HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kreme@isis.cs.du.edu (Kreme, Just Kreme)
Subject: Re: ``Reality'' of Hobbes (was: "Reality" of C&H)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 11:41:04 GMT

coop1w13@bnr.ca (Mike Hammond, not Bill Saunders) writes:

>In article <1994@transfer.stratus.com>, hship@sw.stratus.com (Howard Ship) writes:
>Is there other evidence, one way or the other, that I'm overlooking?

The series where Hobbes took pictures of Clavin making faces.  There are
several shots where both of Clavin's hands are IN the picture.  How could
this be unless Hobbes actually tok the pictures.

I like how even in photos, Hobbes likes real to Calvin but not real to his
parents (another photo shoot, this time of Hobbes!)

--
   | kreme@isis.cs.du.edu | The Coven BBS [303/777-2911] 1st METAL in MST |
   | kreme@#22 (FV3 Net)  | MST3K, Spacer Quest 3.4w, Anime files, & More |
   | [303/722-2009] Voice |    "Unity Sleeps" -- Neil Gaiman, Sandman     |
   |      USR HST/V.32bis, 100 Megs, All code in RAM, Super Fast          |
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: cs132102@cs.brown.edu (Simon Park)
Subject: Calvin and Susie- whaddya think?
Organization: Brown Computer Science Dept.
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 18:23:17 GMT

I love the interaction between Calvin and Susie Derkins. The ST (sexual
tension) between the two rivals anything on tv or the movies. I think 
Hobbes serves as the alter-ego for Calvin in that he displays how Calvin
secretly feels for her (What a babe! Yow!). The two 'adult' versions
that Watterson has drawn, when they're playing 'house` and `doctor' and he
draws them as some serial comics are drawn, are some of the funniest I've
ever seen. And, dare I say it, Susie is pretty cute in them.

Simon Park
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: jchokey@leland.Stanford.EDU (James Alexander Chokey)
Subject: Re: How would you do it? (was: Family Circus)
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 19:02:45 GMT

In article <JYM.92Apr15091614@remarque.berkeley.edu> jym@mica.berkeley.edu (Jym Dyer) writes:
>
>=o= Tom Tomorrow and Paul Mavrides did a fake funny pages for
>_Extra!_ (a publication of FAIR).  They did a good remake:
>"Since Daddy lost his job, Billy and I have to sell crack."
>Berke Breathed's take was to integrate the strip (court order:
>Oliver Wendell Jones was bussed in.)
>

	Yes--  Breathed also had a good mockery of FC in the newspaper
which was enclosed at the end of one of the Bloom County books--  though
I'm not sure which one.  (I think it was the one with the cover depicting
a bikini-clad opus sitting on Bush's lap in imitation of the Donna Rice
Gary Hart photo.)  It had Billy holding his pet turtle and saying,"[Turtle's
name]'s skin is all dry and lumpy, just like Grandma's!"  (I may not have
the quote exactly right.)

	Jim C. <jchokey@leland.stanford.edu>

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips,soc.culture.canada,soc.culture.usa
From: msb@sq.sq.com (Mark Brader)
Subject: Re: Comic Strips -- American Cultural Imperialism over Canada
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, Canada
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 92 03:32:07 GMT

[Regarding "For Better or Worse"]
> Whenever they take a plane trip, they're at the Vancouver or Ottowa [sic]
> airports (depending on if they're coming or going)

YOW!  So far we've seen claims that the strip is set in North Bay, Ottawa,
Thunder Bay, Toronto, and Winnipeg.  I tend to favor the two westernmost
of these, but I'm not sure myself.  Does anyone have a *definite* reference?
Note that the exact location may well be deliberately obscure, and that
the author has lived in a number of places in Canada.
-- 
Mark Brader			"This is as 'real' as your so-called life gets!"
utzoo!sq!msb, msb@sq.com			"Q Who", ST:TNG, Maurice Hurley

This article is in the public domain.  YOW is the airport code for Ottawa.
From: jverdega@cae.wisc.edu (Jeffrey Verdegan)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Peanuts, Snoopy, and Cookies
Date: 9 Apr 92 20:32:23 GMT
Article-I.D.: doug.1992Apr9.153224.5718
Organization: College of Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison

In article <1992Apr9.140004.2602@stsci.edu> wmorgan@stsci.edu (Windsor A. Morgan) writes:
>What is with Snoopy's obsession with cookies?  It seems once a month
>(sometimes more) the final panel ends with Snoopy wanting cookies, or
>Snoopy thinking about how good cookies are, or Snoopy thinking about
>how cookies are the greatest product of all of Earth's civilizations.
>Why?

