# What does it take to kill off an unfunny comic strip? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068 "2006-07-03T17:17:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/21 "2006-07-03T20:17:19Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Dorothy: “Apartment 3-G, I haven’t read that in 30 years!” Blanche: “Oh well, let me catch you up, it’s later that same day…” [/QUOTE] I don’t know that I’ve ever laughed at a Golden Girls joke before, but that one was gold. ---
**Author:** ![Malienation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Malienation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malienation)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/22 "2006-07-03T20:30:14Z")
I agree with the general sentiment that tired and stale comic strips should be retired. However, keep in mind that the demographics of most of today’s newspapers tend to skew toward the older. Young people are _much_ less likely to regularly read newspapers, so the papers follow the wishes of their older readers (who tend to be sentimental about comic strips). Another thing to keep in mind: count your blessings. I read the **Washington Post** every day, and while I loathe some of the strips, there’s _3 whole fucking pages of them_ (plus, _Doonesbury_😃 in the Style section, and _Dilbert_😃 in the Business section). There’s somthing for everyone (_Frazz_ 😃😃 , now that’s a comic strip). Sure, _Boondocks_ isn’t there anymore ☹ , but that’s because Aaron Magruder is taking a break. We didn’t get that sorta stuff growing up, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/23 "2006-07-03T21:28:41Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Oh, for the days when your average weekday strip filled up half a page . . . ☹ [/QUOTE] Tell me about it. I’ve seen microfilm of newspaper comics pages from the early 20th century, and it hurts. It really hurts. I’ve been told that one of the reasons so many comic strip artists go in for simpler styles these days is because it looks better in the small space allotted to comic strips. Oh, the pain, the pain … ☹ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/24 "2006-07-03T21:29:14Z")
[QUOTE=LunaV] Is Family Circus still around? That’s one I’d recommend to boot off. [/QUOTE] But then we would lose the [_Dysfunctional Family Circus!_](http://dfc.ochremedia.com) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/25 "2006-07-03T21:41:08Z")
[QUOTE=LonesomePolecat] Bill Watterson had the class to leave at the top of his game when he stopped doing Calvin and Hobbes. Walt Kelly’s widow was wise enough not to get someone else to do Pogo when Kelly died (though she did consider a comic book). Likewise the Li’l Abner strip was wisely allowed to die with its creator, Al Capp, although many say the strip had long ago grown stale by the time Capp passed on. But isn’t anybody else concerned with bowing out gracefully when it’s time to go? [/QUOTE] Gary Larson of _The Far Side_ stopped for just that reason; he didn’t wan’t to be one of those artists who just hangs on and on long after they’ve run out of anything new. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/26 "2006-07-03T21:53:11Z")
[QUOTE=Krokodil] What does it take to kill off an unfunny strip? Subscribe to the New York Times. [/QUOTE] Good one, **Krokodil**! ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/27 "2006-07-03T22:21:34Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Beetle should have fragged sarge years ago. [/QUOTE] He would have, but that would have required actually getting up. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/28 "2006-07-03T22:31:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Cathy hasnt been even amusing in years. How much stupid shopping can anyone stand. That’s not the biggest problem with Cathy. Sometimes, there’s something funny in there… But with 2/3 of each panel being small print text, it takes too long to be worth the chance. Garfield, you at least find out quickly if it’s one of the rare gems. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/29 "2006-07-03T22:32:29Z")
[QUOTE=LonesomePolecat] What does it take to kill off an unfunny comic strip? [/QUOTE] You have to wait for the old readers (who follow them by force of habit) to die. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/30 "2006-07-04T02:23:14Z")
Garfield is both hilarious and tragic, if you know how to read it. [Read this.](http://www.truthandbeautybombs.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4997&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/31 "2006-07-04T02:35:07Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] Have him actually see combat. [/QUOTE] [Why **is** it that Beetle Bailey never goes to war?!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=263629) ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/32 "2006-07-04T06:32:27Z")
[QUOTE=FisherQueen] Garfield is both hilarious and tragic, if you know how to read it. [Read this.](http://www.truthandbeautybombs.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4997&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0) [/QUOTE] These are brilliant! Thank you…Garfield has become loved again. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/33 "2006-07-04T07:46:39Z")
