Andertoons by Mark Anderson for June 25, 2024

That must be some body count

A like “A don’t get it”.

Hester Prynne?

Ms. Prynne has to wear a scarlet letter for adultery. What’s your crime, Mr. Kent?

Then what is it for?

Angry Woman, maybe? Her superpower is to glare a criminal into submission.

I remember learning about this book in the 7th grade. Back then there was no internet or social media so a lot of us were clueless about adultery.

I mean…apparently S stands for hope so that A could stand for anything

A-hole?

Superman meets Available Woman.

I went to Arlington High School, and our mascot was a red cardinal, so the lettermen athletes were all very proud to receive their scarlet letter “A”.

Hester is my favorite sports hero. In the sport with both the most professional and the most amateur participants, she’s the only one I ever heard of who lettered.

Antwoman?

Dimmesdale!

I know what it stands for, but what does she think he thinks it stands for.

NOR what you could POSSIBLY imagine!!

Is she referring to his S??

A is for autism, automaton, average, aluminum, …. can’t be agoraphobic or she wouldn’t be there

Shared this with ChatGPT asking to explain the joke:

The cartoon features two characters sitting at a table. One is dressed as Superman, and the other is a woman wearing a bonnet and a dress with a large “A” on her chest. The caption reads, “It’s not what you think.”

The joke lies in the humorous misunderstanding of the “A” symbol. The woman represents Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel “The Scarlet Letter,” in which she is forced to wear the letter “A” (for “adultery”) as punishment. The humor comes from the juxtaposition of this character with Superman, leading to a funny misinterpretation of the “A” symbol. In this context, the “A” could humorously be mistaken for “A” in a superhero sense, like “A for Awesome” or another positive attribute, rather than its original meaning. The phrase “It’s not what you think” emphasizes this mix-up.

???? Isn’t a cartoon punch line supposed to be able to be picked up on by readers?