So it's Halloween again.  Have you seen Google's doodle for the day?  Show me someone who doesn't like Scooby-Doo and I will personally beat them up (you have to pay travel expenses though).*  One thing that people loved to do in my area on Halloween was enter a cemetery outside of town that was rumored to be one of the places the Devil rises from to dance with the dead.  It wasn't really that there was anything special about the cemetery except it had a creepy old church standing on a hill looking over the cemetery and town.  People (i.e., drunk college students) would enter the cemetery and report feeling chills or things tapping on their shoulders.  Normally this probably wouldn't be a problem and the town would embrace their weird little heritage but when you start knocking over graves and leaving your beer bottles out there, something has to be done.  The sheriff began patrolling the area at Halloween which kept a lot of people away.  My friends and I went out there several times just to explore the old church, which was the main source of all the curiosity seekers.  The church was torn down in 2002 and the pile of rubble is still there.  The cemetery was the subject of an Urge Overkill song and was used for a battle between good and evil in the fifth season finale of The CWs Supernatural.  I'm never going to get those "ghost hunting" experiences back--I just wish I remembered to take pictures.  Teenage Brian was an idiot.**

*And I probably won't beat anyone up but will cower in the fetal position.


**Adult Brian isn't much better.

And now, comics!!

 My Cage 10/31/10

I read the blog post on mycagecomic.com and it looks like some good things are coming from the My Cage creators so here's hoping My Cage returns in some form and let me tell you that I am kind of interested in seeing what "Jack" is.  I'm a dork for historical fiction.

Todd the Dinosaur 10/31/10

Some of you may remember a few day (weeks?) back where Dagwood was having trouble finding shirts that only had one button.  If that strip hadn't ran, I'm pretty sure I would be confused by today's Todd the Dinosaur.

B.C. 10/31/10

Looks like the Fat Broad owes Linus, Sally and Charlie Brown restitution.

Baldo 10/31/10

Let us not forget that it is also the Day of the Dead.  I wish I could remove my skin, muscles and veins...

Cleats 10/31/10

Are those ghosts supposed to be anyone in particular?  I mean, if you are going to show the ghosts of dead comic strip characters then why don't you show Charlie Brown, Calvin, Dondi, Little Orphan Annie, Little Nemo.  Actually show kids of strips that are no longer being produced.

New Adventures of Queen Victoria 10/31/10

Sounds like Her Majesty needs to get on some type of even-pay/budget billing type deal.

Wee Pals 10/31/10

I hate Wee Pals.  The only reason I'm posting this is to bring attention to the gigantic "10-31" in the last panel.  Why is it so big?

Luckily, manufacturers of "flesh-colored" adhesive strips market to the entire nation, not just your neighborhood.

On a Claire Day 10/31/10

This just made me laugh and since those are few and far between, you just have to post it.

Born Loser 10/31/10

Chip wants to give a shout-out to the Dells, Pates and Smiths.  And a big eff-you to the Barkers.  Seriously, Barkers, healthy treats?  No wonder the neighborhood children egg your house every year and now everyone in the country knows what kind of losers you are.

EVERYONE HAVE A SAFE, BUT SCARY HALLOWEEN!!

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Halloween Eve comics

Tomorrow is Halloween.  To help you prepare, here are some comic blurbs, which may or may not have something to do with the holiday in question.

Brewster Rockit:
 

I don't believe that the head of the Headless Segwayman is the right kind of pumpkin for making pie with.  If so, it would be much smaller.  Also, in order for it to be carved in the way that it is, all of the stuff that's useful for making a pie has probably been taken out.

That said, his head is probably magic, and so she probably used magic to make a pie out of it.  This should probably be a cause for worry, though the captain is too stupid to realize it, as usual.  I hope he'll at least blow on it first before he puts it in his mouth.

Daddy's Home:

I should try this sometime.  It would probably only work on a small number of kids, but I would get free candy without having to go anywhere.  It would work best on the youngest kids, too.  Of course, then I might feel guilty doing it.

...

Nah, probably not.

Candorville:

Yes, I am the kind of geek that counts how many characters there are when someone puts a tweet into a comic strip.  This tweet was 125.  I am also the type that foresees someone doing a comic strip which has gags that are all less than 140 characters.  There's probably a web comic out there like that.  I can't believe no one's had the idea by now.

