er b m e Nov 018 2
Broom Hilda
Pajama Diaries
Daddy Daze
Find 43 unique strips and panels inside Betty
Macanudo
Curtis
Arctic Circle
Spectickles
Reader input is key to finding best comics
O
ne remarkable outcome of “Bubbles,” which debuted in May, was the outpouring of feedback we received when it was published. We read each response and used them to again assemble 43 comics for your review in this encore edition. “I enjoyed reading the ‘Bubbles’ edition,” one reader told us in our first nationwide “Bubbles” comics survey that totaled more than 12,000 participants and 2,600 written responses. “I laughed or at least smiled at each cartoon.” And another reader wrote, “I love ‘Bubbles.’ Have not read them all. I keep it and read a few at a time.” “Bubbles” is a large stage with an almost endless parade of characters ready to audition, earn your applause and, maybe someday, land on the comics pages of your local newspaper. This sampler of strips and panels curated from recent offerings from the cartoonists contains some new comics to “Bubbles,” some fan favorites and some just for fun. For most comics readers, the more the merrier. “Include a ‘Bubbles’ section in the paper each week,” a reader suggested. And for a few readers, well, we might have overdone it a bit. “Way too many comics in the ‘Bubbles’ section to review in one day, some of us have other things to do,” one reader noted. “Perhaps you could spread them out over a few days.” We suggest that you pace yourself with “Bubbles” because we all can use a chuckle from time to time, especially for a good cause — helping to make the comics pages even better. And reading great comics daily may improve your life, as these survey responses make clear: “I know comics are expensive, but please consider more in the daily paper. I find they are the best start to my day, and provide a relief from all the bad news,” one reader said. “It is important to keep newspapers alive; comics and cartoons add pleasure, even balance to the current news of the day,” commented another reader. “Please don’t ‘quit’ the funny pages,” wrote a longtime comics fan.
We agree comics are worth keeping around, and we have no plans to change that course. When we created “Bubbles,” working with some of the most respected comics syndicates, we had one thought — more is better, but reader enjoyment is even more important. And that evaluation process takes time, patience and ongoing reader involvement. We also learned from the survey that the combination of “Bubbles” and reader feedback can prompt two strong emotions with the comics-page faithful: 1. Create fear that a comic will be replaced. 2. Create hope that a comic will be replaced. Offered more than one reader, “How about a poll to determine which comics should be discontinued?” Comics also can unleash a variety of feelings along the love-hate spectrum. It’s best to tread carefully. This “Bubbles” survey response might serve as a warning to editors. “Thank you for inviting reader response before radically changing the current comic section.” Gulp. Still, some readers wrote that they believe there are even more comic-strip stars out there. Two comments stood out as our favorites from the “Bubbles” survey: “I can draw neither a straight line with a ruler nor a circle with a compass. If I could, I believe I could give most of the artists whose work appears in the funnies a run for their money.” Another reader shared a terrific idea: “I think it would be fun to have area schools submit a cartoon once a month and see if we have any budding cartoonists out there.” Reader input is key to helping these comics rise from the “Bubbles” section to the main stage — your daily newspaper. So, please enjoy “Bubbles” and respond to the e-mailed survey that will follow in a few days. Thank you for helping us find out which ones will make the cut. Comics characters assemble. It’s time to impress. The competition is heating up. Judges, pencils ready. Let’s find out which comics’ bubbles will rise and which ones will burst. It’s showtime.
Published in November 2018 by
LEE ENTERPRISES
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John Humenik, Vice President/News john.humenik@lee.net. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608-252-6102 Ben Cunningham, Director of News Presentation ben.cunningham@lee.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219-933-4175 Phil Hands, cartoonist
All images and information published with permission from:
Andrews McMeel Syndication Creators Syndicate King Features Syndicate Tribune Content Agency
COMICS Page 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rubes Page 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Animal Crackers Page 5 . . . . . . . . . . . The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee Page 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Daddy’s Home Page 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rhymes With Orange Page 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Speed Bump Page 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Big Nate Page 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Half Full Page 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diamond Lil Page 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intelligent Life Page 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Real Life Adventures Page 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Middletons Page 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dog Eat Doug Page 16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DeFlocked Page 17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One Big Happy Page 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bottom Liners Page 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Curtis Page 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Betty Page 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Long Story Short Page 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bliss Page 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Macanudo Page 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Retail Page 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Breaking Cat News Page 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spectickles Page 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Page 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Take it from the Tinkersons Page 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Broom-Hilda Page 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baldo Page 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Free Range Page 34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arctic Circle Page 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red and Rover Page 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy Capp Page 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Daddy Daze Page 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Off the Mark Page 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carpe Diem Page 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Other Coast Page 41. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bound & Gagged Page 42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dogs of C-Kennel Page 43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 to 5 Page 44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frazz Page 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Over the Hedge Page 46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flo & Friends Page 47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pajama Diaries
Rubes
BY LEIGH RUBIN
Inspired by single-panel greeting cards, “Rubes” began appearing in newspapers in 1984.
