Brevity by Dan Thompson for November 18, 2013

Too soon.

Scorchwave…..it would be way too soon….but the strip was probably submitted for publication before it happened…

So it’s more like unfortunate coincidence.

For those who don’t know, Lou Reed died just three weeks ago.it’s possible that Dan didn’t or still doesn’t) know.The business of Universal Uclick and other comics syndicates is still mostly selling the strips for publication in newspapers…websites like this make no money.

So the comics have to be submitted 3 to 4 weeks ahead of publication…. some cartoonists work even farther ahead.

A few with large followings or topical subject matter have special contracts, or simply enough clout, to be allowed to send in their work closer to deadline, or change it if something happens…but even so, anything within a couple of weeks is very unusual.

Comics sections, along with features like recipes, are all laid out way ahead of time so the newspaper crew can concentrate on the pages that contain breaking news.

I really doubt Dan planned this.

He looks very happy. He’s probably thinking “Skip to my loo”.

I’m afraid that anyone saying “too soon” doesn’t understand the joke or is so hypersensitive to life that they probably should bury their heads in the sand.What exactly is “too soon” about it? It makes no judgment on Lou Reed one way or the other, it’s a clever little word play — that I do find quite funny. If you’re offended by this, probably best to limit your reading to the back of cereal boxes.

I’m with SusanSunshine. Probably this was already set up before Lou Reed passed away. And I think the timing is lovely. What a nice little tribute to a great performer who undoubtedly would have gotten (is getting) a chuckle out of it.

doot ta doot – ta doot- doot ta doot -doot ta doot ta doot

He was very cool.

Showed a different slice of life way before the general public became aware.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsVLIiI8Vfo

Vicious, you hit me with your flower, you do it every hour. Baby your so vicious… ( Lou Reed RIP)

Lou Reed was amazing, and it’s too bad that he died, but it in no way was a tragedy and therefore off-limits to well-intentioned japery. It’s actually a miracle that he lasted as long as he did, considering that his drug use makes Keith Richards look like a piker.

Does such a book exist?

Of the 4,000 or so strips that I have seen so far this year, this one is easily the wittiest.