HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: joshm@netlink.cts.com (Josh Mercer)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Lets hear it for Fox Trot!
Keywords: Fox Trot!
Date: 9 Apr 92 08:34:51 GMT
Organization: NetLink Online Communications, San Diego CA

jeffyg@cardinal.ksu.ksu.edu (Jeffrey Wayne Geist) writes:
> 
> Ok everybody.... this is it.  Everyone knows Calvin is the greatest, but lets
> it for another of the soon to be classic strips.  Bill Amend is a genious!!!

I dunno, I wouldn't call Calvin the greatest anymore.  Still in the top 
two, but not the greatest.  Fox Trot has been my favorite strip since I 
started reading it a couple of years ago.  I do, though, wonder why it'not 
more popular than it is--I never see FT books on the bestseller shelves.
 

--                    
INTERNET:  joshm@netlink.cts.com (Josh Mercer)
UUCP:   ...!nosc!ryptyde!netlink!joshm
NetLink Online Communications * Public Access in San Diego, CA (619) 435-6181
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com!baylor
Subject: Re: Family Circus
Reply-To: baylor@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com
Organization: LMSC, Sunnyvale, California
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 16:57:13 GMT

In article <1992Apr7.201721.20351@eff.org>, hshubs@eff.org (Howard Shubs) writes:
>You want to talk about -bad-?  Look at Garfield!  It was good once
>upon a time, but they ran out of stuff to say with it -years- ago!  I
>wish they'd put it out of its misery, like Berke Breathed did with
>Bloom County three years ago.
>
>Now _there_ is a class-act.  Bloom County was SUPERB for a number of
>years, but it went down hill and the stripper (to use his term)
>recognized the fact and let it go.  I can really respect that, as
>opposed to Garfield and <retch> Peanuts.
Bullroar. Breathed pretended to discontinue the strip, but immediately
produced OUTLAND, which as far as I can tell, is the same stuff, temporarilly
weighted to his more surreal material, some excellent characters cut, & 
fewer deadlines (it only appears once a week)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips,soc.culture.canada,soc.culture.usa
From: brad@clarinet.com (Brad Templeton)
Subject: Re: Comic Strips -- American Cultural Imperialism over Canada
Organization: ClariNet Communications Corp.
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 23:40:39 GMT

In article <1992Apr11.210055.27805@wpi.WPI.EDU> padutton@wpi.WPI.EDU (Peter Alan Dutton) writes:
>[Evidence For Better or For Worse is Canadian]
>More subtle: John is never shown billing a dental patient!

That's *extremely* subtle since dentists in Canada (and certainly North
Bay, Ontario, where For Better or For Worse is set, I believe) do bill their
patients.

Even when you're on a dental plan you normally still pay 20%, and you often
pay the whole amount and get reimbursed.

Since employer health plans in the USA are more common than they are in
Canada (since you don't strictly need one in Canada) I would even wonder if
more U.S. people have dental plans that Canadians.
-- 
Brad Templeton, ClariNet Communications Corp. -- Sunnyvale, CA 408/296-0366
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: dove@elaine9.Stanford.EDU (Dav Somebody)
Subject: stupid strips
Keywords: dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Organization: DSG, Stanford University
Date:  7 Apr 92 23:40:54 GMT



Hey, what do you think the stupidest strips out there are?  I have to
admit, though hating Family Circus, it at least attempts to be funny.
Fred Basset however has got to be the worst thing to appear in print.
Does anyone find this strip funny in the least? How did this guy ever
get published?

