Sunday Funnies Pt. 2

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...

I love monster comic strips that have fun with the monster movies themselves and their cliches. Sometimes, you have to be familiar with the movies to "get" the joke.  You have to know that Frankenstein movies are full of angry mobs and that the monster does not like fire.

Strange Brew by John Deering (8-2-12)

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy (5-12-12)

You have to know that Igor chose the wrong brain for Dr. Frankenstein to place inside his creature.

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy (6-3-12)

Doesn't it make these comics funnier if you've seen the movie or are familiar with the lore?

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn (4-29-10)

 

Strange Brew by John Deering (9-27-10)

 

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn (4-13-12)

 

Strange Brew by John Deering (3-25-12)

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn (10-14-10)

 

Comics are at their best when they make fun of a passing trend.  And when you add monsters to Justin Bieber, the iPhone, fitness, unemployment and office politics...

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy (10-29-10)

Bound & Gagged by Dana Summers (10-18-10)

 

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy (10-25-09)

Strange Brew by John Deering (7-24-11)

Strange Brew by John Deering (12-3-10)

 

I'm a sucker for a bad...er, good... pun, so i get a special kick out of comics with clever word play.

Strange Brew by John Deering (11-23-09)

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn (8-4-12)

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn (9-28-12)

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy (4-28-09)

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy (10-30-10)

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn (10-12-12)

 

I could go on all day.  But let me make a couple observations.  First, you will notice that monster-themed comic strips are not just a Halloween season treat; they are published year 'round.  Second, you will notice that there a couple of comics where the writer/artists must be horror fans; while monsters pop up occasionally in other strips, they frequently appear in theirs.

 

Finally, you may think only the classic monsters are victims of these comic strips, but more recent horror legends do appear.  I happen to think they aren't quite as funny, perhaps because their lore is not quite as engrained in pop culture consciousness.

 

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy (10-13-12)

Bound & Gagged by Dana Summers (3-23-10)

 

Strange Brew by John Deering (6-11-10)

The Flying McCoys by Glenn & Gary McCoy (10-24-10)

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn (3-11-09)

 

Strange Brew by John Deering (8-8-12)

Speed Bump by Dave Coverly (1-24-09)

The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn (11-8-11)

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed a little taste of my sense of humor.  I want to leave you with one of my all-time favorites... a blast from the past... a hilarious mash-up first seen on September 9, 1999 in a The New Breed comic by Alan Hutchinson: