A “cartoon yahtzee” is when five or more editorial cartoonists draw a similar approach to a news story. “The Catch” is Willie Mays refusing the Cleveland Indians an eighth inning run and probable win of game one in the 1954 World Series (Willie stealing second in the tenth inning also helped win the game for […]

I’m going to let Bill Bramhall’s tribute stand for all the Willie Mays cartoons, most of which took advantage of “The Catch” but too many of which cluttered it up, particularly with Pearly Gates cliches. Bramhall keeps it simple, though I have to chuckle over him giving Mays a blue hat rather than a black […]

How else can we start this roundup of recent Peanuts in the news than with the passing of the great Willie Mays. Above is an image from Jeanne Schulz’s Blog of twelve years ago wherein Lee Mendelson explains the connection between himself, Charles Schulz and Willie Mays. An Aside: I was born and raised in […]

Too Much Coffeeman brings up the hostility some people have for banjos, which I confess I don’t understand, but which seems to be of a piece with their hostility towards bagpipes and accordions.I’ll confess to not being a big fan of full-sized accordions — forgive me, Myron Floren — but I enjoy a well-played concertina, […]

The weekly Clermont (Florida) Sun will begin publishing a new, locally created comic strip this week. A Clermont school teacher has dreamed-up a comic strip about a talking parrot called Rafie and we will be featuring his adventures in the Clermont Sun. Gary Christensen’s Rafie and Friends starts this week, and readers can enjoy the […]

Start with the good news, which is that I agree with Dave Granlund’s idea though not with the sense of crisis it suggests. That is, kids shouldn’t get drunk and drive around, but while you can’t stop all of them from doing it, it’s not the issue it was when I graduated (gasp) 57 years […]

There is a big difference in the fan reaction to two of King Features’ Big Name adventure strips. Dan Schkade‘s take on Flash Gordon continues to garner praise and excitement. Flash Gordon is one of those pop culture names everyone’s heard of, although most would be at a bit of a loss as to why […]

Most schools are out by now, though Big Nate (AMS) had me searching my memory for how the year’s end went in middle school. In high school, the last week or so was finals and you only showed up if you had one, most of which were NYS Regents exams and were scheduled by Albany.Those […]

Monica Zurowski scoured The Calgary Herald archives for Father’s Day comic strips. This Sunday is a time for dads — it’s Father’s Day, which happens on the third Sunday of June each year in dozens of countries around the world. It’s not a stat holiday, but it is a day that many people mark by […]

Playboy cartoonist and children’s book illustrator Don Madden has passed away. Donald Lewis (Don) Madden October 14 (24?), 1927 – June (9? 10?), 2024 Don’s brother Tom revealed the death of the cartoonist and paid tribute to him: Don Madden Left This Week for Studio in Heaven, But My Brother’s Cartoons Will Live on Forever. […]

I don’t mind opposing points of view, but I get tired of citing Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and I get particularly tired of political commentators who make it hard to distinguish avoidable ignorance from intentional lying.In case you missed the impetus for Lisa Benson (Counterpoint)’s current cartoon, President Biden attended a conference in Europe that included […]

Below are some comic strip and cartoon books scheduled for June 2024 release.Images and links from a variety of publishers and outlets,though ordering through your local comic shop or independent book store is a good idea.Stan Mack’s Real Life Funnies by Stan Mack (Village Voice review) Sketchbook in hand, Stan Mack haunted the New York […]

If “timing is everything in comedy,” this is a darned hilarious F-Minus (AMS), because I dreamt all night of laying out pages and this morning I feel like I might as well have stayed up and done it for real.Your mileage may vary and I hope it does, but while I make some more coffee, […]

Steven Heller, Harvey Kurtzman, and Alfred E. Neuman; Comics Conventions and Artists Alleys; a 1950s mania; Carol Lay’s new science fiction graphic novel; the comics page of The Bradford Era; the Derf Backderf interview.Origins of Kurtzman’s New York Times Origins of Alfred E. Neuman Indirectly, Kurtzman helped change my life, and so did his creation, […]

The end of Spring can only mean that with the heat SLUDGEZILLA RETURNS! Shrimp & Grits conjecture on the reality of the mythical monster this week. I’m quite sure I am not the only person to complain about the awful features page. No Pickles , lousy crossword puzzle and no cryptograph. Renewal will probably not […]