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Animal Crackers
BY MIKE OSBUN
Embarking on a series of humorous adventures that feel familiar but roar originality, Lyle Lion, Eugene the Elephant and the rest of the civilized creatures in “Animal Crackers� deliver a glimpse into the always-amusing life inside the Freeborn Wildlife Preserve.
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The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee
BY JOHN HAMBROCK
Edison Lee, who was introduced in 2006, is not your average ten year old . His obsession with politics and the ironies of life are reflected in his many inventions and his often pointed interactions with members of the establishment.
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Daddy’s Home
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BY GARY MARKSTEIN AND ANTHONY RUBINO JR. “Daddy’s Home,” launched in 2008, details the humorous happenings of Pete, a stay at home dad, his working wife, Peggy, and their son, Elliot.
Rhymes With Orange
BY HILARY PRICE
“Rhymes With Orange” approaches the universal truths about subjects like relationships, work, pets and holidays.
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Speed Bump
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BY DAVE COVERLY “If life were a movie, these would be the outtakes.”
Big Nate
BY LINCOLN PEIRCE
Aspiring cartoonist Nate Wright is 11 years old, four-and-a-half feet tall, and the all-time record holder for detentions in school history. He’s a self-described genius and sixth grade Renaissance Man. Nate, who lives with his dad and older sister, enjoys pestering his family and teachers with his sarcasm.
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Half Full
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BY MARIA SCRIVAN
Started in 1999, this comic displays the author’s worldview with freshness and confidence and a wry and irreverent perspective on everyday life.
Diamond Lil
BY BRETT KOTH
“Diamond Lil,” started in late 2008, is a mash-up of many older ladies the cartoonist has known over the years. Since 1986, Koth has collaborated with Jim Davis on the writing and art for the “Garfield” comic strip.
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Intelligent Life
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BY DAVID REDDICK
Since 2014, this comic follows the personal life, the work life, the hobbies and obsessions of Skip, Gwen, Mike and Barry, and glimpses the mania of our world.
Real Life Adventures
BY GARY WISE AND LANCE ALDRICH
Since 1991, “Real Life Adventures” finds humor in the everyday slog—bosses, cheating at golf, clogged pipes, clogged arteries, and parking crooked at the mall.
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The Middletons
BY RALPH DUNAGIN AND DANA SUMMERS
The thought of an idyllic life on a quiet suburban street with quiet suburban neighbors can seem like the stuff of middle-class cliches until you actually live on that street and meet those neighbors. In “The Middletons,” the cartoonists tap into the zeitgeist of middle-class America with a cast of characters that includes Morris and Midge Middleton and their next-door neighbors, Ernest and Peg Wade.
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Dog Eat Doug
BY BRIAN ANDERSON
Sophie, a chocolate lab, and Doug, a baby, share a love-hate relationship in their everyday lives and imaginations, with Doug often responding to Sophie’s actions by saying “Bak!” Doug’s parents also appear in the strip, which debuted in 2004.
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DeFlocked
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BY JEFF CORRIVEAU
Like a modern day Seinfeld meets Animal Farm, “DeFlocked” takes on the familiar to the highly ridiculous in our everyday lives. Follow these four lovable but deeply flawed characters as they come together to redefine the American dysfunctional family.
One Big Happy
BY RICK DETORIE
Since its start in 1988, this comic details the life of Ruthie, a 6 year old girl, her brother Joe, parents Frank and Ellen, and grandparents Nick and Rose, who also happen to be their neighbors.
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Bottom Liners
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BY ERIC AND BILL TEITELBAUM
Most who work in Corporate America are well-versed in the occasional foibles and frustrations of the 9-to-5 life. Since 2001, this comic injects humor into a variety of business predicaments.
