HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: v128nkej@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Boggles the MIND)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Calvin and Hobbes
Date: 8 Apr 92 02:34:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Apr7.184259.6196@acsu.buffalo.edu>, v121r529@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Scott A Elwood) writes...
>Calvin and Hobbes is by far the best comic strip around.  Just trying to
>start some arguments... 8)
> 
>					A big fan,
>					Scott Elwood   
> 
	I'm sorry...
			but I agree.
				
				Jim
From: bn823@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Peter Mullaney)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Favorite Beetle Bailey
Date: 10 Apr 92 18:51:24 GMT
Article-I.D.: usenet.1992Apr10.185124.23179
Reply-To: bn823@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Peter Mullaney)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)


I got out my copy of my favorite Beetle Bailey, it's from Aug 71 (God I feel
old).  Maybe the old stuff was better.
  Anyway, Beetle  has no money and plans to get Plato to buy him a shake.
Plato also has no money and was planning to do the same to Zero.  They find
Zero writting graffiti on the wall and figure it will be a joke to see what
he wrote, here is what they found: "Pet a dog  Plant a flower  Smile at the 
bus driver  go barefoot  pick up someone else's litter  look for funny 
shapes in the clouds  visit an old person  stop an argument  warm a heart  
Call up an old friend  wash a window  take an ordinary object and find
beauty in it  Show a child how to whistle  think of three good things that
happened to you yesterday  Forgive a mistake  Do what someone else wants
to do  Be patient   Put yourself in anothers place  Say "thank you" with
meaning  Look for truth  Inspire someone  Lower your voice  Make time for
a young person  Let your kindness come out  Erase worry and fear of the 
unknown  have some fun!"
   Zero turns to Beetle and Plato and says:  "I couldn't think of anything 
very great."   In the next panel Beetle and Plato are serving Zero a tray
of shakes in bed.
   I'm glad that this group started, it made me reread that comic, it 
helps me remember that we should not look down upon others.

Pete

-- 
: Pete Mullaney              :  Always do right.  This will gratify       :
:                             :  some and astonish the rest.               :
:                             :      Samuel  Langhorne Clemens             :   
:                             :      aka Mark Twain                        :
From: haha@vipunen.hut.fi (Harri Haanp{{)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Mass sexism and racism in Beetle Bailey
Date: 14 Apr 92 14:24:56 GMT
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland

In <5288@npri6.npri.com> murphy@npri6.npri.com (David P. Murphy) writes:
>they are ALL stereotyped!  how many redeeming qualities can *you* find
>in beetle bailey?  i think mort walker is pretty democratic since all of
>his characters are treated equally.

Hardly. I didn't find Corporal Yo too funny, he's almost like a little
monkey. He doesn't seem to have anything good in him. I really like the
black character (forgive me, I don't know his name, I don't read Beetle
Bailey in English) because he's philosophical and intelligent. Moreover,
Walker isn't making fun of _him_ but of the others' racist attitudes.
Walker isn't really making fun of the generals secretaries but of the
general.

Beetle Bailey used to be pretty PC, he wasn't making fun of oppressed
minorities but of stereotypical non-PC attitudes. Until Cpl Yo was
introduced.

Ah, BTW, I think PC thinking is a disease.

Harri H.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Matt Hucke)
Subject: Re: Bad college strips (was Re: stupid strips)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 16:17:18 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.231529.1@acfcluster.nyu.edu> axd7104@acfcluster.nyu.edu writes:
>I was actually rather disappointed that they dropped it; it
>always seemed fitting to me that the world's worst college paper ran the
>world's worst strip.

You obviously haven't read the Daily Illini (Daily Illiterate, Daily Idiot).
It does have a good comics page, though, with the excellent local strip
"Go Die".

>And don't even MENTION _Jim's Journal._

I posted to rec.arts.comics.strips.today.  It was good.  Then I went home.

