# Sally Forth (family comic) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474 "2016-03-09T21:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/1 "2016-03-09T21:04:52Z")
Reading the “worst comic strip thread,” I was pleasantly surprised to see some kind words tossed to **Sally Forth**. On the face of it, you might think it a nondescript, insipid, family strip to pass over. But it is actually quite clever. My favorite themes/tropes: –every once in a while they seem to realize they are in a comic, especially when someone acknowledges that a flashback sequence is coming up that will take care of 2 weeks of a plot line; or when Hilary asks why the baby has aged 3 years and she’s still 12 years old the whole time –the sloshed dragon-lady mother-in-law who not so subtly takes every shot she can at Ted, insinuating he’s a limp-wristed girly man –the corn maze –Ted’s frequent non-sequitur references to early '80’s pop culture; for example, referring to his Voltron action-figure collection or “what would the Thundercats do” etc. –Sally’s slacker employees who are so entitled that they are aghast at actually having to show up for work before noon If you are a fan of the strip, what are your favorite themes/tropes? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/2 "2016-03-09T22:34:37Z")
Having not read the comics page in at least 10 years, I had no idea Sally was still in the papers. Your description is almost nothing like it was a decade ago. The only thing I remember from back then was every Easter, Sally would bite the ears off the little girl’s chocolate rabbit. Annoyed me, it did. Still, not a bad strip. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/3 "2016-03-09T23:30:58Z")
I like when they play Monopoly. Ted (the husband/dad) comes up with amazing variants and is desperate to win. I also like the running gag about Hilary’s rock band. She wrote a “sell out” song called “You’re So Party, Let’s Go Dancey” and its Christmas sequel, “You’re So Party, Let’s Go Dancey 'Round the Christmas Tree.” Previously, all her songs were about werewolves. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/4 "2016-03-09T23:35:19Z")
The strip is a weird mixture of family humor and pure surrealism. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/5 "2016-03-10T00:17:13Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Having not read the comics page in at least 10 years, I had no idea Sally was still in the papers. Your description is almost nothing like it was a decade ago. The writer changed in 1999, so depending on how far back you remember, it might be very different. The artist changed in 2013, although it’s still the same writer since 1999. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/6 "2016-03-10T00:22:26Z")
They acknowledged Mystery Science Theater 3000 in one of their Sunday comics years ago…it’s not a comic that I follow online though. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/7 "2016-03-10T00:23:23Z")
They always talk about plot lines like they’re in a sitcom or … a comic strip. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/8 "2016-03-10T00:53:26Z")
I would guess the writer is about my age because from a pop culture standpoint I am pretty much Ted. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/9 "2016-03-10T01:02:57Z")
The author is Francesco Marciuliano and he also authors the [Medium Large](http://www.medium-large.com/) online strip. He’s hilarious and has made Sally Forth one of the best comics out there. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/10 "2016-03-10T01:48:20Z")
Three words: chocolate bunny ears. eta: apologies to burpo ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/11 "2016-03-10T02:14:15Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > –the sloshed dragon-lady mother-in-law who not so subtly takes every shot she can at Ted, insinuating he’s a limp-wristed girly man She’s also taken more than a few shots at Sally’s sister and Sally herself – one of which caused Ted to lose his temper and throw her out of the house. Not your standard family comic strip. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/12 "2016-03-10T02:15:07Z")
> [@Purd\_Werfect](#): > > The author is Francesco Marciuliano and he also authors the [Medium Large](http://www.medium-large.com/) online strip. He’s hilarious and has made Sally Forth one of the best comics out there. I like how he puts parts of his own life in the comic, like his[family Christmas ornaments](https://mediumlarge.wordpress.com/2015/12/01/sally-forth-and-the-ziggy-christmas-ornaments/), [his R.E.M. poster](https://mediumlarge.wordpress.com/2015/11/22/sally-forth-sunday-in-which-they-do-it-right-in-front-of-my-r-e-m-poster/), and his [little brother](https://mediumlarge.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/happy-birthday-to-my-little-brother-marcello/). ---
**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:** [March 10, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/13 "2016-03-10T02:15:41Z")
My favorites are always when Ted and Hillary cooperate on some crazy hairbrained scheme, and leave poor Sally in the dust. She definitely takes after her father, that one. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/14 "2016-03-10T02:34:52Z")
It has moments, and is certainly not hated like Prickly City or Mallard Fillmore. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/15 "2016-03-10T06:44:36Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > The only thing I remember from back then was every Easter, Sally would bite the ears off the little girl’s chocolate rabbit. Annoyed me, it did. Still, not a bad strip. She still does. My favorite memory was back in 2010 where Ted acknowledged 2010: Odyssey Two - a movie that does not get referenced that often. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/16 "2016-03-10T08:20:48Z")
Didn’t she used to be a cop, twenty years ago, or something? ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/17 "2018-04-13T19:10:25Z")
Apologies for bumping my own zombie thread, but this last Sunday’s strip is a perfect example of why this comic is so good. > **[Sally Forth](https://comicskingdom.com/sally-forth)** > > Sally Forth Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Ted’s expression in the 4th panel and Sally’s body language in the last one. The finger pointing in panel 3 to go along with the accusation. The surreal parting thought. And also: “I can’t figure out the new lawn mower.” This comic is so good on various levels. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/18 "2018-04-13T20:54:13Z")
Hey, that was a hoot! Definitely not your Father’s SF. The artist’s style reminds me of Shary Flenniken (sp) back in my NatLamp days. Did Sally get the ears last week? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/19 "2018-04-13T21:23:16Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > This comic is so good on various levels. I have got to start reading it again. Ted resonates with me now more than ever. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474/20 "2018-04-13T22:16:57Z")
OK, now I’ve binge-read from 1/1/2018 to today. Off to 1/1/2017! Gotta admit, Hil and her friends don’t interest me much. But Sally seems less smarmy and “I have it all together” than she used to be back in the previous century, which works well for me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sally-forth-family-comic/748474.md?page=2)