I love reading the Sunday newspaper, and I believe that the Houston Chronicle is a fine piece of journalism. However, I have some comments/complaints about the comics. Here's my Houston Chronicle Sunday Comics Review!
(in order of appearance)
Well-loved, truly American, and indeed classic. Certainly deserving of its front page, first comic status. But I don't think it needs as much space as the Chronicle gives it (virtually the top half of the front page). And a deeper question: For how long should a cartoon be published after its author has passed away?
I generally enjoy this one. I like how the characters are conscious of and poke fun at the cartoonist, Stephan Pastis. I can think of better comics to put on the front page, though.
Usually not very funny. It's also given too much space on the page - there's not very much dialogue. Definitely doesn't belong on the front page of the comics.
This is one of my favorites! Zits is one of the most accurate portrayals of adolescence that I know of. Very funny. Sometimes I like to think that Jeremy is an older version of Calvin.
Another funny one about adolescence, this time from a girl's perspective. It's a keeper.
Usually pretty funny - I like this one. Good family values. Also, it's one of the only comics whose characters actually age.
This comic isn't as funny to me as it used to be - I don't know why. I like the characters (especially the cat). It has a lot of good puns and wit. This review is based solely on the Sunday comics, but I think the daily strips of Get Fuzzy can get too repetitive and boring with drawn-out plots.
For Better or for Worse
Not my favorite. This one's kind of been around a long time, so I think there might be some loyal readers. I'm not one of them.
Beetle Bailey
This is a pretty good one - it's unique and I like the style of drawing.
F Minus
I give this comic an F minus. Very bland drawing style and not very funny. It's also given too much room for the small amount of dialogue and simplistic drawings.
Sally Forth
I don't read this one often. It might be funny, but the artwork frustrates me - it looks like it was drawn in the 70's and the color scheme is too pastel.
Funky Winkerbean
I've given this comic lots of chances - I read it every now and then to see if there's something good. Usually there's not. I still don't know any of the characters - there's too many to keep track. Plus there's a lot of background and plot that you kind of have to know. At times it's too sentimental - I mean, these are comics. On the other hand, I do appreciate the detail and style of the drawings; it deserves more space on the page for that reason.
Dilbert
This one's a favorite. I didn't get it when I was younger, but it's a gem now that I understand the jokes. Great characters and a fun, distinctive drawing style.
Prince Valiant
Does anyone even read this? I enjoy the occasional drawing of a dragon, but come on! Too serious, too much plot. I think it should be removed.
Doonesbury
If you expect something to happen in a cartoon, prepare to be disappointed. Usually it's just a conversation. Usually about politics. I'm of the opinion that political views in comics should be subtle and allegorical.
Baldo
This one's ok. I appreciate the occasional attempts to be bilingual, but think that the translation takes up too much space. A Spanish speaker isn't going to buy an English newspaper just for one comic.
The Argyle Sweater
This one's relatively new, I think. And it's one of the better (if not the best) comics that's recently come out. It's kind of like a mix between Mother Goose & Grimm and The Far Side.
Tank McNamara
Not very funny. Maybe if I were more of a sports fanatic it would be. Well, maybe not.
Crankshaft
This one's decent - I like it pretty well. I appreciate the use of flashbacks. More could be fit into the strip, though, if a quarter of the space weren't used for the title in big, red letters. Also, it deserves to take up more space in the Chronicle due to the detail of the drawings.
FoxTrot
I love this one! It has a very fun style of drawing. There are a lot of physics and math jokes, though, so you have to be somewhat of a nerd to fully enjoy it. Something cool I've noticed about this one: pictures or posters hung on the wall in the background sometimes change from panel to panel.
Lio
I don't understand this one at all. It kind of creeps me out. I vote to replace it with something better.
B.C.
Good one. Kind of philosophical every now and then. I'm generally against religion in a comic strip, but for whatever reason the occasional Christian references in this one don't really bother me that much.
Rex Morgan M.D.
Seriously - what the heck is this doing in our paper? They're called comics! CARTOONS, not soap operas!
Sherman's Lagoon
Good one - no complaints. On our old computer we had a Sherman's Lagoon screen saver that was pretty cool; the characters and various fish would swim across the screen.
Blondie
This one's decent. Kind of old school, but funny enough.
Hocus-Focus
This is a brainteaser that takes up space that a cartoon could be using.
Garfield
I think at one point this cartoon used to be funny. Now they're just old and unoriginal. Step it up, Jim. I heard he doesn't even draw them anymore... but don't quote me on that.
Jumble for Kids
See Hocus-Focus.
Hagar the Horrible
It's ok - no complaints.
The Family Circus
Not very funny, unless you like cheesy, feel-good comic strips. Lots of Catholic overtones; I'm not anti-Catholic, but as mentioned earlier I don't really like religion in comic strips.
Heart of the City
Good enough - no complaints.
Mother Goose & Grimm
This one's funny. Enough said.
Dennis the Menace
This one's another classic. Pretty funny.
Shortcuts
I just tried several times to put my feelings of anger and frustration at this comic into words, but none conveyed accurately what I feel. Why is an educational comic being given more than a third of a page?!?! Two or three other cartoons could fit into the space that this uses! Get rid of it! GRRR!
The Amazing Spider-Man
Don't get me wrong, I like Spider-Man just fine. But his place is in comic books and cartoon shows on TV, not in a newspaper.