-- 
        Real Programmers Don't Eat Quiche.
                      hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
                      Gene Roddenberry 1921-1991
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips,soc.culture.canada,soc.culture.usa
From: p5ku@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (BAMFORD)
Subject: Re: Media Censorship
Organization: University of New Brunswick
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 00:01:11 GMT

In article <1992Apr10.182121.11852@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca> kenm@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (...Jose) writes:
>	City-TV has some interesting censorship policies.  For example,
>the phrase "mother fucker" is routinely half-bleeped.... they bleep-out
>"mother" ;)
>
>
>				...Jose
>
I guess they consider m.f. to be more offensive than a simply f., which has
been uttered on CBC TV and CBC stereo and Brave New Waves.  Although, isn't 
the multilingual station far racier?   J.Bamford
From: an12370@odin.mda.uth.tmc.edu (David C. Tuttle)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Peanuts original cast
Date: 16 Apr 1992 22:38:03 GMT

cs132102@cs.brown.edu (Simon Park) writes:
>
>The first cartoon that I can recall has Patty and Shermy sitting on a curb
>as Charlie Brown walks by. Shermy says, (I'm going by memory here so please
>forgive any mistakes) "There goes Charlie Brown..... Yeah, good ole Charlie
>Brown." The cartoon ends with Shermy wearing a grimace saying "How I hate 
>him!"

That should be the first Peanuts strip you can recall.  It was the
very first one.  And, if memory serves, it's Violet (or maybe Lucy?)
who says that (although, of course, we don't know their names yet :-).
--
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: steph@cs.uiuc.edu (Dale Stephenson)
Subject: Re: stupid strips
Keywords: dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 06:05:13 GMT

In <1992Apr7.201812.11886@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> Iskandar Taib <ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu> writes:

>In article <dove.702690054@elaine9.Stanford.EDU> dove@elaine9.Stanford.EDU (Dav Somebody) writes:


>>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?

>No.. my vote goes to a comic strip called Geech. The Indiapolis Star
>carries it. 

>I think Nancy is pretty lame most of the time. Wee Pals can't be too
>far behind. Or how about Henry?

I'll second the vote for Geech.  Crankshaft is rather annoying too.  I've
also never appreciated "Mary Worth" or "Apartment 3-G" much, altho they 
are really a different genre.




>-- 
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Iskandar Taib                          | The only thing worse than Peach ala
>Internet: NTAIB@SILVER.UCS.INDIANA.EDU |    Frog is Frog ala Peach
>Bitnet:   NTAIB@IUBACS                 !
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
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: jab@Ingres.COM (Jeff Bowles)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: C&H: Merchandising (was Re: HOBBES (of C&H) Bumper Sticker)
Date: 15 Apr 92 18:11:00 GMT
Reply-To: jab@Ingres.COM (Jeff Bowles)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Ask Computer Systems Inc., Ingres Division, Alameda CA 94501

athena.mit.edu> anjyii@athena.mit.edu (anjyii) writes:
>I dunno, personally, I think Waterson's kind of foolish for not cashing in. 
>While I do respect the fact that he thinks it would be ethically wrong to do
>so, and standing by that belief, I question the idea that having Calvin
>and Hobbes dolls, or whatever, would somehow taint his work.

Part of it might be that the backbone of the strip is that Hobbes *IS*
a stuff tiger doll. And no doll would do justice to the playmate that
Calvin has: a doll would have to look like the dumpy little doll that
Waterson draws Calvin with, when others are around.

If Waterson wanted to lend C&H's celebrity to a cause, he could do it
without merchandizing: imagine a "Save the Tigers" advertisement that
had Calvin and Hobbes on it.

	Jeff Bowles
From: jrbd@craycos.com (James Davies)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: I Go Pogo
Summary: Where went D&S?
Date: 8 Apr 92 20:42:06 GMT
Organization: Cray Computer Corporation

In article <1992Apr08.165027.7243@spss.com> markrose@spss.com (Mark Rosenfelder) writes:
>
>I thought Doyle & Sternecky were pretty good at whimsy and no good at
>politics.  Their replacements are horrible.  Does anyone know why D&S left?

