been sick willingly do so.

Guess what, getting sick does not make you special, neither does getting better. W are all going to croak, some sooner rather than later.

Comics are meant to be funny and/or entertaining. Using a strip as a several month long painful death sequence is an insult to the reader.

Again, where the daughter? Some mom lisa is/was, does not even think of her daughter when she was assuming room temperature. Or could it be that Lisa popped out so many illegitimate kids from a loose lifestyle like her son (who was nowhere to be seen as well) that she lost count and doesn’t care about her offspring?

Is her husband an insane murderer who will have he FBI digging up the yard? Is Lisa really dead? They showed her bald head but are we sure it was Lisa? Was this an insurance scam

Now, I heard that Snoopy is ill, time for all of yo to run off and create a colored ribbon for my dog is sick victims recognition week. Make sure to use good material as the massive cry-fest and hug-fest will ruin cheap material.

Who needs awareness raised about cancer? If anyone is moronic enough to benefit from a comic strip and a fictional character dying of cancer, if that’s called awareness, that person is too stupid to live.

on Thursday Oct 18

Hospice Nurse: I’m back. (checks Lisa’s blanket to make sure she’s warm enough, despite the October heatwave that’s gripping the northeast)

Lisa: I’m still not dead yet.

Les: We’re working on it though. How long will you be here Nurse Hospice Nurse?

Hospice Nurse: All day. Unless they start dropping like flies at the Robinson’s again.

Les: mind if I go downstairs for a bit?

HN: no, that’s fine.

…..last block shows Comix Corner’s door with closed sign and door locking.

And print them is separate sections of the paper, so like peas and mashed potatoes on an anal-retentive person’s divided plate, they never risk touching each other and people can read what they want.

That way, if people don’t want to read about the realities of life in a comic strip, instead of, I don’t know, NOT reading the strip, they can simply avoid the “Dramatic Sequential Art” section entirely.

“Comic Strips” will only contain ‘funny’ strips for the rest of forever. And “Political and/or Offensive Toons” will simply contain Boondocks repeats and Doonesbury.

That way, a series about a cancer patient dying in order to raise awareness about the disease can be tucked away in a safe corner of the paper without it gracing the eyes of those that only want the funny.

I’m not sure why Shane is lumping me in the sensitivity camp. I find the outpouring of grief over a cartoon character and the public display of personal tragedy over this, pretty ridiculous and somewhat tacky.

Tom B. winning a Reuben, that needs clarification. The Reuben is the top NCS award given to “The cartoonist of the year”. I think what you’re referring to is the “Best in Comic strip” division award.
Those are not “Reubens”. There’s only one Reuben. Tom has been nominated for a Best in Comic strip award in the past but has yet to win one.

And although all awards are subjective ultimately, Scott Adams deserved his Reuben award since the NCS membership voted to give him one of the largest margins of winning votes in it’s history. It may be so that politics can be a contributing factor in awards, as NCS awards chairman for several years in my estimation politics rarely, if ever has anything to do with NCS awards. Watterson, Larson and to some extent Adams historically were either indifferent or outwardly hostile to NCS and many of it’s members (although in Adams’ case I suspect it’s more due to shyness) and the organization still found it’s way to award them it’s highest honor and in Watterson and Larson’s case, twice each.

Jimmy Carter, regardless of the humanitarian work he’s done since being president, and it was given to him much too late, he wholeheartedly deserved his Nobel Peace prize for brokering the peace treaty between Isreal and the leader of the arab world, Egypt.