Enjoy Stuff: See ya in the Funny Papers!
Lay out the newspaper all over the living room floor and turn to the funny pages! This week we look back on the history and some of our favorite comic strips over the years. Plus an interactive game for you Earbuds on Enjoy Stuff!
Let’s revisit some legendary comic strips from over the years! Jovial Jay and Shua strip on this week’s Enjoy Stuff!
News
The Road House trailer has shown us that there is still a taste for fighting (and Jake Gyllenhaal’s abs)
No abs in the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire trailer, but we do get a whole lot of favorite characters!
Check out our TeePublic store for some enjoyable swag and all the latest fashion trends
What we’re Enjoying
Jay took Shua’s advice that the new Peacock streaming series Ted was worth the watch. He agrees. It is a funny (and raunchy) story of a boy and his bear. But Seth Macfarlane has given it a heart that really makes you think and care. Shua made his way to the movie theater and saw Jeffrey Wright’s newest film American Fiction. This story, about an author who is disgruntled about the stereotypes of blacks that are portrayed in modern literature.
Sci-Fi Saturdays
This week Sci-Fi Saturdays shows you some Signs. M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 alien thriller isn’t a Dead End. The plot seems to be going straight and then takes a Right Turn only and you have to Yield to suspense. Shyamalan’s Uneven Road of movies shouldn’t Stop you from revisiting Signs. Check it out on Sci-Fi Saturdays. He has also been updating locations from Marvel TV and movies, including Echo, the Agents of SHIELD, and Agent Carter series. Play around with the interactive map on MCULocationScout.com. Plus, you can tune in to SHIELD: Case Files where Jay and Shua break down each episode of the Echo series and more.
Enjoy Comic Strips!
Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield…there are so many legendary comic strips that have appeared in the newspaper over the years. Originally intended to sell newspapers, their popularity soared and before too long there were dozens of artists making different varieties of comics. As they evolved we got comics that were silly, timely, political, and Pulitzer Prize winners.
Classic strips from the 50s, like Peanuts, Marmaduke, Dennis the Menace, and more are still published today, either in reruns (not Linus’s brother) or drawn by a new artist.
As the 60s and 70s brought change to the world, the comic pages started reflecting it as well. Timely topics were sometimes presented next to our Beetle Bailey. Pulitzer Prize winning Doonesbury by Gary Trudeau proved that the comics could be important. Spider-Man and Star Wars brought other formats of our entertainment to the comics pages.
And then we got a series of mega stars that blew up the popularity of that beloved illustrated section of the newspaper. Garfield, The Far Side, Bloom County, and Calvin and Hobbes became just a handful of reasons people would pick up the comics in the first place.
How well do you know your comics? Let’s play a game to see if you remember the punch line from the very first published strip from a few classics.
Here is a cigar box full of comics that Shua’s dad collected from the 1950s
Inspired by his Dad’s collection, Shua collected comics in his own cigar box (but not his cigars)
Now that newspapers are going the way of the Dodo, what does the future hold for our beloved strip format? We’re not sure, but we will continue to start the day with a laugh.
One of the strips Jovial Jay worked on in college called Major Toys
Gene Pool was a strip Jovial Jay worked on in college. Was it controversial? You betcha!
Shua’s dad drew this bear for him and continued to inspire him with cartoons
Did you grow up reading comics? What were some of your favorites (or ones you avoided)? First person that emails me with the subject line, “Let’s go exploring!” will get a special mention on the show. Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com
We truly appreciate all you Earbuds who have hopped on board and joined us for our next chapter! Join in the fun by reaching out to us! And make sure to Share and Enjoy with all your friends!
Share and enjoy!