Because, silly person, cookies _ARE_ the greatest product of all of Earth's
civilizations!!

:-)


----------

Jeff Verdegan
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Computer-Aided Engineering Center
jjv@caestaff.engr.wisc.edu
(608) 263-1875
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: flournoy@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Raymond Suke Flournoy)
Subject: Re: Calvin and Hobbes
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 01:43:10 GMT

In article <njqjggp.jaguar@netcom.com> jaguar@netcom.com (Elaine Pang) 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!
                             ^^^
  Not dog!  Axel is a teenage wolverine, and proud of it!  One of the
recurring jokes of the strip is Axel defending his wolverine-hood.


--Raymond Flournoy        
======================================================================
flournoy@cs.stanford.edu         "For reasons I cannot explain
Computer Science Dept.            There's some part of me wants to see 
Stanford University, CA           Graceland"               -- P. Simon


Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: csmith@onetouch.COM (Craig Smith)
Subject: Re: family circus
Organization: MCS/OneTouch, Inc.
Date: Wed, 08 Apr 92 17:56:20 GMT

Nancy's original artist, Ernie Bushmiller, retired a few years ago, and
was replaced by a new artist.  The humor drastically improved, but I 
have not read it lately.

-- 
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: Craig Smith                                         csmith@onetouch.COM ::
:: Columbus, OH                                  ...!uunet!onetouch!csmith ::
::::::::::::::: "Life is a fulltime occupation."--Gene Kalman :::::::::::::::
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: halsema@orchestra.ecn.purdue.edu (Dave Halsema)
Subject: Re: Calvin and Hobbes Question
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: 17 Apr 92 16:08:43 GMT

jeff@media.mit.edu (Jeff Tang) writes:

>In article <1235@lysator.liu.se> matoh@lysator.liu.se (Mats hrman) writes:

>   >In <1992Apr8.171237.4360@techbook.com> gummitch@techbook.com (Jeff Frane) writes:

>   >>potential.  Another great thing about _him_ is that he has vowed never
>   >>to exploit C&H: no Calvin mugs, no Hobbs t-shirts.

>   >Not true. I have this Calvin and Hobbes T-shirt at home and are very proud
>   >of it. I haen't seen anything else with C&H on it, fortunately.

>   An illegal, unlicenced, "pirate" shirt probably. Have seen such stuff
>   here in Sweden too... with the (c) conspicuously absent. It stinks, in
>   my opinion, when people rip off Watterson in that way...


>							   /Mats

>While I agree that this is technically "wrong".  Can you tell me how it
>hurt Watterson rather than just increasing the popularity of C&H?

It's rather obvious.  Someone is making money off of Watterson's creation
without Watterson getting any cash.

----------------------
Dave Halsema
Purdue University
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Matt Hucke)
Subject: Re: Colour dailies
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 20:20:52 GMT

In article <1992Apr12.194644.2093@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> nyamane@isis.cs.du.edu (Norm Yamane) writes:
>
>A while ago (~1.5 years) the Toronto Sun started printing its
>dailies in colour.  I remember this because Calvin & Hobbes is
>one of my favourites and it was in colour.
>
>Of course, I moved to Ottawa two weeks after this started :-(
>
>My question is:  are there any other newspapers out there that
>produce the dailies in colour or is this something that the
>features departements of a newspaper must do by themselves??

The St Louis Post Dispatch (where my father works) prints one page of dailies
in color, and two half-pages in B&W.  Generally, the more popular strips
such as Far Side, C&H, and Fox Trot are on the color page (and Family Circus,
for some odd reason), with the 'fillers' like Rex Morgan and Pogo and
Rose is Rose on the inner, B&W pages.


-- 
  "It begins here--an army--to bring sense to a world plagued by worse than
   thieves and murderers. This will be a good life... good enough."
             Bruce Wayne, "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns"
hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu                             Gene Roddenberry 1921-1991
From: dtate@unix.cis.pitt.edu (David M Tate)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: C&H translated where? (Was: Re: Needed: COMPLETE)
Date: 10 Apr 92 19:54:33 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Apr9.105957.904@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk> asmundvn@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Nils Erik Asmundvaag) writes:
>
>In Norwegian, Calvin & Hobbes are called Tommy og Tigern (Tommy and the Tiger).

