The Morning Line: 'Twas the Spoof Before Christmas...

Looking at "Pickles," we're with Earl.

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This time of year, we grow a tad sentimental for even some of our lesser strips that have disappeared since last year. So today, we swaddle the comics in old-school fashion and drag out the old Clement Moore chestnut. Only, we'll do it comics style -- herewith, we sum up today's fave funnies, with our tongue-in-cheek, poor-man's spoofage:

'Twas the day before Christmas, and all through the gags,
Plutonium was packed into Santa's lead Lio bags;
Naughty Bucky UN-seceded from the house of the dog,
While Poncho and his plank pined for sweet zebra nog.

Petey was bug-eyed with anxiety's fear,
As Santa, like Dixie, crept insane, ev'r near;
Zippy and Dithers wore middle management grins,
While Rat was magnetic with his tin tail o' sins.

When suddenly on the roof, there arose such a clatter,
It was Daryl McPherson, letting kids climb the ladder;
This degree of negligence would seem more egregious,
If Poncho weren't confusing Kris Kringle with Jesus.

Suddenly Jeffy and kin wished for a Down Under tree,
While Winslow's foliage was grilled third-degree;
Next thing we knew, Santa slipped from the story,
Like elusive Mark Trail, or a date next to Cory.

But before Claus seceded from the final panel,
We turned to "Non Sequitur" and its gothic flannel;
There was young Danae, with her own poetic rave,
Alas, not only 'Riffs would cause Clement Moore
To spin mad in his grave.

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