All-time ten comic strips?
Bobcat
newspaper comic strips over the years. His accompanying bio says:
"Many readers sense in him a denial of their values. He is working on
a screenplay titled Son of Dick, an allegory in which George W. Bush
is a serial killer guided by the voice of Cheney." (!)
Sexton's list of "top ten" comics includes many favourites - but what
strips do you think he omitted? Here's Sexton rating:
10. B.C.
9. The Far Side
8. Pogo
7. Krazy Kat
6. Dick Tracy
5. Blondie
4. Peanuts
3. Doonesbury
2. Bloom County
1. Calvin and Hobbes
Lots of classic strips, but nothing recent. What's your opinion of
Timothy Sexton's choices?
Beefies
> strips do you think he omitted? Here's Sexton rating:
>
> 10. B.C.
> 9. The Far Side
> 8. Pogo
> 7. Krazy Kat
> 6. Dick Tracy
> 5. Blondie
> 4. Peanuts
> 3. Doonesbury
> 2. Bloom County
> 1. Calvin and Hobbes
>
> Lots of classic strips, but nothing recent. What's your opinion of
> Timothy Sexton's choices?
I read the article to see his criteria, because I think that's important.
"Top Ten" could be highest quality, most popular, most culturally
influential, etc., and all those Venn Diagram circles don't perfectly
intersect. His criteria appear to be: prominent, mainstream, best-known as
comic strips (e.g., Superman has been a comic strip but that's not his
primary domain). Sexton doesn't explicitly say, but I infer his ranking
reflects a combination of quality and influence.
Personally, I'd rank Pogo and Peanuts higher (two of the top three for
sure), and Bloom County much lower (probably wouldn't make my Top Ten). A
couple of his choices are interesting. For example, I like his choice of
B.C. although I'd guess most people would say "Huh?" Its early years were
very innovative and funny.
I would add Caniff's Terry and the Pirates, Winsor McCay's Little Nemo,
Sterrett's Polly and Her Pals, maybe Roy Crane's Captain Easy.
So that's four. To make room for them, I would demote Far Side, Blondie,
Doonesbury, and Bloom County. Then I'd let Little Orphan Annie and Dick
Tracy duke it out for the last spot.
On second thought, Doonesbury deserves a place at my Top Ten table. It can
take B.C.'s spot.
Brian F.
brianfies.blogspot.com
PatONeill
I was similarly amazed to see Terry and the Pirates not listed; I
think Prince Valiant and Flash Gordon belong on the list as well. A
few that would be in my "honorable mention" category:
Gordo
Rip Kirby
Secret Agent Corrigan (by Goodwin and Williamson)
The Phantom
D.D.Degg
> I would add Caniff's Terry and the Pirates, Winsor McCay's Little Nemo,
> Sterrett's Polly and Her Pals, maybe Roy Crane's Captain Easy.
Maybe Captain Easy?
MAYBE CAPTAIN EASY???!!!
In the adventure strip genre it would, without question,
have to include Roy Crane's Captain Easy.
As a matter of FACT it have to include Roy Crane's
Captain Easy above any and all other adventure strips!
Caniff, Foster, and Raymond are all fine and well
(actually the first two are great writers and all
three are fantastic artists),
BUT
Roy Crane's Captain Easy rules the adventure strip class.
D.D.Degg
Sherwood Harrington
> On Jul 26, 5:58?pm, Bobcat <bobbythec...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Someone named Timothy Sexton has bravely attempted to rate all the
>> newspaper comic strips over the years. His accompanying bio says:
>> "Many readers sense in him a denial of their values. He is working on
>> a screenplay titled Son of Dick, an allegory in which George W. Bush
>> is a serial killer guided by the voice of Cheney." (!)
>>
>> Sexton's list of "top ten" comics includes many favourites - but what
>> strips do you think he omitted? Here's Sexton rating:
>>
>> 10. B.C.
>> 8. ?Pogo
>> 7. ?Krazy Kat
>> 6. ?Dick Tracy
>> 5. ?Blondie
>> 4. ?Peanuts
>> 3. ?Doonesbury
>> 2. ?Bloom County
>> 1. ?Calvin and Hobbes
>>
>> Lots of classic strips, but nothing recent. What's your opinion of
>> Timothy Sexton's choices?
