Why she would be a perfect little angel. Of course Toni doesn’t really believe that, but she loves Shannon. Is this foreshadowing? Will Brad and Toni raise Shannon? Will they have a child of their own? Shannon would be better off if she did see her father as often as possible so she doesn’t have abandonment issues. At least he does stay in her life, which some fathers do not.
Gee, I don’t know, but she’s under your supervision right now…so why are you allowing her to make such a mess. To start with, feet do not belong in the kitchen sink!
Oh man, it’s like my comment from a few weeks ago has come to life about people who aren’t parents thinking they’d be the best parents ever. Enjoy your fever dream while it lasts, Toni.
Awww… Yeah, over exaggerated, but good conveying what Toni would think, and cute. Unexpected guest artist makes it. I wonder if there’s more. Brad imagines (in Foxtrot type art) Shannon helping him work on a car, handing him tools. Luann imagines (in Calvin and Hobbes type art) playing frisbee w/Shannon. Nancy and Frank imagine (in For Better or Worse type art) hand in hand w/Shannon at Disneyland. Nah… Too silly.
This week should be a knockdown drag-out fight between Toni and Jonah about what an irresponsible, stinking bum he is… that would at least be interesting.
I didn’t expect that the arc drawn by Jay Fosfitt would be on Toni’s fantasies about how calm and obedient Shannon would be if she was her daughter. I’m curious to see how this will evolve in two weeks, especially because I know the author of the adorable comic “Bodie Troll” (which I recommend to everyone; especially now that it’s been reprinted) and I love the way he draws scenes with cute little characters causing disaster. I hope he draws Shannon be a trouble-magnet to Brad, Toni and TJ!
Boy, Brad and Toni are trip’n, but Shannon would definitely be better behaved if they had raised her from the start and meted out discipline as needed.
I don’t like these drawings. Toni looks old and Brad looks odd. The new Shannon has too long a neck, is missing a hand and NO ONE would ever let a child hook up a hose to the kitchen faucet so they could sit in the sink and spray water all over the house. It’s stupid and not relatable. I vote NO.
The Shannon that Brad would raise wouldn’t grow into a kid who would write a graphic story entitled Fish Friend Dog Friend. Not sure about Toni.. I remember the time when she and Shannon created a maze on the wall from cardboard tubes for a gerbil Shannon was keeping for her class.
Dream On. (Of course, I assume that MY kid (who is a perfectly normal adult with a productive job and who is happy as a clam) would be a world class neuro-surgeon with a Nobel prize and many Tri-athlete victories if I had successfully raised him/her.)
Putting aside Shannon for the moment (as she is something of an extreme case), there is a tendency for some followers of strips featuring a child or teenager as a central character (think this strip, Zits and Curtis for starters) to heavily criticize/trash the young characters via the comments sections. Usually it’s because they are simply behaving like normal kids, with some comic exaggeration. More than once I’ve seen the complainers get asked “what would be more acceptable behavior in your opinion?” What’s happening here seems to be a parody version of what the commentators/trollers apparently wanted.
It is baffling why they think they can’t ever say No to Shannon. Today they are telling Shannon that her behavior is perfectly acceptable because they don’t do a single thing to stop this behavior.
I have NO idea why anyone here would ask an artist to have a guest artist permanently. IF you don’t LIKE THE COMIC, DON’T READ IT! Love you, Greg and Karen! See you at Comic Con!
I call no way. She’d be exactly the same. Otherwise, you’d have taught her how to behave while in your house by now.
Gotta love everyone’s reaction to her behavior. Lots of shrugs and watta-ya-gonna-dos, but never any corrections. Children are more malleable than that. She can be taught to behave and you may need fewer spankings than you think.
As eladee AKA Wally said, if Jay will continue for a week or so, as the Sheriff hinted, perhaps this is a fantasy/daydream arc. I like it! Welcome, Jay!
Look at that particular opening scene. That 8yo(?) is sitting on the counter, feet in the soapy tub water that’s nearly overflowing, holding the sprayer upwards just to turn a spinner toy, all the while holding an open umbrella that does little to contain the spraying, splashing water. Brad and Toni stand there all calm and in deep thought. I do love the fantasy sequence about to start (please tell me there’s more). Still, how bad is this child that they don’t even step in anymore to stop her destructive activities?
Someone already mentioned the use of exaggeration for comic effect. I think that’s what is going on here in both panels: exaggerated destructive behavior and exaggerated perfection. Greg does that sometimes with Shannon’s more extreme behavior, like painting the couch. Is the guest artist writing the strip, or just the drawing to go with a storyline G&K give him?