9 to 5:

Yeah.  Burnt umber is so much nicer than raw.  And cadmium, either yellow or orange, just doesn't look right.  I can't believe they were even in the budget to begin with.

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Early Halloween Special

Hey there, everyone. So sorry about the lack of update yesterday. If it makes you feel any better, the Meekrat Entertainment Group hasn't gotten much love from me this week either. To make it up to you, here's comics from the past two days, plus I scoured the Internet for web-comics! Well, not really scoured. Just read the ones I usually read. Here we go:

THURSDAY
Brevity

I'll allow for the irradiated spider still being alive, even though that sucker would be dead seconds after biting Peter Parker. What gets me about this is the fact that the Daily Bugle isn't calling Spider-Man a threat or a menace, and isn't claiming he's in cahoots with the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

BC

I see that BC is just ripping off jokes from Garfield now. I'm not even going to bring up all the things that are stupid and wrong with Friday's strip.

Retail

I believe I remarked upon this strip's costumes last year as well, but it's worth repeating. Waldo (or Wally, for some of you) is eye-catching, to be sure, but the Captain Kangaroo costume is just on a whole other level. I believe that Friday's strip featured the boss dressed as Ming the Merciless, but that's hardly better than Captain Kangaroo.

FRIDAY
Sally Forth

Speaking of costumes, check this out. The Hawks have been getting more exposure in recent years, due to the "Justice League" cartoon and whatnot, but it's still surprising to see them casually referenced like this. Then again, Ted is a colossal geek, so I shouldn't be too surprised.

My Cage

Since I'm not posting tomorrow or Sunday, I'd like to take this opportunity to say farewell to "My Cage". I hope its creators are able to find success elsewhere, or perhaps continue the strip as a web-comic or something. I think they could pull it off, if they wanted to.

Spider-Man

Since this post has so far been mild praises and whatnot, here's today's Spider-Man. It's obvious Mole Man has captured the two of them, but it could be a tentacle demon. Which would mean that this strip is pioneering tentacle rape in the funny pages! Can't wait for editors to get letters about that. It'll be the best thing ever.

Mandrake the Magician

It's always nice to see some of these strip acknowledge their shared universes.

WEB-COMICS
Axe Cop

If, for some reason, you're not reading Axe Cop, here's an example of what you're missing. The real reason I put this here, though, is to point out the questionable message Axe Cop is sending children when he claims that you can take any candy you want because the cops are asleep. The last few panels where Axe Cop comes back with over a thousand pieces of candy and winds up with only eleven are pretty genius, too. You probably can't actually read it, due to its size, so just go to the site and do so.

Oh, and happy Halloween to all of you. Unless you don't celebrate it, in which case... have a nice weekend. Also, November is National Novel Writing Month, if you're into that sort of thing.

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Bones, Donuts, and Rubes

Hey everyone, Zachary the Stupid Inventor here with this Wednesday's comic review!
Let's get to it, shall we?

The Bad:
Girls and Sports: Another Daily Comics Reviewer mentioned that some of the Girls and Sports strips have been appearing damaged on one of the sites recently... well it keeps happening, which makes me laugh because it means that whoever sets up the website doesn't read this strip either.... have I mentioned I think this strip is horrible?

Nitpicks:

Bound and Gagged: Why didn't she just wear a hat to cover up badly dyed hair? I think the gag was originally going to be a "Quick Makeover Kit" rather than hair dye and was changed last minute because it was unoriginal.... just my theory.

Birdbrains: It really bothers me that they chose to put a skull and crossbones on the lampshade instead of just making the lamp itself a bone...... there really is something wrong with me!


Big Top: This strip could have been so much better if there were fake funny tabloid headlines to go with the pictures of characters from other strips... just saying.

The Good:
Brewster Rockit: I love this strip! Brewster Rockit is one of my favorite comics, I don't know why it's not more popular.


Heart of the City: I don't know how Mark Tatulli manages to make two very awesome, and very different comic strips at the same time! This is a great strip, and it works even if you haven't seen District 9. (Great movie by the way.)