There have been a number of articles describing translations of C&H that
change the names drastically.  Of these, the only one I have any respect for
(as far as names of the characters go) is the Finnish translation that used
the name of a Finnish religious philosopher for Calvin.

Come on, folks; this is the funniest running gag of all!  John Calvin (or
Jean Cauvin for you francophones) was the father of defeatist protestant
ultraconservative self-abasing theology, focusing on doctrines like election,
predestination, and the arbitrary nature of salvation.  Thomas Hobbes was best
known for his book _Leviathan_, in which he argues that *any* government, no
matter how cruelly despotic, is better than anarchy, because the lives of men
when left to themselves tend to be "[long list of nasty adjectives], cruel,
brutish, and short."

So here we have the worlds most amoral, self-centered, evil genius of a child
who is named for a famous self-abasing moralist, and his easygoing, life-is-
a-bowl-of-fresh-meat irrepressible optimist of a tiger, named for one of the
most pessimistic philosophers in Western history.

The Norwegians should have called them "Calvin and Kierkegaard".

-- 
          David M. Tate            |"The man who hath no music in himself
     dtate@unix.cis.pitt.edu       | Nor is not moved by concord of sweet sound
  A poem should be dumb, / As old  | Is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils
 medallions to the thumb.-MacLeish | 	Shakespeare, "Merchant of Venice", A.V
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: steph@cs.uiuc.edu (Dale Stephenson)
Subject: Re: Comic Strips -- American Cultural Imperialism over Canada
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 06:36:33 GMT

For Better and For Worse has at least one explicit reference to Canada --
recent she visited her parents in Vancouver.  If there were more Canadian
strips, there would be more Canadian references.  Andy Capp is full of
British references, and I've always assumed Fred Basset is from England
as well.  (For that matter, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith have backswoods
references -- though horribly unrealistic ones.)  A comic strip will
reflect its setting and authors, and I think it's a bit snide to complain.

Certainly I'm not going to complain about the Eurocentrism found in the
"Adventures of Asterix" series.  It in no way detracts from the humor.
(I know it's not a strip.  Sue me.)
--
Dale J. Stephenson |*| (steph@cs.uiuc.edu) |*| Gigabit Study Group 

  "It is considered good to look wise, especially when not 
   overburdened with information" -- J. Golden Kimball
From: v070r6vw@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (David C Valenzuela)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: C&H and college strips
Date: 9 Apr 92 19:16:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


	I have to agree with my good buddy, Scott, who began this whole thing
	about Calvin and Hobbes, way back on post #1. It truly is the best
	strip out there. Calvin represents the freedom of childhood that we
	all long for, and wished ours could have been. That is why everyone
	loves it so much. Calvin is our HERO. Enough psycho-analysis.

	I love Calvin and Hobbes more than any strip I think I have ever read.
	My only complaint is the Spaceman Spiff sequences. Every once and a 
	while it becomes a laborious task to read it, and then by the time
	you get to the end, it isnt actually that funny. Stupendous Man is
	my favorite sequence as well as the sequences with Moe and the Father
	Elections.

	There is a great strip here at UB, called Beepo the Clown. It is 
	AWESOME. It is about a chain smoking, beer drinking, burned out
	clown that goes to childrens birthday parties and does really
	cool stuff, that is not your typical clown show. He walks around
	with only a painted face and rubber nose. He wears jeans, and a 
	leather jacket, while sporting an elvis-like hair do. It is a 
	classic strip!

	One last quick thing...
	what is the strip that has "The Lost Patrol"? Is it Crock? or something
	like that? Big arguement here. People say it is Wizard of Id, but I
	know itis not...


					Beepo's #1 fan...
						Dave
From: jstalvio@niksula.hut.fi (Jukka Sakari Talvio)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Outland, is there a book...
Date: 9 Apr 92 01:04:04 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology


OK, I am a Finn. Yeah, Finland is in Europe, up there next to the
former Soviet Union. I spent a year in the States and fell in love
with Bloom County. I have all the books that were ever made from the
strips... When I last visited the US Outland had just started
appearing. Is there a book for us foreign (and American) enthusiasts
about Outland? Tell me the name so that I can tell my local Comics
strip store to order it - hastily.

