Can it count as a CIDU? Or just striking or absurd imagery? Part 2

(Part 1 can be found at this link.)

Some comics for which we could not answer “What is the joke here?” but OTOH could not in good conscience call a clear CIDU and devote a full daily standalone to.


No, we haven’t any idea, at least not if it’s supposed to be clever or a punch line. And does that mean the joke here is just … “What if there were traffic cops in outer space!”?


Shoehorning in a lovely Macanudo, not meant as funny but it claims to not be surreal either!


This one also may not perfectly fit the premise: I sort of see a joke, and it’s sort of funny. But mostly the point seems to be just contemplating the sad aspects of the absurdist situation.


Here’s one that Grawlix says showed up in his Facebook feed; apparently posted by the cartoonist, asking his public whether the cartoon makes sense. It probably does — there are good suggestions in the Facebook comments — but for some the main impression is just how strange it must be to meet this locomotive guy!


This one qualifies, not for absurdism precisely, but for startling incongruous backstory imagery. She’s going out, and her parents say “Don’t be late [getting back]”, all of which is perfectly normal — except she’s in a battle tank!

A GoComics commenter adds “Pero pasatelo bien” (“But have a good time”) — reminding me of my high school girlfriend’s mother, who would usually say “Be good! And have fun!”.

Winners of the 78th Annual Reuben Awards

Here is linked the official list of the Reuben Award winner and Divisional winners from the National Cartoonists Society.
(The meeting was this week and the announcement is dated yesterday 24 August 2024, but the awards are for 2023 publications and styled as “2023 Cartoonist of the Year” and similarly.)

An informative and nicely formatted list and display of examples, for nominees and winners, is at Daily Cartoonist.

Readers of CIDU will probably be familiar with work of —

Hilary B. Price, 2023 NCS Cartoonist of the Year (“Reuben Award”)

and Reuben Award nominees Darrin Bell, Will Henry, Dana Simpson, Daniel Clowes, and Mark Tatulli

Nick Galifianakis, winner for Magazine/Newspaper Illustration

Tauhid Bondia, winner for Newspaper Comic Strips, and nominees Hector Cantu & Carlos Castellanos (also split link, sorry) and Liniers

Wayno, winner for Newspaper Panels (plus link for WaynoVision), and nominees Nick Galifianakis and Dave Blazek

Sunday Funnies – LOLs, August 25th, 2024


Unexpectedly, this was something of a minor CIDU, with comments disagreeing over which partner is actually the neatnik. (Also just a hint of Arlo speculation based on how the drawn legs bend at the knees.)


Nice to find the occasional clear-and-direct LOL from PMP!



For once we can let this stand as a LOL on its own, and not indulge a compulsion to track down the specific advice column it probably accompanied originally.


Mark H. notes “This Arlo is a Janis”.

Or maybe she’s just moving the drapes to give him a better view of the moon. Or of …



Thanks to both Darren and Phred who sent this one in, as mostly LOL but with enough of a factual background question to make it almost a CIDU. Why is it a matter for sticklers?

P.S. It turns out this comic was discussed at Comic Strip of the Day; but we ran across that after this post was already prepared.