Comic Strips 2022: Girls Are People!

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Why do you read this thread anyway? This poll is closed.
I enjoy reading contemporary newspaper comics.	64	26.02%
I hate reading contemporary newspaper comics.	42	17.07%
I enjoy reading historical newspaper comics.	88	35.77%
I enjoy reading newspaper comics from foreign countries.	52	21.14%
Total:	246 votes

[Edit Poll (moderators only)]

CommonShore: Jun 6, 2014; A true renaissance man

Murdstone posted:

Mary Worth

No one saw this one coming!

People have been making fun of this strip but credit where credit's due the artist did basically a perfect drawing of that lady

# ? Feb 25, 2022 23:10

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 28, 2024 07:15

Crab Dad: Dec 28, 2002; behold i have tempered and refined thee, but not as silver; as CRAB

Make a tree out of paper strips duh.

# ? Feb 25, 2022 23:11

Haifisch: Nov 13, 2010; Objection! I object! That was... objectionable!; Taco Defender

Twelve by Pies posted:

Okay normally I have this strip's back on customers being unreasonable, and admittedly getting upset with the worker isn't helpful, but what's wrong with what this woman's saying? It feels like it's being presented as inherently wrong somehow but it isn't. She doesn't want to kill a tree, so she wants to get a fake one that biodegrades so it also won't harm the planet. That's a completely consistent and logical desire. There's nothing contradictory about it.

e: I guess manufacturing/packaging even a biodegradable tree would still create a lot of carbon emissions so it's kind of contradictory to an extent, and I guess the joke is supposed to mostly be "but an actual tree is the most biodegradable thing of all" but eh, I dunno.

There's the "don't get a tree at all" option. Or the "get a fake tree and use it year after year, instead of throwing it out after one Christmas like this customer's implying" option. (Also "biodegradable" is a really nonspecific term with no real regulation in its use by companies. Almost anything is biodegradable under the right conditions, after all)

# ? Feb 25, 2022 23:18

Yvonmukluk: Oct 10, 2012; Everything is Sinister

Bad Machinery

John Allison posted:

Now, I will admit that this looks quite bad. It's not great for Lem, but he's bounced back from worse, right? Right?

Yvonmukluk fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Feb 26, 2022

# ? Feb 25, 2022 23:19

Slammy: Mar 30, 2011; Great speech.
PPHPFT!!

Murdstone posted:

Apartment 3-G

Jezebel! She�s gotta go.

manero posted:

I love the strips with this guy!

And He Did! March 10, 1919

Outbursts of Everett True March 8, 1919

Pigsfeet on Rye posted:

Thanks very much for posting that and showing more of Gladys Parker's art and dialog. There were a lot of great intellectual slams along the way!

Thanks! It�s one of my favorites, even if the text is on the small side.
No worries about speech bubbles in the new strip!
Cat Tales February 18, 1925

Yes, that�s his real name (pronounced Pew-zey). More information here.

Oaky Doaks August 21, 1936

Mopsy October 29, 1937

Up Front January 9, 1945

Bootsie�s Big �50s

So It Seems May 6, 1952

Those Were the Days January 29, 1959

Wee Pals May 13, 1966

Dogbert December 29, 1966

# ? Feb 25, 2022 23:21

Giant Ethicist: Jun 9, 2013; Looks like she got on a loaf of bread instead of a bus again...

Uramachi Sakaba

ChaCha Chako: Strap in, folks!

Night Visitors

Again, I think I hammered this into shape OK, but the pun works better in Japanese - goldfish-catching games at fairs and festivals are literally called "goldfish rescue" or "goldfish saving," and the goldfish is talking about how we are already saved.

# ? Feb 25, 2022 23:33

EBB: Feb 15, 2005

Yvonmukluk posted:

Bad Macinhery

He's a right good laugh once you get to know him.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 00:13

Selachian: Oct 9, 2012

Rhymes with Orange

Get Fuzzy 2/24/02

Brenda Starr 3/28/48

Smokey Stover 5/26/46

Everyday Movies 11/16/34

"You better hang up, Sarah. Anyone on the line can hear that there clock's ticking and know you've cut in on 'em."

