Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for May 10, 2020

Did someone bring the martinis?

Shaken, not stirred.

Um, they are clearly NOT six feet apart

At least they won’t go hungry; they have plenty of pork to go around.

Don’t watch the damn news. It’s making you all sick.

It’s a happy box until someone insists on staying in it to go to the bathroom. Then it’s a crappy box.

I’ve checked all around; even Amazon doesn’t have that dam’n thing… Hey, one place that might have a couple left; My pillow Mike’s!

To update Timothy Leary, Turn on, tune in, get in your Happy Box.

They’re going to need a bigger box.

we ALL could use a happy box

Another strip about how much the world sucks. Sigh.

I really hate to say this, since I’ve been a fan of the strip for a long time, but Pearls really feels like it’s been on autopilot the past few years.

I miss the storylines. I miss when the characters got into wacky adventures that intersected with each other. I miss seeing other characters like the sea anemone enemy, or Pig’s sister, or the Lions. I miss when Goat and Zebra did things instead of just sitting around reacting to whatever silly thing Rat or Pig says. Sure, there are the occasional strips that break up the monotony, but it seems that that majority of comics anymore are just the characters sitting around feeling mad or sad about how dumb our world or government is. As true as many of their observations are, it feels like the same old thing over and over and over again. There are some great, even brilliant, strips every now and again, but I feel they’re becoming fewer and farther between.

I know Stephan has said he feared Pearls going so long that it starts to become stale. Well…it’s been almost 20 years, and in my humble opinion, I worry that 20 years might just be long enough.

Works sorta like the Happy Helmet from Ren and Stimpy…

Is there one big enough to fit me too?

Hmm. Did Larry the Crock finally get Zebra? Perhaps Zebra is in quarantine and I hate to be a buzz kill but the lads are not social distancing in the Happy Box, that would draw the ire of many in a lot of places……

It won’t be long before that happy box becomes a litter box!

Cats have known about happy boxes forever. The smaller and tighter, the better!

Misery makes company – isn’t that an English proverb?

Don’t Worry ! ….. Be Happy ! Sing the Song ! … Croc Power !

I have a happy box! I invert it and place it over my TV and any other negative news source. Never been happier!

This reminds me of Bloom County’s dandelion breaks.

They’re not distancing themselves

Usually it pays to stay somewhat informed. But lately I can see benefit in becoming an ostrich.

Guard Duck!! Mr. Snuffles!!!

I didn’t know there was a cat in this strip. It must represent indifference.

Here in Tulsa, marijuana sales have skyrocketed recently.

a great example of “into the box” thinking…

The latest episode of Freakonomics Radio offers some fascinating revelations and meaningful tips on this topic,

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/reasons-to-be-cheerful/

How do you get one of those boxes? I want one!

this does show real life

Distancing?

Whatever happened to Social Distancing???

Better than the times Pig stayed in bed.

Where’s Zebra?

the Croc’s snout tip looks like a little face w/ 2 eyes and a nose.

not sure if it always looks exactly like that, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it this way.

It’s the media doing the reporting. It isn’t the reality. Be happy to spite them.

wikiwiki peekeed..

> The Democratic Party during the New Deal coalition, formed in support of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal policies from 1930s until 1960s, was a “big-tent” party.40 This coalition brought together labor unions, working-class voters, farm organizations, liberals, Southern Democrats, African Americans, urban voters and immigrants.4142

Is Guard Duck for hire? To keep the virus away.

Thank you Stephan!

Our cat has one and plants herself therein regularly. (She doesn’t need it)

Whaaaaat, No social distancing? What will happen to Stephan if his crew gets Covid19? Would be care for them, or find other work, or (ARRRGH) a new crew substitute?

What are those things, except in the last panel? They even eventually stop shock therapy at asylums.

I was surprised that even Guard Duck needs the Happy Box.

U-Haul has refrigerator size boxes!

Got room for one more?

I guess it is much easier being a cartoonist during the pandemic. Seem like every cartoon for a month has been a rerun

I keep saying… they need a field of dandelions. (I’ve got one they could use)

Guard Duck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Always good to see guard duck

i’m swearing off the news myself.

Snuffles is gonna Tsar Bomba that box

My head is my ‘Happy Box.’

From what I’ve heard, the only one likely to get it is the cat.

Nice to see Mr. Snuffles and Lil Guard Duck.

my happy box is my back patio with my dogs and some great podcasts. In otherwords, see today’s Pluggers comic.

Gotta love The Happy Box. In fact, I keep one in reserve over on that social networking site for potential use as an avatar. Everybody, in fact, should have a Happy Box. And if everyone had his or her own, we wouldn’t have to cringe at the PBS gang’s crowding in this Age of Social Distancing….

Hey, Social distance people!