Post by: The Rabbi on January 28, 2007, 07:27:02 AM
For the last, oh, 8 years the strip has deteriorated into a "get Bush" vendetta: every strip is about Bush or the Iraq War. Now I can appreciate a little humor at the expense of our chief executive but these strips are so painfully partisan they lack humor of any kind. When do strips need to be retired?
Post by: Sindawe on January 28, 2007, 07:32:17 AM
Quote
When do strips need to be retired?
When the passing of the strip is lamented by its fans and folks wish there were more of that line. ie: Calvin & Hobbes, The Far Side.
I stopped reading Doonsbury late in college, when every other strip was "get Bush (the elder)".
Post by: K Frame on January 28, 2007, 07:34:10 AM
No different than it was in the late 1970s and 1980s when it was essentially "Get Reagan at all costs" strip.
Gary Trudeau is, I have no doubt, a hard core socialist.
Post by: roo_ster on January 28, 2007, 08:38:11 AM
Post by: Bogie on January 28, 2007, 09:09:27 AM
Post by: K Frame on January 28, 2007, 12:04:16 PM
The strip is just sad... That, and the other one where they've got the guy with cancer - The back page is supposed to give you a pickup...
That would be Funky Winkerbean, and that's Les Moore's wife, Lisa.
Post by: glockfan.45 on January 28, 2007, 12:07:32 PM
Edit to add: Sorry I goofed and was thinking of the comic strip the boone docks. My mistake to anyone who thought my post was displaying general weirdness.
Post by: Monkeyleg on January 28, 2007, 12:26:48 PM
Post by: wmenorr67 on January 28, 2007, 12:34:43 PM
Post by: Fudgieghost on January 28, 2007, 12:40:24 PM
Wow, it was against the Vietnam war in the early seventies. How daring! How courageous! Right wing individuals are portrayed as dumb jocks. How percpetive! What insight! What understanding of the human condition does the author have!
I'd like to know how it's kept being syndicated all these years.
When "Dilbert" first came out, I thought, "Now this is a funny strip, and it speaks to the everyday frustrations and experiences of many Americans". Then I'd see "Doonsebury" and think, "Who still reads this? It's irrelavent and unfunny." Trudeau is a hack who has nothing funny, interesting or insightful to say---- AND HE NEVER DID. I'm just sayin'. . . . .
BTW, the author is (was?) married to Jane Pauley.
Post by: Perd Hapley on January 28, 2007, 06:46:37 PM
Post by: Manedwolf on January 28, 2007, 07:02:33 PM
Um. Did the last thirty-odd years not happen for the author? I recall seeing some from the first Gulf War that were actually kind of funny, about the troops all wishing for beer and such, but since then, it's looked pretty irrelevant.
Post by: Winston Smith on January 28, 2007, 07:07:41 PM
Post by: Loucks on January 28, 2007, 08:24:44 PM
I'd like to know how it's kept being syndicated all these years.
When "Dilbert" first came out, I thought, "Now this is a funny strip, and it speaks to the everyday frustrations and experiences of many Americans". Then I'd see "Doonsebury" and think, "Who still reads this? It's irrelavent and unfunny." Trudeau is a hack who has nothing funny, interesting or insightful to say---- AND HE NEVER DID. I'm just sayin'. . . . .
When "Dilbert" first came out, I thought, "Now this is a funny strip, and it speaks to the everyday frustrations and experiences of many Americans". Then I'd see "Doonsebury" and think, "Who still reads this? It's irrelavent and unfunny." Trudeau is a hack who has nothing funny, interesting or insightful to say---- AND HE NEVER DID. I'm just sayin'. . . . .
I'd say that it's syndicated because a great many people still think it's funny. Dilbert, however (IMHO) is more of a one trick pony than Doonesbury has ever been, although the early years in the student paper are pretty rough.
Honestly, I'm more bothered by the aforementioned Funky Winkerbean, Curtis, and all the other "comics" that spend more time trying to be poignant than making with the funny. At least GT always includes some sort of a punchline.