As for interesting new(?) strips, anyone see Overboard or Robotman?
Both of these strips are pretty good, and definitely give me a good
chuckle from time to time.

dav

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: wagenfuh@huey.udel.edu (Karl Wagenfuehr)
Subject: Re: stupid strips
Organization: University of Delaware, Newark
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 19:25:23 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.095634.12122@beaver.cs.washington.edu> tsang@cs.washington.edu (Donald Tsang) writes:
>
>TMNT on Sunday, though, is the MOST POINTLESS THING TO EVER HIT THE
>COLOR COMIX.  What do we get?  Childrens' drawings of the "kewl"
>Turtles.  Bleach!!!!!!  Once a week, and what do we get?  No story.
>
That's what we get here in Philly, too.  It is uttrerly pointless, etc.,
and one of those things people probably always say, "well, *I* don't like
it, but I'm sure many children do..."
But you know, sometimes those green blobs the 4 year olds draw can be
quite entertaining.  I mean, these kids effortlessly pop out these
beautiful primitivistic effects loosly based on turtles that Picasso
struggled years to attian (see his famous "Nude with Teenage Mutant
Nija Turtle").  I get more yuks out of TMNT kiddy-drawings than I do
out of Andy Crapp or Family Circus, which appear right next to it.

(and tomorrow, 200 messages down the line, I might see a response to
this posting... 200 new postings in a day -- sheesh!)

-- 
                    ' ",      *
Karl Wagenfuehr         ,         "Weisst du, wieviel Sternlein stehen an dem
wagenfuh@huey.udel.edu  ,  '      blauen Himmelszelt?"  --Deutsches Volkslied
                          '
From: troch@gandalf.Rutgers.EDU (Rod Troch)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: The Best Far Side cartoon
Date: 11 Apr 92 04:33:42 GMT
	<1992Apr8.190052.23746@infonode.ingr.com>
	<1992Apr8.155526.1@acfcluster.nyu.edu>
Organization: Right Coast HQ For Stupid Pub Tricks
In-reply-to: axd7104@acfcluster.nyu.edu's message of 8 Apr 92 20:55:26 GMT

>>>>> "Aaron" == axd7104  <axd7104@acfcluster.nyu.edu> writes:


	Aaron> I vote for either "CAT FUD", or "Midvale School for the
	Aaron> Gifted," where the door clearly says 'pull' and the kid
	Aaron> is pushing with all his might.

The semi-funny thing about that Midvale School comic was the fact
that when I was an undergrad at Kean College someone had cut out
the comic and "erased" the Midvale and wrote in Kean.  Now that
I am at Rugers U. (working that is, not as a student :-) I came
across someone who had the same comic posted on her bulletin board
but this time it said Rutgers U.

I am sure that *every* school did the same.
Rod
--
-----------
If you yell try : Rod Troch                     | Zeta Beta Tau - Kean College
internet        : troch@gandalf.rutgers.edu     | 
                : troch@pilot.njin.net          | happyHappy joyJoy
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: csmith@onetouch.COM (Craig Smith)
Subject: Re: Peanuts: Can Snoopy Talk?
Organization: MCS/OneTouch, Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 92 20:38:52 GMT
Keywords: peanuts

>	A friend and I was discussing the other day about if Snoopy can
>talk to others, or when he talks, do others hear?

>	Is he like in a world of his own like Calvin (& Hobbes) and has his
>own imagination. Because most of the time that I've seen Snoopy talk, 
>he has thinking clouds.
>	And in the cartoons on TV, he never speaks (or am I wrong?).

>	As well, does he talk to Woodstock?


Snoopy uses the same mode of communication that Garfield uses, namely,
voluntary telepathy. The animal has to want the tought to be heard, and
the other character has to want to hear it.

-- 
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Craig Smith                                         csmith@onetouch.COM ::
:: Columbus, OH                                  ...!uunet!onetouch!csmith ::
::::::::::::::: "Life is a fulltime occupation."--Gene Kalman :::::::::::::::
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: rob@ll.mit.edu (Rob Steele)
Subject: Re: C & H number one!
Reply-To: rob@ll.mit.edu (Rob Steele)
Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Distribution: rec
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 15:56:35 GMT

Greg Kilcup writes
>             ==================
>             ==  Doonesbury  ==
>             ==================

Blick.  It descended into propaganda long ago.  C&H, B.C. & Outland take  
positions without loosing humor--Trudeau is strident and boorish.