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/mzyshf
> I was similarly amazed to see Terry and the Pirates not listed; I
> think Prince Valiant and Flash Gordon belong on the list as well. A
> few that would be in my "honorable mention" category:
> Gordo
> Rip Kirby
> Secret Agent Corrigan (by Goodwin and Williamson)
> The Phantom
Gordo, absolutely. Odd Bodkins and Barnaby, too.
I think my pantheon of ten would look like this, based on criteria loosely
like those that Beefies expressed elsewhere in this thread (listed
alphabetically):
Barnaby
BC
Calvin and Hobbes
Captain Easy
Doonesbury
The Far Side
Gordo
Odd Bodkins
Peanuts
Pogo
--
Sherwood Harrington
Boulder Creek, California
Beefies
think Prince Valiant and Flash Gordon belong on the list as well. A
few that would be in my "honorable mention" category:
> Gordo
> Rip Kirby
> Secret Agent Corrigan (by Goodwin and Williamson)
>The Phantom
I love Gordo, and Gus Arriola is one of my favorite comic artists ever, but
I honestly couldn't rank it top ten. I guess it's my #11.
Flash Gordon is a definite contender, as is Sherwood's choice of Barnaby.
Brian F.
Mike Marshall
>10. B.C.
>9. The Far Side
>8. Pogo
>7. Krazy Kat
>6. Dick Tracy
>5. Blondie
>4. Peanuts
>3. Doonesbury
>2. Bloom County
>1. Calvin and Hobbes
>Lots of classic strips, but nothing recent. What's your opinion of
>Timothy Sexton's choices?
They're as good as anyone's choices...
-Mike
JC Dill
>> Sexton's list of "top ten" comics includes many favourites - but what
>> strips do you think he omitted? Here's Sexton rating:
>>
>> 10. B.C.
>> 9. The Far Side
>> 8. Pogo
>> 7. Krazy Kat
>> 6. Dick Tracy
>> 5. Blondie
>> 4. Peanuts
>> 3. Doonesbury
>> 2. Bloom County
>> 1. Calvin and Hobbes
>>
>> Lots of classic strips, but nothing recent. What's your opinion of
>> Timothy Sexton's choices?
My list is:
1) Calvin & Hobbes (Best. Comic. Strip. Ever.)
2) Non Sequitur
3) Doonesbury
4) Far Side
5) 9 Chickweed Lane
6) Pogo
7) B.C.
8) Dilbert
9) For Better or For Worse
10) Peanuts
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
Bobcat <bobbyt...@gmail.com> wrote:
>strips do you think he omitted? Here's Sexton rating:
>
>10. B.C.
>9. The Far Side
>8. Pogo
>7. Krazy Kat
>6. Dick Tracy
>5. Blondie
>4. Peanuts
>3. Doonesbury
>2. Bloom County
>1. Calvin and Hobbes
Well, I have to say up-front that there are many strips I have always
heard to be classic but have never gotten around to reading, and classic
strips (like L'il Abner) that I only saw way past their prime.
I would do something like:
1) Pogo
2) Thimble Theater
3) Calvin & Hobbes
4) Peanuts
5) Dilbert
6) The Far Side
7) Pearls Before Swine
8) Modesty Blaise
9) Mr. Boffo
10) Sherman's Lagoon
Tomorrow I would do something different.
Ted
--
------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
I'm in a poor strategic position to argue here as I haven't read Captain Easy,
but it would have to be awfully good to be better than Modesty Blaise.
Heather Kendrick
t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>) wrote:
> I would do something like:
>
> 1) Pogo
> 2) Thimble Theater
> 3) Calvin & Hobbes
> 4) Peanuts
> 5) Dilbert
> 6) The Far Side
> 7) Pearls Before Swine
> 8) Modesty Blaise
> 9) Mr. Boffo
> 10) Sherman's Lagoon
It's too bad you don't know my father. He's the biggest Modesty Blaise
fan I know, and also the only one (until now). He read it in the
Detroit Free Press until the end.
Heather
Heather Kendrick
<bb754ac1-0433-473c...@b15g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>,
Bobcat <bobbyt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Sexton's list of "top ten" comics includes many favourites - but what
> strips do you think he omitted? Here's Sexton rating:
>
> 10. B.C.