This is a great opportunity to be creative and take Shannon’s story in a fun and positive direction. Though she hasn’t had overall good parental guidance, she is not “just a brat” who needs discipline. I encourage you have one of the characters – perhaps someone like Bernice in her course of study or someone unexpected (perhaps TJ?) to have a light go on that Shannon has ADHD. Do NOT think Dennis nor Bart. Girls are often never or misdiagnosed until they are much older (sometimes adults). Perhaps a no-meds version. Give this one a happy story that incorporates your creativity and humor – and a bit of education to the public. Shannon learning the word “neurodiversity” can be fun! I’m sure Jessica McClure would be more than happy to consult. >
To be honest, there are instances where Shannon would be different if they raised her. But I think a lot of her current personality would still be there. I could see her being a wee bit better about her overall behavior but still bit of a fire cracker and kind of demanding. The imagined version is more like oh if we raised this kid, she would be thoughtful enough to take care of us at her age. No she wouldn’t she’d still be 10, and if she was making breakfast it’d be eggs and toast or cereal or messy pancakes and there is nothing wrong with any of that. I think the imagined version is nothing more than pure fantasy and anyone who is a parent knows that. It’s okay to have a fantasy version as long as you remember it’s fantasy. Again, I think if she’d been with them since they got married she’d still be roughly the same maybe a little more well-behaved because she’d have Ma and Pa DeGroot to provide support more but don’t think she’d be that much different. She’s bratty and obnoxious and can be a real pain in the butt, but deep down she’s a genuinely good kid with deep feelings and a pretty inquisitive mind.
Jay Fosgitt designed the art for my 2009 Honda Rebel gas tank.
My bike is small and blue, so I figured my “pinup model” ought to be as well.
I met Jay at a Comic-Con and hired him to draw me a sexy little Smurfette….. and I transferred the image to my gas tank. (I spent three years building my bike… and it’s awesome).
Yeah right! First of all, you can’t teach a kid what you don’t know, and neither one of them really knows how to cook. Second, they go along with Shannon’s shenanigans and have never uttered a “no” to her – that doesn’t bode well for their own children.
lvlax 6 months ago
Cool! A guest artist. Not bad.. but Toni should be drawn way hotter. ;)
It would be nice if Shannon acted like that and was more well behaved.
So how long do we have the guest artist? 1 week? 2 weeks?
beb01 6 months ago
Up with this I will not put.
Wilkins068 6 months ago
Has kind of a Disney feel to it
sipsienwa Premium Member 6 months ago
Dream on, Toni and Brad.
howtheduck 6 months ago
Bodie Troll Jay Fosgitt?
Joe1962 6 months ago
Well done Jay. To answer Brad question, I think Shannon be more happy and looking over her shoulder, because she has a foundation.
kenhense 6 months ago
I think Shannon will love to make meals. But they need to decide when she’s old enough to train.
cholomanaba 6 months ago
see you all in a week…. I´m outta here.
Argythree 6 months ago
Not liking the ‘new’ Brad…
sfknight 6 months ago
Dream on
Willow Mt Lyon 6 months ago
Why she would be a perfect little angel. Of course Toni doesn’t really believe that, but she loves Shannon. Is this foreshadowing? Will Brad and Toni raise Shannon? Will they have a child of their own? Shannon would be better off if she did see her father as often as possible so she doesn’t have abandonment issues. At least he does stay in her life, which some fathers do not.
Sue Ellen 6 months ago
Gee, I don’t know, but she’s under your supervision right now…so why are you allowing her to make such a mess. To start with, feet do not belong in the kitchen sink!
eromlig 6 months ago
Nice work letting Jay draw one, guys! Now maybe more people will know about him.
cdoorn98 6 months ago
The last time I saw this much improvement in a comic strip it was Bill Watterson drawing Pearls Before Swine instead of Pastis.
Please stay permanently.
Jason Allen 6 months ago
Seeing what they allow Shannon to do, I don’t think she’d turn out all that much different.
Uncle Kenny 6 months ago
That’s sorta creepy.
crettawva 6 months ago
So the wusses are giving in.
diazch408 6 months ago
Interesting idea. Is every strip going to be like this right now, or just Luann? Cool scene.
mort b. 6 months ago
Who knew. Well mannered Shannon is even MORE annoying.
snsurone76 6 months ago
Looks like Shannon is a brat again! Hasn’t Brad and Toni ever punished her? Or are they too afraid of her sperm-donor?
c001 6 months ago
Maybe aim for something in the middle?
Caldonia 6 months ago
Uh, are you just gonna let her do that?
nightflight 6 months ago
Toni looks too old and frail. Brad looks too slick, and Shannon looks like a gawky long necked goose.