Does anyone know of Doyle and/or Sternecky will be doing another strip?
(And does anyone else remember "Escaped from the Zoo" from the mid-80's
Daily Illini?  Good stuff, especially for a college strip...)
From: djordan@loligo.cc.fsu.edu (Danny Jordan)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: stupid strips
Keywords: dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Date: 8 Apr 92 06:22:38 GMT
Organization: Florida State University Computing Center

In article <1992Apr7.201812.11886@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> Iskandar Taib <ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu> writes:
>In article <dove.702690054@elaine9.Stanford.EDU> dove@elaine9.Stanford.EDU (Dav Somebody) writes:
>
>
>>Hey, what do you think the stupidest strips out there are?  I have to

   The one in our paper I truely loathe is called Dillon, abut some
 kid in a pre-school. I have yet to even chuckle at one of them. The
 only reason our paper carries it is because the artist lives in this
 town. runner-ups are Drabble, Snuffy Smith (though it was good years ago),
 Curtis, and Ziggy!!!!


--
====================================================================
= "Swimming in the main stream   = Danny Jordan
= Is such a lame dream"          = djordan@loligo.cc.fsu.edu
=           --Black Flag         =     ***** Jello in '92! ***** 
=====================================================================
From: axd7104@acfcluster.nyu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Peanuts
Date: 9 Apr 92 07:47:11 GMT
Organization: New York University

In article <1992Apr08.224245.4794@onetouch.COM>, csmith@onetouch.COM (Craig Smith) writes:
> Unfortunately, Schulz seems to have lost it.  He hasn't done anything
> good since the early 70's.  I've caught him repeating strips a lot
> lately.  It's a shame.
> 
> The day is stops running I'll just shake my head and say "I saw it coming."
> 
> Sorry, people.  I loved the strip, but its empty now.

Actually, to me it seems to have improved somewhat of late.  I do admit
that it sucked for a looong time, but you should look at it again.

--Aaron
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Subject: Re: stupid strips
Keywords: dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 15:33:31 GMT

hozman@aludra.usc.edu (The Hoz!!!) writes:

>dove@elaine9.Stanford.EDU (Dav Somebody) writes:
>>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.

IMHO, the most consistently awful strip out there is Sylvia.  I find it
hard to believe that there's anybody, anywhere, who is amused by it.

>>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.

If you like Robotman, I recommend buying "Cyberpunktrek," which, as far
as I know, is the only Robotman collection book out so far.  Classic
stuff.

>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?

I seem to remember hearing that the usual writer of the script took a
vacation and left it to "Howard and Mac" for a while.  I don't think
it's a permanent change.

                                          --Steve Stelter
                                          sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: twpierce@amhux1.amherst.edu (Tim Pierce)
Subject: Re: Jim's Journal
Organization: Amherst College, Amherst, MA
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 15:22:40 GMT

In article <s-sjz7#@lynx.unm.edu> lazlo@triton.unm.edu (Lazlo Nibble) writes:
>twpierce@amhux1.amherst.edu (Tim Pierce) writes:
>
>> Has anyone else seen a strip called "Jim's Journal?"
>
>"Jim's Journal" is the unofficial rec.arts.comics.strips whipping-boy.

Three days old and already the newsgroup has a whipping boy?  Who the
hell are you, the unofficial rec.arts.comics.strips grand poobah?

-- 
____ Tim Pierce                / "Someone here suggested blue square badges for
\  / twpierce@amherst.edu      /  straights.  Maybe we should try mauve
 \/ (BITnet: TWPIERCE@AMHERST) /  heptagons?" - Damian Cugley, on soc.bi
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: kreme@isis.cs.du.edu (Tzan Tzu: Master of the Origami Fighting Fish)
Subject: Re: Nemo & Krazy Kat
Keywords: nemo slumberland krazy kat
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 92 23:24:27 GMT

mbowman@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Michael Bowman) writes:

>I have picked up the _Little Nemo in Slumberland_ and _Krazy Kat_ reprint
>volumes and loved them.  I am anxiously waiting for the next volumes of each.
>Can anyone recommend any other old comic strip compilation volumes that I 
>should be looking out for?  I'm not too familiar with early strips.

I would recommend Li'l Abner.  It has become so much a part of Americana, that
it might be difficult to realize what was Al Capp and what wasn't.  In any
case, it is worth checking out.

I don't know if any of the other good stuff is being collected.  Early Alley
Oop is great, as is Gasoline Alley.  Fritzy Ritz (Nancy's Aunt) was good,
as well as Mutt and Jeff.  Probably none of these are in collections though.

