Saturday, February 10, 2024

Those darn comic strips

The prickly pair's barbs are too pointed? [comic strips letter]

Melissa Yorks, Gaithersburg

Washington Post February 10 2024: A11.

The Jan. 27 Free for All letter "It's unfunny regardless" was the second letter in as many months complaining that a certain comic strip wasn't funny. Though they are called "comic strips," not all comics are actually funny. Many are stories or political instead. The Post, in addition to "Doonesbury," has "Prince Valiant," "Judge Parker," "Flash Gordon" and "Prickly City." None of these is funny or meant to be. (I think "Popeye" is meant to be funny, but it isn't.) "Mark Trail" is a story strip during the week and an educational strip on Sundays.

This is not something new. When I was the same age as the writer's son, my comics pages included several "story" strips, including "Rex Morgan, MD," "Mary Worth," "Brenda Starr, Reporter," "Steve Canyon," "Terry and the Pirates," "Dick Tracy" and "Little Orphan Annie." "Pogo" was sometimes funny and sometimes sharp political commentary, just as "Doonesbury" is today. Interestingly enough, I can recall only three humorous comics from my childhood, two of which are still printed today: "Blondie" and "Dennis the Menace." The third one was "Pogo."


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