The Old Wolf 6 months ago
Now that’s funny.
GirlGeek Premium Member 6 months ago
Shannon would never act like that. Nice artwork though.
DorothyGlenn Premium Member 6 months ago
Why is Shannon in the kitchen sink, as they are relaxing with coffee. lol. Maybe Brad has a point about parent practice.
JonGoss 6 months ago
Oh man, it’s like my comment from a few weeks ago has come to life about people who aren’t parents thinking they’d be the best parents ever. Enjoy your fever dream while it lasts, Toni.
SeaSnork 6 months ago
I find guest artist’s style less than appealing.
K C 6 months ago
Awww… Yeah, over exaggerated, but good conveying what Toni would think, and cute. Unexpected guest artist makes it. I wonder if there’s more. Brad imagines (in Foxtrot type art) Shannon helping him work on a car, handing him tools. Luann imagines (in Calvin and Hobbes type art) playing frisbee w/Shannon. Nancy and Frank imagine (in For Better or Worse type art) hand in hand w/Shannon at Disneyland. Nah… Too silly.
Ruth Brown 6 months ago
Guess what. You are raising her.
Doubly Horque Premium Member 6 months ago
Great one Jay. Those who don’t know him, check out his fabulous Bodie Troll!
Erramontxu 6 months ago
They are going to adopt her
French Persons' Celebration of Peeved Harry Dinkle Premium Member 6 months ago
No, Toni, it does not work like that. And they’re just going to let them sit there and let this brat trash their house?
French Persons' Celebration of Peeved Harry Dinkle Premium Member 6 months ago
This week should be a knockdown drag-out fight between Toni and Jonah about what an irresponsible, stinking bum he is… that would at least be interesting.
Shirl Summ Premium Member 6 months ago
Riiiiiiiggggghhhhhtttt.
leighabc123 6 months ago
What is Shannon doing back today? She just went home Friday!
sueb1863 6 months ago
I wonder why they aren’t doing a thing to stop her behavior?
Mongo 6 months ago
Ah, the dream of parents.
With the first comes a lot of attentiveness, cloth diapers, cute clothes, socks and little tiny shoes, special formula.
At number three it’s Pampers, t-shirts and hand-me-downs, and whatever formula is best for less.
And God help you if they are all boys or all girls.
tremaine53 6 months ago
I’m not familiar with the work of Jay Fosgitt.
Ellis97 6 months ago
She’d be the most well behaved and happy little girl ever.
preacherman Premium Member 6 months ago
Not likely, Toni. But dream on. Your child probably won’t be like that either. Though chances are it’d be better than Shannon.
Purple People Eater 6 months ago
Spinach omelet? No, thank you.
David Huie Green LoveJoyAndPeace 6 months ago
Possible. Quite rare, but possible.
Philly1115 6 months ago
Why are they not trying to discipline her or even set ground rules?
elbow macaroni 6 months ago
Narrative on child abandonment…
Ignatz Premium Member 6 months ago
What would they do? Drug the kid?
She’s hyperactive and mischievous, not bad.
w16521 6 months ago
Brad looks creepy in the second panel.
kaycstamper 6 months ago
What the hell happened to Toni and Brad? They look awful! Esp. Toni!I seriously doubt any child is going to wake up and fix Eggs Benedict!
Aladar30 Premium Member 6 months ago
I didn’t expect that the arc drawn by Jay Fosfitt would be on Toni’s fantasies about how calm and obedient Shannon would be if she was her daughter. I’m curious to see how this will evolve in two weeks, especially because I know the author of the adorable comic “Bodie Troll” (which I recommend to everyone; especially now that it’s been reprinted) and I love the way he draws scenes with cute little characters causing disaster. I hope he draws Shannon be a trouble-magnet to Brad, Toni and TJ!
jrankin1959 6 months ago
Don’t hold your breath, Brad and Toni…
ctolson 6 months ago
Boy, Brad and Toni are trip’n, but Shannon would definitely be better behaved if they had raised her from the start and meted out discipline as needed.
comic reader 22 6 months ago
I don’t like these drawings. Toni looks old and Brad looks odd. The new Shannon has too long a neck, is missing a hand and NO ONE would ever let a child hook up a hose to the kitchen faucet so they could sit in the sink and spray water all over the house. It’s stupid and not relatable. I vote NO.
TheBigPickle 6 months ago
Uh oh, are we gonna have a Bodie the Troll cameo?
WilliamVollmer 6 months ago
Nice fantasy. But in reality, while Shannon would probably be in more control, she’d still be the Shannon we know and love?