Rubes: I had the honor of meeting Leigh Rubin, the creator of Rubes, yesterday at a presentation he was giving in NY celebrating his comic's 25th year! It was a fun presentation and I urge all of you to check out his site and see if he'll be coming near you on his tour, if so then definitley check him out! http://www.rubescartoons.com/events.html

In Honor of the 25th Anniversary, he create a book of his favorite Rubes panels from the past 25 years, all in color. Even if you cant make the show, get the book!
The Wild and Twisted World of Rubes: A Rubes Cartoon Collection

Ok, that's it for my comic review, see you all next time!
Zachary
Stupid Inventor

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Today is my one year wedding anniversary.  So here are comics for you.

First, I quick mention of two comics who have some special guest stars.
Liberty Meadows and Ink Pen 10/24/10


If I were Cindy Bear I would have a drinking problem too.  I mean they are making a CGI movie of Yogi Bear with Dan Akroyd as the voice of Yogi.  Dan Akroyd!  Oh, well.  I will just let you be the judge of it.

My Cage 10/24/10

I guess it's okay for My Cage to go sappy the week before it comes to an end.  I know how it is to go back to a place you hated to work because you do it for your family.  It sucks.  I hate it.  Luckily, there's alcohol to help get me through it.

Hi & Lois 10/24/10

Look how dark and depressing today's Hi & Lois is.  I know the Flagston's marriage is a suburban nightmare but their depression is attaching itself to casual passers-by as Hi's awful karaoke skills echo in their ears like a death march.

Brewster Rockit:  Space Guy! 10/24/10

Offered without commentary.

Argyle Sweater 10/24/10

Don't worry Mr. Kidney, someone else will want you.  But usually, kidneys are rejected while in the body so does Mr. Spognola's body have its own little universe inside of it?

Family Circus 10/24/10

But Papa Keane spends every night crouched behind the shrubbery........

Born Loser 10/24/10

Maybe...if that was a real thing.

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Actual Friday Post, Live! (not really)

Hey there, cats and kittens. I didn't miss today's post! Hoorah for me! Go visit the Meekrat Entertainment Group, which has yet to feel my hot posting love today. I'm off to rectify that, but first, commentary!

First off, an addition to yesterday's post: today's Love Is...

"When I tell you I'm taking a bath, that's a hint, you nimrod!"

Now for the rest of today's comics:
Soup to Nutz

If he was that concerned about it, he totally could have just reached up and grabbed the stupid leaf. Besides, it's just one leaf. If it falls after all the other leaves, then it's really nothing to worry about.

Girls and Sports

I don't think I've commented on this strip in a while. Today, though, I had to point out the jerkiness of whatever that guy's name is. If I were that woman, this scene would land that guy in the dog house.

Cleats

Here's some reader interaction stuff: if you could pick three comics to excise from your local paper (or, if you don't have a local paper that carries comics, three comic strips you'd excise from existence) which ones would you choose? Would you choose long-lived zombie strips, long past their sell date? Newer comics which are, nonetheless, terrible? I'd choose Sylvia, for sure. Probably Mallard Fillmore and Prickly City, as well. I find all three terrible.

The Doozies

I offer this one up without commentary, mainly because it ties in with the Frankenstein stuff Zachary the Stupid Inventor posted about earlier.

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Book Review: Dick Briefer's Frankenstein

Hey everyone, Zachary the Stupid Inventor here for a special post reviewing the first volume in Craig Yoe's "The Horror Comic Book Masters Library", Dick Briefer's Frankenstein!

It's actually pretty easy to review a Craig Yoe book, because as soon as you know it's a Yoe book you know just what to expect: A beautifully designed hardcover book, a well written and researched introduction including behind the scenes pictures and rare sketches, professionally scanned comic pages printed and preserved, and of course good comics to be read inside!

This latest Yoe book does not disappoint, and is perhaps one of my favorite book designs ever (tied with another Yoe book, The Complete Milt Gross Comics and Life Story). You see, Dick Briefer started off drawing a horror comic about Frankenstein (and yes, the monster goes by Frankenstein in these stories, so please don't correct me, :D ) and then switched to a more humorous and silly version before switching back to the horror version later on! The horror and the funny Frankensteins have two distinct yet similar looks, so how does one represent them on the cover? Easy solution for the great Craig Yoe! Just put the horror Frankenstein on the hardcover with his eye holes cut out, and put the funny Frankenstein on the page behind! Not only does this give the book an awesomely creepy look, but the book doubles as a mask! As Craig Yoe himself models it below:
I almost skipped the great introduction because the comics looked so good, but the intro was filled with a backstory of the comics and promotional artwork and behind the scenes sketches... very fascinating!

