# Funny meta joke in today's Judge Parker **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2019, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525 "2019-08-11T23:37:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2019, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/1 "2019-08-11T23:37:17Z")
Strip for Sunday August 11, 2019: [https://www.oregonlive.com/comics-kingdom/?feature\_id=Judge\_Parker](https://www.oregonlive.com/comics-kingdom/?feature_id=Judge_Parker) To explain if necessary, “Judge Parker” is one of those perennial strips that use semi-realistically drawn characters, like “Mary Worth” or “Mark Trail”. However because the artists have a limited repertoire of drawing faces, most of the characters- especially females- are almost Betty-and-Veronica in their resemblance except for superficial details. When this arc introduced Agent Strand I was wondering how they’d be able to have her and April in the same panel. A2A. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/2 "2019-08-12T00:23:40Z")
The link didn’t work for me, so [here’s the comic](https://www.comicskingdom.com/judge-parker) at another link. Thank you for sharing, Lumpy. Hilarious! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/3 "2019-08-12T01:43:48Z")
Well, thanks for pointing that out, I guess it’s amusing. But your assertion that “they all look alike” seems vaguely real-worldist, if that’s a word. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/4 "2019-08-12T02:35:12Z")
Oh, be sure to click back a day to Saturday’s strip. Voila, there’s his daughter! Drawn almost the same as Agent Strand. This hits too close to home. Every woman I draw looks similar. Comes from drawing nothing but superheroes back in the 60s (when they were almost all boys). ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/5 "2019-08-12T02:47:24Z")
So we can be sure this is actually “meta” and not possibly part of the plot? The agent isn’t going to turn out to be his daughter’s secret twin or something? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/6 "2019-08-12T04:02:41Z")
> [@digs](#): > > This hits too close to home. Every woman I draw looks similar. > Comes from drawing nothing but superheroes back in the 60s (when they were almost all boys). John Byrne admits he has the same problem. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/7 "2019-08-12T14:20:24Z")
Was the link supposed to go to the August 11th Sunday strip? It’s going to the same day strip. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/8 "2019-08-12T14:51:03Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was the link supposed to go to the August 11th Sunday strip? It’s going to the same day strip. Yeah, read the Sunday strip. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/9 "2019-08-12T14:56:24Z")
[Permalink to Sunday’s strip.](https://www.oregonlive.com/comics-kingdom/?feature_id=Judge_Parker&feature_date=2019-08-11) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/10 "2019-08-12T15:03:37Z")
They should rename the strip “Toxic Troubles”. One kid gets kidnapped and presumed dead, her older sister starts up a business that is swallowed up by a sinkhole, _her_ movie star best friend abandons her as the business is disappearing(literally), a major character marries a woman who turns out to be a spy with a “Red Reddington” type of father who gets the title character involved in illegal hijinks that put him in jail…and that’s just some of the plot points from the last year and a half. At least Mary Worth has the occasional happy ending. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/11 "2019-08-12T15:15:03Z")
FYI: The same guy, Francesco Marciuliano, writes both Judge Parker and Sally Forth. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/12 "2019-08-12T17:25:57Z")
Wait, really? That’s even more mind-blowing than when I learned that the same guy does _Zits_ and _Baby Blues_. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/13 "2019-08-12T22:48:19Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was the link supposed to go to the August 11th Sunday strip? It’s going to the same day strip. Sometimes it can be hard to find the permalink for that day’s strip when you post on that day. I’ve noticed it on many comics, mostly print comics. That said with one webcomic, I actually have a script that changes the URL to include the date, just so I can bookmark it, without it bookmarking “current comic.” It’s just a common blindspot. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/14 "2019-08-13T12:46:33Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > So we can be sure this is actually “meta” and not possibly part of the plot? The agent isn’t going to turn out to be his daughter’s secret twin or something? That sort of twist is possible, I suppose. I wouldn’t put anything past Marciuliano at this point (_Judge Parker_ has gotten really weird since he took over). But I do suspect that it really is just a bit of an in-joke. It’s fairly well-known that Marciuliano reads the comments on the strip, and a lot of people have been remarking for some time that “Agent Strand” looks a lot like April, to the point that it’s difficult to tell them apart. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/15 "2019-08-13T13:39:05Z")
Francesco Marciuliano also writes and draws the strip _Medium Large_, so that kind of meta-humor is solidly within his wheelhouse. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/16 "2019-08-13T16:54:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **BigT** : > > Sometimes it can be hard to find the permalink for that day’s strip when you post on that day. I’ve noticed it on many comics, mostly print comics. In that situation, if there isn’t an obvious permanent URL on the comic’s page itself, I’ll hit the “previous” button. The URL for that will usually include either a serial number or an obvious-format date, which makes it easy to figure out what today’s link would be. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_McQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Steve\_McQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_McQwark)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/17 "2019-08-13T17:25:58Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > They should rename the strip “Toxic Troubles”. One kid gets kidnapped and presumed dead, her older sister starts up a business that is swallowed up by a sinkhole, _her_ movie star best friend abandons her as the business is disappearing(literally), a major character marries a woman who turns out to be a spy with a “Red Reddington” type of father who gets the title character involved in illegal hijinks that put him in jail…and that’s just some of the plot points from the last year and a half. At least Mary Worth has the occasional happy ending. In fairness, a lot of those storylines were in motion before Francesco Marciuliano took over the strip. Although, as I recall, the sinkhole was his doing. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_McQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Steve\_McQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_McQwark)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/18 "2019-08-13T17:27:11Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Francesco Marciuliano also writes and draws the strip _Medium Large_, so that kind of meta-humor is solidly within his wheelhouse. And his books of poems by cats are quite good. I haven’t read any of the dog ones so I can’t comment on them. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/19 "2019-08-21T02:37:52Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Strip for Sunday August 11, 2019: > > [Comics Kingdom](https://www.oregonlive.com/comics-kingdom/?feature_id=Judge_Parker) > > To explain if necessary, “Judge Parker” is one of those perennial strips that use semi-realistically drawn characters, like “Mary Worth” or “Mark Trail”. However because the artists have a limited repertoire of drawing faces, most of the characters- especially females- are almost Betty-and-Veronica in their resemblance except for superficial details. When this arc introduced Agent Strand I was wondering how they’d be able to have her and April in the same panel. A2A. 😃 **Lumpy** , may I ask, are you by chance “Uncle Lumpy” who periodically fills in over at Comics Curmudgeon? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525/20 "2019-08-21T04:10:09Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > That sort of twist is possible, I suppose. I wouldn’t put anything past Marciuliano at this point (_Judge Parker_ has gotten really weird since he took over). But I do suspect that it really is just a bit of an in-joke. It’s fairly well-known that Marciuliano reads the comments on the strip, and a lot of people have been remarking for some time that “Agent Strand” looks a lot like April, to the point that it’s difficult to tell them apart. He’s breaking the fourth wall and addressing the elephant in the room. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-meta-joke-in-todays-judge-parker/838525.md?page=2)