> 9. The Far Side
> 8. Pogo
> 7. Krazy Kat
> 6. Dick Tracy
> 5. Blondie
> 4. Peanuts
> 3. Doonesbury
> 2. Bloom County
> 1. Calvin and Hobbes
I think Thimble Theater is a glaring omission, and I would strike any of
these in favor of it: B.C., Dick Tracy, and Blondie. I would probably
rank it ahead of The Far Side too, although that one would probably stay
on the list somewhere.
Heather
Brian Huntley
wrote:
> In article
> <bb754ac1-0433-473c-82c5-22309e4c1...@b15g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>,
>
> Bobcat <bobbythec...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Sexton's list of "top ten" comics includes many favourites - but what
> > strips do you think he omitted? Here's Sexton rating:
>
> > 10. B.C.
> > 9. The Far Side
> > 8. Pogo
> > 7. Krazy Kat
> > 6. Dick Tracy
> > 5. Blondie
> > 4. Peanuts
> > 3. Doonesbury
> > 2. Bloom County
> > 1. Calvin and Hobbes
>
> I think Thimble Theater is a glaring omission, and I would strike any of
> these in favor of it: B.C., Dick Tracy, and Blondie. I would probably
> rank it ahead of The Far Side too, although that one would probably stay
> on the list somewhere.
>
> Heather
I was about to post "wot, no Popeye?" when "Thimble Theater" clicked.
Definitely needed on the list.
J.D. Baldwin
In the previous article, Bobcat <bobbyt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 10. B.C.
> 9. The Far Side
> 8. Pogo
> 7. Krazy Kat
> 6. Dick Tracy
> 5. Blondie
> 4. Peanuts
> 3. Doonesbury
> 2. Bloom County
> 1. Calvin and Hobbes
>
> Lots of classic strips, but nothing recent. What's your opinion of
> Timothy Sexton's choices?
You can quibble about this or that strip "belongs" on the list more
than some of Sexton's choices. I think every strip on the list has at
least a very good case to be argued in its favor, even though I'd
make some different picks.
But the idea that Bloom County belongs ahead of "Peanuts"? Don't make
me laugh.
--
_+_ From the catapult of |If anyone objects to any statement I make, I am
_|70|___:)=}- J.D. Baldwin |quite prepared not only to retract it, but also
\ / bal...@panix.com|to deny under oath that I ever made it.-T. Lehrer
***~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tove Momerathsson
I'd love to read it online, but the only source I know of is
in Spanish: <http://www.gocomics.com/espanol/modestyblaise>.
I've got over a dozen collections of the strips from Titan and
Fantagraphics, but I don't think there've been any new ones in
years. Though I should look again...
Tove
parto the p
based comic strips of all time."
With "one man's opinion" as the crux of the decision process, I leave
him to his definition of "greatest" with no quibbles, while I will
feel free to base my list on my own definition as yet another "one
man's". That definition weighs craft, the ability to entertain,
enduring nature, and creative stamina. Prominence or 'mainstream
success' are given little or no regard, as popularity and greatness
are some times related and sometimes not.
10. Mary Worth (For unabashedly serving it's fans despite the slings
and arrows.).
9. For Better or For Worse
8. The Phantom
7. The Far Side
6. Funky Winkerbean
5. Pogo
4. Bloom County
3. Peanuts
2. Doonesbury
1. Calvin and Hobbes
parto the p
O fan
> 10. Mary Worth (For unabashedly serving it's fans despite the slings
> and arrows.).
> 9. For Better or For Worse
> 8. The Phantom
> 7. The Far Side
> 6. Funky Winkerbean
> 5. Pogo
> 4. Bloom County
> 3. Peanuts
> 2. Doonesbury
> 1. Calvin and Hobbes
Obviously its:
1. Amazing Spider Man
2. Gil Thorpe
3. Luann
4. Funky Winkerbean
5. Crankshaft
6. Re-Launched For Better
7 John Darling
8 Garfield
9 Recent BC
10 Shylock Fox...
No seriously, a ten list is almost impossible. At what point in time
do you judge the strip? The strip by itself of based on its overall
impact? The duration of the strip?
I think that the easy one is Peanuts. At its height it was a
brilliant strip and it was also, at its height, impacting on the
culture. How many other strips had a moon lander named after a
character from a comic strip?
But lots of others were impactful.
