Saturday, October 29, 2005
Conservative Comic One-Off
I don't have time to do a full-on tournament level conservative comic lame-off today. But Newsbusters' dependably lame Gaggle deserves special mention for its current strip. Let's take a look (click to enlarge):
It's not notable for its reiteration of the talking point that journalists who cover Iraq for the "MSM" (man, do I hate that stupid term) are cowards, though I am still amazed at how brazenly this charge gets thrown around, considering that most of these "critics" show no indication that they ever leave their (or their parents') basements, let alone the Green Zone. No, what makes this one jaw-dropping is the apparent belief that Marines should be "executing" anyone. Should Marines line up people and systematically kill them? Apparently. Just another example of the steady degradation of what's now considered normal discourse.
It's not notable for its reiteration of the talking point that journalists who cover Iraq for the "MSM" (man, do I hate that stupid term) are cowards, though I am still amazed at how brazenly this charge gets thrown around, considering that most of these "critics" show no indication that they ever leave their (or their parents') basements, let alone the Green Zone. No, what makes this one jaw-dropping is the apparent belief that Marines should be "executing" anyone. Should Marines line up people and systematically kill them? Apparently. Just another example of the steady degradation of what's now considered normal discourse.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Conservative Comic Lame-Off 3
Again, we see the nagging punchline problem. These guys just don't know what one is. Chris Muir comes in last again today. It's ham-handed, the set-up in the first panel is sloppy, but at least there's an attempt at some sort of internal rhythm. So Day By Day is today's least lame conservative comic.
State of the Union and Gaggle, both employing the TV convention, are nearly tied for lameness. It seems pretty lame--and, frankly embrassing--for them to harp on Sandy Berger when the Republicans are going through such a massive ethical crisis on several fronts, but I'm going to give the nod to Union because you can just tell that Carl Moore think he's really put out a zinger--whoa, just look at how flustered Kerry is.
Mallard Fillmore wins. First, because it continues the super-lame "artist talking to his character" routine (again I ask, what is clutching that pencil; are those claws?), and second, because Bruce Tinsley actually manages to turn the strip into a little bout of self-pity. Waaaaah!Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Conservative Comic Lame-Off 2: Pathetic Boogaloo
A pretty lame day for conservative comics. Let's figure out who's lamest!
"Day By Day" comes up last today, since Chris Muir has been laying off the politics this week, and letting his office-bound characters do whatever it is they do in that office. You can tall that Jan--she of the impossibly slim waist--isn't being used as the liberal fall-girl now because she is reasonably dressed, at least by Muir's fantasy standards. Keep an eye out--whenever he wants her to be the office dopey liberal, he draws her with her pants nearly falling down. Seriously.
"Mallard Fillmore" mastermind Bruce Tinsley tries his hand at a predictably lame self-referential strip. Post office jokes? I can't wait for Mallard/Tinsley to start talking about his golf game. And what's up with that perspective? Is that supposed to be Tinsley's fingers holding the pencil or does he draw with his mouth? Lame, but sadly lame, so Mallard pulls up third.
Here things get close. Via Roger Ailes, I've dicsovered that there's a new lame comic on the block: "Gaggle," which purports to tell, in humorous (or not) comic form, about the scourge of the liberal media. Today's strip is a pretty lame example of what has consistently been, in its short existence, a very lame strip. Read that last panel closely--see the punchline? Of course you don't! In lame conservative comic fashion, the strip's writer (anonymous for now) doesn't see the need for one, or--more likely--has no idea how to construct one. Why be funny when you can make a specious point that the "liberal" media is no less media when it invites Bill Kristol to comment?
On many days, today's "Gaggle" would win. But as it happens, Carl Moore over at "State of the Union" is feeling particularly vicious. In another one of his patently lame celebrity cameo strips, Saddam Hussein calls up his good buddy Michael Moore for some advice on "Bush bashing." Forget that even within the realm of satire this makes no sense, and note that Moore is doing the sort of thing for which liberal commentators get raked over the goals: coyly suggesting that a commentator one doesn't agree with is somehow aligned, even casually, with a brutal dictator. So congratulations Carl--you've won today's Conservative Comic Lame-Off!
"Day By Day" comes up last today, since Chris Muir has been laying off the politics this week, and letting his office-bound characters do whatever it is they do in that office. You can tall that Jan--she of the impossibly slim waist--isn't being used as the liberal fall-girl now because she is reasonably dressed, at least by Muir's fantasy standards. Keep an eye out--whenever he wants her to be the office dopey liberal, he draws her with her pants nearly falling down. Seriously. 
"Mallard Fillmore" mastermind Bruce Tinsley tries his hand at a predictably lame self-referential strip. Post office jokes? I can't wait for Mallard/Tinsley to start talking about his golf game. And what's up with that perspective? Is that supposed to be Tinsley's fingers holding the pencil or does he draw with his mouth? Lame, but sadly lame, so Mallard pulls up third. 
Here things get close. Via Roger Ailes, I've dicsovered that there's a new lame comic on the block: "Gaggle," which purports to tell, in humorous (or not) comic form, about the scourge of the liberal media. Today's strip is a pretty lame example of what has consistently been, in its short existence, a very lame strip. Read that last panel closely--see the punchline? Of course you don't! In lame conservative comic fashion, the strip's writer (anonymous for now) doesn't see the need for one, or--more likely--has no idea how to construct one. Why be funny when you can make a specious point that the "liberal" media is no less media when it invites Bill Kristol to comment? 
On many days, today's "Gaggle" would win. But as it happens, Carl Moore over at "State of the Union" is feeling particularly vicious. In another one of his patently lame celebrity cameo strips, Saddam Hussein calls up his good buddy Michael Moore for some advice on "Bush bashing." Forget that even within the realm of satire this makes no sense, and note that Moore is doing the sort of thing for which liberal commentators get raked over the goals: coyly suggesting that a commentator one doesn't agree with is somehow aligned, even casually, with a brutal dictator. So congratulations Carl--you've won today's Conservative Comic Lame-Off!