But the stories themselves are what makes this book awesome! The horror Frankenstein is a very interesting take on the famous monster, with Frankenstein being able to talk, vowing revenge on his master for creating him and trying to destroy all humanity in the process... oh and did I mention this was all taking place in New York? Have you ever seen Frankenstein climb the Statue of Liberty? No? Well then you're in luck!

The funny Frankenstein stories are a riot, my personal favorite is "Frankenstein's Wife"... I won't ruin the plot, but it's a story that has to be read to be believed!

I could easy see a collection like this selling for $50+ or more, but somehow it's only selling for $22 right now, that is if you can get your hands on a copy before they sell out! This book is a great read and makes a great Halloween gift for kids and adults alike! I can see this book being proudly displayed on a coffee table or under the covers with a child and a flashlight...

If you would like to buy this book, it's available at your local comic book store or at:
Amazon (They sold out and are awaiting more copies):http://www.amazon.com/Briefers-Frankenstein-Library-Horror-Comics/dp/1600107222
Barnes and Nobles: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Dick-Briefers-Frankenstein/Dick-Briefer/e/9781600107221/?itm=1&USRI=dick+breifer%27s+frankenstein
Borders: Click here to purchase at Borders

Can't wait to read some of these fabulous Frankenstein tales? Well today also happens to be Frightful Frankenstein Friday!

Over 17 blogs are participating by showing different Frankenstein comics and other fun stuff, so first go to Craig's blog Super I.T.C.H. to read the very first Frankenstein comic and then see the list of other blogs participating!

Frightful Frankenstein Friday Starts Here!

Let me know what you think! Have any other great Halloween comics to recommend? Let me know in the comments! Have a happy Halloween!

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Love Is... Passive Aggressive

First and foremost, take a look, the Daily Comics Review got a shout-out in Sunday's My Cage:

It's rather bittersweet, since the strip's days are sadly numbered. Now then, onto today's comics. Oh, and you should go to the Meekrat Entertainment Group. There's comics, fiction, and more over there.

9 to 5

I know the rupees they're referring to, but I can't read this and think that they're getting the ones from "Legend of Zelda". My mind's been warped beyond belief, I guess.

Spider-Man

Spider-Man marches on! After a brief flirtation between the Mole Man and Mary Jane (not abnormal, as most villains in this strip see Mary Jane and immediately want her) the Mole Man does the noble thing and abandons his quest for a married woman. A widowed woman, however, is not off-limits. Oddly, villains lusting after Aunt May is not entirely unheard of, though I think this might be the first time the Mole Man has done it.

The Phantom

After last week's poor showing by the Ghost-Who-Walks, he decided that, "Hey, it'd be really stupid of me to check every cell but one." Just wanted to keep you updated.

Committed

Doesn't every schoolchild know the story of how Teddy Roosevelt didn't kill a baby bear, leading to the creation of the teddy bear? I do like some of the alternate names, though. Who wouldn't want a Otmar Bear?

Love Is

Thanks to being a Daily Comics Reviewer, I've been exposed to more comic strips than I actually wanted to be exposed to. While many are good, and even more are passable, there's also the terrible and downright soul-crushing. "Love Is" falls into the latter group, if only for its saccharine nature and creepy naked baby-people. I've noticed something, though. What if the strip wasn't a diabetes-inducing treatise on love, but rather a series of passive-aggressive notes from the strip's maker to their significant other? For example, today's strip is basically saying, "Stop sleeping around, you cad!" Or, let's take a look at last Friday's:

The message here being, "For the love of God, spend some time with your kids!" Or, here's one from god-knows-when:

The message here would be, "Let's do some role-play." I won't show any more examples, since viewing more than three "Love Is" panels in such a short time will upset your blood-sugar levels, but I think it wouldn't be a stretch to say that every strip could be viewed with the filter of "passive-aggressive significant other" and be, if not enjoyable, then perhaps a tad more tolerable.

The Born Loser

I've never hated Hurricane Hattie more than I do at this moment.

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