Of course, I happen to think that Bush, Reagan, and Bush were all absolutely terrible Commanders in Chief. Not that Clinton was any better!
Loucks
Post by: Perd Hapley on January 29, 2007, 02:34:26 AM
Quote
Funky Winkerbean, Curtis, and all the other "comics" that spend more time trying to be poignant than making with the funny.
Agreed. Like Family Circle or Circus or whatever.
Marmaduke is the ultimate one trick pony - er, dog.
Post by: Loucks on January 29, 2007, 04:08:59 AM
Agreed. Like Family Circle or Circus or whatever.
Y'know, I find myself glacing at that single panel of mediocrity every couple days in the hope that the "comic stripper" in question has finally snapped and drawn a series in which one of the characters finally snaps and goes on a rampage. So far, no joy.
Extra points for anyone who can name the originator of the term "comic stripper" in this context. No googling!
Post by: wingnutx on January 29, 2007, 04:12:38 AM
Doonsbury, not so much. I like some of the older Duke strips.
Post by: Fudgieghost on January 29, 2007, 05:11:11 AM
So it may be that many people DON"T find Doonesbury funny, but that your standard run-of-the-mill liberal newspaper editors/publishers, who are of a like mind, and who grew up with, and are atuned to Gary Trudeau's politics and mind-set continue to run the strip because it reinforces their world-view, and reminds them of the good ol' days when they were protesting the Viet-Nam war and scoring with hippie chicks.
But, uh, I could be wrong.
Post by: StopTheGrays on January 29, 2007, 07:15:35 AM
Agreed. Like Family Circle or Circus or whatever.
Extra points for anyone who can name the originator of the term "comic stripper" in this context. No googling!
I agree with Doonesbury being lame. Now Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbs were great in there time. Lately I have been reading more online comics. Two of my favorites are Sluggy and User Friendly. Both have their ups and downs but for the most part are funny and clever.
Post by: K Frame on January 29, 2007, 08:17:02 AM
Sherman's Lagoon
and
Get Fuzzy
Both often have me laughing hysterically.
Post by: BakerMikeRomeo on January 29, 2007, 08:45:13 AM
Plus, I read a heap of webcomics, too.
Speaking of which, there ought to be a new Better Days today...
~GnSx
Post by: slzy on January 29, 2007, 10:05:02 AM
Post by: allmons on January 29, 2007, 11:28:59 AM
Doonesbury has long made me ill. So predictably left wing, so unintelligent and SO unfunny!
Post by: brimic on January 29, 2007, 11:32:29 AM
I do like Boondocks sometimes....if only because of the grandfather character's attitude.
Post by: mtnbkr on January 29, 2007, 11:32:41 AM
beavis and butthead would make quick work of doonesbury.
But Cosine would never know of their efforts. 
Chris
Post by: Manedwolf on January 29, 2007, 12:58:06 PM
I do like Boondocks sometimes....if only because of the grandfather character's attitude.
His comments are drop-dead funny sometimes, because everyone has a "no tact filter installed" grandfather or relative that will say some of the things he does.
Best I'd seen was one of him watching Saddam's suit-and-neatly-trimmed appearance in the trial on TV, and saying "Them Queer Eye guys got to Saddam!"
Post by: Cosmoline on January 29, 2007, 01:03:27 PM
Post by: Lee on January 29, 2007, 06:24:37 PM
Yes. The Bush bashing got old about 7 years ago. I think that ol Gary should join up with Hunter S. Thompson...and leave Jane for me....she's still smokin for a woman my age.
Post by: gunsmith on January 29, 2007, 06:36:32 PM
I was a huge Doonesbury fan for years but it has been a dud for years, boone docks is great, annoying as heck sometimes, othertimes it is genius, I love the grand father. another good thing is boone docks has a forum, you can voice your opinion, doonesbury being a real liberal, would never allow that.
Get Fuzzy is superb, there was one where the cat was looking at birds and wishing there was something to knock them out of the sky...I can't do it justice and can't find it...I used to have it hanging over my computer.