======================Jukka.Talvio@hut.fi=============================
=  A man with one face, few moods, no god and a mind of his own.     =
*  Above opinions are not represented by any organization, which is  *
*  not to say they shouldn't.                                        *
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: cmag5519@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Chris M. Anderson)
Subject: Calvin & Hobbes Bibliography
Summary: Coming soon: COMPLETE list of C&H books/dates
Keywords: calvin hobbes complete bibliography
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 17:21:48 GMT

If y'all would hold on a day or so, I will get the COMPLETE, extra
authoritative, personally researched at great length, list of all
Calvin & Hobbes books, in order, with dates of strips included in
each book.  Promise.  With the exception of the Lazy Sunday Book, 
which I haven't checked the dates on.

AND PLEASE, if you are discussing something other than Calvin & Hobbes,
CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR POST!  PLEASE do NOT just followup to
an article blindly.  PLEASE DO NOT include everyone's previous text.

Thank you for your patience.
From: s442236@nexus.yorku.ca (Wayne Goring)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: ``Reality'' of Hobbes (was: "Reality" of C&H)
Date: 9 Apr 92 18:17:54 GMT
Organization: York University, Toronto, Canada

In article <1992Apr9.024306.19318@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU> flournoy@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Raymond Suke Flournoy) writes:

>
>  If you are going to prove that Hobbes is real, you are going to have
>to do better than this for evidence.  I want physical
>impossibilities!! 
>
>
>--Raymond Flournoy        

 How about this one.I recall in one book Hobbes takes a picture of Calvin
 sneezing.The picture had Calvin's hands in it so he could not have taken
 it.The camera shown did not have a timer on it.

  ( someone probably can prove wrong though )
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: steph@cs.uiuc.edu (Dale Stephenson)
Subject: Re: Fox Trot books
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 05:43:57 GMT

In <1992Apr10.193641.2889@esd.dl.nec.com> west@esd.dl.nec.com (Mike West) writes:

>From article <vlcoleman.702916458@node_ebfd>, by vlcoleman@lescsse.jsc.nasa.gov (vicki coleman):
>> There are at least 3 Fox Trot collections available.  The latest one
>> just came out a week or two ago.

>There are four small Fox Trot books (in this order):
>Fox Trot
>Pass the Loot
>Black Bart Says Draw
>Eight Yards and Out

>There is also a compilation "big" box called "The Fox
>Trot Collection" (I think) that is a combination
>of the first two books.

This is simply titled "The Works"

(Well worth the purchase price, if you don't already have the first two!)

>Mike West
>west@esd.dl.nec.com
--
Dale J. Stephenson |*| (steph@cs.uiuc.edu) |*| Gigabit Study Group 

  "It is considered good to look wise, especially when not 
   overburdened with information" -- J. Golden Kimball
From: barrett@astro.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Zippy isn't funny anymore
Date: 8 Apr 92 13:21:04 GMT
Reply-To: barrett@astro.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett)
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst


	Remember back when Zippy the Pinhead was a funny character?
He was my favorite.  But now, I think the name of the strip should be
changed to "The Adventures of Griffy Complaining and Zippy Responding
Rather Plainly."  It's depressing.

                                                        Dan

 //////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| Dan Barrett -- Dept of Computer Science, Lederle Graduate Research Center |
| University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA  01003  --  barrett@cs.umass.edu |
 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////////////////////////////
From: an12370@odin.mda.uth.tmc.edu (David C. Tuttle)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Lyttle Women?
Date: 16 Apr 1992 22:33:47 GMT

snoopy@den.mmc.com (Cindy Newell) writes:
<
< For about a year, the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, CO. published
< a comic strip called "Little Women"  (the words were spelled funny
< in the actual title).  About 2 monthes ago, the comic disappeared
< from the newspaper.  I kind-of enjoyed this strip and miss it a 
< little.  Does anyone know of this strip or know what happened to
< it?

It's still out there, at least in the Houston Post.  Complain to your
local paper.  It's a good strip.
--
David C. Tuttle                               dct@odin.mda.uth.tmc.edu
Software Systems Specialist               Department of Biomathematics
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center         Houston, Texas
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons)
Subject: Re: Baltimore Sunpapers (was Re: The Globe Rules!)
Organization: Inland Sea
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 03:31:19 GMT

wmorgan@stsci.edu (Windsor A. Morgan) writes:

>Another strip I have only seen in The (Baltimore) Evening Sun:
>Herb 'n' Jamaal.  It is only about two or three years old, but it has
>become one of my favorite strips.  Does anybody else know of/like this
>strip?

