# Comic strip coincidences **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 10, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238 "2009-02-10T16:46:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wiltshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea5d25/32.png) [@Wiltshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wiltshire)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/1 "2009-02-10T16:46:00Z")
[ul] [li][http://comics.com/arlo&janis/2009-02-07/[/li][li]http://comics.com/frazz/2009-02-10/[/li][/ul]](http://comics.com/arlo&janis/2009-02-07/%5B/li%5D%5Bli%5Dhttp://comics.com/frazz/2009-02-10/%5B/li%5D%5B/ul%5D) What’s the probability for two cartoonists, only three days apart, independently getting the random inspiration to write about **crème brûlée**? Somebody’s been watching the cooking channel, indeed. Do you know other cases where comic strips use the same non-contemporary joke, include the same unlikely prop, or just are weirdly similar in some way? Not talking about deliberate conspiracies like the [comic strip switcheroo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_strip_switcheroo) or prearranged cross-overs. [Here’s](http://ask.metafilter.com/95555/Comic-Timing-Coincidence#1394923) someone mentioning that the same ‘Great Red Velvet Rope of China’ joke occurred to three cartoonists at once. I know that, while the probability for a particular event like this is vanishingly small, the likelihood for any such occurrence as a whole is relatively high. (birthday paradox) Even before you figure in the fact that great minds often think alike. But sometimes you can’t help thinking that all cartoonists must be watching the same TV shows. 🙂 Is there a website that collects these co-occurrences? I could swear I’ve seen a blog about it before, but so far haven’t had any luck finding it again on the web. ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/2 "2009-02-10T18:43:46Z")
A few years ago, on the same day, the strips Pickles and Close to home did a gag where a character was holding a book with his feet because they didn’t have their reading glasses. IIRC, there was an article in the Washington Post a few days later talking about how it was just an unusual coincidence. I can’t find anything about it now though. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/3 "2009-02-10T18:45:13Z")
Most obviously: Two independent cartoonists, one in the US, the other in the UK, were given the green light to run a strip called “Dennis the Menace.” The two strips premiered three days apart. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/4 "2009-02-10T21:20:35Z")
> [@Wiltshire](#): > > [ul] > [li][http://comics.com/arlo&janis/2009-02-07/[/li][li]http://comics.com/frazz/2009-02-10/[/li][/ul]](http://comics.com/arlo&janis/2009-02-07/%5B/li%5D%5Bli%5Dhttp://comics.com/frazz/2009-02-10/%5B/li%5D%5B/ul%5D) > What’s the probability for two cartoonists, only three days apart, independently getting the random inspiration to write about **crème brûlée**? Somebody’s been watching the cooking channel, indeed. Funny, I made exactly the same comment as the guy in the second cartoon when I was visiting Cincinnati last week. For the record, I was not watching any cooking channels. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/5 "2009-02-10T21:58:03Z")
Just on Sunday, _Zits_ and another comic strip I can’t remember both used the word “Jiggy.” It was used by the dad in _Zits_ to illustrate that he is still behind the times despite using a more current phrase in the previous frame. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/6 "2009-02-10T22:02:34Z")
Didn’t Charles Schulz die on the day the very last “Peanuts” strip ran in newspapers across the world? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/7 "2009-02-11T03:07:35Z")
The Comics I Don’t Understand site often [lists these synchronicities](http://comicsidontunderstand.com/wordpress/category/synchronicity/). I’ll admit that at least a few leave me feeling a bit wiggy at the resulting similarities. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/8 "2009-02-11T03:29:28Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Just on Sunday, _Zits_ and another comic strip I can’t remember both used the word “Jiggy.” It was used by the dad in _Zits_ to illustrate that he is still behind the times despite using a more current phrase in the previous frame. Shameless self-promotion: [http://comics.com/watch\_your\_head/?Page=3](http://comics.com/watch_your_head/?Page=3) ---
**Author:** ![Wiltshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea5d25/32.png) [@Wiltshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wiltshire)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/9 "2009-02-11T08:58:05Z")
fixed link [http://comics.com/watch\_your\_head/2009-02-08/](http://comics.com/watch_your_head/2009-02-08/) (use date links, their page numbers change) John DiFool: Bookmarked! That looks promising. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comic-strip-coincidences/485238/10 "2009-02-11T14:03:10Z")
> [@Wiltshire](#): > > fixed link [GoComics](http://comics.com/watch_your_head/2009-02-08/) (use date links, their page numbers change) Gah! Should’ve considered that. Thank you.