-------------------------------------------------------
Rob Steele                               rob@ll.mit.edu
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
244 Wood St., C-153              What is man that thou
Lexington, MA  02173                art mindful of him?
617/981-2575
From: psaviz@tcad04.intel.com (Peter Saviz)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: The Best Far Side cartoon
Date: 15 Apr 92 00:12:27 GMT
Reply-To: psaviz@tcad04.intel.com (Peter Saviz)


In article <sacass.703156070@unix1.tcd.ie>, sacass@unix1.tcd.ie (stephen
andrew cass) writes:
|> Can anyone tell me what the one with the prehistoric men hunting the
|> mammoth while one blokes spear misses and the caption is 'Air Spear! Air
|> Spear!' means???
|> 
|> Steve
|> 
|> Stephen Cass sacass@unix1.tcd.ie stcass@maths.tcd.ie TRINITY COLLEGE
|> DUBLIN, IRELAND. Oh yeah, like a 1st year undergrad really represents the
|> official views and opinions of TCD.*******THIS SPACE FOR RENT**********
|> "Million to one chances occur nine times out of ten." - Terry Pratchet 


When playing basketball, if someone shoots the ball at the hoop and misses
the thing entirely, people shout "Air Ball!  Air Ball!".

/peter


Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: moonunit@meteor.wisc.edu (Chris Bovitz)
Subject: Re: Calvin and Hobbes Snowmen
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Meteorology and Space Science
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 01:01:05 GMT

In article <8dt9SMe00UjU40WFkQ@andrew.cmu.edu> Vernon H Harmon <vh00+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>>But Calvin's snowmen are just tremendous!
>
>My favorites:
>The huge snowman head he made that looked like it was looking over the
>hill at people passing by.....
>The one with a big open mouth that he climbed into and lied in like it
>had killed him and was about to munch away....
>
>These two had me rotf!!
>

My mostest favorite strips are the ones with Calvin's mutant snowmen.
I want to do that sometime.  The whole snow goons series was hilarious.


Chris


-- 
Chris Bovitz              |  "This is an egg.
Department of Meteorology |   This is drugs.
Univ of Wisc - Madison    |   And this is an egg on drugs."
moonunit@meteor.wisc.edu  |       -- Brenda Kahn, "Eggs on Drugs"
From: euaaen@eua.ericsson.se (Anders Engwall)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Rip Kirby (was: Serious strips)
Date: 9 Apr 92 13:02:13 GMT
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden

stcmille@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (Stephen C. Miller) writes:

>I never read these strips as a kid.  I never read these strips as an
>adult.  In the past year I've started reading them.  Man, are they ever
>WONDERFUL!

>Rip Kirby, for instance.

Created in the mid-40s by none other than the late great Alex Raymond
(Blixt Gordon, Secret Agent X-9, etc). Not bad at all, at least
not in the earlier days.

>Not a widespread strip, I think,

Well, it's been published over here for at least thirty years or so...

>and like many
>of the "seriuos" strips (all the ones in the paper here in Bloomington,
>at least) it is permanently stuck in some wierdly transformed version of
>the 50s.  Rip's a wealthy bachelor

Heh, I always wondered how he earned his living.

>who solves crimes and has a chaste
>relationship with a babe.  Has a manservant.

Aargh! Desmond is a *butler* and nothing else!

>Anybody else a fan of the serious serials?

Well, mainly older ones.

>=Steve Miller	 		    stcmille@copper.ucs.indiana.edu
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Engwall				 	Voice: +46 8 727 3893
ELLEMTEL Utvecklings AB, "Alvsj"o, Sweden	Fax: +46 8 647 96 44
		"Bryna nuppa fj{ssa sp}nken" - Razor
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: Sean Alan Squier <ssquier@silver.ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: How long has this group been around???
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 17:36:52 -0500

Just like the title..How long has this group been around?  It was
offered here on April 7, but when I started reading on April 12, wow,
738 articles!!!!!!!  Has traffic really been over 100 posts/day?


