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RSS FeedThe Morning Line: Hands Don't Lie
The eyes might be the windows to the soul, but when it comes to cartooning, the hands are the dead giveaway as to an artist's attention to detail, time-spent and talent. "Zits' " Jim Borgman does stylish hands that "read" wonderfully, f'rinstance, and Bill Watterson gave "Calvin" and family some of the most expressive three-finger hands the comics have ever seen (to say nothing of Hobbes' oh-so-eloquent paws). And then, alas, are the funkily drawn digits that drive us to distraction. To wit, let us point the way:
Sally Forth: Ted's reverse "Seinfeld" curse. (King Features)
Remember the woman on "Seinfeld" whose corporeal curse was her "man hands"? Well, Ted's got a serious case of "lady hands" in the second panel -- or at least "lady hand." Yowza. That right mitt of his (are those actually long nails?) really belongs on a woman -- or the Grinch.
Candorville: Pigment of our imagination. (Washington Post Writers Group)
We're really liking this week's gritty (and nicely topical) twist on "Peanuts." Just one teeny-tiny query: Why do Jesse Jackson's hands appear to be white? Best faux-guess: That's really "Saturday Night Live's" Darryl Hammond doing his impression of Smessie -- er, Jesse -- Jackson. Best real guess: Deadline beckoned.
Speed Bump: A gag so well-played, it's criminal. (Creators Syndicate)
And speaking of hands: A big thumbs-up to today's "Speed Bump." Quick. Clean. Funny. Bingo! Big ups, Master Coverly...
Which of today's cartoons do you like, love or loathe -- or laugh at despite yourself? Our "Line" is open...
By Michael Cavna |
July 24, 2008; 6:00 AM ET
| Category:
The Morning Line
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Posted by: Lucas Fischer | July 24, 2008 7:27 AM
SOME PEOPLE go to work in the morning and don't read the WaPo funnies until the evening. So I have no idea what's good on any given AM.
I spend my breakfast catching up on last night's Colbert and/or Daily Show. :)
I need mayor LaGuardia to read me the funnies on the radio as I'm driving to work.
Posted by: f2 | July 24, 2008 8:22 AM
For Lucas --
http://www.gocomics.com/culdesac/
Posted by: f2 | July 24, 2008 8:24 AM
"Prickly City" was a bit harsh on poor Barbara Walters this morning, wouldn't you say. So, Winslow is implying that the senator who had an affair with Barbara Walters in the 1970s would have chosen wiser if he went with Hugh Downs? That kind of creeps me out.
Posted by: J. May | July 24, 2008 8:47 AM
Oh man, I love the wordplay in Get Fuzzy. It rarely disappoints, and today is no exception. And the look on Satchel's face in the third panel is wonderful.
Going back to the topic of a few posts ago, my favorite strips are Get Fuzzy, Pearls Before Swine, Agnes, Mutts, and Frazz. I also read F Minus by Tony Carillo, which should be in the Post but for some reason has been overlooked. I used to really enjoy Zippy the Pinhead, but I haven't gotten into the whole "Dingberg" thing that's been going on the past few months.
Posted by: Becca | July 24, 2008 9:31 AM
Maybe I am being oversensitive, but I'm a little surprised at how much Curtis is relying on ethnic stereotyping, with the Asian kid being great at math (but not being "cool").
Posted by: Doh | July 24, 2008 9:40 AM
You mention cartoon hands: I automatically remember the celebrated Bill Mauldin WW2 cartoon of an officer confronting Willie and Joe who had managed to find a stash of booze and had gotten seriously drunk. As Mauldin observed, too many people told him afterward that there were three people in the drawing and SEVEN hands showing.
Posted by: Daniel J. Drazen | July 24, 2008 9:50 AM
The Jackson figure in Candorville is wearing white gloves. It's a little homage to Mickey Mouse.
Posted by: Tom T. | July 24, 2008 10:16 AM
Those are surgical gloves. Jesse is about to perform -- um -- the surgery he speaks of.
Posted by: Soup to... | July 24, 2008 1:42 PM
Okay, you don't like Ted. You are doing "Let me count the ways" and it's tiring. Let it go.
Posted by: MSchafer | July 24, 2008 2:28 PM
Re the "white glove" theme for Jackson/Smackson in Cnadorville...it's a white glove on the right hand of a Jackson. Did anyone insert "Michael" in the stream?
Posted by: Zero | July 24, 2008 3:41 PM
What a day in Judge Parker! Sam hits a golf ball! But did he 'draw' it around the corner, or viciously yank it into the native grasses?!? It could take days to find out!
Abby wearing cut offs to the golf range?!? There's a month of stories right there...
Posted by: JkR | July 24, 2008 3:51 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
I know this isn't the right location for this complaint, but I don't know the right one. The Post has decided to carry Cul de Sac daily; but it'snot showing up in post.com, which only shows the Sunday version.
Why?