Lio by Mark Tatulli for November 13, 2010

Love it! Lio, send me one of those cards.

I like Dad’s expression. XD

Does Cybil have a rocket launcher?

Oh, boy! What a great family Christmas card! I’d like to have one, too, margueritem!

Cybil’s prop is a shoulder-launched missile weapon, or bazooka.

GASP! Is Cybil waving? At the camera? Is it possible that even Cybil feels a bit of the Christmas spirit? Or maybe she’s saying, “Hello all, prepare to be chopped into tiny bits and baked into mince pies.”

The looks on the Dad’s face… I could just hear the sign escape between his lips as he just gave in to his son’s oddities.

However, that is a great christmas card photo.

Dad you need to smile.

And a Happy Ghoul Year…

Dad looks so thrilled.

You could sell these cards easily!

@pouncingtiger:

I agree. Dad’s looking like, “I could have worn protection, but nooooooo….!”

A card that ensures you won’t be pestered by unwanted guests over the holidays!

I think Sybil is just testing the wind before shouldering her panzerschreck

I hope I get a card from them this year too !

The octopus seems to have an abnormal attachment to Dad. Look at where all the tentacles are landing up.

Geez, most of us have to mash the camera’s timer button, and then hurry into the picture. But Lio seems to have little pals that take care of such matters.

I like those little squirrels on the camera.

Should be on Sunday in color.

Amendment XXVIII (A Proposal).

Section 1.

The public promotion of any national holiday by any person, corporation or organization for commercial purposes more than thirty calendar days before the holiday is hereby prohibited.

Section 2.

Restrictions on the commercial promotion of state and local holidays shall be under the authority of the appropriate state or local government.

Section 3

The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Section 4.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Cybil is holding her classic WW II-era bazooka. She has been know to sport a shoulder-firing RPG, but several PEARLS BEFORE SWINE characters routinely carry that device, so I thought it best to show Cybil with her favorite rocket-propelled weapon.

Pastis, that swine!

Hopefully, Dad doesn’t have anyone from Child Services on his Christmas card list.

I would absolutely LOVE to receive this card! I think Cybil is waving those outside of camera range in closer so she will be sure not to miss when she fires her bazooka.

i want one of those christmas card too!

awww even vampire bunny got in the pic (does he have a name?)

I want a couple of 5X8s and some wallet size, too!

Muzition, I believe those are spiders working the camera.

I’m lovin’ it! Ya just gotta love Ismael!

Cybil is sure playing the role….must be hoping for a leading role in an adventure movie with Tom Cruise…..if not for the Bazooka, I’d say she looked almost like a normal cat.

I agree, this picture would look awesome in full color…

Thanks Mark for such a wonderful cartoon strip!

@perfesser - used to be, Xmas stuff didn’t get hauled out until just after Thanksgiving. Now, it’s out after Hallowe’en. Before long, it’ll be Xmas after Labor Day. Eventually, it’ll be year-round, like in that Sliders episode

I know what you mean runar. Used to be we watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and then the stores put up the Christmas decorations. Now, it seems they go up right after Labor Day.

what a perfect way to say Merry Christmas, a card with the whole family.

And you have to do that before the season actually begins so that you can get them back in time for addressing and mailing.

think dad is regretting getting lio that camera?

I remember Mom getting the Christmas cards off by mid-September to get to England in time! And I remember getting Christmas parcels (often squashed flat!) in February or March!

Why are Spot and Fluffy(?) the spiders working the camera? The focus will be terrible! Spiders are VERY nearsighted, even with 6 or 8 eyes. Lio could have pre-focused, Ishy could have stretched a tentacle and everyone could have been in the picture.

Still, a very heartwarming ‘family’ picture - it would be great in color.

I don’t think this image is appropriate for a family Christmas card – Dad needs to put on some pants and shoes.

runar, that Sliders episode is pretty fun, but too bad it’s more fantasy than science fiction – subliminal advertising is a myth.

haha cybil holding a bazooka