Sean Squier
(Future CEO - The Walt Disney Co.)
ssquier@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: njblock@athena.mit.edu (Ned Block)
Subject: Re: C & H number one!?
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Distribution: rec
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 20:35:50 GMT

In article <KILCUP.92Apr7203727@einstein.mps.ohio-state.edu> kilcup@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu (Greg Kilcup) writes:
>Having been overwhelmed with 50 message this first day of
>the rec.arts.comics.strips, I can't believe that nobody
>even mentioned the obvious number one strip:
>
>            ==================
>            ==  Doonesbury  ==
>            ==================
>
>I mean, C+H, Foxtrot and Far Side are certainly all up there,
>but one must admit that Doonesbury out-classes them all.
>
>Shall I assume that since it is published on the editorial
>pages of many papers, many of you forgot about it?
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------
>Greg Kilcup                   kilcup@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu
>Asst. Prof. of Physics        kilcup@ohstpy.bitnet
>The Ohio State University     (614) 292-3224
>---------------------------------------------------------------


Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: belville@athena.mit.edu (Sharon Belville)
Subject: Re: Jim's Journal
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 14:31:49 GMT


It runs in the MIT "Tech".  I think the best commentary was a letter to the
editor.

"Dear Editor,

I like Jim's Journal.
But I don't know why.
"
--
Sharon Belville
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: amanning@acd.acd.ucar.edu (Andrew Manning)
Subject: Re: stupid strips
Organization: Ntl Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 20:06:09 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.021011.23700@udel.edu> wagenfuh@huey.udel.edu (Karl Wagenfuehr) writes:
>In article <ku4h55INN7q4@aludra.usc.edu> hozman@aludra.usc.edu (The Hoz!!!) writes:
>>A strip that ussually is pretty good is Sally Forth.  One thing that
>>botherss me though.  About 6 months-1 year ago, the artwork got noticably
>>harsher and the strip started to be signed by "howard and mac" (although
>>the LA Times still lists only Greg Howard as the author).  Anyone know the
>>scoop on this?
>>
>ARGH!  Blech, blech blech!  ...But I guess *somebody* has to like it...
>I hate Sally Forth so much that one could almost mistake me for a fan
>of it, because I always turn to it with great excitement in anticipation
>of how bad it is going to be.  It is my favorite strip to hate.  Not

First of all, I have to admit that Sally Forth is my second favourite strip
after C&H in our paper (mind you, we don't get a lot of the other ones
people are saying are popular, such as Foxtrot, etc).

I also didn't like it when they got a "real" artist, as you say. 

However, the main point I was going to make, which maybe doesn't belong in
this newsgroup, but too bad, was, I actually turn to "Dear Abby" for
exactly the same reason you turn to "Sally Forth"; because I hate it (and
her). I get drawn into reading it each day, just to see how much I may be
repulsed by her arrogance, insensitivity, incompassion, and stupidity. And
I couldn't believe it when I heard that she has columns in papers all over
this country. WHY?

Andrew M.
From: rjung@aludra.usc.edu (Robert A. Jung)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Calvin vs Jason
Date: 14 Apr 1992 20:05:10 -0700
Organization: Southern California Lynx Enthusiasts
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

In article <1992Apr15.023840.29405@udel.edu> wagenfuh@huey.udel.edu (Karl Wagenfuehr) writes:
>OK, let's get some discussion here:  in an all-out exchange, who would
>come out ahead, Calvin or Jason (of Foxtrot, of course; what were you
>thinking?!).  Jason has an age advantage, that is true.  Maybe he
>should be handicapped some way.  Calvin can enlist the aid of Hobbes,
>and Jason can use Quincy.
>
>So, who wins?

  I presume you're talking about an all-out fistfight. Calvin's a good kid,
but not that great of a fighter. I mean, he loses to Hobbes all of the time,
fer goshsakes. Jason's older, but he's certainly a wimp physically (note the
lack of athletic skills), and his weapons of choice tend to be dart weapons
(aka the G.I. Joe Bazooka Dart Sextuple Helmet, for instance). Quincy's a
non-factor, IMO.

