I don’t necessarily admire Amelia’s lack of patience or occasionally unpleasant ways of expressing displeasure, but I agree that it’s tough watching geniuses craft the voice of a generation.There’s room for debate and disagreement, of course. That’s been a fundamental part of democracy since the days of Athens. Whamond raises a good current example: I’m […]
The Origins of Zzzz In the 1890s, a distinctly American art form emerged: the comic strip. But artists quickly ran into a particular difficulty. Some comic characters’ hijinks required a sleeping victim for full comedic potential. But how could an artist convince the audience that a character was asleep and blissfully unaware instead of merely […]
With Michael Maslin, Peter Arno, Bob Mankoff, Charles Schulz, Jeannie Schulz, Brian Anderson, Caitlin McGurk, Ernie Bushmiller, and winners of the 52nd Annie Awards.Bootlegged Books – Michael Maslin EditionPeter Arno biographer Michael Maslin has discovered pirated editions of his book (scroll to bottom): I realized a year or two ago that there were paperback copies […]
Prickly City addresses Dear Leader’s concentration camps, but whatever its lead time, it also sweeps in a few related issues, like the White House cutting off Associated Press access because they haven’t knuckled under to the “Gulf of America” nonsense. That seems petty and silly, but punishing the press for disobedience not only shows contempt […]
Maybe send a valentine and a couple of bucks to Leigh and Teresa Rubin.As The San Luis Obispo Tribune tells it: Teresa’s injury came out of the blue while the two were enjoying an otherwise routine day at home on Jan. 4, said Rubin, who credited his wife’s humor and keen eye as a lifelong […]
The Ralph Steadman exhibit INKling will open at the Heath Robinson Museum starting February 15 through May 10. As D. D. Degg reported last August, the exhibit launched in Washington DC before crossing the pond to Chatham.From the Heath Robinson Museum:
As it now stands the newspaper cartooning career of Darrin Bell has come to an end. The egregious charges against him resulted in papers carrying his comics to drop them as soon as they could, some in mid-week. The syndicate continued to distribute Candorville to newspapers willing to wait for a final verdict. But Bell […]
Dear Leader’s urge for Lebensraum is getting a frosty reception in the Great White North, as Aislin indicates. Apparently they won’t drink his Kool-Aid (yes, yes, “Flavor-Aid”) up there. And if they did, they’d likely have to pay a tariff on it, because their government isn’t taking the trade war lying down.Here’s another view from […]
Exciting news: At the beginning of April you’ll be introduced to a brand-new GoComics with a host of upgraded features and improved functionality—and more will roll out throughout 2025! A year and a half after their last update, The GoComics Team announces some immediate changes and some still to come: Shall we assume that commenting […]
The New Yorker has published its 100th Anniversary Issue (scroll down at that link!). The Centennial Issue, dated February 17 & 24, 2025, comes with the original Rea Irvin cover and 5 variants.A highlight is Seth‘s four page illustrated appreciation of cartoonist Rea Irvin. Michael Maslin heralds the issue and notes other highlights: There are […]
Let’s start by acknowledging the disconnect. As Ratt points out, we’re in Looking Glass Land, where everything is reversed, including the New Testament. The good thing is, we’re not dealing with people who say one thing and do the opposite. They say the opposite and that’s exactly what they do.In the words of the late […]
Friday on the comics page seemed to be a preview of National Cartoonists’ Day as a number of comic strips had guest appearances by other comic strip characters. Lio featured Snoopy, Over The Hedge guested Wednesday Addams, and Ziggy had Superman. Cartoonist Gary Varvel utilized a famed Charlie Brown image to represent the flurry of […]
A little bit of politics before we dive into humor: The NFL has removed “End Racism” from the endzone, not starting next season when most changes happen, but starting right now for the Super Bowl, which, completely coincidentally, will have Dear Leader in attendance. They’re replacing it with “Choose Love,” and just as taking “End […]
Over the course of his nearly 80-year career, Jules Feiffer tried his hand at everything–comic books, political cartoons, editorials, comics history, plays, films, animation, children’s books, graphic novels … and he was hard at work on his next book when he passed away on Jan. 17, just shy of his 96th birthday. In celebration of […]
In the debate over whether Dear Leader is a knave or a fool, Peter Brookes chooses the latter, aping Rembrandt’s painting, though I use the term “aping” advisedly.I like the pun on Homer, but it would be a cheap gag if it weren’t accompanied by the self-satisfied smirk on the face of the other dunce […]