(Must be a party line phone.)

# ? Feb 26, 2022 00:20

Some Guy TT: Aug 30, 2011

Twelve by Pies posted:

It also didn't help that the Rabbit Council called Kevin to task for his marriage/child and the reason given was "She's a predator disguised as prey, giving her an unfair advantage and allowing her to kill us much easier." Which is absolutely a completely valid reason to want to ban predator/prey relationships and offspring. It muddies the metaphor because unlike the dumb poo poo that white supremacists come up with, it is literally true that she is murdering her fellow prey species by using her harmless appearance.

I completely forgot that this was the reason the Rabbit Council got mad at Kell and evidently Holbrook did too given the more recent classic strip about Kell dressing up in Kevin's clothes to go hunting being presented as just a random light-hearted gag.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 00:57

Some Guy TT: Aug 30, 2011

Cheer Up Boss Dharma

# ? Feb 26, 2022 01:32

readingatwork: Jan 8, 2009; Hello Fatty!; Fun Shoe

I miss Crabgrass... :sigh:

Old School Peanuts (May 21, 1953)

Calvin and Hobbes (Oct 6-7, 1990)

And then Moe died.

Blind Alley ft. actual plot progression! :kingsley:

Support Adam's Patreon here.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 03:54

Some Guy TT: Aug 30, 2011

ChickenOfTomorrow posted:

I love Modesty Blaise, but could you maybe cut back the number of strips in one post? i feel like we'll zoom through it all too fast at this pace.

you are free to ignore this ofc, especially since people probably disagree with me

I actually made this exact request years ago once for the same reason, and don't even remember anyone disagreeing with me. Since Transmodiar was (I presume) scanning these himself I didn't much begrudge him for wanting to do more than one at a time. Although these are...reposts technically speaking? So I don't know how much tedium is involved in the process anymore. Are you posting Modesty Blaise on a permanent basis again Transmodiar? I haven't added it to the OP because I haven't been sure.

In more aesthetic ancient thread discussion, I remember the tone of us all reading the first story the first time to be kind of apologetic, since the whole thing morphs into a Modesty Blaise as damsel-in-distress situation. Which is weird, and was noted as such at the time, because nearly all the other stories read as straightforward competence porn. The first one makes more sense tonally as something that pops up maybe two-thirds of the way through, when the structure has been so thoroughly well-established that Modesty getting caught comes off as a legitimate curveball.

(yes I'm still very far behind on the thread how did you know?)

# ? Feb 26, 2022 04:12

Some Guy TT: Aug 30, 2011

Bobulus posted:

I mean, it makes sense. Cooper and Marla are alike in that they yearn for something better, think they're smarter than their bosses, but are unwilling or unable to pursue an alternate path. Marla has contemplated starting her own business several times, but never does. Cooper skipped college (to take care of his sick mom, to be fair, if I'm recalling correctly) but also never quits after all the poo poo his manager puts him through.

Marla making an effort at self-improvement highlights that Cooper isn't making that effort himself. He's trying to keep her down at his level.

I'm honestly not sure why Cooper stopped working at the gas station, or why he thought it was such a garbage bin job to begin with. He seems to enjoy it and his boss actually likes him. I guess working retail would be an improvement if they offered him a full-time position (which does happen at some point), but I can't really see Stuart offering Cooper a full-time job before gas station guy from where we are right now.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 04:19

manero: Jan 30, 2006

Slammy posted:

I love the strips with this guy!

You're in luck! Nancy dunks on Sputter for the next ten strips or so.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 04:29

EasyEW: Mar 8, 2006; I've got my father's great big six-shooter with me 'n' if anybody in this woods wants to start somethin' just let 'em--but they DASSN'T.

Yeah, let's get something up for today.

Mutts

Sally Forth

Pearls Before Swine

Skippy (June 5-6, 1934)

Peanuts (February 26-27, 1975)

Funky Winkerbean COVID Crack-Ups

Crankshaft gives us "Ode To A Dying Love".