  In this matchup, Calvin & Hobbes would win, simply because Calvin has
Hobbes on his side. If you're talking about _only_ Jason and Calvin, then
it'd be tougher to call.

  Correllary: Jason vs. Calvin -- in a field of snow. Would Jason's snow
mines and fortress be enough to withstand Calvin's snow goon army and other
tactics?

>Or do they team up?  Or maybe swap places, and Calvin
>can go after Paige, and Jason can have a go at Susie.

  Calvin can't win against Paige -- she's too experienced with Jason, and
Hobbes would die for a chance to meet "an older babe" (yow!). On the other
hand, Jason would either (a) ignore Susie, or (b) defeat her easily, due to
his vastly superior intellect.

  What I want to see is Jason and Calvin team up and clobber the stuffing out
of Dennis "the Menace". I'm sorry, Dennis is way past his prime, and can't
hold a candle to these two...

>Wouldn't this be great to watch?

  You bet! Anyone want to stage some color commentary?

                                                --R.J.
                                                B-)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Babs: "I'd be terrific! Colossal! Stupendous! Mediocre even!"
Aide: "You are applying for the position of President of the United States?"
                      --Buster's Guide to Part-Time Jobs, TINY TOON ADVENTURES

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: manley@iies.ecn.purdue.edu (HELD HOSTAGE -- YEAR ONE)
Subject: Fusco Brothers (was Re: Calvin and Hobbes)
Organization: Down In The Depths On the 90th Floor, Ltd.
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 05:29:04 GMT

In article <njqjggp.jaguar@netcom.com> jaguar@netcom.com (Elaine Pang) writes:
>hship@sw.stratus.com (Howard Ship) writes:
>
>I just wanted to say, I think the Fusco Brothers beats Robotman any day.
>C&H reign, of course!!  The dog in F Bros is so incredibly sarcastic!
>And the fumblings of the brothers, especially with women... total laughs!
>(please excuse all the exclamation points.)

That's OK.  We all know that you don't really have emotions, just exclamation
marks over your head.  (Fusco Bros. in-joke)

"Meet the Fusco Brothers" is probably the most hilarious compilation book in
my collection.  Anyone know if a new colection is due anytime soon?

Michael -- "You mean meshed, like meshed potatoes?"
--
------------------------  manley@iies.ecn.purdue.edu  ------------------------
                              Nobody likes you.
                            Everybody hates you.
                             You're gonna lose.
From: nin15b43@merrimack.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Sally Forth stuff ... Was Re: stupid strips
Date: 8 Apr 92 23:56:39 GMT
Organization: Merrimack College, No. Andover, MA

In article <1992Apr8.061615.29086@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>, flournoy@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Raymond Suke Flournoy) writes:
>
>   Sally Forth must take the award for the longest sustained smirk of
> any character!  Can't Howard/Mac draw *any* other expression?  When
> she is being sarcastic (oh, about 85% of the time) the smirk is
> appropriate I guess, but all the other times it just makes her look,
> well, *crazed*!  My roommate and I are wondering whether the smirk is
> some sinister foreshadowing of Sally eventually snapping, and turning
> into a serial killer.  Hey, it could happen.  And it would be more
> entertaining, too!  
> 
   On a similar line, is it just me, or do most of the faces and hair
in Sally Forth (before the new guys started helping out) look like
they were done with rubber stamps?  Week after week, EXACTLY the same
shape hair, facial expressions, etc.  Not that I'm knocking the strip;
on the contrary, it is one of my favorites (behind the great C&H).
And yes, I think Hobbes is alive.  Its just that everyone but Calvin
refuses to accept it.

