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Selachian posted:
I just want to say that I really really love Get Fuzzy. The art is great, especially Satchel’s slightly-worried-and-confused expressions, the gags are solid, and the comic never punches down or feels cruel. Bucky’s an rear end in a top hat, obviously, but he’s just a grumpy cat (in a baby carrier  ).Also this sloth in the Almanac is killing me! Re: Calvin, as an only child with ADD I really relate. I was never hyperactive in that way, but I was lonely and bad at making friends and definitely a handful for my parents. Some of you were remarking on how sad his life seems sometimes, but that sadness is one of the things that make the strip great imo. There’s just this tinge of melancholy behind the whole thing that really elevates it beyond little kid hijinx without getting maudlin or heavy-handed.
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Mar 17, 2021 15:13
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Hi thread! I’ve been reading this thread since at least 2006 (one of the reasons I eventually registered) and have mostly lurked the whole time. These threads are probably one of the most complete resources of comic strip history and evolution on the entire internet, and I have learned a crazy amount about many topics, not just this genre of art, because of the dedicated, funny (like really fuckin funny), and exhaustive contextual write ups and commentary from all you magnificent posters. I love this thread so drat much, in fact, that I think it’s time for me to start contributing! Zits is, to quote Schulz, “the worst name for a comic strip since Peanuts.” The strip started in 1997, written by Baby Blues artist Jerry Scott and drawn by Jim Borgman. I’ll be posting out of the collection Humongous Zits, published in 2000. This is one of the strips that I remember debuting (my hometown paper always made a big deal of new strips coming in), and I immediately loved it. The art is (to this day, imo) lowkey very graceful and lovely, the gags are solid and never punch down, and the family dynamic is kind and funny. I’ll be posting these as the book has them formatted, with each page having either three dailies or a Sunday. I’m using the library scanner and extremely limited photo editing, so please pardon any lovely images (and let me know how I can fix them if it’s bad!) So now, without further ado, Classic Zits! Starting with this gorgeous splash sequence that makes up the first six pages of the collection:       E: love that framed portrait of Eyeroll Jeremy in the upstairs hall. Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Apr 19, 2021 |
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Apr 11, 2021 20:54
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Slammy posted:
Thanks for doing all this archival work for Dark Laughter! I’ve really enjoyed it. When you started posting it I was surprised at how modern it felt...then I realized it looked modern largely because it’s so rare to see Black people in the vintage comics (who aren’t drawn like Ick, anyway). And thanks too for posting all this Gladys Parker! I prefer the single panel Mopsy over the Sunday strips (those are good too tho). One of the things I love about Gay and Her Gang is how much they move between panels - it makes me think of old movies, with all the characters pacing around frenetically while quipping. Classic Zits 
Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Apr 19, 2021 |
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Apr 12, 2021 14:28
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Kennel posted:Really nice to learn about historical comics by black artists. They tend to be material that never reached Northern Europe. Everyone should look up Ollie Harrington, he led a fascinating life right in the center of the Harlem Renaissance.
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Apr 12, 2021 14:45
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Thank god we have a new Mary Worth storyline! Is it just me, or does the art look kinda weird on these new characters? The artist may have forgotten how to draw anything but Saul, Eve, traumatizing business suits, and dogs. Also lol@ Moominpapa being too high to function after hitting that pipe. E: Jane Goodall wrote the foreword for one of the big Far Side collections, apparently she and Larson developed a friendship after the fact even though she sicced a chimp on him! Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 21:56 on Apr 12, 2021 |
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Apr 12, 2021 21:49
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Classic Zits Flossing with good posture has always made me laugh, that panel gets stuck in my head to this day. And the first mention of Jeremy’s older brother! (who will briefly appear in this first year or so of Zits before getting banished to the Memory Hole for being boring af). And Hector’s first appearance, in his old character design! The glasses and center part are EXTREMELY 90s, I love it. Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Apr 19, 2021 |
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Apr 13, 2021 15:06
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Kennel posted:About the first one, well... Lol yup.
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Apr 13, 2021 15:18
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Classic Zits
Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Apr 19, 2021 |
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Apr 14, 2021 15:21
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Moomin panel borders remain excellent. Loving the safety pins and the gag about Moominpapa needing the medal around his neck because he’s naked, very understated. Classic Zits  Does anyone still have laundry chutes? Before she moved in with my dad, my stepmom had one in her house. We kids loved playing vertical catch and dropped many random objects into the basement, the chute went up to the second floor as well but we were only allowed to use the ground floor one. Have they gone the way of the dumbwaiter? I absolutely know I would have gotten myself stuck in a dumbwaiter when I was a dumb kid, having an open hole with a ~15 foot drop onto poured concrete seems like the same kind of hazard. But a fun hazard! Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Apr 19, 2021 |
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Apr 15, 2021 15:26
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Classic Zits
Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Apr 19, 2021 |
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Apr 16, 2021 19:29
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Pastry of the Year posted:
This A&J arc has really gotten me right in the feels. Classic Zits  One of my all time favorites! And seconding the love for Pvt Bootsie! I also just have to say that Mandrake is the stupidest strip I’ve ever seen, maybe stupider than Peter Parker himself. E: totally missed the STONKS in Wallace, the background details are so good Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Apr 19, 2021 |
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Apr 17, 2021 15:34
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I’m pretty sure that Those Were The Days is about the rise of standup. There was a lot of contemporary complaining along the lines of “standing up while telling jokes isn’t a real job/art form, it’s just jokes! I could do that!” And whoever posted that Zits before, no worries! Especially since I already posted it  Classic Zits  One of the things I really like about these classic strips is the lettering, the interjections of script are really nice to look at. It doesn’t seem like modern Zits mentions Hector’s Mexican background anymore, which is a shame. We’ll have a few nice strips about it in this collection, though. Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Apr 18, 2021 |
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Apr 18, 2021 19:26
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Haifisch posted:I'm in camp "TWTD isn't always intending to make the modern side of things be 100% bad"(although the "women? wearing PANTS? comic didn't help my case). In this case I'm pretty sure the joke is "people are rolling their eyes at jokes so old their grandparents' parents were telling them". I’m doing everything from my tablet, so I didn’t realize it was showing up differently on a desktop! Thanks for letting me know, fixed.
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Apr 18, 2021 19:51
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Sorry all, real life got in the way there for a couple days. Congratulations to Dr. Wonderful! Classic Zits     It’s so weird to me how instinctive the wet-your-finger thing is. At my dad’s most recent wedding, my youngest stepbrother was pretty overwhelmed and upset, so I was feeling protective and maternal towards him and did that without even thinking, and was shocked as soon as I realized what I’d done. Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 15:32 on Apr 21, 2021 |
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Apr 21, 2021 15:28
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riderchop posted:
I really don’t think the Overboard guy has ever seen a physical object in his life. Everything looks like someone else described it to him and he just kinda guessed from there. That boat! That grill! That...tricorner hat? I don’t even know. I think about that octopus all the time. And I want to say thank you for picking up Computoon! It’s my favorite incomprehensible comic and the one Mr. Music asks me to show him every day. I also want to take a moment for Smokey Stover. It is so dense with gags that it gets a little busy, but I am absolutely enamored with all these ridiculous chairs and the background gags with all the framed pictures. Absolutely bonkers and a real joy to read, gj Selachian for posting it and finding it in the first place. Classic Zits 
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Apr 22, 2021 20:17
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Those brain resters with the encyclopedias were born 60 or 70 years too soon
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Apr 23, 2021 03:04
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Johnny Walker posted:
I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying this storyline! It’s really realistic, two young people in New York who really like each other but are just too busy to make it work. It’s very sweet, I think. And while everything about Wallace is great, Sterling is probably my favorite character down to his lettering. What a strange little goblin. Anyway, Classic Zits!  I really love this one! The art is so much fun and Jeremy’s being adorably teenagerish about his crush. E:  , Bushmiller!
Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 20:08 on Apr 23, 2021 |
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Apr 23, 2021 20:06
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Those first three panels sure are something all right. And nooooooo beric! Classic Zits  Best Hector strip imo.