DaBump Premium Member 6 months ago
Brad’s smile in the last panel reminds me of Ralph Phillips.
RSH 6 months ago
The Shannon that Brad would raise wouldn’t grow into a kid who would write a graphic story entitled Fish Friend Dog Friend. Not sure about Toni.. I remember the time when she and Shannon created a maze on the wall from cardboard tubes for a gerbil Shannon was keeping for her class.
dv1093 6 months ago
Put me down for a NO vote.
EMGULS79 6 months ago
Suuuuuuurrrrrrrre!
FassEddie 6 months ago
Looks like Jay took his inspiration from Chuck Jones.
Mordock999 Premium Member 6 months ago
You know, Brad?
Neither YOU nor Luann were “perfect kids” growing up. So do you really think you’re going to raise a “maid?” Excuse Me. “Perfect Kid?”
But, You and Luann turned out just fine.
Interesting take on Shannon in the last panel.
Hello, Jay. ;-)
nightflight 6 months ago
I almost dread the day the guest artist tries to do Tiffany
ElwoodP 6 months ago
Dream On. (Of course, I assume that MY kid (who is a perfectly normal adult with a productive job and who is happy as a clam) would be a world class neuro-surgeon with a Nobel prize and many Tri-athlete victories if I had successfully raised him/her.)
mindjob 6 months ago
Don’t worry about the dishes
kauri44 6 months ago
Putting aside Shannon for the moment (as she is something of an extreme case), there is a tendency for some followers of strips featuring a child or teenager as a central character (think this strip, Zits and Curtis for starters) to heavily criticize/trash the young characters via the comments sections. Usually it’s because they are simply behaving like normal kids, with some comic exaggeration. More than once I’ve seen the complainers get asked “what would be more acceptable behavior in your opinion?” What’s happening here seems to be a parody version of what the commentators/trollers apparently wanted.
locake 6 months ago
It is baffling why they think they can’t ever say No to Shannon. Today they are telling Shannon that her behavior is perfectly acceptable because they don’t do a single thing to stop this behavior.
bilbrlsn 6 months ago
The story of every human in history. Born of expectations and fighting to free oneself from them to find their own identity for a lifetime.
I am surprised there aren’t more Menendez Brothers cases in the news daily.
tcayer 6 months ago
You know, you don’t HAVE to let her misbehave when she’s at you place.
Chelonaut 6 months ago
It’s weird that when parents fantasize about the “perfect kid”, that fantasy always includes the child waiting on the parent like a servant.
7afrz6 Premium Member 6 months ago
To Bad it’s only a dream.
Darryl Heine 6 months ago
At the same time Nancy has fill in artists, Luann gets a fill in artist for the second panel of this strip.
kjeffus 6 months ago
There’s no pleasing some people.
howtheduck 6 months ago
In Toni’s imagination, she and Brad hold their coffee with different hands.
mousefumanchu Premium Member 6 months ago
Not a chance in $&##
Drbarb71 Premium Member 6 months ago
I have NO idea why anyone here would ask an artist to have a guest artist permanently. IF you don’t LIKE THE COMIC, DON’T READ IT! Love you, Greg and Karen! See you at Comic Con!
mrobin9 6 months ago
She’s not done being raised
BLUEBONNETS Premium Member 6 months ago
Has anyone every told this child “no?”
ncorgbl 6 months ago
Keep dreaming, Toni. Kids who grow up regimented like that have a tendency to become mass murderers.
jconnors3954 6 months ago
Parents are mostly delusional, that’s how we survive!
BJShipley1 6 months ago
Wow, this arc is really taking a wrecking ball to Brad and Toni’s likability.
tammyspeakslife Premium Member 6 months ago
Toni can’t be that dilutional? Is she fantasizing?
Tenax 6 months ago
Dream on ….
eladee AKA Wally 6 months ago
So…. It’s fantasy time??
Takagi-san 6 months ago
I call no way. She’d be exactly the same. Otherwise, you’d have taught her how to behave while in your house by now.
Gotta love everyone’s reaction to her behavior. Lots of shrugs and watta-ya-gonna-dos, but never any corrections. Children are more malleable than that. She can be taught to behave and you may need fewer spankings than you think.
YorkGirl Premium Member 6 months ago
As eladee AKA Wally said, if Jay will continue for a week or so, as the Sheriff hinted, perhaps this is a fantasy/daydream arc. I like it! Welcome, Jay!
