Week 3: The Comic Strip

I recall there being a period of time in my childhood whereupon I was absolutely enamored with comic strips. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve always liked comics in almost every single shape or form, but there was a period of time where I read comic stripes almost exclusively.

Prior to this class, I hadn’t heard of, nor read, both Little Nemo and Krazy Kat before, but I have to say that I rather enjoyed both comics. I preferred Krazy Kat because I felt that it reminded me of the comics I used to read when I was younger. One strip I particularly enjoyed involved Krazy Kat trying to hide its diary under a rock, believing it to be safe from prying eyes, only for the rest of the cast coming back at night to read it. I’m not sure why I liked it quite so much, but it stuck with me even after I’ve forgotten most of the other strips within. I suppose reading Krazy Kat brought back a sense of nostalgia regarding the days where I used to read comics upon comics with quirky characters in ridiculous situations.

I believe that I started out by reading the funnies page in the newspaper. Back then, I couldn’t understand the humor in at least half of the comic strips, but I recall liking the Garfield strips well enough. My first real love for comics began with Calvin & Hobbes, however. I had always been charmed by the characters, and I suppose being a child at the time helped me appreciate what went on in Calvin’s head. At the time, I also had a stuffed animal which I loved very much. Seeing Calvin interact with his own as though Hobbes was a real life friend not only greatly entertained me, it left me with a lingering sense of warmth, too.

As I grew up, I also learned to appreciate other comic strips such as Foxtrot, Sherman’s Lagoon, Baby Blues, and Get Fuzzy. I also redeveloped a new liking for Garfield strips. Most of the comics I mentioned above were discovered through the funnies page. I hadn’t understood the humor in most of them at first, but I gained a new appreciation for them as I grew older.

My favorite thing about the comic strip is the lack of continuity and, for the most part, the lack of a real plot. It means that I can start off just about anywhere and not feel like I’ve missed much, if anything at all. Reading comic books are great, but it’s very difficult to gain an understanding of what’s going on if you don’t start with the first book and read them in order. With comic strips, you don’t have to worry about anything like that at all. Occasionally, the strips would carry on with the same mini-plot for a while, or throw in a callback, but they are, for the most part, standalone.

Another thing I like about comic strips is that each and every single strip is funny in its own right. There’s always a small joke and punchline, and they’re a great way to pass time and simply entertain yourself all the while.