The good, the bad, the bland: My list of the best comics | Mann Overboard

Bill Mann
Posted 5/10/23

Comic Strips Live: My morning daily online-news routine goes like this: The New York Times (with Wordle and Spelling Bee) followed by The Guardian, Google News and then … the most satisfying …

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The good, the bad, the bland: My list of the best comics | Mann Overboard

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Comic Strips Live: My morning daily online-news routine goes like this: The New York Times (with Wordle and Spelling Bee) followed by The Guardian, Google News and then … the most satisfying and time-consuming … the comics.

Comics, aka the funnies, have been a big draw for me — and most newspaper readers — long before the internet arrived.

Before PT, we lived near Santa Rosa, California, home of the late Charles Schulz, whose “Peanuts” had such phenomenal readership that a PBS doc once called him “the wealthiest American artist ever.” Probably true.

I used to occasionally play golf with the genial “Sparky” Schulz. But that’s another column. Namedropping concluded.

We’ll try today to pick the best strips (daily cartoonists call themselves “strippers.”)

Here’s a clip ‘n save guide. Sorry, no links, so, have scissors handy? I’ll wait. Ready?

THE BEST STRIPS

Click on GoC’omics to find these:

— “Doonesbury”: The ultra-talented Gary Trudeau’s strip has been in reruns for years, but even the repeats are addictively clever. He now draws only one new strip a week, on Sundays. Still the best strip going.

— “Pearls Before Swine”: From another Santa Rosa cartoonist, Stefan Pastis. A lot of solid, topical material comes from a cynical rat, a dimbulb pig, and a liberal goat. And no one takes more —  or better — shots at social media than Pastis.

— “For Better or Worse”: Canadian cartoonist Lynn Johnston’s knowing take on family life (including two teens) rarely disappoints.

— “Frank and Ernest”: The inevitable puns here are groaners, but clever. (E.g., A psychoanalyst reference includes the gag “You’re only Jung once.”)

— “The Argyle Sweater” and “Bizarro” (the latter at Comics Kingdom) are the cleverest single panels going.

— “Clay Bennett”: Following Tom Toles’ Washington Post retirement, Tennessee-based Bennett is now THE best U.S. editorial cartoonist.

— “Cleats”: Cartoonist Bill Hinds’ kids-sports strip, and his pro sports one, “Tank McNamara,” are the best in the sporting world. They both feature good gags daily.

— “Elderberries”: The late Phil Franks’ amusing strip NOW in reruns centers on a group of quirky residents at an assisted-living home.

— “The Far Side”: The once-retired Gary Larson’s panels aren’t quite as funny as they once were.

— “Francis”: A gentle, amusing strip centered around — get this — the Pope!

— “Last Kiss”:  A clever, funny idea here, taking old romance comics from the 1950s and giving them bawdy, updated gags.

— “Liberty Meadows”: Frank Cho may be the best pure artist in the comics. This daily strip is about an animal-rescue center. Cho draws the loveliest women, and how he draws their lustrous hair is impressive.

— “Frog Applause”: You want offbeat and weird? Look no further.

— “Sally Forth”: This strip about a working woman and her quirky husband and daughter has long been a favorite here.

— “The Family Circus”: I used to hate this panel about kid behavior. Then we had kids.

— The following are found at Comics Kingdom:

— “Blondie”: This strip has been around longer than me. I’m glad the late Chic Young handed off this strip about a suburban shlub to his son. It’s still amusing.

— “Zits”: Along with “Luann,” the best strip about teens.

— And … THE WORST.

— “Cathy”: Ack!

— “Andy Capp”: A drunk Brit getting 86’d from bars has limited comedic appeal.

— “B.C.”: A character named “The Fat Broad?” Prehistoric.

— “Dilbert” — A banished, once-clever strip is still popular at Klan gatherings.

— “Momma”: The late Mell Lazarus’ strip about a yenta mother seems an odd choice for the P.A. daily in this largely gentile area.

— “Garfield”: Please, someone, dump a pan of the gluttonous cat’s lasagna on creator Jim Davis’ pointy head. This tiresome, repetitive strip isn’t even as “funny” as “Marmaduke.”

Speaking of Strong Comics … Well, the stand-up type anyway:

In 1998, just before he landed “The Daily Show,” I interviewed Jon Stewart, talented but temporarily out of work. We met at a golf-course restaurant in Napa.

Comics tend to be quite bright, but Stewart was even more so than most.

I asked Stewart what he’d been doing between gigs.

Writing a book, he said.

What’s the topic?

“It’s about Hitler’s little-known career selling footwear,” he replied.

OK, I’ll bite. What’s the title?

Stewart: “Mein Kampf-ortable Shoes.”

Rim shot!

(Reach Leader humor columnist Bill Mann at Newsmann9@gmail.com)