The nancy collection (I forget the artists name) is also supposed to be good,
though I have never been a fan of Nancy.

Oh, and Dick Tracy really was pretty good up until it got weird (the Moon
people...)

--
   | 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          |
From: Eddie.Saxe@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Eddie Saxe)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Editor deletes C&H  Death Threats Follow!!
Summary: DTH editor needs more space in paper...
Keywords: Calvin Hobbes
Date: 13 Apr 92 18:29:18 GMT
Article-I.D.: samba.1992Apr13.182918.24676
Distribution: na
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service

Here in Chapel Hill we have a free student paper called the Daily Tar Heel.
The DTH (pronounced as either "Dee Tee Aich" or "DiTcH") currently carries two
comic strips:  Calvin and Hobbes and Doonesbury.  For the past week or so, the
paper has had more news than could fit into the paper, so Pete Wallsten, the
editor, tried to cut down columns to fit everything in.  However, when he had
cut everything he could, and still needed to make more space, he decided to
remove one of the strips.  I'll quote from the article he wrote in today's DTH:

	As a fan of Gary Trudeau's "Doonesbury," I elected to run
	that comic instead of Calvin.  I thought students would
	prefer Trudeau's witty commentary during these times of
	political curiosity.
...
	My job and life have been threatened as I have learned a
	grave lesson during the past three weeks---don't mess with
	the comics.  People take their "Calvin and Hobbes" ser-
	iously, and, from now on, so will I.

If any intrepid editors are reading this newsgroup, you have been warned.

DON'T MESS WITH CALVIN AND HOBBES!!  Your life is worth more than some comic
strip!

 ____/|  Bill the Cat says, "Vote Dave Barry| Eddie@uncvx1.bitnet alias
 \ o.O|  for President!"  Actually, he says,| Eddie@uncvx1.oit.unc.edu
  =(_)=  "ACK!  THPHTH!" but we're sure that| "I've changed my mind, Hobbes.
    U    he's a Dave Barry supporter.       | People are scum."---Calvin
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: hshubs@eff.org (Howard Shubs)
Subject: Re: The Best Far Side cartoon
Originator: hshubs@eff.org
Organization: Electronic Frontier Foundation
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 02:09:32 GMT

In article <1992Apr10.192520.359@julian.uwo.ca> magundi@gaul.csd.uwo.ca (john macdonald) writes:
>
>I kind of like the "Bobbing for babies", though most people would
>have seen the "Bobbing for Poodles" as it was released.

This isn't strictly related, but this is a low activity group so I'm going
to post it:


The babe, with a cry brief and dismal
fell into the water baptismal
ere they'd gathered its plight
it had sunk out of sight
for the depth of the font was abysmal


Sometimes, you just have to do certain things.  <grin>
-- 
Howard S Shubs      hshubs@eff.org      I don't represent the EFF,
The Denim Adept     hshubs@BIX.com      but I do agree with them.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips,alt.religion.kibology
From: thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank)
Subject: Re: The Angriest Dog in the World
Reply-To: thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 20:46:19 GMT

In article <6ryj4hf@lynx.unm.edu> lazlo@triton.unm.edu (Lazlo Nibble) writes:
>trev@hubcap.clemson.edu (Trevor Bauknight) writes:
>
>> I haven't quite gotten a grip on this strip's significance, but I have
>> come to the conclusion that someday I will, and it will be a big
>> moment... 
>
>The significance of the strip is that it has none, and yet everyone
>keeps looking for it. :-)
>
>As one-pun-a-strip strips go (which is all it is -- a pun every strip),
>ANGRIEST DOG is vaguely amusing.  I'd certainly rather read it than FAMILY
>CIRCUS . . . 

The Angriest Dog is the best thing David Lynch has ever done.  Very
postmodern.  Sort of reminiscent of the old Doonesbury strips which
were four panels of someone watching a television talking.

