Garfield and other newspaper comic strips

Klonoa

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Watching the Garfield movie makes me want to talk about another big interest of mine. (yes, I do like to learn about other things besides video games): Newspaper comic strips. They've always fascinated me for some reason. Let's discuss our favorites!

Well, I have a lot of favorites, but I'll just list two of the oldest for now. Have you heard of them? The first really isn't a comic strip. Thomas Nast was a political cartoonist back in the post-Civil War days. This was back when, in order to print cartoon pictures, you had to make them out of a wood carving first. I don't know how that works, but Thomas Nast did some interesting stuff. A lot of pictures you see in history books of cartoons of "Carpetbaggers" and "Scalawags" come from Thomas Nast. Nast also had a large part in creating the donkey and elephant as the party symbols. I thought I also read somewhere that he did Uncle Sam, but I think I may be wrong on that last one.

But my favorite thing that Thomas Nast did was that he was probably the first to depict the modern conception of the American Santa Claus. Before that all we had was pictures from the Night Before Christmas poem, which had Santa as a small impish thing. A lot of people think it was Coca Cola that first depicted Santa the way we see him now, but it was actually Thomas Nast. His Santa pictures are very interesting to me.

Another favorite TRUE newspaper comic of mine came around the early 1900's. Little Nemo in Slumberland. No, it's not about a clownfish. In fact, I'm a tiny bit mad that Pixar used the name Nemo, because now people may not know what the other Nemo is. In the comic, Nemo was a boy who traveled to the land of dreams, and met colorful characters like Flip the Clown. The comic always ended with Nemo's parents waking Nemo from slumber in the last panel. The Little Nemo strip was WAY ahead of its time, and it has the BEST artwork of any comic (even today's) in my opinion. That may be because the creator of Little Nemo, Windsor McKay, also drew circus posters. Everyone always credits Walt Disney with pioneering anmation, but Windsor McKay was doing the same kinds of things in vaudville shows long before. You might have seen an old black and white cartoon with a dinosaur and a live person called Gertie the Dinosaur. That was McKay and his creation!

Going back to video games, back in the 8-bit Nintendo days, Capcom made an AWESOME NES game called Little Nemo: The Dream Master that came out around the same time as the animated movie. Both were pretty cool, I think. Try to pick up the NES game if you find it, it's great.

So what are some of your favorite newspaper comic strips?

--Klonoa
 

Fozzie Bear

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That's cool that you really dig all those really old cartoonists! I saw some Nast art here in Memphis at the Brooks Museum Of Art a while back. My hero was always Charles Schulz, and his hero was Bill Mauldin, so I have always checked out World War comics by Mauldin.
 

SaraJayne

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One of my favorite comics is "Get Fuzzy" by Darby Conely. It's about this bachelor, Rob, who lives with his Siamese cat, Bucky, and his pooch, Satchel.

I first found a Day-By-Day calendar with the comics on it, and I now read it online since no newspapers in my area have it.

The one thing I love about it is how much detail Conely puts into each strip. Everyday Rob's clothing is different and that is something I've never seen a comic strip have before.

A great website to find comic strips is www.comics.com.
 

Fozzie Bear

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I like Get Fuzzy as well, but feel it's more worthy of something animated than comic stripped out--the strips are more like a story board, so most folks won't "get it" like we do. I can see it as a movie, even!
 

Klonoa

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In college, when I had lots more free time (really) and an ethernet connection, I read www.comics.com every day. Now, to me, it's more fun to read them from the newspaper and battle with Jeff over who gets to read the Sunday comics first.

Like comic books and manga, I can't seem to get into online comics either. Only ones I've been able to get into were a couple my friend did, and Mayberry Melonpool, which was the only online comic I ever read that had that 'newspaper' feel to it.

Wanna know what the most creative Garfield book I've ever read was? Garfield: His 9 Lives. That was such a unique book and totally off the wall. I'd like to see Jim Davis do more creative stuff like that, and not be content just having Garfield shaped Goldfish crackers.

I don't really enjoy Garfield much anymore, but I used to love it. I guess the ten year old in me still does.

Peanuts is good but strangely enough I prefer the animated cartoons over the comic strip.

I've probably said it before, but I went to the same college that the guy who made Bloom County went to. He's got another new comic now simply called Opus.

Here are some of my other favorites:

Krazy Kat
Dennis the Menace
One Big Happy
Mutts
Get Fuzzy
Dilbert (Catbert rocks)
Calvin and Hobbes

And tons of others that just aren't popping into my head right now. If your interested, why not look up info on Little Nemo so you can see why I like it. I have a bunch of hardback Little Nemo collection books that I've bought at half-price book stores.

--Klonoa
 

Buck-Beaver

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Getting Get Fuzzy in my email is usually the highlight of my morning. He's hands down doing the best work in comic strips today imho. I know a lot of people "don't get" the strip which I don't understand. It's ruthlessly funny. I know Get Fuzzy fans that range in age from 8 to elderly.

They're actually making a "Get Fuzzy" movie - I think it's either in development or preproduction. Personally I admire guys like Darby Conely who stick to comics and actually draw their own strip rather than be seduced by Hollywood or decide to "phone it in" just for money like Jim Davis who has lost so much respect in the last ten years. I was sad to hear that Aaron McGruder (Boondocks) seems to be sliding in to this category.
 

Fozzie Bear

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OOH! Buck, any links on the Get Fuzzy movie?? That would be so awesomest!!!!
 

SaraJayne

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A Get Fuzzy movie! That is sooooo awesome! If anyone else has heard about this, or has any more information I'd love to hear it. The movie would have to be drawn by Darby Conely though, a CGI or real life version would not cut it.

The Get Fuzzy strip is so excellent because each strip is art. There is so much detail packed into every frame. From Rob's ever changing wardrobe to the furniture in the apartment. It's amazing.

You can also tell that Conely is well read and quite smart with all the famous works, and phrases that Bucky always screws up.
 

JaniceFerSure

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Gosh,a thread about comic strips,way cool! Man,I've been reading the comics since ever I could remember.I remember laying on my stomach as a kid,and asking my parents to read Peanuts to me.Mom would say,"Read it yourself."(true) So,that's how it all began.(been reading since 3,34 now).Here are some of my favorite comic strips,from over the years:

Peanuts
Calvin & Hobbes
Bloom County
Opus
For Better or Worse
Fox Trot
One Big Happy
Family Circus
Dennis the Menace
Andy Capp
B.C.
Beatle Bailey
Shoe
Luann
 

Muppet Crypts

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THIS IS MY FAVORATE PART OF THE PAPER ON SUNDAY I READ THEM ALL I LOV DOING THE 5-6 DIFFRENT PUZZLES :zany:
 
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