Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for May 15, 2016
Transcript:
Rat: Hi, Goat. This is Charles. He just moved into our neighborhood. Goat: Nice to meet you. Why'd you decide to move here? Charles: Just to get away from the people where I live. They weren't nice to me. Goat: I'm sorry to hear that. Charles: Yeah, it was pretty sad. But now I'm on some anti-depressants, so I feel a little better. Goat: Are you married? Charles: Oh no. No. No...I fell very hard for a girl years ago. But she didn't care for me. Goat: She didn't by chance have red hair, did she? Charles: Yeah. Why? Goat: Take off your coat. Good grief, Charlie Brown. Charlie: Middle age has not been kind. Rat: Wanna kick a football?
BE THIS GUY over 8 years ago
“…and my dog died.”
Bilan over 8 years ago
If you want to get away from people who aren’t nice, avoid Rat like the plague.
Sherlock Watson over 8 years ago
Let Rat hold that ball for you, Chuck, and then kick him into the sky. If it works, go do the same to Lucy.
knight1192a over 8 years ago
Don’t think I’ve seen Pastis rip on Peanuts before. Seen him do things either in honor of Peanuts or somehow include the characters without actually ripping on the strip.
Templo S.U.D. over 8 years ago
sort of reminds me of a cut-away gag in “Family Guy” where Charlie Brown has tattoos, piercings, and even a hooker girlfriend when coming to his friends’ reunion party
Durandal_1707 over 8 years ago
In his collections, Pastis cites Peanuts as his biggest influence. Pig himself is loosely based on Charlie Brown.
Wilde Bill over 8 years ago
Is Charlie Brown lighting up a “J”?
blunebottle over 8 years ago
Only Rat could be that mean….
bigcatbusiness over 8 years ago
Well, this is the worst case scenario.
Opus Croakus over 8 years ago
I thought they were setting up a pun, but this is better.
AKHenderson Premium Member over 8 years ago
Meanwhile, Linus is leading a Great Pumpkin cult.
Sisyphos over 8 years ago
Sigh! Charles Brown on anti-depressants. Rat on the Lucy-team offensive. The years have indeed not been kind to that round-headed kid, good ol’ Charlie Brown….
Ragtime78rpm over 8 years ago
I don’t know… I think Peanuts and Schulz should be untouchable from things like this.
juicebruce over 8 years ago
And the beat goes on ! Larry Croc reminds me of Chuck in certain ways…………….
Cameron1988 Premium Member over 8 years ago
excellent!
Chad Cheetah over 8 years ago
Today’s “Peanuts Begins” has a young Charlie Brown playing with his friends.Today’s “Peanuts” has the regularly-aged Charlie Brown.Today’s “Pearls” has a middle-aged Charlie Brown.A timeline of Charlie Brown’s life. Good grief, indeed.
Nuliajuk over 8 years ago
I think Charlie Brown would be a lot more than middle aged. The strip started in 1950. Assuming the character to be at least 7 at the time, that would make him a senior citizen by now. The little red haired “girl” is probably using dye to get that weird apricot shade that so many old ladies end up with.
Eric Salinas Premium Member over 8 years ago
Well better than a pun which I was expecting with this long lead up.
imagenesis over 8 years ago
Do you want to know what makes it so ironic for me? I always check on ‘Peanuts’ right after this comic! ¯\(ツ)/¯
Queen of America over 8 years ago
Pastis, you crack me up!
A_NY_Outlaw over 8 years ago
I always wondered what happened to good ’ol Charlie brown.
codedaddy over 8 years ago
“Middle age”? More like old age. I was reading Peanuts in the 50’s (back when it was clever and sometimes edgy).
Solaricious Premium Member over 8 years ago
Our hometown boy tipping his hat our hometown hero! Wonder if Stephan wrote this at the Warm Puppy Cafe?
frizbat911 over 8 years ago
Didn’t see those last two panels coming.Great job, Pastis. Peanuts is truly the greatest strip ever.( The strip name, by the way, was assigned by the comics syndicator, and Schulz pretty much always hated it. )
Number Three over 8 years ago
Love it!
I know Schulz would love this too.
xxx
googonite over 8 years ago
Many cartoonists desire the success that Schultz enjoyed. Sadly many become depressed when they fall short of this goal. Psychiatrists refer to it a Peanuts envy.
Rich6362 Premium Member over 8 years ago
Pastis is wonderful. And I think it is great that he is on the Board of the Schulz museum and lives, as Schulz did, in Santa Rosa!
cdgar over 8 years ago
Life is often unkind Charlie. Still, it’s good to see you again.
cwizard71 over 8 years ago
I saw Pastis’ name on a recent-made “Peanuts” animated feature (not the Peanuts Movie).
prunes666 over 8 years ago
Rats!
mail2jbl over 8 years ago
Sixteen years after Peanuts’ ended and Charles Schulz died, its influence is still profoundly felt.
AB9SS over 8 years ago
Nicely done Stephan!
hmofo813 Premium Member over 8 years ago
There is a stage play, “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.” Because it’s an unauthorized take on the Schulz characters, the ‘real’ character names aren’t used, but it’s very clear who’s who. It’s very dark, which doesn’t mean it isn’t also pretty funny. I won’t give too much away, for those who might want to see it or read it sometime, but yeah, Snoopy is dead and the Linus character is a stoner.
Boxo croco says happy derby about 4 years ago
What makes this funnier is that peanuts is next in my lineup
Darth Revan II almost 4 years ago
NOOOOO! NONONONONO! NO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT! THIS IS GOING TO FAR! NOOO!
Kirbo over 3 years ago
oh god, what have they done to you
Comicfan (C) over 2 years ago
Charlie Brown, throw that tobacco on the ground and kick on it. It’s gonna be illegal in the coming years.