BVCC sends this in: “Yes, I can tell you that it’s not textbook imposter syndrome, because it’s not. From Wikipedia: “Impostor syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon or impostorism, is a psychological experience in which a person suffers from feelings of intellectual and/or professional fraudulence.” This is not at all what Schroeder is exhibiting.”
This was a complete CIDU for me until I read the comments on the web:
I’ll let the hive-mind see what y’all think. No cheating! (But it’s at https://www.gocomics.com/theargylesweater/2025/07/27 to save you the trouble if, like me, you give up.)
The ever-prolific JMcAndrew asks, “What is that supposed to be that he broke?”
As someone who has used mainframe computers since the early 1970s, I recognize it as a 9-track tape drive, probably an IBM 3420. In other words, it’s supposed to be a computer, from the era when “spinning tapes” meant “computer”.
He adds that the comic is from 1984, at which point the 3420 with its open reels was still state of the art. That’s actually the year the 3480 was introduced, which used a square cartridge instead. As a 3480 looks like a dishwasher with a tape slot, much like a VCR, and you can’t see the tape spin, 3480s and their children never caught on as a way to say “Look! A computer!” in movies and TV.
Boise Ed sends this in as a “CIDU, sort of”: “Why is this funny? It sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately, the drawing makes them way too thick for Oreos. They look more like ice-cream sandwiches. Yum.”
There do seem to be such a thing as giant Oreos, and a suggested use is ice cream sandwiches.
This “Mr. Boffo” strip was submitted by David Curwin as a CIDU. I didn’t think the gag was that difficult to decipher, but Zbicyclist pointed out that the real question is how many historical inaccuracies did Joe Martin manage to incorporate into just this one comic?
P.S. The strip’s publication date does not count as a mistake. Columbus Day originally fell on October 12th, but that was according to the Julian calendar. It was moved to the second Monday in October for convenience, but would actually have fell on October 21st, if the modern (Gregorian) calendar had been in use back then.
BillR offers:
Came across this guy, Cameron Spires, who calls his strip Goat to Self. Most of his are borderline NSFW, or over the line, somewhat surrealistic, or just vague. Can’t figure this one out at all.
This editor posits that the key is that the dolphin (porpoise? beluga?) in the last panel is the defense lawyer, and the objection is to forcing self-incrimination. Mind you, I’m not sure that’s up to the defense lawyer — I think the witness has to invoke that themselves.
These are perhaps semi-CIDUs. So do two semi-CIDUs make one CIDU?
Usual John sends in this puzzler: who is he hiding from, and why? Hiding the purchase from his wife? Hiding so he can avoid tipping?
Dirk the Daring sent in this Foxtrot. May 5th is World Cartoonist Day, but even cartoonists seem to have ignored it, judging by my feed. I guess it’s hard to compete with tacos and margaritas.
Do we need an anti-geezer alert for this one? I would never have understood this joke a few years ago. Actually, depending on your state, it might be a CIDU still.
Angel and devil on the shoulders is a familiar setup, but the idea is to have contrasting ideas. Here we have synonymous phrases. I didn’t get the joke and had scheduled it as a CIDU for a later date.
But, here in the US, it’s the weekend where college football conference championship games are played, and the 4 teams who will play for the national championship are picked. Last night at dinner, while our joint grandson opened presents for his 10th birthday, his other grandfather had the Florida State – Louisville game on his phone at the table — and it was only a scoreless first quarter. This made me realize that lots of people are committing all their angels, good and bad, to this sport.
… for ratio of painstaking art work over contribution to resulting joke value?
Comics I Don't Understand 