Red and Rover
This one's ok, I guess. It's like a not-as-funny, more simplistic version of Calvin and Hobbes. Also, more than a quarter of the strip is taken up by the "title panel".
Curtis
For being a 9-panel cartoon, it definitely doesn't have as much space as it needs. I always feel claustrophobic when reading it. It's ok, but very repetitive.
Hi and Lois
This one's pretty good. No complaints. (By the way, I figured out the play on words just now.)
And THEN the last page is entirely taken up by ads! That ticks me off too. Anyway, there you go. My opinion of the Houston Chronicle Sunday Comics. This would feel incomplete if I didn't mention my favorite comics of all time: Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side.
I'd be interested in hearing your opinions - whether you agree, disagree, etc. Feel free to comment.
Not my favorite. This one's kind of been around a long time, so I think there might be some loyal readers. I'm not one of them.
Beetle Bailey
This is a pretty good one - it's unique and I like the style of drawing.
F Minus
I give this comic an F minus. Very bland drawing style and not very funny. It's also given too much room for the small amount of dialogue and simplistic drawings.
Sally Forth
I don't read this one often. It might be funny, but the artwork frustrates me - it looks like it was drawn in the 70's and the color scheme is too pastel.
Funky Winkerbean
I've given this comic lots of chances - I read it every now and then to see if there's something good. Usually there's not. I still don't know any of the characters - there's too many to keep track. Plus there's a lot of background and plot that you kind of have to know. At times it's too sentimental - I mean, these are comics. On the other hand, I do appreciate the detail and style of the drawings; it deserves more space on the page for that reason.
Dilbert
Prince Valiant
Does anyone even read this? I enjoy the occasional drawing of a dragon, but come on! Too serious, too much plot. I think it should be removed.
Doonesbury
If you expect something to happen in a cartoon, prepare to be disappointed. Usually it's just a conversation. Usually about politics. I'm of the opinion that political views in comics should be subtle and allegorical.
Baldo
This one's ok. I appreciate the occasional attempts to be bilingual, but think that the translation takes up too much space. A Spanish speaker isn't going to buy an English newspaper just for one comic.
The Argyle Sweater
This one's relatively new, I think. And it's one of the better (if not the best) comics that's recently come out. It's kind of like a mix between Mother Goose & Grimm and The Far Side.
Tank McNamara
Not very funny. Maybe if I were more of a sports fanatic it would be. Well, maybe not.
Crankshaft
This one's decent - I like it pretty well. I appreciate the use of flashbacks. More could be fit into the strip, though, if a quarter of the space weren't used for the title in big, red letters. Also, it deserves to take up more space in the Chronicle due to the detail of the drawings.
FoxTrot
I love this one! It has a very fun style of drawing. There are a lot of physics and math jokes, though, so you have to be somewhat of a nerd to fully enjoy it. Something cool I've noticed about this one: pictures or posters hung on the wall in the background sometimes change from panel to panel.
Lio
I don't understand this one at all. It kind of creeps me out. I vote to replace it with something better.
B.C.
Good one. Kind of philosophical every now and then. I'm generally against religion in a comic strip, but for whatever reason the occasional Christian references in this one don't really bother me that much.
Rex Morgan M.D.
Seriously - what the heck is this doing in our paper? They're called comics! CARTOONS, not soap operas!
Sherman's Lagoon
Good one - no complaints. On our old computer we had a Sherman's Lagoon screen saver that was pretty cool; the characters and various fish would swim across the screen.
Blondie
This one's decent. Kind of old school, but funny enough.
Hocus-Focus
This is a brainteaser that takes up space that a cartoon could be using.
Garfield
I think at one point this cartoon used to be funny. Now they're just old and unoriginal. Step it up, Jim. I heard he doesn't even draw them anymore... but don't quote me on that.
Jumble for Kids
See Hocus-Focus.
Hagar the Horrible
It's ok - no complaints.
The Family Circus
Not very funny, unless you like cheesy, feel-good comic strips. Lots of Catholic overtones; I'm not anti-Catholic, but as mentioned earlier I don't really like religion in comic strips.
Heart of the City
Good enough - no complaints.
Mother Goose & Grimm
This one's funny. Enough said.
Dennis the Menace
Shortcuts
I just tried several times to put my feelings of anger and frustration at this comic into words, but none conveyed accurately what I feel. Why is an educational comic being given more than a third of a page?!?! Two or three other cartoons could fit into the space that this uses! Get rid of it! GRRR!
The Amazing Spider-Man
Don't get me wrong, I like Spider-Man just fine. But his place is in comic books and cartoon shows on TV, not in a newspaper.
Red and Rover
This one's ok, I guess. It's like a not-as-funny, more simplistic version of Calvin and Hobbes. Also, more than a quarter of the strip is taken up by the "title panel".
Curtis
For being a 9-panel cartoon, it definitely doesn't have as much space as it needs. I always feel claustrophobic when reading it. It's ok, but very repetitive.
Hi and Lois
This one's pretty good. No complaints. (By the way, I figured out the play on words just now.)
And THEN the last page is entirely taken up by ads! That ticks me off too. Anyway, there you go. My opinion of the Houston Chronicle Sunday Comics. This would feel incomplete if I didn't mention my favorite comics of all time: Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side.
I'd be interested in hearing your opinions - whether you agree, disagree, etc. Feel free to comment.
