The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn for October 08, 2009

Please tell me he’s not a proctologist…

Worse. He’s a prostate specialist.

either way, the patient is just going to “love” that short arm inspection.

If he is a proctologist, why does he have an eye chart on the right side of the cartoon?

But then, if he is an eye doctor, why is the patient wearing a medical gown?

Questions to ponder.

It’s just a recognised image that places subtle context into the cartoon. All (good) cartoonists are telling you far more than what you think you see in the language of cartoons. Just as you would recognise a small black cloud over his head, or perspiration drops flying off his face. It’s all the visual language of cartoons. here’s what’s happening here:

The eye chart is common to all doctor’s offices (or most anyway), therefore he’s at the doctor - probably a GP. He’s in the gown because he’s about to be examined in a physical way, not just his throat or something he could remain dressed for. The fact that the two go together to make for his discomfort allow you, the viewer, to put your own horror spin on it (according to your own worst fear at the doctor) and project THAT, thereby bridging the gulf between yourself and the cartoonist and making the cartoon specifically funny to YOU. It’s genius and it’s what good cartoonists do.

He’s got some good ideas, does Scott Hilburn, but he’s too heavily influenced by Gary Larson and that’s hard to get past for a casual reader. He’s kinda like a PG Larson - he draws like him and even shapes the strip that way, but some of his strips are something Larson wouldn’t go near and this makes the strip look too much like a wannabe I believe.

And most docs don’t have their diploma hanging in an exam room.

What is this, comic parsing 101?

Well, thats going hurt. For both parties…

Not today doc! bon swar, and all that sort of rot, in a couple of days maybe. caio.

Genius! I needed a good laugh this morning. Thanks!

Also, the eye chart is even funnier. With today’s health insurance, he probably was not approved for a specialist. He may even be at a minute-clinic at CVS…

Takes your mind off the cold stethoscope, eh?

hannijules

No one’s listening

no, the eye chart is for one eyed willie to test his sight… ….it IS a urologist and so after the doctor asks the patient to lean forward on the table and to spread his legs, those folks paging through worn out magazines in the waiting room will be startled by the impending screams coming from the exam room….

Highlites Magaziiiines!!

Now if only he was a Chiropractor!!

Or if he was a massage therapist!

hannijules: Other than my optometrist, I can’t remember any of my doctors having an eye chart on the wall.

ben_david: Most of my doctor’s have had their diplomas and certifications hanging on the wall of the examination room. I’m certain of that because I’ve ended up reading them while waiting for the doctor to show up.

The ones who didn’t have diplomas on the wall were not in their own private practice but associated with some medical group. In these cases, the assignment of examination rooms could change from one doctor to another.

Best panel ever!

oh he$$ no you aren’t examining me

Mr. Hilburn: short, sweet, simple. I like it.

I can’t wait to see the suturing part, after the ‘roids ‘r’ removed w/a machete!!!

The cavity probe jokes keep on coming…

Now just relax and breathe easy. Oh, i’m out of lube too.

Like one doctor said to me: “This is going to feel like a Mack truck!”

I had one once for my flight examination… asked the doctor if he could atleast buy me a drink first! hahahaha nice cartoon… as my dad (fellow pilot) once told me…. “You should only become worried if you feel both hands on your shoulders” lol : )