For example, Barney Google/Snuffy Smith is no longer a "cutting edge"
strip. And yet, at its height it was a brilliant strip with impact
far beyond the comic page.
Al Kapp's L'il Abner (before it turned into a Right Wing Screed) was
brilliant. Smokey Stover? Steve Canyon was certainly controversial
during the Viet Nam War for its strong support (and for changing the
way Comic Strips were sold to papers). Bloom County was a brilliant
strip for a very short time (it was good for quite a while and bad for
quite a while... somewhat unique for a strip which didn't change
creators) Does that short term brilliance put it on the list? What
about Brenda Starr (the original Brenda Starr)? It broke down a lot
of barriers at one time. Funky W? It certainly tackled issues that
other main line strips elected not to challenge? Nancy? Dondi?
Asterix? Tintin? Lots of complex cases. Cutting it to 50 would be
hard, 10 virtually impossible. Perhaps it should be cut to top 10's
for various eras and then cut to an overall top 10.
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
There are no new strips, but Titan is still issuing new *collections* (or
at least still were very recently).
Checks Amazon...
Ah yes, one is scheduled for next month as a matter of fact
Also, if you haven't read the prose MB books, they are quite good as well,
though the last is incredibly depressing.
Boyd Nation
Back when I was a software developer, a co-worker used to close out each
of his trouble tickets with the notation "works as implemented". Sexton
has hit that mark perfectly, and it's a perfectly adequate list.
My own criteria are different. I care not a whit for stamina, which has
given us such luminaries as Heathcliff and Marmaduke, nor do I really care
about influence, having spent a few minutes this weekend at Wal-Mart trying
to find a book that my daughter had asked that turned out not be there
because there wasn't room amongst all the Twilight-clone sexy vampire teen
novels. I value humor or telling a good story more than art, for no better
reason than that that's what matters to me.
I'm also not going to number them, because getting past the point of
identifying a group that I like best and ranking them strictly would fall
into the "deep dish pizza, 2 inch thick grilled chops with cinnamon apples
on the side, or Commander's Palace bread pudding souffle" category, where
the right answer depends on the day. Alphabetically, here's my list:
Arlo & Janis
Calvin & Hobbes
Doonesbury
The Far Side
Frumpy the Clown
Little Nemo
Peanuts
Pogo
Terry and the Pirates
xkcd
There are a couple of items that probably defy these classifications --
the entire output of Rube Goldberg would certainly go on the list, but
his work wasn't title-based for the most part, so it's hard to know how
to classify it. If I were willing to do portions of strips, pre-move-to-
New-York 9 Chickweed Lane would probably make the list, and there might
be an early section of Dilbert that would. Not sure what they'd replace,
though.
--
Boyd Nation
www.boydsworld.com
boyd....@mindspring.com
Guy Namechanger
"JC Dill" <jcdill...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:h4j0l6$su3$1...@aioe.org...
>
> 9) For Better or For Worse
> 10) Peanuts
>
Joseph Nebus
Hang on, now. I'd grant opinions would vary about _For Better
Or For Worse_, but is it at all possible to make a list of greatest
comic strips and not list _Peanuts_? Even if you don't like it, it's
practically *defined* what comic strips from 1960 onward should be.
--
Joseph Nebus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O fan
> "Guy Namechanger" <peterduncanismyn...@hotmail.com> writes:
> >"JC Dill" <jcdill.li...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> >news:h4j0l6$su3$1...@aioe.org...
>
> >> 9) For Better or For Worse
> >> 10) Peanuts
>
> >list voided.
>
> Hang on, now. I'd grant opinions would vary about _For Better
> Or For Worse_, but is it at all possible to make a list of greatest
> comic strips and not list _Peanuts_? Even if you don't like it, it's
> practically *defined* what comic strips from 1960 onward should be.
>
> --
> Joseph Nebus
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I suspect that the voiding is caused by listing FBFW OVER Peanuts.
That was a list arranged in order of preference.
Tove Momerathsson
I've got most of the prose books, though I don't have the last two.
Amazon shows Cobra Trap to still be in print, but Iron God to be
o-o-p and rather expensive on the used book market . (We'll save
for later the discussion of how a used book dealer can determine
that a book is worth exactly $113.76 as opposed to $115.)
I'll have to see what's coming out from Titan vs what I have.
The thought of new MB books ... yummie.