>"Daddy, why doesn't Barfy move anymore?"
>    "Rrrrrrrrr!"
>	-- THE ANGRIEST FAMILY DOG IN THE CIRCUS WORLD

Ivan Brunetti did "The Manson Family Circus":  "All right, who committed
the gruesome slayings of all those innocent party-goers?" "Not Me!"
"Not Me!"
-- 
Ted Frank          + "Question whether attorney's filing claim for 'stud fee'
1307 E 60 St, #109 +  as countersuit to paternity action was improperly
U o' C Law Skool   +  motivated required remand."  Headnote 9, Committee on
Chi, IL 60637      +  Legal Ethics of WVa State Bar v Douglas, 370 SE2d 325.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons)
Subject: Re: C&H translated where? (Was: Re: Needed: COMPLETE)
Organization: Inland Sea
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 92 14:07:53 GMT

dtate@unix.cis.pitt.edu (David M Tate) writes:

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

Jaan and Soren.
-- 
When Dexter's on the Internet, can Hell be far behind?
From: rp04@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (R M Price)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: Mother Goose and Grimm
Date: 9 Apr 92 15:24:01 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University

I vote for "Cruel Witch Jokes" -- It permanently altered my perception of
gag flowers.

rmp
-- 
  
  R M Price                   | "Go very light on the vices, such as
  Process Modeling & Control  | carrying on in society.  The social
  Lehigh University           | ramble ain't restful."
  (215)758-4780               |      -- Satchel Paige on "How to Stay
  RP04@ns.cc.Lehigh.edu       |             Young"
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: amanning@acd.acd.ucar.edu (Andrew Manning)
Subject: Re: Calvin and Hobbes
Organization: Ntl Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 01:13:43 GMT

In article <1992Apr7.232642.10033@newshub.ccs.yorku.ca> tony@nexus.yorku.ca (Tony Wallis) writes:
>Actually, the Spaceman-Spiff-and-The-Booger-Monsters sub-plot is better
>than the Calvin-and-Hobbes-and-Mum-and-Dad main theme.

I completely disagree. If I was forced to find something which wasn't so
good in C&H, I would say the Spaceman-Spiff-and-The-Booger-Monsters
sub-plot. I would prefer less of this, and more of the C&H-and-M&D theme!

It just goes to show that different people like different things!

Andrew M.


Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
From: wagenfuh@huey.udel.edu (Karl Wagenfuehr)
Subject: Re: Family Circus
Organization: University of Delaware, Newark
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 02:39:40 GMT

In article <ROISE.92Apr7182332@milton.milton.u.washington.edu> roise@milton.milton.u.washington.edu (Linda Roise) writes:
>the caption.  I'm educated, but many of the cartoons in _The_New_Yorker_ 
>are beyond me, I'm embarrassed to admit.
>
I'm not embarrassed to admit it, though I wouldn't catogorize them as
"beyond" me -- that would imply that there was some humor to them somewhere.
I don't think 99 percent of the cartoons in the New Yorker are funny under
any definition.  Most of them substitute pretention for humor.  Or they
make some butt-obvious connection that every body and his kid brother
has all ready made that you wonder how the guy could have stayed interested
in the idea long enough to finish illustrating it.
There are a lot of just plain unfunny cartoons in the New Yorker, and I
think people should stand up and say so, and not be taken in by the air
of sophistication and intellect given off by the NYer.

The Emporer is naked, and New York is an uncouth cesspool!

We now return you to your regular programming.

-- 
                    ' ",      *
Karl Wagenfuehr         ,         "Weisst du, wieviel Sternlein stehen an dem
wagenfuh@huey.udel.edu  ,  '      blauen Himmelszelt?"  --Deutsches Volkslied
                          '
From: klein@kira.egr.msu.edu (Jeffrey Klein)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.strips
Subject: Re: stupid strips
Date: 12 Apr 92 13:53:07 GMT
Organization: Michigan State University College of Stunt Piloting

In article <10342@inews.intel.com> bhoughto@hopi.intel.com (Blair P. Houghton) writes:
>
>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.

Well, he sketches it, he just doesn't finish it up or ink it.
The little background tricks would be hard given the inker's
tendency to use a zip-a-tone silhouette background in the 
second or third panel (which I think is used a little too much.)


-- 
Jeff Klein                  | "One of you is a Charlie Brown mutant,
                            |  and the other has a hand growing out  
klein@kira.egr.msu.edu      |  of his(?) head!" - Blue Bunny