by EditorM

Zany Zoo

It’s very confusing how to take these Throwback comics. There is indeed a substantial history of the actual Working Daze comic strip, with different artists, and how they changed the look and how the public reacted to it. So sometimes the Throwback will realistically review some part of that.

But other directions for the Throwback feature sometimes strike me as sheer fabulism. They trace it back to different writers as well as artists, different publishers or syndicators, also even different titles for predecessor strips. And with a straight face go back to very early 20th Century. .. And yet try to say “This was what Roy was like then” or “This guy became Jay at this point” with the oddest of non-resemblances.

So I was really sus, but think we can tentatively credit the story about Zany Zoo.

by EditorM

Dark Side Platter

I understand in general terms the idea of one or two “throwaway” panels for syndicated Sunday comics. This DSOH seems to have two separate ones. Then goes on to a main comic, which to me looks like two more disconnected jokes — first a typical short-form Horace meta joke (and pretty good!), then finally an extended narrative joke (complete CIDU!). So … what’s up with these?

Just to be clear:

A word play OY:

A one-step pun:

A typical-for-Horace signifier/reality meta joke:

And a “Huh? Wha?” narrative:

Would you cut it up differently? Or see it as more unified? Or have better explanations?

by zbicyclist

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween — a good excuse to post some monster-themed cartoons. Here’s a couple that might fit into a Halloween-themed library.

This man isn’t worried that he’s out of candy, because he’s planned ahead.

If there is something left, it might not be the good stuff.

Andréa sent in this ThatABaby, and reminded me of an earlier CIDU discussion of Candy Corn: https://cidu.info/2020/09/07/ot-candy-corn/#comments

One measure of how influential Peanuts was is how familiar the Great Pumpkin is to us all.

First mention of the Great Pumpkin, October 26, 1959. You can follow this arc at https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1959/10/26

Some veggie substitutes work out well. Others …

So, Monty Python’s science was right!

If you’re partying tonight, party responsibly!

Andréa sends in this synchronicity. Cartoonists are always looking for a new angle, but sometimes push it too far.

Finally, like that house at the end of the night that gives out multiple candy bars so they won’t eat them all themselves, there’s this bonanza from John Atkinson — some cartoonists would have spread these out one at a time, and gotten a whole month out of this idea.

by multipleciduers

Sunday Funnies – LOLs, October 30th, 2022

You knew there had to be one of those! (But I was befuddled looking for it at the wrong side.)

Y’know, I basically hate straight-out Ewwwws. But the way this one exploits the dispensing shape, you just gotta laugh.

A new take on the Law of Identity?

Thanks to Rob for this Tom Falco.

Is it a CIDU for any readers? We’re figuring no, everybody knows the sandwich franchise.

by zbicyclist

50 years ago in The New Yorker: October 1972

Cartoons in The New Yorker are famously obscure. Time passing may further obscure them, but also provide a patina of remembrance. With this in mind, I present a selection from October, 1972.

How is this different from what I did for decades — stand on a train platform, waiting for the morning train to the city?

Now that we can use Google to investigate our symptoms, is this worse?

No clue.