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Apr 24, 2021 17:35
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Medenmath posted:Prince Valiant Based on the “Next Time,” I’m gonna go ahead and call those Chekhov’s barrels. Classic Zits 
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Apr 25, 2021 17:26
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Medenmath posted:Vintage Valiant (Dec. 03, 1944) Absolutely breathtaking. Classic Zits 
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Apr 26, 2021 16:54
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Classic Zits
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Apr 27, 2021 18:36
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Alhazred posted:Sadly, I'm pretty sure women still have deal with being ogled at because of what they wear. Nah, that’s all over now. Female VP solved misogyny, just like the conviction in MN solved racism (speaking of, that Bootsie is both a great joke and a super bummer). And now an apolitical Classic Zits!  Had the same moment as the center strip regarding my MIL, it was a bit jarring.
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Apr 28, 2021 16:37
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Samovar posted:A MILILF? lol gross, thanks. Huxley posted:If it makes you feel any better, your spouse probably thinks the same thing about your parent who matches your gender. We talked about it, and now we’re leaving each other for each other’s mothers. Classic Zits  Shoes Big
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Apr 29, 2021 21:22
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catlord posted:Oh poo poo, you're right! I am very glad Axa is now with Robot Mark, her one true love. But I will never stop laughing at Jorge and Jarge.
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Apr 30, 2021 01:41
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davidspackage posted:Imagine being in Funky's AA meetings and having this boring rear end in a top hat just drone on and one, pausing for a tired, smug quip every few sentences. I thought the same thing when I watched Rocket Man. Can you imagine being an alcoholic having a really bad day, who really needs a meeting to keep from relapsing out of stress, and then Elton John/Funky turns up to tell his entire life story/an entirely unremarkable and pointless anecdote? I never ever read anything from the Funkyverse or the Holbrook Hellworlds because they are both pretty boring (and in Holbrook’s case, very confusing). I’m still glad they’re posted here though, because everyone’s angerposting about them is far, far funnier than any joke these comics could ever write. And daaaaaamn, A&J REALLY gently caress. E: Professor Wayne posted:The Far Side Always such a lovely surprise to see a Far Side I somehow missed, despite owning five or six collections! Thanks for this 
Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 15:36 on Apr 30, 2021 |
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Apr 30, 2021 15:32
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Sweaty IT Nerd posted:I'm sure this has been covered but is Laundry Pole one of these inscrutable Finnish puns? I’ve been assuming it’s an allusion to something like “airing the dirty laundry.” I do love an inscrutable Finnish pun though, Mr. Music and I have been making viperless milk jokes for years now. (Also want to say, I love Mammila and I’m really glad it’s being posted! I’m worried about all the characters atm, because I’m so invested in all their intertwining lives. Feels really true to small town life.) efb by two minutes, drat
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Apr 30, 2021 16:56
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Classic Zits Excellent burn, Hector.
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Apr 30, 2021 22:10
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Johnny Walker posted:The Phantom This had better be the start of Heloise becoming the new Phantom! Classic Zits 
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May 1, 2021 19:30
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Johnny Walker posted:I think women subtly being in control of men is a theme in these old Val strips. There was that story a while back about the woman who wanted the big blonde guy and manipulated him into falling for her, for example. To build on this, I’ve been really pleased with modern Val. The last few storylines have been: —African leaders negotiate governance and romance between themselves (Val does nothing, tries to fight lions instead) —A group of independent, financially successful women are persecuted as witches (Val does nothing, Aleta does witchcraft) —Rory Redhood has instituted full socialism with excellent results at Lockbramble, inciting the peaceful rebellion of nearby serfs (Val nods sternly, Gawain swoons about) And now we have an old-fashioned swords and armor knight fight which is VERY fun, but is all in service of defending a woman-led socialist commune! And the art is still fantastic. The Lockhorns has also grown subtly like this. The art is still clean and sharp while staying interesting, and it’s become much more diverse in both strip regulars and backgrounds. Also they never draw the bimbo-type women that were all over the strip until at least the 90s, and now focus those types of jokes on Leroy’s shortcomings rather than the woman’s perceived sluttiness. For all the times that legacy strips degrade or get stale, there are a few that retain their best qualities while quietly keeping up with the times. Classic Zits 
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May 2, 2021 18:49
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BigglesSWE posted:Ballard Street EasyEW posted:Elsewhere in the issues: Another fun time with Fred G. Cooper... Slammy posted:Dark Laughter (June 23, 1945) Doomykins posted:Jucika "39 - Jucika's Good Will" Very clever! fondue posted:B Kliban Haifisch posted:2017 GRONNNK riderchop posted:Compu-toon Selachian posted:Brenda Starr 5/23-25/46 Very stupid! (But I love them very much please do not insult my beautiful stupid children) It just occurred to me that Scarelli never told Brenda his first name, so she must have independently decided to call him a turkey face.
