In which I say I’m not going to write a post, but then I do so anyway.
Just a couple of items I want to note, as I’ve been under the weather and don’t really have a real post in me at the moment. I think I’m allergic to Batman and Robin.
- Speaking of Batman and Robin, I do plan on writing some extended responses to your comments from yesterday’s post. A lot of you had some interesting things to say, and I’m looking forward to discussing this in further detail when I’m a little more up to it. (And that sound you hear is thousands of blog readers crying out “NOOOO! NO MORE BATMAN AND ROBIN!”)
- Another brief commercial announcement: I’m finally listing more things on the eBay, so if you see anything there you’d like, feel free to help a pal out.
- Found out from Mr. Spurgeon that the Opus comic strip is ending after a five year run. That’s too bad…I did love Bloom County and Outland, and while Opus was a bit too much “can’t go home again,” I had enough affection for the character to enjoy seeing him back in the funny papers.
- You know what’s weird? Coming across an explicit reference to the Vietnam War in the latest Complete Peanuts reprint volume from Fantagraphics (1969-1970), in a daily I’m almost certain I’ve never seen before. Specifically, the strip involved Snoopy giving a (televised!) speech at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm (yeah, I know, just go with it), when a riot breaks out over protesters upset about…well, let’s let Linus tell you, from the July 10th, 1970 strip:
“According to the paper, the riot was about war dogs…apparently there’s been some trouble about dogs being sent to Vietnam, and then not getting back…”
WOW. That’s pretty heavy, even for a strip that doesn’t tend to shy away from the darker aspects of life.
- A couple of other things about that latest Peanuts volume: first, there’s another strip I don’t think I’ve seen before, involving an “Age of Aquarius” joke. Topical “popular culture” humor isn’t necessarily uncommon in Peanuts, but it always seems a little jarring to me, somehow.
Also, on the back cover, some of the book’s contents are described, including:
“…The revelation that Snoopy’s little bird companion is named…Woodstock!”
DUDE, HOW ‘BOUT A “SPOILER ALERT,” PLEASE!
(Yes, I’m kidding. And talk about “topical popular culture humor,” with a character named Woodstock!)
