I got to wondering… is “back to the drawing board” the most well-known mainstream expression to have originated in a comic panel or comic strip?
Of course this panel is also significant because it might be the only known Peter Arno comic that doesn’t include a naked woman.
(The first three comics were submitted anonymously)
Submitted by Andrea
Let’s put aside the borderline-Geezer aspect of this, since there was a movie remake of CHIPS a few years ago that fifteen people actually saw…
Is the Old Mother Hubbard character here supposed to be Judy? Even though it was Punch who did the hitting? And why does she look like Dudley Do-Right in drag?
Actually, there’s nothing about this that doesn’t confuse me.
Even that leaves a barrel of questions.
Submitted by Andréa
There appears to be no caption for this cartoon; at least none that Google Image Search came up with.
I’m pretty sure this has already been a CIDU. If it was, I no longer remember the explanation.
It seems to me Addams put a lot of work into this, but forgot to include a discernible punchline.
Comics I Don't Understand 