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May 3, 2021 13:34
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Darthemed posted:Popular Comics Good Lord. Classic Zits  Top and bottom strips are two of my favorites. Multiple phone handsets was a great source of comedy we’ll never see again.
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May 3, 2021 20:34
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Slammy posted:
Excellent DL, as per usual. In this TWTD, neither panel makes sense; Those Days were firmly in the period of “children should be seen and not heard (except to be trotted out to recite poems, for some reason)” and These Days was the start of the popularity of parenting guides (Spock et al), most of which encouraged letting your children ask questions and having conversations with them. No, I’m not sure why so much of my commentary ITT has been about this proto-boomer strip when there are so many others that are either better or worse. Goon pedant gonna pedant, I guess! (Also Slammy, I can’t believe I only just noticed that you post all your comics in strict chronological order! It makes for a cool experience watching the styles/cartooning trends evolve) Ps Did anyone else spot the Loris joke in the Almanac? The man loved making puns about those lil dudes. E: HELLO, FATTY 
Bibliotechno Music fucked around with this message at 15:23 on May 4, 2021 |
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May 4, 2021 15:18
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SubNat posted:Moomin and the Comet It’s a reverse Dorothy Gale! Classic Zits 
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May 4, 2021 19:06
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LazyQ posted:Mämmilä (May 16, 1992) Uffda. Classic Zits  Some Guy TT posted:I think in terms of middle school students race really isn't a factor when it comes to the Civil War being a huge abstraction they can't be bothered to care about. It's not like you actually need to know what was going on in the Civil War to understand race and racism on a day by day basis.
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May 5, 2021 22:50
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We named the cat Elrod because we don’t know jack.
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May 6, 2021 04:29
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RoboRodent posted:loving vultures. Ugh, when my grandmother died, my mom was the one who had been visiting the most (despite living a 3 hour plane ride away while her brother lived in the same city as Granny). My mom also managed all of the hospice care, funeral arrangements, and was executor of her will. While everything was being sorted after her death, everyone in the family was just kind of in and out of Granny’s apartment as it was more or less the base of operations. At one point, my mom and I returned to the apartment from running an errand, and found that my uncles had not-so-sneakily gone through the apartment and put tape with their names on the backs/bottoms of all the art and furniture. Adult siblings get so weird about their parents’ mortality and get in some kind of weird competition over stuff. It’s gross and I hate it. My uncles are just assholes in general, though, so YMMV.
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May 6, 2021 16:24
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Classic Zits
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May 6, 2021 17:35
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Selachian posted:Get Pumped 5/6/01 I just noticed Satchel’s bone hanging up next to Rob’s toothbrush and my whole heart exploded. Transmodiar posted:Modesty Blaise I want to note here that Romero can slip in some great pinup art while illustrating an actual good comic, as opposed to the ridiculous cheesecake-fest that is Axa. Why did anyone let him write his own comic?? (I know why, it’s tits n swords) Professor Wayne posted:The Far Side Did someone tell Larson about that YLLS thread? Classic Zits  I also want to say that I am loving 2017 RONNK, Brenda Starr, and Mandrake purely for the absolute lunatic idiocy. You can’t help but admire them at some point.
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May 7, 2021 20:33
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Cowslips Warren posted:Why is Princess Deer taking any poo poo from that rear end in a top hat? Chilling/thrilling think what Aleta would do.
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May 8, 2021 02:12
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riderchop posted:
I remember having a mini-crisis after my dad and stepmom split up that I no longer had “home” anywhere in my contacts. Also I am very impressed with Boyce succeeding with writing “[O]ffice” backwards in the window, but what on earth are those flags on the typewriters for?
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May 8, 2021 07:22
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