Terrible Tuesday

by Hal Bent

Tuesdays somehow skate with Mondays getting all the Garfield-related anguish, grief and curses heaped upon it.  Tuesdays are as bad as Monday, if not worse since Monday is horrible going back to work and Tuesday is a Groundhog Day type repeat.  At least Wednesdays are Webcomics Wednesdays here at the DCR and bring a glimmer of hope.

Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen:

Speaking of terrible, how do metal bra/bikini's work like in this cartoon or a Thor comic book? Cold, uncomfortable, and constricting come to mind (of course, all brassieres could be that way for all I know).  I see this, and think that this is a concept that no sane woman would ever conceive, let alone wear.  "For the warrior woman who needs extra support!"  Also, what exactly is the blessing for in this cartoon? Is he leaving the house or entering? Not really sure this explains a lot after the reader gets past all the metal wear. 



Birdbrains by Thom Bluemel  //  Bliss by Harry Bliss  //  Eek! by Scott Nickel:

Is this a bizarre circumstance and random occurrence of the Universe? Do cartoonists correspond on a platform and bounce ideas off each other like "Let's have mythical creatures sitting down at a psych exam, at an awkward angle on a table, or in their waiting room--that would be funny."  Forget that none of these are actually funny in any way, shape or form: I am just fascinated that they all exist on the same day.  Kudos to Bliss for that great Wolfman, though.  



Shoe by Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins:

As a Massachusetts resident, I thoroughly enjoy seeing the hideous, drunken politician bird-creature representing long-time Senior Senator from Massachusetts--Ted Kennedy--is still alive and sneaking away with call girls at every opportunity.  And, yes, I read the Kennedy-Bird-Creature's voice in my head with that distinctive Kennedy accent. 

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Friday Funnies

by Hal Bent

Another Friday, another loss trying to find "funny" in the funny pages.  Forget it, it's time to dial up a little extra snark to get the weekend started!


Working It Out by Charlos Gary:

And you're bald.  Not Patrick Stewart classy, British, and dignified bald, but pin-headed,ugly bald. Besides, everyone knows that women love the funny guys--a sense of humor is what lures the ladies. I hope so.  Maybe I need to actually be funny, instead of thinking I'm funny.  Hmmm.


Adam@Home by Brian Basset:

Even Adam's doctor loathes and despises him. See,it's not just your family that tries to hide their derision and hatred of you with "humor". Here, the doctor does an excellent job of pointing out Adam's physical short-comings, but fails to get into his psychological and mental issues (hey, it is only four panels).  I love the third panel and Adam's heavy-lidded look as the jab gets through his fever-ravaged brain.  Good to see he was back to usual, rotten self in the final panel.  Look at those crossed arms and the dialogue dripping with anger.  


Real Life Adventures by Gary Wise and Lance Aldrich:

Sadly enough, this is real party pooping going on here with these weird "real life" characters.  No, not bringing the party down with their inappropriate stories about changing the cat box with their hands, but rather pooping at the party. Shrimp platter? Nailed it.  Punch bowl? Pooped in.  Modern art vase as centerpiece on the table? Yup, they pooped in it.  I mean, these two are depraved sickos. That is a couple with some seriously strange turn-on sand the people of their town are just saying "No" to these two freaks. 


Drabble by Kevin Fagan:

Drabble knows...those hideous Real Life Adventure poopers are going to be there. "Pack the barf bag, Drabble!" 

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Webcomics Wednesday

by Hal Bent 

I may be busy--I'm still mourning that one of my favorite websites (and comic book nerd site), Comics Alliance, was shut down by parent company, AOL two weeks ago--but I gotta get excited each Wednesday because I love my Webcomics Wednesday!  I get so excited about highlighting these hardworking Internet heroes, so I don't have any time to waste and need to get right to this week's fantastic find:

Hyperbolic Dystopia: by Barry J Gardner
WEBSITE: http://hyperbolicdystopia.com

I read this fairly new webcomic (it kicked off last fall) and instantly knew this webcomic "spoke to me". Maybe it was title, maybe it was the vision of the future that is over-run with watchers (seriously, privacy is such a concept of the past), maybe it was the smart dialogue and distinctive artwork, or maybe it was a bit of all of those wrapped together.  Whatever it was, I feel like I am getting in close enough to the ground floor and am eagerly awaiting to see where it goes in the future. It's fun, but serious. I like not having to deal with juvenile jokes and boobs spilling out all over the page (not that I'd complain, but some pages just go for "gratuitous" without adding to the story or fitting the characters).  From what I've read so far, it looks like a fun ride.

