| 4/7/95 – Jim Davis deserves credit in this volume for breaking up the mundane with regular introductions of the obscure and unexpected. We expect lame jokes about Garfield’s diet, coffee, lasagna, and spiders. Nobody expects the phrase, “Meet mister cattle prod.” 3/8 4/14/95 – By this point Jon’s role of lame duck had come to term, but not overwhelmed who his character was supposed to be. Seeing him stuffed into a sweater without an opening for his head is the kind of demeaning humor Jon was meant to display. 1/8 4/15/95 – There isn’t much to say about this one. It’s amusing simply as a tribute to lowered standards. 1/8 4/20/95 – The responsibly concerned civic action of an anti-mouse petition is the kind of democracy in action you don’t often see in the entertainment world. 1/8 4/21/95 – A mouse paddle-ball is cruel, inhumane, and morally reprehensible. But, “Wap!-Eek! Wap!-Eek!” is just plain funny. 2/8 4/29/95 – Elegant in it’s simplicity. While food as a topic in Garfield is often a tired theme, there’s something funny about “Interesting lettuce.” 4/8 4/30/95 – This is one of the few strips that I can repeatedly laugh at in a single day. Jim Davis has finally taken advantage of the extra spaces afforded him on the Sunday strips and once again gone outside the traditional bounds of normalcy. I’m no expert but I’ll venture to say vomiting mice were new to the arena of comics at this point in history. 6/8 5/10/95 – This was my tenth birthday, but unfortunately not very funny. 0.5/8 5/13/95 – Another physical gag that introduces an unusual visual to create humor. It’s commonplace, but as long as the independent gags are new, they continue to be funny. This one of Garfield tied to a gigantic church bell is no exception. 2/8 5/14/95 – This strip actually takes its gag from a previous Garfield strip in which Jon brushes his teeth with a toilet brush supplied by Garfield, but it’s still funny to see him combing his hair with an electric razor. 2/8 5/17/95 – It was good of Jim Davis to include a Far Side tribute. While, I feel that Garfield has by now outlived its funniness, Gary Larson didn’t take that chance and has preserved an immaculate product. 1/8 5/22/95 – The jaded side of Garfield is one we don’t often see. His sudden eruptions of anger – especially jealousy inspired – are usually good for a smile. 1/8 5/25/95 – We often forget that Garfield is a cat, a predator by nature. Strips like this remind us in a suitably brutal and entertaining way. “Potato chips and sparrows!” 3/8 5/26/95 – “OHHHH YESSS, IT’S A BEEEAUTIFUL MORNING!!” We’ve all been woken up in a similarly cruel manner. Seeing it in action has a certain appeal. However, this gag has been done before and better in other Garfield strips. 2/8 5/27/95 – Davis has a knack for finding the weird and brining it to our comics page. Leaving us to imagine an obese cat sitting on top of a ferret isn’t outrageously funny, but it’s goofily amusing. 1/8 6/4/95 – Not funny, but a graphic enough depiction of Jon’s sheer dorkiness to at least hold my interest. In-line skates were never really cool, and to associate them with the phrase, “Get ready to meet your destiny,” is just too much. 1/8 6/5/95 – The pseudo-repentant Garfield torn between changing his ways and flinging a brick at his master conjures an amusing enough scene of cartoon violence to set it apart from the typical blah comic fare. 1/8 6/9/95 – Let’s be honest, don’t we all have fantasies about being able to eat those who mock us? I know I do. 1/8 |
| 1 or 2: These comics are usually simple phsyical jokes. They are amusing, but not funny. This is the most basic level of comics that are at least worth reading. 3 or 4: Usually somewhat more sophisticated humor than just funny drawings. These usually don't make you laugh out loud, but should make you smile wide or chuckle under your breath. This is where the funny begins. 5 or 6: If you find one, you're lucky. These must engage the reader in such a way to generate a truly satisfying belly laugh. They can often be simple jokes, but generally construct a situation to frame and enhance the comedy. 7: One of the best comic strips you will ever see. Either outright hilarious or for some reason a master work in the field. 8: Comic perfection. These exceedingly rare strips offer not only superior content, but artistic style as well. To me, they make the argument that comic strips don't have to be just entertainment - they can be art as well. These will probably only come from Calvin and Hobbes or Bloom County (if i ever get that far). |