Curtis
BY RAY BILLINGSLEY
This comic, which debuted in 1988, details the day-to-day life of a close-knit contemporary African-American family living in the inner city. The cartoonist uses his own childhood of growing up in New York’s Harlem as the template.
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Betty
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BY GARY DELAINEY AND GERRY RASMUSSEN
Betty is a smart, savvy comic character who is unapologetically ordinary, happy and female. She is a truly modern woman — a wife, mother and working woman.
Long Story Short
BY DANIEL BEYER
This comic, which has been in syndication since 2014, features intelligent and humorous panels that placed first in an amateur cartoonist contest held by The Cartoonist Studio.
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Bliss
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BY HARRY BLISS
Offering illustrated observations of men, women, smug pets, relationships, hackers, slackers, modern life and modern strife — all fair targets for this artistic comic that debuted in 2004.
Macanudo
BY LINIERS
Led by an independent and insightful girl, Henrietta, who loves to read and inhabit the worlds she reads about, “Macanudo� was started 16 years ago in Argentina. The comic made its debut in the United States nearly four years ago.
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Art and optimism at heart RICARDO LINIERS SIRI, who is known simply as Liniers, is anything but a simple character. He is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer, publisher, and college lecturer. He also is a creative soul with a deep passion for art. His vivid imagination is on display daily in his beautifully crafted comic strip, “Macanudo.” His illustrations and use of watercolors create a world of wonder for the characters who are, well, simply endearing. Led by an independent and insightful girl who loves to read and inhabit the worlds she reads about, “Macanudo” prompts Liniers’ audience to stop, pay attention and ask good questions about the real world we inhabit. “No other comic strip will invite you to ponder the mysteries of life and great literature with a little girl named Henrietta and her stuffed bear, Mandelbaum, or waddle alongside a penguin through chilly, wind-swept dunes at the tip of South America,” explains the King Features Syndicate, a unit of the Hearst company that began distributing the comic in the United States two months ago. Liniers was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and started “Macanudo” 16 years ago in the newspaper La Nación. With almost 1 million followers on Facebook, he is among South America’s most celebrated cartoonists. This past spring in New York City, the Society of Illustrators hosted a major exhibition of more than 125 pieces of his original artwork, including prints from “Macanudo.” “I was amazed that they would even consider a show and so honored when I saw my artwork up on walls that have shown such great artists,” Liniers said.
PHOTO COURTESY TASHA MURESAN
‘Macanudo’ cartoonist brings fresh voice to U.S.
IS THERE A MEANING BEHIND WHY YOU NAMED YOUR COMIC STRIP ‘MACANUDO?’ LINIERS: Macanudo in Spanish means something like great or cool. I began the strip at a time when Argentina was going through a dark period. I wanted there to be a tiny bit of optimism in at least one part of the paper, and this name seemed like a good start.
WITH WHICH CHARACTER DO YOU MOST CLOSELY RELATE? LINIERS: I would say Henrietta, because she’s a solitary child who loves to read and imagine that she inhabits the worlds she reads about.
FANS HAVE ENJOYED YOUR UNIQUE DRAWING STYLE AS MUCH AS YOUR CHARACTERS. ONE REALLY CAN’T GO WITHOUT THE OTHER. CAN THEY? LINIERS: I’m very old fashioned when it comes to drawing and technique. I still use India ink and water colors. I think it’s because I admire the old strip artists and somehow want to go back to a time when comic art was so spectacular it had to take up an entire page in the paper (“Krazy Kat” comes to mind).
Ricardo Liniers Siri, known simply as Liniers And now, American newspaper readers are getting acquainted with “Macanudo.” That’s happy news for the upbeat Liniers, who is teaching Spanish at Dartmouth College and is participating in a fellowship program with the Center for Cartoon Studies. Does “Macanudo” have a supporting role in educating his students? “I don’t know. ‘Macanudo’ doesn’t teach anything. It’s just
a medium to ask questions,” Liniers said.” I would say that the students need to ask as many questions as they can to find out who they want to become.” We had the opportunity to ask him a few questions (at right) to learn more about “Macanudo,” which is featured on Page 23 of this edition. — John Humenik, Lee Enterprises
HENRIETTA AND HER TEDDY BEAR, MANDELBAUM, REALLY NEED EACH OTHER. WHY DOES THIS PAIR PLAY SUCH A LARGE ROLE IN ‘MACANUDO?’ LINIERS: Because the stuffy is the first character that a child creates and breathes life into. It wouldn’t surprise me if Henrietta were to become an artist.
