# Momentarily Freaked Out By A Comic Strip (FBOFW) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 12, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712 "2007-01-12T16:29:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/1 "2007-01-12T16:29:32Z")
I was going through the For Better or For Worse comic strips on the strip’s website when I came across [this strip](http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/archives/002221.php). Just watch it for a few seconds - particularly the second frame. I’m not sure why that freaked me out – it’s really just a simple, innocent, thing. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t expecting it. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/2 "2007-01-12T16:39:10Z")
Freaked me out, too, and I had been warned. Comic strips should stay still. If they start doing this in the actual newspaper, I will have to stop subscribing. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/3 "2007-01-12T16:46:26Z")
[QUOTE=StuffLikeThatThere] Freaked me out, too, and I had been warned. Comic strips should stay still. If they start doing this in the actual newspaper, I will have to stop subscribing. [/QUOTE] …or start _prescribing_. I was sort of amused. But then being warned I was open to expecting _something_. If I hadn’t been expecting it I might have noticed the slight movement and started in on a “WTF” hunt for whatever it was that I swear I thought I saw move. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/4 "2007-01-12T16:50:04Z")
WOAH! That’s _weird_. Why would they do that? I’m freaked out. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/5 "2007-01-12T16:53:14Z")
Yeah, they started with the blinking a few months ago. It still bothers me, and I only read FBOFW to snark at it. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/6 "2007-01-12T16:56:03Z")
Eek! Why did they do that? Does anyone actually feel that the random blinking adds anything (besides a big dose of creepy) to the strip? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/7 "2007-01-12T17:00:58Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Il Palazzo] Does anyone actually feel that the random blinking adds anything (besides a big dose of creepy) to the strip? [/QUOTE] It adds a human element, in the same way this touching and poignant comic affects our lives. Really though, WTF is this? I thought comics were supposed to be funny. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/8 "2007-01-12T17:12:26Z")
It’s almost like they wanted people to talk about the strip with their friends on public message boards or something… ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/9 "2007-01-12T17:43:18Z")
[QUOTE=StuffLikeThatThere] Freaked me out, too, and I had been warned. Comic strips should stay still. If they start doing this in the actual newspaper, I will have to stop subscribing. [/QUOTE] Or consider substance abuse counseling. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/10 "2007-01-12T17:54:21Z")
I see no blinking. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/11 "2007-01-12T20:25:51Z")
The first time I saw the blinking, I was running some odd ad blocker – so I saw the blinking eyes, and _nothing else_. That was freaky! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/12 "2007-01-12T21:04:59Z")
Yeah, it’s been happening for a few months, and I guess it works because I’ve showed it to several people, “Look at this creepy-ass thing!” Have you seen what’s going on with Mary Worth? Between that and blinking eyes on FBOFW, I just don’t know about the comics page anymore. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/13 "2007-01-12T21:10:53Z")
[QUOTE=Rigamarole] It adds a human element, in the same way this touching and poignant comic affects our lives. Really though, WTF is this? I thought comics were supposed to be funny. [/QUOTE] Me too, and thanks for the laugh. I used to like this strip, but not any more. Also, funnies are supposed to be either mildly humorous or say something about the human condition. Most do neither. Dondi should be strangled or shredded, for just one example… I don’t know if I can handle comics looking back at me–but I will say that I wish Calvin and Hobbes would come back quasi-animated! ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/14 "2007-01-12T23:45:15Z")
As I posted about this phenomenon before, I certainly hope it isn’t picked up by other strips. Can you imagine a visibly wagging Dogbert? Or Drusilla doing hip-thrusts? Or Dagwood finally chomping down on that sandwich? Ick-ick-ick. Make it stop. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/15 "2007-01-12T23:51:43Z")
I just had a [Classmates.com](http://Classmates.com) ad with similar blinking/shifty eye animations. ---
**Author:** ![Viridiana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Viridiana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viridiana)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/16 "2007-01-13T02:03:13Z")
[QUOTE=ErinPuff] I only read FBOFW to snark at it. [/QUOTE] Suuure ya do. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/17 "2007-01-13T02:36:29Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Yeah, it’s been happening for a few months, and I guess it works because I’ve showed it to several people, “Look at this creepy-ass thing!” Have you seen what’s going on with Mary Worth? Between that and blinking eyes on FBOFW, I just don’t know about the comics page anymore. [/QUOTE] You mean the creepy prophetic dreams about Dr. Wonderful drowning in Vietnam? Funny, I thought the Brand New Biddy, Ella, was the psychic… ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/18 "2007-01-13T09:31:03Z")
Check the archives on the FBOFW site, and you’ll also see animations such as a background character gliding through a checkout line, a pin wiggling in Elly’s mouth, Liz counting on her fingers, Liz’s cat playing with a fuzzy toy, and a basketball leaving April’s hands to swish through a hoop. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/19 "2007-01-13T14:50:43Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] You mean the creepy prophetic dreams about Dr. Wonderful drowning in Vietnam? Funny, I thought the Brand New Biddy, Ella, was the psychic… [/QUOTE] Well, I don’t read it myself, but this guy at work keeps me posted on how Mary Worth has evidently been given over to giggling stoners to write. I mean, first the stalker, then the ambiguous stalker-over-the-cliff, and now she’s going back to 'Nam? We think she’s going to find her half-Vietnamese love child there. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/momentarily-freaked-out-by-a-comic-strip-fbofw/387712/20 "2007-01-13T17:48:00Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Well, I don’t read it myself, but this guy at work keeps me posted on how Mary Worth has evidently been given over to giggling stoners to write. I mean, first the stalker, then the ambiguous stalker-over-the-cliff, and now she’s going back to 'Nam? We think she’s going to find her half-Vietnamese love child there. [/QUOTE] Oh, yeah…Aldo. Poor Aldo. Aldo fall go BOOM! Who thought that such a cabal of yuppies and biddies could plan a murder?