New Cartoon Blog Hit

[RS Davis]

[glow=red,2,300]Edward B. Driscoll, Jr. Wrote:[/glow]In a recent column in City Journal, Brian C. Anderson wrote that political left's near monopoly on the dissemination of opinion and information "is skidding to a startlingly swift halt." Anderson credits this remarkable occurrence to talk radio, the Fox News Channel, independent book publishers, the Internet, and more recently, the "blogosphere." This newest of media, with its promise of instant publishing, has opened new doors for commentary and news reporting, as well as media and technology coverage. But it's not a vehicle that's been taken advantage of by cartoonists.



Until now, that is. Chris Muir is a 40-something Florida-based industrial designer by day, and a cartoonist by night. Technologically savvy, conservative, and very much tuned in to the subjects that interest bloggers, Muir's comic, Day By Day has become a hit in the blogosphere.

I checked out the cartoon. I didn't think it was very funny.

- Rick

[penguin]

A few of them were funny.

I find few poliitical cartoons funny. It seems to be that the most politically aware aren't really very clever, and the funniest people often tend to be poliically callow.

[RS Davis]

penguin said:

A few of them were funny.

I find few poliitical cartoons funny. It seems to be that the most politically aware aren't really very clever, and the funniest people often tend to be poliically callow.

It's true. For instance, Al Franken is hilarious, but when he writes about actual issues, he shows his ass.

- Rick

[penguin]

RS said:

It's true. For instance, Al Franken is hilarious, but when he writes about actual issues, he shows his ass.

- Rick

Franken had a few funny bits on SNL years ago. He's out of ideas now, though.

I think some of these cartoonists and political humorists start out funny when they are primarily humorists who use their gift of wit to give a political twist to their craft. They do it with subtlety and irony -- gentle sarcasm, clever phrasing, etc. Eventually, it seems, they lose that subtlty and wit and replace it with blunt (often even mean-spirited) demagoguery and bludgeoning ideolgical fury. Then, it's not funny, and it's tiresomely repetitive and ordinary. Doonsebury was funny many, many years ago. Now it's just dull and unimaginative.

P.J. O'Rourke, however, is still funny.

[dr snootch]

One can only spout the party-line for so long and continue to be funny. After a certain point, it just gets repetitive and dull. Bill Hicks and The Simpson's were great about bashing everyone and continued to be funny and original long after the shelf-life of most entertainers.

"I think the puppet on the left represents my views. I think the puppet on the right is more to my liking. Hey, there's one guy holding up both puppets."
"Go back to sleep America, your government is in control." -Bill Hicks

Links to Bill Hicks standup

There's some very funny shit here. Scroll most of the way down to the Sane Man and Hicks Loses It clips. Some of the best stuff on the site.

[RS Davis]

penguin said:

P.J. O'Rourke, however, is still funny.

The Menckin of our time...

- Rick

[RS Davis]

dr said:

"I think the puppet on the left represents my views. I think the puppet on the right is more to my liking. Hey, there's one guy holding up both puppets."
"Go back to sleep America, your government is in control." -Bill Hicks

That's some funny shit. I really like him overall, but sometimes he just comes off as a conspiracy nut.

- Rick