WHAT MAKES OLGA, THE BLUE MONSTER, SUCH A LOVABLE CHARACTER? LINIERS: Maybe Olga is our inner child, the one we have left when we grow up, and there’s always some part of us that wants to go back there. Or maybe it’s just that the only thing it says is Olga.
Characters in ‘Macanudo,’ from left, the Penguins, Henrietta and Mandelbaum, the teddy bear.
WHO DO THE PENGUINS MOST REMIND YOU OF IN EVERYDAY LIFE? LINIERS: They are the guardians of nature and they remind us that we should take care of the world around us because it is beautiful and may well disappear if we are not careful.
‘RUBES’
‘Everything is funnier with a cow’ BY PHIL HANDS, Wisconsin State Journal staff editorial cartoonist
I’ve recently had the pleasure of discussing the weird world of cartoons with “Rubes” creator, Leigh Rubin. Every year Leigh makes the trek from California to Wisconsin for the World Dairy Expo. When he’s not eating ice cream and cheese curds, Leigh is kind enough to join me for several talks around town, where we show surprisingly pleasant audiences how two very different cartoonists work. Have you always been interested in being a cartoonist? Did you ever have other jobs or a Plan B? “If I ever wrote a biography it would be called “No Plan B.” I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I’ve been drawing cartoons since kindergarten. I knew I wanted to be an artist and this is a close as it’s going to get after 35 years.” Was your family supportive of your cartooning? “Yeah. When I drew that first cartoon in kindergarten my parents really laughed at it. It was a cartoon of a giant and I drew it so big I had to put its head on the other side of the piece of paper. My dad was an avid comics reader for his whole life. Early on I worked in my dad’s print shop, so I had a job while building my client base. My parents were really supportive and proud. You should have seen their refrigerator; it was covered (with my cartoons).” Who’s your inspiration? “Really early on, the Warner Brothers and MGM cartoons. The stuff you could only see on Saturday morning. Bugs Bunny and Road Runner and Tom and Jerry. Really silly/violent stuff. But a lot the action happened off screen so you didn’t see the violence. I really like that and I try to do it in my cartoons. You want to leave something to the reader’s imagination. People that read cartoons are the most intelligent people on the planet. If they read mine, they’re really, really smart.” Many of your cartoons feature cows. Discuss. “Everything is funnier with a cow.”
Leigh Rubin
You now are the official cartoonist in residence at Rochester Institute of Technology? What does that mean? “I’m being brought in to speak to a variety of classrooms, from surgical illustration to comic illustration, to discuss to what it’s like to be a working cartoonist. I’m sharing my experience and my viewpoints about art and the future of cartooning. My goal is to inspire students… to become doctors and lawyers. That’s where the real money is. Do you have any advice for young aspiring cartoonists? “I believe I answered that when I said ‘become a doctor or a lawyer.’ “But seriously: Practice. Practice. Practice. Develop your own style. Look at other people’s work for inspiration, but develop your own style because that is what will separate you in the end. Be sure to enjoy yourself and the process of creating. Oh, and marry wealthy…that would be ‘Plan B.’ ” See ‘Rubes’ on Page 3
Retail
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BY NORM FEUTI
Created 2006 by Massachusetts retail management veteran Norm Feuti, the humor of “Retail� plays out through the day-to-day trials and triumphs of four main Grumbelrsquos department store employees and the customers they encounter.
Breaking Cat News
BY GEORGIA DUNN
Elvis, Puck, and Lupin — based on the cartoonist’s real cats — report on all the news that matters to cats and events in and around their home.
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Spectickles
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BY BILL ABBOTT
“Spectickles� is a cartoon primarily about a married couple with communication challenges. The cartoonist spent 22 years in the Navy before pursuing his lifelong passion for cartooning
Nancy
BY OLIVIA JAIMES
Nancy and her family and friends have become beloved worldwide icons since their first appearance in Ernie Bushmiller’s “Fritzi Ritz” comic strip in 1933. By 1938, Fritzi’s adopted niece was so popular the comic was renamed “Nancy.”
