Those of you that know me know I am a full fledged 100% comic addict/collector/deconstructor. For those that didn't, now you do. And while strips aren't really my bag, I do read the Sunday Funnies in my local paper, the trib. This is mostly b/c the Trib arrives each day for free (courtesy of the last tennant) and also b/c there is little else worth reading amongst the trite infotainment that graces it's pages.
As a kid, I
loved Bloom County, by Berkeley Breathed. It was pretty out there, as far as daily funny page content goes, and the art was equally wild-scratchy, sharp edged, ugly characters, bright, bold colors in the Sunday versions, right up my alley. Then it disappeared, the illustrious Mr. Breathed retired. When lo, a couple years ago we were graced w/ his return,
"Flawed Dogs"
mo under thar ---->
Flawed Dogs was great. Creative, inspired and best of all it supported the Humane Society of the US.
Not long after I noticed the return of Opus, the weird assed penguin from Bloom County in his own strip, with the obvious title,
OPUS.
And a couple sundays ago, I noticed OPUS had become rawtha ugly.
Last week's strip dealt with creationism, as two small kids marvel at the big, beautiful, world around them and name check
intelligent design.
The dialogue went something like: "These snails, and flowers and grasses can only be the work of something greater than us, after all humming birds can not just have evolved! It must be intelligent design!" or some such blather.
This weeks featured Opus, at a restaurant, dealing with a snooty maitre'd, who, in trying to seat Opus asks him: "Prochoice?-Opus says he loves choices! Pro Delay? Opus says he hates to wait! Pro Fillibuster-Opus says he loves Phiiledelphia" (or something)and many other righty issues of the day, none of which Opus likes. It ends with Opus seated outside in the rear of the restaurant, in a roped area marked "Going to Hell" and asking his dining companion: "Why does he think I smoke?"
I'd link or display these strips, but I can't find them.
Anyway, aren't the funny pages supposed to feature a bunch of comic strips with lame jokes and some kiddie matching games? Whats up with the scary Rapture Right agenda? I find it so disturbing b/c it illustrates the insidiousness of the right's attack strategy. The point of all this is, if you find Sunday funnies an inappropriate pulpit for the Dobson gang, then PLEASE write Mr. Breathed, and tell him that while he maybe living in the Orange Curtain, the rest of the country doesn't benefit from these policies so he should take his policitcal views out of the Sunday Comics and into the Op/ED, or get back to writing about the usual peguin frolics Opus was known for.
opus@washpost.com
While your at it, drop the editor at the WAPO and the Tribune a line and tell them that the Rapture Right's agenda has no place in "family" comic strips.
letters@washpost.com for WAPO editor
mdianda@angnewspapers.com for the trib editor