Mutt and Jeff

Rip Haywire has gone gag-a-day for some reason.

Thimble Theater, in which crap, but this is an eerily timed set of reruns. (September 26-27, 1938)

Out Our Way (April 21-23, 1938; spoilered because yeah, I know, but drat you, questionable character design...)

Everything else got kicked down the line, but Little Lefty abides. (February 20-23, 1936)

# ? Feb 26, 2022 04:32

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Some Guy TT posted:

I'm honestly not sure why Cooper stopped working at the gas station, or why he thought it was such a garbage bin job to begin with. He seems to enjoy it and his boss actually likes him. I guess working retail would be an improvement if they offered him a full-time position (which does happen at some point), but I can't really see Stuart offering Cooper a full-time job before gas station guy from where we are right now.

Stewart cut his hours to like 20 a week so Cooper got the gas station job to meet his bills.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 04:34

Vox Valentine: May 31, 2013; Solving all of life's problems through enhanced casting of Occam's Razor. Reward yourself with an imaginary chalice.

Doomykins posted:

Stewart cut his hours to like 20 a week so Cooper got the gas station job to meet his bills.

Also to join in on this: Cooper's been working in the stock room for years and has most likely actually gotten raises which is part of why when hours get slashed and you're in an environment where there's no incentive to be nice to the employees/no unions, people who make more money get their hours slashed first (also Stuart dislikes him). A gas station job is likely going to pay minimum wage with a regular raise interval of "never"/"become a manager at a gas station instead". Cooper can make up the hours but at the end of the day Grumbels probably just straight pays better and as time goes on Cooper does get raises and promotions and poo poo working at the store and actually progress in his career whereas progression at a gas station is...substantially more limited due to their coordination and their staffing needs, especially because I don't think Retail takes place in like NJ where you need someone to pump your gas and stations have like double the employees.

It's also a "garbage job" because it's a job that capitalism and society at large has decided to be a menial/low skill job due to how easy it is to start and various economic and corporate decisions making it a career that's hard to progress in or get a living wage in, which is just America.txt. Customers don't respect you unless they bother to try to know you, the hours are thankless and often 24/7, the benefits are nonexistent besides "get paid" and it's often a dangerous environment for desperate people to try and exploit. There are some actually good jobs one can get working at a gas station, companies like Wawa try to pay fair because they're combination gas stations and food marts with make-to-order meals, but advancement is still generally going into supervising or management or remaining where you are without getting much in the way of quality-of-life raises.

In conclusion, support unions and support paying people more and gently caress capitalism.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 04:49

The Bloop: Jul 5, 2004; by Fluffdaddy

Working at a gas station is also where I got a gun pointed at my face, and it wasn't even in a "bad area"

Gas station is basically the worst job for every reason

# ? Feb 26, 2022 05:20

Zereth: Jul 9, 2003

Twelve by Pies posted:

Absolutely. I'm just not sure if it'll be her long lost twin that died, or if it'll be something even crazier.

Okay normally I have this strip's back on customers being unreasonable, and admittedly getting upset with the worker isn't helpful, but what's wrong with what this woman's saying? It feels like it's being presented as inherently wrong somehow but it isn't. She doesn't want to kill a tree, so she wants to get a fake one that biodegrades so it also won't harm the planet. That's a completely consistent and logical desire. There's nothing contradictory about it.

e: I guess manufacturing/packaging even a biodegradable tree would still create a lot of carbon emissions so it's kind of contradictory to an extent, and I guess the joke is supposed to mostly be "but an actual tree is the most biodegradable thing of all" but eh, I dunno.

what are you proposing to make the biodegradable tree out of?

# ? Feb 26, 2022 06:11

Ghostlight: Sep 25, 2009; maybe for one second you can pause; try to step into another person's perspective, and understand that a watermelon is cursing me

Giant Ethicist posted:

Night Visitors

Again, I think I hammered this into shape OK, but the pun works better in Japanese - goldfish-catching games at fairs and festivals are literally called "goldfish rescue" or "goldfish saving," and the goldfish is talking about how we are already saved.

jesus did promise to make his disciples fishers of men.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 06:14

Ardeem: Sep 16, 2010; There is no problem that cannot be solved through sufficient application of lasers and friendship.

