Writers’ Strike
Cidu Bill on Feb 10th 2008
You know, I really wish I’d kept tabs on all the comic strips that used the “characters can’t say anything today because of the Writer’s Guild of America strike” gag.
Filed in B.C., Bill Bickel, comic strips, comics, humor | 17 responses so far
Dave Van Domelen Feb 10th 2008 at 01:04 am 1
And, ironically, the strike seems to be wrapping up today.
Cidu Bill Feb 10th 2008 at 01:48 am 2
…which means the strike gags should end three weeks from now.
Kaitlyn Feb 10th 2008 at 01:14 pm 3
This is pretty odd when compared to this.
Cidu Bill Feb 10th 2008 at 02:21 pm 4
So… They’re going to call attention to editors’ misconception that their strips are interchangeable by all using the same gag?
I think I see a flaw in their cunning plan…
pepperjackcandy Feb 10th 2008 at 02:50 pm 5
Wow. Um, so you can tell the difference between these different cartoonists based on what comic strip old white guys in their universes read?
Huh.
At least Herb & Jamaal will stand out, when the punchline actually refers to “comic strip old white guys like” in so many words.
:goes to check H&J to see if her prediction comes true:
Arthur Feb 10th 2008 at 03:08 pm 6
“So… They’re going to call attention to editors’ misconception that their strips are interchangeable by all using the same gag?”
I’ve seen anthologies where each writer was given a plot. They illustrate how each author made a totally different story. Perhaps they should have tried something along those lines. Maybe like the Hunger Awareness Day strips often seen; same theme, very different strips.
Also, if more people jump in on this, perhaps this subject should get its own page.
Cidu Bill Feb 10th 2008 at 03:18 pm 7
I remember a few years back when editorial cartoonists from newspapers across the country, protesting the trend of newspapers dropping their in-house political cartoonists in favor of spending less money for syndicated political cartoonists, chose a day to publish cartoons calling attention to the fact. Most of the cartoons were virtually identical, which I don’t think did very much to bolster their argument.
Rain Feb 10th 2008 at 06:31 pm 8
The “minority”/People of Color comic strips united today to try to poke fun at the fact that people assume all POC cartoons are identical–when really the opposite is true–it’s the cartoon equivalent of “they all look alike”.
Kaitlyn Feb 10th 2008 at 07:04 pm 9
Their plan isn’t weak because they’re using the same gag, it’s weak because it’s true - very few papers (even in areas with more than one paper) carry more than one or 2 of these comics.
I wouldn’t have even known if I hadn’t looked at today’s H&J (I had a paper to work on and lame comics are so much more interesting when I should be doing other things). (I always read Candorville.)
Jim Feb 10th 2008 at 08:08 pm 10
The comic strip artists aren’t part of the writer’s strike anyway. And it seems to me that showing solidarity by drawing panels without conversation is only funny once. True solidarity would be not printing a comic at all. Don’t see much of that happening…
Cidu Bill Feb 10th 2008 at 08:30 pm 11
Agreed, Jim, other than perhaps the “funny the first time” part — but maybe I’m just feeling cranky about the gag because it grew tiresome so quickly.
The strike’s been going on for over three months. Are we to believe that three weeks ago, when the new B.C. writers came up with today’s strip, they really weren’t aware that anybody else had already done it (to death)?
Kaitlyn Feb 10th 2008 at 08:36 pm 12
I like Get Fuzzy’s take on the strike.
’cause Darby can do no wrong.
Plus, it led to Bucky drinking Rob’s milkshake for the first and last time ever.
bAT L. Feb 11th 2008 at 01:47 am 13
Jim - “True solidarity would be not printing a comic at all. Don’t see much of that happening…”
Wow, you must not read many webcomics, then. Although, that’s not called striking. It’s more in the vein of laziness.
Cidu Bill Feb 11th 2008 at 02:01 am 14
I’m not sure why the striking screenwriters would expect solidarity from comic strip writers anyway: Would the screenwriter lay down their pens in support of the comic strip writers?
Powers Feb 11th 2008 at 07:21 am 15
That “Cartoonists of Color” stuff is just sad. I don’t have any idea what race most of the cartoonists in my newspaper are. I assume Robb Armstrong is black, but I don’t actually know. I also notice he isn’t listed on that page. Is Brian Crane black? I don’t know. Is Woody Wilson black? I don’t know.
And if the criterion is “strips starring black people” then yeah, there’s only one in my paper’s comic section, out of about 30-40 strips. But then, I suspect the percentage of such strips available for syndication is comparable. (Or, given the quality of strips up there so far, maybe they just all suck.) I’ve never even heard of most of the comics listed on that web page.
Dan Feb 12th 2008 at 01:33 pm 16
I kind of think the only time you can do the “no dialog” bit in a comic is if the artwork in the strip is stupendous. Some of the best Calvin and Hobbes strips contained no text, just C&H doing stuff, and it was all so artful and gorgeous, no one cared. But if you have line art as your comic, having your characters remain silent just looks lazy and uncreative.
eeyore19 Feb 12th 2008 at 07:13 pm 17
Dan: my all-time favorite Calvin & Hobbes was a dialogue-free Sunday strip showing Calvin getting excited that it snowed and asking his Dad to come out and play with him. Dad shows Calvin that he has a load of paperwork to finish, so Calvin walks off dejected to play outside by himself. Dad looks out the window. Looks down at his work. Back to looking outside. Then the final panel shows Calvin all happy and excited that Dad’s coming out to play after all.