Comments on: Good News, Bad News

By: Brent

Brent — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:32:42 +0000

David (S):

Yeah, BC and Wizard of ID are well know for not caring about anachronisms. I just think it’s fun to No-Prize the gaps where possible… the idea of a medieval tanning bed that “tans” you in the same way you’d brown a piece of meat has more humour for me than this strip by itself. It goes back to the Flintstones, where modern conveniences were done up in a way that was “plausible” (ie within the laws of humourous cartoons), and so weren’t really so much anachronisms, but just silly. BC and Wizard only do that occasionally.

By: mkilby

mkilby — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:25:27 +0000

Nicole @ 18:
Speaking of Monty Python, next Monday (5 Oct) will be the 40th anniversary of the first broadcast of the first episode. As it happens, Sunday (4 Oct) is the 20th anniversary of the death of Graham Chapman (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsHk9WC7fnQ for a clip from his funeral, starring John Cleese and Eric Idle).

By: Frank the curmudgeon

Frank the curmudgeon — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:02:49 +0000

Parker & Hart are still more creative and funnier than Batiuk. I thought he was banned from CIDU ?

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:02:12 +0000

Somehow this reminds of this Monty Python sketch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce0UEb05DXI

By: mkilby

mkilby — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:03:00 +0000

Ooops. My mistake: I only thought that Parker was still alive because the strip was signed with his name. No wonder the Wizard of Id has been so lame for so long. All the more reason to cancel it, now that I know it’s a zombie.

By: David (S)

David (S) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:14:33 +0000

Wizard of ID has never been terribly concerned about anachronisms. I remember puzzling over a couple in a 70s collection, one involving Wiz giving the Duke a sunlamp, and one where Wiz and Blanche go out to a Japanese restaurant. I was puzzled partly by the anachronism, and mostly because I didn’t know what a sunlamp was or what Japanese food was like (I was six).

By: David N

David N — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:02:05 +0000

My take is that the salon guy wants to leave her there so he can charge rent, and always have the bed “in use” if you will. Thus, the good news is he can cut the husband a good deal on that.

But overthinking a Wizard of Id comic hurts, man.

By: Powers

Powers — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:32:20 +0000

Wait, sorry. Just looked it up. Brant Parker actually died eight days after Hart, but he hadn’t drawn the strip since 1997, when his son took over. I have no idea who’s writing it these days, but it’s probably Mason Hart.

By: Powers

Powers — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:30:33 +0000

It’s a little late for that, mkilby. Parker pre-deceased Hart.

By: mkilby

mkilby — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:23:53 +0000

I think the cremation / dessication / modern / medieval question is unimportant compared to the funny / unfunny question. This one was simply not funny, no matter how you read it. Parker should retire (but he doesn’t need to go to the same extreme as his erstwhile partner Hart).