Just tell her to go buy a live one in a pot; they're between $25 and a few hundred dollars depending on how big you want it.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 06:15

Bruceski: Aug 21, 2007; The tools of a hero mean nothing without a solid core.

Ardeem posted:

Just tell her to go buy a live one in a pot; they're between $25 and a few hundred dollars depending on how big you want it.

We had one of those. It was so sad. REALLY didn't like being in so small a pot.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 06:18

Samovar: Jun 4, 2011; I'm 😤 not a 🦸🏻‍♂️hero...🧜🏻

Thank you for posting Gay and he Gang, Slammy.

And now, onto today's Blueberry, where instead of the typical three sentence introduction...

Well, I've alluded to it a few times in the past, but here is Chang-Li, the character which kicked this book firmly into the 'racist' category, if the earlier representation of Mexican people hadn't done that already. What makes this especially disappointing is that there has been representation of at least one Chinese person, with a speaking role, in this series that was perfectly fine (to me, I am open to the critique that he was not), so seeing this character that's come straight out of a Fu Manchu story is really disheartening. Maybe you might think his representation here isn't too bad - well, let me tell you, translating his dialogue was more difficult than it needed to be, because not only did Chang Li speak in 'me-say-things-in-third-person', his dialogue was chock-full of rhotacisms to boot.

This may count as doxxing - but I don't think so, since his name is on the comic itself, so... Stefan Carlsson? When you translated this into Swedish you DIDN'T need to do that. You REALLY, REALLY didn't. It was translated in 2016, for Christ's sake.

For this reason, I'm following EasyEW's example, and putting the strips that have him in it behind spoilers.

Also, if you get some prick who thinks people finding 'r' and 'l' hard to distinguish is worth making fun of, bet them a good chunk of cash to say 'Red Lolly, Yellow Lorry' ten times fast, and watch them shut the gently caress up. And enjoy your new found spending paper.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 06:25

JethroMcB: Jan 23, 2004; We're normal now.
We love your family.

EasyEW posted:

"I think it's three nominees? Yeah, three nominees for Best Actress sounds right. Should I check? Nah. It's definitely three."

# ? Feb 26, 2022 06:31

Strontium: Aug 28, 2009; Dexter didn't much care for the party.

Daddy Daze

Take It From the Tinkersons

Macanudo

Dark Side of the Horse

# ? Feb 26, 2022 07:07

someone awful.: Sep 7, 2007

Strontium posted:

Take It From the Tinkersons

pretty sure garlic/alliums are extremely toxic to dogs, so uhh, :rip:

# ? Feb 26, 2022 07:11

Some Guy TT: Aug 30, 2011

Who has two thumbs and is still trying to catch up to the thread? This guy.

Transmodiar posted:

Posting two pages a day gives each story 2-3 weeks of runtime. There's 90+ stories and it took me years to post 60 of them (I started around story 30). Sorry, I can't move slower. Bear in mind I'm not reading ahead when I post; I am generally following along with the thread.

Huh. This whole time I thought it was just you the whole way through. Remembering people by changing avatars rather than names will do that to you.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 07:15

Huzzah!: Sep 15, 2007; Malnutrition is scarier than any beastie.

someone awful. posted:

pretty sure garlic/alliums are extremely toxic to dogs, so uhh, ?

One of them is Helen in disguise so its fine. The other, well....

# ? Feb 26, 2022 08:15

catlord: Mar 22, 2009; What's on your mind, Axa?

Axa

I feel like "making them capable of experiencing pain and hatred" should be pretty low down on the list of things you need for a labour robot.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 10:09

My Lovely Horse: Aug 21, 2010

Vater und Sohn: The opportunity (1936)

# ? Feb 26, 2022 11:31

Kennel: May 1, 2008; BAWWW-UNH!

catlord posted:

Axa

I feel like "making them capable of experiencing pain and hatred" should be pretty low down on the list of things you need for a labour robot.