Tove
Jym Dyer
>> 10. B.C.
>> 9. The Far Side
>> 8. Pogo
>> 7. Krazy Kat
>> 6. Dick Tracy
>> 5. Blondie
>> 4. Peanuts
>> 3. Doonesbury
>> 2. Bloom County
>> 1. Calvin and Hobbes
Heather Kendrick writes:
> I think Thimble Theater is a glaring omission ....
=v= My thoughts exactly. My own list is only certain about
its top two, which are _Peanuts_ and _Thimble_Theater_.
> ... and I would strike any of these in favor of it:
> B.C., Dick Tracy, and Blondie.
=v= Again, agreed, though of course all three of these
were better in their early days. I would probably keep
_Blondie_ because I found it very charming in its early
years (along with Chic Young's earlier _Dumb_Dora_).
I'd replace _B.C._ and _Dick_Tracy_ with _Gasoline_Alley_
and _Polly_and_Her_Pals_ for the same reason. So I guess
that gives me a provisional top ten, for now, until I
change my mind.
<_Jym_>
Guy Namechanger
"O fan" <dcrav...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:8493f8ec-516f-49c6...@32g2000yqj.googlegroups.com...
++++++++++++++++++++++
<ed mcmahon> you are correct, sir. yes! </ed mcmahon>
Guy Namechanger
Rob Wynne
Don't ask, don't tell.
--
Rob Wynne / The Autographed Cat / d...@america.net
http://www.autographedcat.com/ / http://autographedcat.livejournal.com/
Gafilk 2010: Jan 8-10, 2010 - Atlanta, GA - http://www.gafilk.org/
Aphelion - Original SF&F since 1997 - http://www.aphelion-webzine.com/
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
I recently picked up a a 1975 BB paperback (_I've Got You On My LIst, Beetle
Bailey_), and was surprised at how good it was. This was back when the
General was still non-pc, and Lt. Flap dressed "blaxploitation" when he was
off duty -- and it was quite funny!
Not top ten funny, but pretty good.
JC Dill
The reason I listed FooB over Peanuts is because Peanuts went into
reruns in 2000, years before FooB. At that time FooB hadn't jumped the
shark yet (Liz was still very much her own woman, making her way in the
world, not Lynn's puppet destined for bordomville with Granthony). So
there was a period where I enjoyed FooB much more than Peanuts.
Basically, I put Peanuts 10th because it was going to be "on" my list,
but not near the top of the list. I made my top choices, then dithered
about the last few spots (7, 8, 9), and spot 10 was taken by Peanuts
because it couldn't *not* be on the list.
jc
Sherwood Harrington
> I [...] dithered
No, you didn't. Blondie wasn't on your list.
--
Sherwood Harrington
Boulder Creek, California
Mike Beede
Heather Kendrick <bunny...@ameritech.net> wrote:
> In article
> <bb754ac1-0433-473c...@b15g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>,
> Bobcat <bobbyt...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> [....]
You know, to do justice to the group, I think we should
agree on precise scoring criteria and rules for combining
then, and then let the protractors do the talking.
Otherwise, we will have a bunch of different lists, each
of which--as Mike Marshal notes--will be equally right.
But instead, we have a chance to produce . . . a new
SCIENCE of comic strips!
Mike Beede
Heather Kendrick
t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>) wrote:
> Also, if you haven't read the prose MB books, they are quite good as well,
> though the last is incredibly depressing.
Dad told me it was the first time a book ever made him cry.
Heather
Ted Nolan <tednolan>
I made the incredibly bad choice to read it to my father after he
couldn't read anymore. I had introduced him to MB novels in big
print a year or so previously, and he seemed to enjoy them, so I
thought, hm, MB short stories I can read to him when I visit.
Unfortunately I didn't see what was coming quickly enough, and
couldn't edit on-the-fly and for some reason just couldn't stop myself. I
have always regretted that. He did *not* need to hear that story at that time.
JC Dill
> JC Dill <jcdill...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I [...] dithered
>
> No, you didn't. Blondie wasn't on your list.
LOL. Actually that was part of the dithering. Although Blondie has
endured for years I don't think it is all that great of a strip. I used
it as a benchmark for other strips that I like, but aren't "great" - if
they aren't much better than Blondie then they don't belong on my list.
IMHO FooB is much better than Blondie.
jc