KEA 6 months ago
yeah, right
KatieK 6 months ago
I’m child-free by choice, but even I know that’s a dream…lol
Spence12 Premium Member 6 months ago
Look at that particular opening scene. That 8yo(?) is sitting on the counter, feet in the soapy tub water that’s nearly overflowing, holding the sprayer upwards just to turn a spinner toy, all the while holding an open umbrella that does little to contain the spraying, splashing water. Brad and Toni stand there all calm and in deep thought. I do love the fantasy sequence about to start (please tell me there’s more). Still, how bad is this child that they don’t even step in anymore to stop her destructive activities?
KrysMichelle 6 months ago
Did we ever learn what happened with Shannon’s mother? Also, what if Brad and Toni adopted Shannon?
paldec 6 months ago
Someone already mentioned the use of exaggeration for comic effect. I think that’s what is going on here in both panels: exaggerated destructive behavior and exaggerated perfection. Greg does that sometimes with Shannon’s more extreme behavior, like painting the couch. Is the guest artist writing the strip, or just the drawing to go with a storyline G&K give him?
MTS1 6 months ago
This is a great opportunity to be creative and take Shannon’s story in a fun and positive direction. Though she hasn’t had overall good parental guidance, she is not “just a brat” who needs discipline. I encourage you have one of the characters – perhaps someone like Bernice in her course of study or someone unexpected (perhaps TJ?) to have a light go on that Shannon has ADHD. Do NOT think Dennis nor Bart. Girls are often never or misdiagnosed until they are much older (sometimes adults). Perhaps a no-meds version. Give this one a happy story that incorporates your creativity and humor – and a bit of education to the public. Shannon learning the word “neurodiversity” can be fun! I’m sure Jessica McClure would be more than happy to consult. >
sjsczurek 6 months ago
The fantasy of every parent. Never the reality.
pearlyqim 6 months ago
Who would want that brat for a whole month!?
chalkrunner 6 months ago
To be honest, there are instances where Shannon would be different if they raised her. But I think a lot of her current personality would still be there. I could see her being a wee bit better about her overall behavior but still bit of a fire cracker and kind of demanding. The imagined version is more like oh if we raised this kid, she would be thoughtful enough to take care of us at her age. No she wouldn’t she’d still be 10, and if she was making breakfast it’d be eggs and toast or cereal or messy pancakes and there is nothing wrong with any of that. I think the imagined version is nothing more than pure fantasy and anyone who is a parent knows that. It’s okay to have a fantasy version as long as you remember it’s fantasy. Again, I think if she’d been with them since they got married she’d still be roughly the same maybe a little more well-behaved because she’d have Ma and Pa DeGroot to provide support more but don’t think she’d be that much different. She’s bratty and obnoxious and can be a real pain in the butt, but deep down she’s a genuinely good kid with deep feelings and a pretty inquisitive mind.
DonCoyote® 6 months ago
Jay Fosgitt designed the art for my 2009 Honda Rebel gas tank.
My bike is small and blue, so I figured my “pinup model” ought to be as well.
I met Jay at a Comic-Con and hired him to draw me a sexy little Smurfette….. and I transferred the image to my gas tank. (I spent three years building my bike… and it’s awesome).
Thanks, Jay……….. you rock.
(Meh) 6 months ago
Yeah right! First of all, you can’t teach a kid what you don’t know, and neither one of them really knows how to cook. Second, they go along with Shannon’s shenanigans and have never uttered a “no” to her – that doesn’t bode well for their own children.
The Quiet One 6 months ago
Yeah, I don’t think so Toni. Besides, in spite of many of the readers, I don’t believe Shannon is as bad as many make her out to be.
Lord King Wazmo Premium Member 6 months ago
Won’t ever happen. They need to trade her to “Family Circus” for Barfy.
cyndefrizzell 6 months ago
I don’t care how sorry they feel for her. They CAN discipline the little brat.
AndrewSihler 6 months ago
Too funny!
EXCALABUR 6 months ago
Probably something in between.
eddi-TBH 6 months ago
Yes, no.
eddi-TBH 6 months ago
Shannon is not making a big mess and she’s having fun. For a kid, that’s well behaved.
Jesquire 6 months ago
It’s going to be a long summer of Shannon.
See you in September.
Dragoncat 6 months ago
How about that? Shannon has been transformed into Coraline.
computerprogrammer2028 6 months ago
The ideal world versus the real world. If we could only live in those dreams, long as they’re not nightmares….
dhkaylor Premium Member 6 months ago
I enjoy Shannon the way she is! She’s smart, spunky and honest. She just needs some channeling.
ChattyFran 6 months ago
I’ll take a guest artist or new artist as long as it rids the comic world of the horrors that are the current Shannon.
6foot6 6 months ago
shes just a little Dalue lue.
[Unnamed Reader - 14b4ce] 6 months ago
The Brad(y) Bunch