The cruelty is the point.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 11:42

~Coxy: Dec 9, 2003; R.I.P. Inter-OS Sass - b.2000AD d.2003AD

manero posted:

Chekhov's Sign

# ? Feb 26, 2022 12:43

Selachian: Oct 9, 2012

Rhymes with Orange

Get Fuzzy 2/25/02

Stephen Collins

Feeder Fetish Funnies 3/29-31/48

Smokey Stover 6/2/46

Everyday Movies 11/17/34

"Tough luck! I was going to throw them away but Mother went and mended this stocking, so now I have to wear it."

And meanwhile in 1948, Little Orphan Annie is starting a storyline I'm glad to not be posting:

# ? Feb 26, 2022 14:33

Cowslips Warren: Oct 29, 2005; What use had they for tricks and cunning, living in the enemy's warren and paying his price?; Grimey Drawer

I doubt I will ever see robot servants in my lifetime, but if I do, I'll treat mine with respect. Never understood that poo poo in movies, but maybe that's because I watched a lot of Jetsons as a kid. Along those lines had Toy Story been out when I was a little kid, it would have scared the poo poo out of me, the idea not that my toys were alive, but that they were horribly jealous of each other and fought over who got played with.

I also want to point out how, while problematic his design is, I don't think in Out Our Way, we see Ick shown as more foolish/dumb/a bad stereotype than the other cowboys. I know his depiction is racist, but damnit nearly all the strips I've seen lately of him have him taking in orphaned animals, and while the other cowboys rib him a bit, it doesn't seem horrible or malicious.

# ? Feb 26, 2022 14:41

PetraCore: Jul 20, 2017; 👁️🔥👁️👁️👁️BE NOT👄AFRAID👁️👁️👁️🔥👁️

Cowslips Warren posted:

I doubt I will ever see robot servants in my lifetime, but if I do, I'll treat mine with respect. Never understood that poo poo in movies, but maybe that's because I watched a lot of Jetsons as a kid. Along those lines had Toy Story been out when I was a little kid, it would have scared the poo poo out of me, the idea not that my toys were alive, but that they were horribly jealous of each other and fought over who got played with.

I also want to point out how, while problematic his design is, I don't think in Out Our Way, we see Ick shown as more foolish/dumb/a bad stereotype than the other cowboys. I know his depiction is racist, but damnit nearly all the strips I've seen lately of him have him taking in orphaned animals, and while the other cowboys rib him a bit, it doesn't seem horrible or malicious.

Yeah, nothing wrong with Ick's personality, but boy, does that visual design not help anything. It's a shame bc the Out Our Way artist is really good at drawing varied people and then, well...

# ? Feb 26, 2022 14:59

PainterofCrap: Oct 17, 2002; hey bebe

Cowslips Warren posted:

I doubt I will ever see robot servants in my lifetime...

I also want to point out how, while problematic his design is, I don't think in Out Our Way, we see Ick shown as more foolish/dumb/a bad stereotype than the other cowboys. I know his depiction is racist, but damnit nearly all the strips I've seen lately of him have him taking in orphaned animals, and while the other cowboys rib him a bit, it doesn't seem horrible or malicious.

Especially after Terry and the Pirates. I'm OK with them being just timg'd, but boy howdy

# ? Feb 26, 2022 16:38

Darthemed: Oct 28, 2007; "A data unit?
For me?"; College Slice

Docks

Retail

Popcom (double LOA edition)

# ? Feb 26, 2022 16:45

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Cowslips Warren posted:

I also want to point out how, while problematic his design is, I don't think in Out Our Way, we see Ick shown as more foolish/dumb/a bad stereotype than the other cowboys. I know his depiction is racist, but damnit nearly all the strips I've seen lately of him have him taking in orphaned animals, and while the other cowboys rib him a bit, it doesn't seem horrible or malicious.

Ick is always treated with respect by the writer(aside from the design) and his contemporaries, particularly as all the cowboys give each other a lot of good-natured ribbing. The old cook gets the most of it!

Jucika "58 - Jucika At Fisherman's Bastion"