Birdbrains by Thom Bluemel for September 19, 2010

Let’s chew the fat, kids.

That is one ugly witch.

Thom, I like the face on Gretel’s blouse!

Ole Whitchie Poo certainly isn’t conducting a “spelling” bee, is she!

I hope their spell checker is up and running!

She’s going to make a “hand” sandwich.

And a “gret” one?

I’ll cook you up.

She be makin’ blondies, maties.

If they be redheads, she’d be makin’ ginger bread.

Johnathan Swift received inquiries for recipes after he wrote a Modest Proposal.

Awrr! Do I hav ta be de first pirate to post dis strip. Keel haul the wench, break out da rum, and eat the house to da waterline.

Awrr! and make dat lubber THOM walk the plank.

freeholder1 wrote: “Let’s chew the fat, kids.”

or maybe that should be

“Let’s chew the fat kids.”

Do it and you’re re-Gretel it, kids.

Arrrr guess there’s no face in Gretel’s hand ‘cause there’s two in the bush to her right. There’s one in the road too.

Oh man, I always loved gingerbread houses … it’s too bad they are deadly.

ahoy, Good morning, all my favorite BirdBrainiacs, Gar. Where can I find a Bottle O’Rum?

Hm, a four-fingered witch… definitely a Birdbrain. Hm, looks like the kids are Birdbrains too. (I see a trend; it’s not due to ease of drawing, but because perching birds have four fingers per foot, that Thom’s characters have four digits per limb…)

Anyone else here know of P.D.Q. Bach, Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice: an opera in one unnatural act?

Don’t you believe the old bat, kids! Looks like someone I know of!

Good Morning Thom and Everyone!

*Johanan I know of P.D.Q. Bach but I never heard the piece you mention. I have 4 cds, obviously I’ve missed one.

Is that Bart Simpson in the bush next to Gretel? And I don’t think anybody has mentioned the witch in the fir tree above Hansel. (I will not mention the other face to Gretel’s far right…)

Sit for a spell? What spell?

commerce1943, the “funny” part is in the pun (“sit a spell”).

It’s true enough, though: we are so conditioned to think of the Hansel & Gretel story, sanitized or not, as part of childhood literature that we don’t really stop to think how horrific the story is on a lot of levels.

Just what juvenile fears is the story meant to evoke, or to help face? There must be studies of that out there somewhere…

Hm, maybe the Old Witch is based on the Jungian (and for a child, deeply subconscious) archetype of the Critical Parent… jes’ thinkin’ here…

kids are already fat enough

juvenile fears - parental abandonment, evil intentioned strangers, nasty family members

I will make you a very tasty meal.

I see a face with warts!

Let me take a load off your feet.

Hi Thom!