Yeah!  The Freep picked it up from day one, when Herb and Jamaal run
into each other at their high school reunion.  The mutual recognition
scene when Sarah and Jamaal finally recognise each other is great.
-- 
When Dexter's on the Internet, can Hell be far behind?
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: jeff@media.mit.edu (Jeff Tang)
Subject: Re: Calvin and Hobbes Question
Organization: M.I.T. Media Laboratory
	<1992Apr07.192956.14717@yuma.acns.colostate.edu>
	<1992Apr7.201434.8374@nic.unh.edu> <1992Apr7.201642.8497@nic.unh.edu>
	<1992Apr8.171237.4360@techbook.com> <me.703259890@dude>
	<1235@lysator.liu.se>
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 06:32:24 GMT

In article <1235@lysator.liu.se> matoh@lysator.liu.se (Mats hrman) writes:

   >In <1992Apr8.171237.4360@techbook.com> gummitch@techbook.com (Jeff Frane) writes:

   >>potential.  Another great thing about _him_ is that he has vowed never
   >>to exploit C&H: no Calvin mugs, no Hobbs t-shirts.

   >Not true. I have this Calvin and Hobbes T-shirt at home and are very proud
   >of it. I haen't seen anything else with C&H on it, fortunately.

   An illegal, unlicenced, "pirate" shirt probably. Have seen such stuff
   here in Sweden too... with the (c) conspicuously absent. It stinks, in
   my opinion, when people rip off Watterson in that way...


							   /Mats
While I agree that this is technically "wrong".  Can you tell me how it
hurt Watterson rather than just increasing the popularity of C&H?
From: wanless@mcl.mcl.ucsb.edu (Paul Wanless)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: expired??
Date: 12 Apr 92 21:57:44 GMT

These damn expired articles tend to piss me off sometimes...
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: cma@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (christine.m.dakes)
Subject: Re: Calvin and Susie- whaddya think?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 20:11:34 GMT

In article <1992Apr16.182317.6864@cs.brown.edu>, cs132102@cs.brown.edu (Simon Park) writes:
> I love the interaction between Calvin and Susie Derkins. The ST (sexual
> tension) between the two rivals anything on tv or the movies. I think 

Yes, I love the Susie-Calvin thing too.  And agree that Hobbes is
Calvin's alter-ego re: susie.  I loved the one strip where Calvin
slams a snowball at the back of Susie's head, and Susie says
that he knocked her eyeball out, and Calvin panics and looks for
her eyeball.  I love how he grosses her out at lunch too.  

 Christine

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: markrose@spss.com (Mark Rosenfelder)
Subject: Re: CounterPoll
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1992 18:30:43 GMT
Organization: SPSS Inc.

In article <an12370.702773613@odin.mda.uth.tmc.edu> an12370@odin.mda.uth.tmc.edu
(David C. Tuttle) writes (quoting me):
>> (I'm hoping Dondi, the "Robot Monster" of the comic pages, wins this one.)
>
>I take it this is to be a Bottom 10 of All Time list, as "Dondi" ended
>its long run somtime around 1986.

Yes, dead strips are fair game.

Keep those cards and letters coming!
From: bhoughto@hopi.intel.com (Blair P. Houghton)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: stupid strips
Date: 12 Apr 92 04:08:11 GMT
Organization: Intel Corp, Chandler, AZ

In article <1992Apr8.002809.10829@husc3.harvard.edu> fry@tara.harvard.edu (David Fry) writes:
>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ... takes FOREVER to get anywhere,
>and the artists must think the people reading it have no
>memory because they spend a lot of time repeating previous
>action to bring you up to speed. "Last week, the Turtles
>went through the sewer.  Here's anther drawing of it!"

This was practically invented by The Phantom, which took about
80 days to tell 80 panels worth of story using 4 panels per day
(and didn't track the daily with the Sunday!).

When Stan Lee broke down and syndicated Spider-Man, he
decided this was his best bet for getting maximum rent for
minimum work, *including* that the dailies and Sundays
don't track!

The comicizations of Clive Cussler novels (Raise the
Titanic, et al) did likewise, but synchronized Sundays with
the dailies by having Sundays retell all of the last week's
story with no new panels!

Ob. non-depressing comic fakt:  You can tell Trudeau's not
drawing the strip any more because the graphical subtext is
gone.  It used to be if the scene was talking heads there'd
be a prop on the table or wherever that would be fairly
static in n-1 panels but change in the nth panel; e.g. a
coffee cup would turn so the handle was on the other side,
or a calculator would turn into a sandwich, or some such.
That, and the blackening under the eyes is a lot less
prominent.

				--Blair
				  "!!!"
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips