Sunday Funnies Pt. 1

For as long as I can remember, I've clipped and saved favorite comic strips from the newspaper.  One of the reasons I was able to finally stop reading an actual printed newspaper was GoComics, which allowed me to customize an email containing my daily comics.  I could then clip, save and organize my favorite ones digitally.

One of the categories I save is "Monsters", and I have hundreds of them.  It seems that the iconic representations of Dracula, the Mummy, the Wolfman, et. al. are so engrained in pop culture consciousness that they can be used to make a political statement, comment on a trend or simply make us laugh.  Here are some of my favorites...

Which monster do you think has been utilized the most in comic strips?  It is Frankenstein... or is it Frankenstein's monster?

Strange Brew by John Deering, 3-12-12



Starting with the lowest common denominator, monsters are often utilized for their physical attributes.  With Frankenstein's monster, body parts are a frequent source of humor.

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn, 10-8-12 and 3-19-12

Bound & Gagged by Dana Summers, 10-16-11

But Frankenstein's monster isn't the only victim when comics sometimes lean toward physical slapstick.

Strange Brew by John Deering, 9-11-12

Bound & Gagged by Dana Summers, 8-15-12

Another source of humor is family life.  It's funny to imagine what life is like at home for Frankenstein's monster, the Creature from the Black Lagoon or zombies.

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy, 10-26-10

 

Strange Brew by John Deering, 9-6-11

 

Speed Bump by Dave Coverly, 2-3-12

 



The second most utilized monster in comic strips is King Kong.  Kong is sometimes used to comment on another source of humor: relationships.

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy, 5-28-12

 

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy, 10-4-10

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn, 8-31-10

   

Not as frequently used as King Kong, zombies are neverthess common, particularly when making light of a nightmare for most people: dating.

 

Rubes by Leigh Rubin, 4-24-12

 

Speed Bump by Dave Coverly, 11-17-11

Strange Brew by John Deering, 10-12-10

 

And bringing us back full circle, Frankenstein's monster has also been used to find humor in romance.

The Far Side by Gary Larson, 10-11-85

 

Strange Brew by John Deering, 7-20-10

 

My truly favorite monster comic strips are ones that have fun with the monster movies themselves and their cliches.  Sometimes, you have to be familiar with the movies to "get" the joke.  We'll look at some of those next Sunday...