The cartoons I have been showing you the past few posts appeared in the year 2014. They are from my own “best of 2014” compilation assembled as an entry in the National Cartoonist Society’s 2015 divisional awards which were to be announced at the annual Reuben Award extravaganza in May, 2015. My entry, of course, was in the “Best Comic Strip” division. No, I didn’t win, but thanks for asking. “Pearls before Swine” by Stephen Pastis won. I met Stephen when a bunch of us cartoonists visited St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis last May, only days before the aforementioned awards ceremony. He’s a great guy and not quite so scruffy as he depicts himself in his strip.
50 responses to “Boxing Days”
Jimmy, if Pastis visited St. Jude’s with you, my opinion of him just went up a notch. Not at all surprised that you were there, of course.
I don’t have a closet full of those shipping boxes, but I probably do have the equivalent of a closet full of stuff stored in them.
Oh, and Happy Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday, to all. Laissez le bon temps rouler!
Recount! Recount!
“Pearls” does have its moments, so it is no great dishonor to have it come in ahead, but still…
I enjoy Pearls (and others as well) but somehow A&J strips seem to be the only ones with the staying power to be printed and placed on the fridge. (There is one where we keep the cat box. I’m sure you all remember the one I’m speaking of. If not check 3/5/13)
I do love Pearls, though since I read A&J first, we know which strip I love more. My favorite characters there are the Crocs and Zeeba Neiba.
Oh my…BOXES! Since June of last year, we have had SO many boxes in, and out of our houses as well as in storage. I am almost to the point of being able to put both cars in the garage. The city will take my cardboard if I twine them together, but I have NO idea how many boxes that we used and disposed of. In automotive, we use returnable containers. If I could have rented a few, then it might have made life easier, but the boxes are easier to write on.
We threw away so much, but we still have a lot of things in our basement. Home Depot had 5 shelve storage unit on sale and I bought 5. May buy a couple more. We plan to put curtains over them so then our basement won’t look like a warehouse.
My wife has entered many contests for her writing and fortunately has won a few. Of course when she doesn’t win, I have to convince her that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. I guess “funny” is too. Don’t worry Jimmy, you have quite a few fans her at A&J.com and we all think you’re funny….I think
Oh my…BOXES! Since June of last year, we have had SO many boxes in, and out of our houses as well as in storage. I am almost to the point of being able to put both cars in the garage. The city will take my cardboard if I twine them together, but I have NO idea how many boxes that we used and disposed of. In automotive, we use returnable containers. If I could have rented a few, then it might have made life easier, but the boxes are easier to write on.
We threw away so much, but we still have a lot of things in our basement. Home Depot had 5 shelve storage unit on sale and I bought 5. May buy a couple more. We plan to put curtains over them so then our basement won’t look like a warehouse.
My wife has entered many contests for her writing and fortunately has won a few. Of course when she doesn’t win, I have to convince her that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. I guess “funny” is too. Don’t worry Jimmy, you have quite a few fans her at A&J.com and we all think you’re funny….I think
emb, had posted this for you, but Jimmy had changed to another strip (you got that right, Arlo!).
emb, thanks for the Herman strip. That has been one of my favorite comic strips for years. Before I had to sell my book collection I had all Mr. Unger’s Herman reprint books, including one full-color one that was all Sunday strips.
I’ve never pitched another comic on here and I hope Jimmy doesn’t banish me for such but ya’ll like a good laugh and today’s Baby Blues (http://babyblues.com/) gave me the biggest belly laugh I’ve gotten from a comic in quite a while.
While we’re mentioning other strips… My typical reaction to “Pearls” was, the few times I looked at it back when I was driving,” someone thinks that’s funny?” OTOH, I think yesterday’s “Pickles” (Feb 8) was especially funny since that’s my wife’s reaction to arachnids in unexpected places:
http://www.arcamax.com/thefunnies/pickles/s-1794835
Yep, today’s “Baby Blues” is, indeed, a classic! I like “Pearls” for the puns, but not so much otherwise. “Pickles” has its moments, and seems a steady piece of work.
Since my MBH began supporting the Amazon staff, our basement has loads of boxes virtually all the time. That’s nice at gift-giving times, but, if we ever have more mice, we may never find them unless via traps! [In the past, we found out too late that a guest rodent had been living extremely well in a large Thanksgiving wreath composed of many nuts of several kinds. It must have kept him/her stuffed for most of the winter.]
Let’s hope Jackie’s lake is calmer than this one! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgbVNIF-npc
OF due now-1722 CST. emb
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html
I made a promise to myself that should I win the lottery I will give a million to St. Judes. I’m not sure that I could visit though. I think that Old Yeller would still start me blubbering.
Jimmy, I have a mantra “Don’t design over the head of the judges.” That seems to apply to comic strips as well.
About St. Judes, I used to volunteer at a home for children in New Orleans where the children were missing arms, legs, couldn’t walk, sort of a home to dump children in that no one wanted. I loved the kids and the kids loved me. It didn’t matter about races or disability, those were loving children.
But I’d cry for days, not while I loved them but at home. My doctor made me quit because I’d volunteer one day and cry five.
Jackie,
I worked at a nursing home that had a wing for children that were dumped by their parents or wards of the state for a semester while I was in college. For the 3-11 shift, 5 days a week I was responsible for a nursery of 6 boys with various physical and medical conditions. Two were of normal intelligence but were trapped in mostly non-functional bodies. The other four had profound mental disabilities. There were about 70 children total, many were there as the result of parental abuse.
Working with those children has had a lifelong effect on me. I will not tolerate the attitudes that some people have about “retards” or “freaks”. It has been a great joy to be able to live near and do things with my severely developmentally disabled nephew. Last summer, he traveled to Colorado with my wife and I to be part of the family summer vacation with my daughters. He loves me to sing, “The ants go marching” while he walks in rhythm with the song.
I didn’t cry every night, but I did recognize the pathos of their circumstance. I had to stop working there because it was necessary for me to transfer to the primary campus for my ROTC program after I received a three-year ROTC scholarship. I felt guilty about leaving– the boys that could talk all called me “Daddy David.”
Jackie, that’s a problem volunteers have at the children’s unit of our state hospital. Little kids shouldn’t have to deal with psychiatric disorders. 🙁
OF just had a nice blow, ideal viewing conditions: clear weather, sunlight from the W, light W breeze, probably above 0 temps [guess]. Pattern sort of usual: few small jets, teasers as it were, over sev. min. into the 1702-1722 window, sizable intermittent jets, then sustained jets and major eruption about 1720+.
Two quite different things I don’t understand. 1. Why do cam operators seem to think it important that the full boardwalk remain in view? It curves to the L so one could keep its W-most corner in view and the top of the highest jets would not be cut off by the top margin of the frame. They could of course zoom out, but then get a smaller view of OF and even more of the dull boardwalk. Cam did move to the R as the breeze picked up, so you could see the cloud dissipate. Whoopee.
2. We get a predicted 20 min. window. What about the public there? Judging by their gaits, most were of retirement age, only 3-4 relatively young, no kids. All acted as though they had no idea about the predicted window. The cam is presumably on the roof of a bldg. [Of course it could be operated from Boulder, CO.] Mostly, they walked on by. None were there for the show. Apparently, our info is not available on site. Strange. emb
Jackie,
The “don’t design over the heads of the judges” also occasionally applies to high school teachers, too. My eldest daughter had a 9th grade English teacher that couldn’t understand the words and ideas my daughter used. She got bad grades (“C”) on several papers because the thesis was too complex, or the ideas expressed required reflection. After arranging a transfer to the Pre-advanced placement 9th grade English my daughter did much better.
David: In NYC in the early ’40s, they had a system called ‘rapid advance’ in JHS. At the time, el-hi years were divided into two semesters; i.e., you could enroll in grade 1A after Christmas if you turned age 6 in, say, Nov. Students who were in 1A in the fall, would be in 1B in spring.
You of course had a PERMANENT RECORD from elementary school. If you’d done well, when you started JHS, either in Sept. or Jan., you’d go into grade 7A.R [R = rapid advance.] Then 7B.R, 8 [one semester], then 9A.R and 9B.R: 3 yrs. in 2.5. Not only saved you an extra semester, but insured that, at least in Home Room, you’d be with other overachievers, which made life more bearable.
Then, if you did well on Stuyesant H.S.’s* two day exam, you’d have 10-12th grade w/ other overachievers. May have saved my life. [Stuyesant bit repeated from earlier posts years ago.]
NYC has eliminated the 1A-1B system since; don’t know what they’ve done with the ‘rapids.’ I know I started PS 41 in 1B in Sept., at age 8, skipped 2A and 3A, and started JHS 3 in 7A.R in Jan., 10A in Stuyvesant in Sep. ’44.
*or Brooklyn Tech., Bronx Science, Hunter High, H.S. of Music and Art, maybe others.
Peace, emb
Couldn’t help it.
As soon as I read “Pearls before Swine,” I thought of the 60s and early 70s psychedelic-folk group, fronted by Tom Rapp.
I saw them in concert at Western Kentucky University when I was a freshman there.
My favorite album of theirs is “These Things Too,” a highly unusual look at some aspects of Jesus.
Favorite line from the album: Growing up is learning to disbelieve.
Gotta love St. Jude’s!! As a native Memphian, I think I’m allowed to make a plug. I hope you’ll consider making a donation to the hospital. They never charge patients for treatment, and they’ve made amazing progress in curing children’s cancer. It’s a beautiful place!
I will say that I found working with children and adults with lower IQ’s to be a delight. Those that may occasionally become violent you just learn to watch for the signs and keep your distance when necessary.
I will say that I found working with children and adults with lower IQ’s to be a delight. Those that may occasionally become violent you just learn to watch for the signs and keep your distance when necessary.
I will say that I found working with children and adults with lower IQ’s to be a delight. Those that may occasionally become violent you just learn to watch for the signs and keep your distance when necessary.