[QUOTE=Phantom Dennis] Businesses like the newspaper industry are inherently conservative when it comes to monetary decisions. That’s why the comic pages are filled with warmed-over crap, yet there are dozens of amazing, intelligent and funny independent and web comics that blow them out of the water. [/QUOTE] Well, here’s one reason why so many webcomics can’t break into newspapers: AppleGeeks Lite ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/34 "2006-07-04T13:34:21Z")
[QUOTE=Steve MB] You have to wait for the old readers (who follow them by force of habit) to die. [/QUOTE] Are you _sure_ that’s going to happen? Blondie used to be a flapper before she married Dagwood. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/35 "2006-07-04T19:04:09Z")
Hey, Krokodil. What if I told you that there used to be a full page of free and good comics for newspapers to publish? Dunno if the program’s still running. > **[Keenspot.com: Keenspot Comics Page](http://www.keenspot.com/comicspage/)** Here we go. > [@](#): > > Eleven of those are existing Keenspot webcomics: Count Your Sheep by Adrian Ramos, Funny Farm by R. Smith, Lost & Found by Matt Milligan, Superosity by Chris Crosby, Greystone Inn by Brad Guigar, Roomies! by David Willis, Melonpool by Steve Troop, Nukees by Darren “Gav” Bleuel, Newshounds by Thomas K. Dye, Hound’s Home by Ryan Duchane, and an all-ages version of You Damn Kid! (retitled You Darn Kid!) by Owen Dunne. > > The remaining 5 are new features debuting in print on the Keenspot Comics Page: Sebo by Jamie Robertson (of Clan of the Cats), Ugly Hill by Paul Southworth (of Krazy Larry), Rumblestrip by Lee Adam Herold (of Chopping Block) and Roger Black, Odd Numbers by Bill Guida, and Abby’s Agency by Tiffany Ross (of Alien Dice) and Mark Mekkes (of Zortic). The latter, Abby’s Agency, is a back-up feature that will rotate throughout the page whenever a temporary replacement for a certain feature is needed. Good stuff, some of the more interesting webcomics out there. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/36 "2006-07-04T19:31:29Z")
[QUOTE=FisherQueen] Garfield is both hilarious and tragic, if you know how to read it. [Read this.](http://www.truthandbeautybombs.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4997&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0) [/QUOTE] Yesterday’s kind of works like this. It’s not as good as some of the one’s there, but what’re you going to do? [here](http://s52.photobucket.com/albums/g11/Tabereins/?action=view¤t=ga060703.gif&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch1) ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/37 "2006-07-04T20:01:29Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Ashtar] I just wish they’d get rid of those stupid soap opera strips. Does anyone actually read those? [/QUOTE] I know an 83-year-old woman who went overseas for a couple of weeks and left instructions for her husband to clip each day’s installment of _Rex Morgan, M.D._ from the paper so that she could read the strips after she returned to the USA. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/38 "2006-07-04T20:12:49Z")
I hate to break to you all, but **Garfield is meant for children, not for adults who refuse to grow up.** I, too, was a Garfield-hater, for all the usual reasons. Then I had kids. They love Garfield. It’s perfect for them. It’s simple, easy-to-read, it’s got physical comedy and bright colors. They don’t have to know who’s running Iraq to understand Doonesbury. They don’t have to get an education about black culture to get “Boondocks.” They don’t have to get a frontal lobotomy to read “Family Circus”. But “Garfield” they’ll read, and ask questions, and want the books from the library, and to be read to at bedtime. It’s their strip, and eventually, they grow out of it. But until they’re 10, Garfield’s their friend. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/39 "2006-07-04T20:37:18Z")
Fair enough, **pesch**. I guess we really should differentiate between “strips that I’m just not the target audience for” and “strips that need to DIE! DIE! DIE!” I’m willing to tolerate Garfield, and The Family Circus, and one or two “soap opera” strips, as examples of the former—maybe Cathy too, though my respect for women goes down a notch or two each time I read it. And Blondie has IMHO aged much better than some of the other vintage strips; maybe really big sandwiches just never go out of style. But Hi and Lois needs to die, not because it’s actively bad but because there are plenty of other strips that go over the exact same ground but do it much, much better. Beetle Bailey bears about as much resemblance to the actual army as Popeye does to the life of an actual sailor. Dennis the Menace is just one example of where all the humor that could possibly be wrung out of that set of characters has long since been wrung out of them. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068/40 "2006-07-05T03:50:20Z")
“What does it take to kill off an unfunny comic strip?” Wessels. Nuclear wessels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-take-to-kill-off-an-unfunny-comic-strip/363068.md?page=3)