Main Characters: 
As the webcomic is still fairly new, I don't know all the details on all the characters yet, but  am excited to see what happens in the future.
Winston Copperhead: the man with the hammer,  but is he able to lead a revolution?
Aldous Jimenez: He has already helped Winston but what is his game? Fellow renegade? Part of authority? An inside helper? And where did he get that awesome futuristic talking koala?
Dr. Thaddeus Faust: The mad genius? The brains behind the power? Pure evil? Not sure yet.
Tod: All powerful leader of the future with a Napoleon complex along with a serious fetish as a keyhole peeper (he has cameras everywhere...I had to go there) to go along with his stature. His world is high tech for his control and low tech for the plebes. 

About the creator:  Great post by the creator on his blog here: A great example of a creator who is driven to create and not letting the realities of life get in the way by working to make it happen.

OK, again be sure to check out Hyperbolic Dystopia at: http://hyperbolicdystopia.com, and remember that it was the Daily Comics Review on Webcomics Wednesday that gave you the scoop. Enjoy!

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Saturday Specials

by Hal Bent

Welcome to the weekend! Apparently, the theme of the day in the newspaper comics is to have guys sitting on the coach.  Well, that's original. Oh yeah, I threw in some Born Loser, because that strip just raises my dander. 


Thatababy by Paul Trap:

"This Old House" because referencing a television show that was popular when Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter in the presidential election is how one connects their comic strip about a couple with a newborn baby to their audience.  Oh, wait, the couples creating a family are in the age range where they weren't born yet when Reagan left office, let alone when Carter left office.


Reality Check by Dave Whamond:

Speed Bump by Dave Coverly:

Yup, it's all about spaced-out fathers/husbands in a daze on the couch watching television, the drug of a nation. No laptop, no iPad, no other device. Out of date? Check. OK, let's keep the couch theme going!


Betty by Gary Delainey and Gerry Rasmussen:

Gotta give props to Betty today: with that sentence construction in the second panel setting up the punchline in the third panel, I am excited to see next week's strips where the husband uses his phone to productively search craigslist and the personal sites for the white man he presumably is adding to his marriage.  I refer back to the first panel, as the husband's double-entendre is referencing what kink will be ongoing once he works out the kinks.  


Born Loser, The by Chip Sansom:

Umm, the answer is corn syrup.  Manufacturers load ketchup (and catsup) with high-fructose corn syrup (aka sugar) to sweeten it enough for the American public and their never-ending quest for the consumption of sweets.

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Friday Funnies

by Hal Bent

Happy Friday, I know I need a chuckle or three after a long work week. Of course, the humor is more likely  to be the snark humor after reading unfunny after unfunny comic. 


Farcus by David Waisglass and Gordon Coulthart:

It's funny because...umm, oh wait, it's not funny at all.  He is too dumb to go to the supermarket? He thinks canned fish live that way in the wild?  Is this a scathing denouncement of the American educational system that lags behind other nations in teaching science? This is really not humor, but commentary on America and it's role as a lagging superpower? No, I guess, it's just not funny.


Ben by Daniel Shelton:

Nothing funny at all about this comic.  I think this is a primer for the elderly readers (I'd say "fans", but are there any people who consider themselves "Ben fans"?  I imagine if I looked like the character, I might find it kind of a big deal, but otherwise...).  "How to unload your horrible junk in a yard sale since you cannot figure out eBay to save your life" is likely what the creator had in mind when writing and drawing this turd, I mean unfunny crap, I mean comic. 


Flo and Friends by Jenny Campbell:

Not to get all off-topic or anything, but when I was in college, I barely made over minimum wage, had no savings, no credit, was working to pay for school, movies and dates with my Sweetie-Pie, gas, groceries, and lots of beer, and somehow was pre-approved for a couple hundred credit cards.  I would sign up for the cards on my way between classes because they lured you in with a giant bag of Peanut M&Ms and that would be my free lunch for the day.  Paid for all those M&Ms later in life when I tried to buy our first house (bank didn't like all those credit cards in my shoebox under the bed) and being diagnosed with diabetes.


Last Kiss by John Lustig:

Bwahh-hahhh-hahhhh! As usual, Last Kiss steps up with some real humor. I am finally content with the comics this Friday with actually found a funny!

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