Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling for January 23, 2010
January 17, 2010
January 24, 2010
Transcript:
Tom the Dancing Bug's Super-Fun-Pak Comix Edited by Ruben Bolling Rick N' Nick Rick: Finally! We waited years for the TOP SPOT in Super-Fun-Pak Comix! Rick: It's a legendary spot and now it's all OURS! Rick: We worked so hard for this... Nick: We hope you enjoy us here. NEXT: Look for "RICK N' NICK" in their NEW position at SFPC - the fourth spot! Stupid, Stupid Comics For Morons Woman: Starr, we'll never outfly Murdor's fleet! Starr: We can if we hitch a ride with that comet! Starr: Robot, grab its tail! Brilliant Art For INtellectuals Starr: We can if we hitch a ride with that comet! Woman: Starr, we'll never outfly Murdor's fleet! The Ghost Of James Caan James Caan: Elliott Gould! Wake up! Elliott Gould: Yaa! It's the ghost of James Caan! Elliott Gould: Wait...isn't James Caan ALIVE?! James Caan: Yes, he'd like his Marvin Gaye CD back... Elliott Gould: Oh, okay. I'll bring it to Dyan's Friday. Percival Dunwoody, Idiot Time Traveler From 1909 Percival: I have come from the year 1909 to warn you of a terrible danger! Percival: A horrific steamship collision in Long Island Sound in 1907! Man: Uh, you traveled FORWARD in time! Percival: I just thought you might be interested. How to Draw DOUG Part I 1 Draw Doug's mother 2 Draw Doug's father 3 Draw cocktail glasses 4 Draw bed 5 Add dialogue Mother: oh my god! Last night, did we...? Man: Um, I gotta go, lady. 6 And there you have little Doug! Next - Part II: finishing up. Drawing Doug's schools, dunce caps and pimples
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I don’t know that “Rick n’ Nick” is supposed to be a topical reference, just an inside-baseball joke about the politics of the comics page. Bolling often uses “Super-Fun-Pack” for things like that. I could be wrong, though.
The “Stupid, Stupid Comics”/”Brilliant Art” pairing certainly is meant to bring Liechtenstein to mind, but I don’t think it’s a dig at him, particularly. I remember a dialy strip from a few years back (it might have been “Calvin and Hobbes”, which would make it QUITE a few years) along these lines:
“Comic strips?” “Low Art. Trashy pabulum for mass consumption.”
“Paintings of characters from those comic strips?” “High Art. Ironic reappropriation of iconic images in a context which invites sophisticated evaluation.”
“Comic strip characters talking about those paintings?” “Low Art. Sophomoric self-reference by and for the benefit of the too-clever-by-half.”
On second thought, I think “Rick ‘n Nick” really is about (or at least inspired by) Conan…