-- 
- - - - - - - - - + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mark Gelinas      | UUCP:    samsung!hubdub!NIN15B43
Merrimack College | or       NIN15B43@merrimack.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: greg@cs.washington.edu (Greg Barnes)
Subject: Misattributions (was Re: Calvin!!)
Organization: Adolph Eichmann's Evil Cake Factory
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 92 17:43:30 GMT

In article <1992Apr15.232859.4723@EE.Stanford.EDU> sahul@loading-zone.Stanford.EDU (Zakir H. Sahul) writes:
>In article <1992Apr15.182553.6167@beaver.cs.washington.edu>,
>greg@cs.washington.edu (Greg Barnes) writes:
>|> [text]

>Hobbes is real for those who BELIEVE (in Hobbes) and not for those who
>don't.  Why not just leave it at that?  

1)  I didn't write the material you quoted.  I was posting it for someone
else, as I clearly said in the beginning of the article.

2)  Hobbes performs actions that have real consequences even for people who do 
not "believe" in Hobbes.  This has been adequately covered in this newsgroup 
before (for example, in articles <1992Apr08.185837.28473@bmerh2.bnr.ca> and
<1992Apr8.205627.3142@beaver.cs.washington.edu>).  If you wish to rehash 
this, I'll mail you the latter.

Read more carefully before you post.

				Greg Barnes
				greg@cs.washington.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: west@esd.dl.nec.com (Mike West)
Subject: Re: Best Long Time Strip/Gahan Wilson/Cutter John
Organization: NEC America, Engineering & Support
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 23:18:50 GMT

From article <1992Apr09.121642.11675@onetouch.COM>, by csmith@onetouch.COM (Craig Smith):
> My favorite Cutter John strip from Bloome County: Cutter John and cohorts
> are zooming along in their Star Trek motif, but they are talking like
> Star Wars:
> The evil empire is dead? Now the Galaxy is free for all us little phone
> companies.
> We can charge higher rate, give worse service and no one will notice.
> But look! What that?
> It's the empire! Its back! It bigger and badder than ever ! Its . . .
> 
> THE DEATH STAR!!!!!!
> 
> Retreat!
> 
> They zoom away from a billboard showing the new AT&T logo, which _does_
> look an awful like the death star.

My all-time favorite Bloom County has to be the one where the kids
are trying to organize an anti-nuke rally at the local college
campus.  While doing so a cockroach approaches Opus and says "Are
you guys worried about nuclear war?"
"Yes." Opus responds.
The the cockroach yells "Well we cockroaches aren't!  We're 657%
more resistant to the extremes of heat, fire and radiation, so
GO AHEAD AND PUSH THE BUTTON YOU SUICIDAL GOONS!!!!!"
*Squish*  (Opus steps on the cockroach.)

Also up there are the ones where Opus is watching Mister Rogers.

Mr R:  "Hello.  Today's guest is Senator Cravitz.  Senator Cravitz
        is a public servant.  OK boys and girls, can you say
        'public servant'?"
Opus:  "Bozo."
Mr R:  "Good. I knew you could!"

or

Mr R:  "Today's guest is Dick Clark.  My, you've been in the
        music business for a long time.  And how have you been able
        to stay so young looking?"
Dick:  "I like to explain it by saying that I keep my head in
        tune with America's youth."
Mr R:  "My, boys and girls, that's a long sentence.  Can you say
        'keeping your head in tune with America's youth'?"
Opus:  "Facial surgery!"
Mr R:  "Good.  I knew you could!"

When looking back at the books to the old Bloom County I get
depressed thinking about how much of a wimp Opus is now.  He
used to be obnoxious and daring.  Heck, he even wrestled down
a huge party crusher and ejected him!  Opus used to be so good;
now he just sucks.

Incidentally, how many of you remember that Opus was introduced into 
the strip as Mike Binkley's pet "dog"?  (Needless to say his dad
was not too impressed.  The dad responded by pointing out Opus is
a penguin, not a dog, and then said something about his needing to
trade his son in on a new Suburu.)

Anyway, enough rambling.

Mike West
west@esd.dl.nec.com