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Take It From the Tinkersons
BY BILL BETTWY
Nothing comes easily in life, especially for Ted and Tiff Tinkerson, a happily married couple with two children: A charmingly naive son, Tillman, and a moody tween daughter, Tweetie. This timely comic strip focuses on the hopes and dreams of a modern family, working together to keep their heads above today’s choppy economic waters
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Broom-Hilda
BY RUSSELL MYERS
Since 1970, the diminutive witch Broom-Hilda and her crew of characters focus on hilariously stumbling through real-world problems in a world that’s anything but real.
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Baldo
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BY HECTOR D. CANTU AND CARLOS CASTELLANOS Focusing on the exploits of teenager Baldo Bermudez and his family, “Baldo” provides a humorous look at the Latino experience, but it also lets readers remember what it was like to be young in America.
Free Range
BY BILL WHITEHEAD
Featuring a cavalcade of topics, this comic originally debuted in 2007.
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Arctic Circle
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BY ALEX HALLATT
Three penguins who migrated from the Antarctic to the small town of Snowpeak have joined a polar bear, a snow bunny, a lemming and an Arctic tern. Collectively, they deal with everything the 21st century has to throw at them.
Red and Rover
BY BRIAN BASSET
“Red and Rover” is about the deep, abiding love between a boy and his dog. Red’s 17-year-old brother, Martin, plays the foil, while Red’s parents, Carol and Charlie, attempt to keep everything running smoothly.
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Andy Capp
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BY REG SMYTHE
Andy Capp, the irrepressible pub dweller, first appeared in the Daily Mirror newspapers of England in 1958. It quickly became a favorite throughout the country, as readers everywhere could identify with the good-for-nothing Andy and his smart-mouthed wife, Flo.
Daddy Daze
BY JOHN KOVALESKI
A new comic that started in June 2018, “Daddy Daze� features stories about giddy romps and imaginary adventures that highlight the special relationship between a single father and his son.
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Off the Mark
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BY MARK PARISI
Off the Mark features a world of scheming pets, evil computers and talking plants that puts an ironic, absurd or just plain silly spin on the ordinary occurrences of everyday life.
Carpe Diem
BY NIKLAS ERIKSSON
“Seize the day” — this comic is really about any conceivable day, from the dawn of the universe, to the age of dinosaurs and cavemen, and knights and witches, and medieval diseases, to modern-day couch potatoes and Stone Age diets, iPhone worshippers and androids, 3D printers and Google cars.
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The Other Coast
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BY ADRIAN RAESIDE
This artist was an editorial cartoonist for the Victoria Times Colonist for more than 27 years. The Other Coast strip was picked up by Creators Syndicate in 2001.
Bound & Gagged
BY DANA SUMMERS
From the ridiculous to the sublime, the sight gags in this comic help explain common but unexplainable occurrences.
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Dogs of C-Kennel
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BY MASON AND MICK MASTROIANNI
Dogs of C-Kennel follows three dogs who must endure life in an animal shelter. Will, the street-wise pit bull, has found himself living in a concrete cell with a large lovable half-wit husky and a Chihuahua hypochondriac.
9 to 5
BY HARLEY SCHWADRON
Populated with obtuse corner-office bigwigs, feckless cubicle-dwelling drones, social media-addled kids and all sorts of characters on the make in business, politics and love, this comic, which debuted in 2001, offers a wry look at the chaos and camaraderie of office life.
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Frazz
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BY JEF MALLETT
Frazz follows the adventures of an unexpected role model: an elementary-school janitor who’s also a Renaissance man. He took the janitor’s job while he was a struggling songwriter, and when he finally sold a hit song, he decided to stay on at school.
Over the Hedge
BY MICHAEL FRY AND T LEWIS
The strip, which takes a freshly skewed look at suburban living from the perspective of the animals who lived there first, stars RJ, a mischievous raccoon, and Verne, his sensitive best-buddy turtle.
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Flo & Friends
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BY JENNY CAMPBELL
This strip features a group of older women and men dealing with the perils and perks of being old, the rules of chocolate, and dealing with families.
The Pajama Diaries
BY TERRI LIBENSON
The strip provides readers with an intimate and candid view of modern marriage, work, and motherhood from the journal of Jill Kaplan.
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A TIME TO SHARE OUR GRATITUDE
As we welcome another Thanksgiving, we welcome the opportunity to thank our good friends and customers here in the community for their support and trust in us. Folks like you make every day special.
Best Wishes & Happy Thanksgiving From All of the Staff at the