Laugh Tracks

The Dog Days Aren't Over

Dogs received the honorable title as man’s best friend long ago, and for good reason. Today, National Dog Day, we celebrate our favorite canines — their undeniable loyalty and love for their humans.  

 

Red and Rover by Brian Basset

 

We won’t get into the “Are cats better than dogs?” argument, BUT let’s just say dogs are really smart. When you’re sad, they know it. When you’re not looking, they eat the brownies on the table. Geniuses, really.

 

Brevity by Dan Thompson

 

Unlike cats, dogs are easily read. They have consistent interests (sticks, tennis balls, belly rubs, walks, chasing the mailman); therefore, they’re easily pleased as well.

 

Half Full by Maria Scrivan

 

To the advantage of their humans, dogs wear their feelings all over their faces. Who tore the cotton from the throw pillows? It wasn’t your cat. It was the animal cowering in the corner, head lowered and unable to make eye contact with you.

 

Four Eyes by Gemma Correll

 

Dogs give us a million reasons to love them, to rescue them and to make them a part of our families

 

1 and Done by Eric Scott

 

Here’s to the dogs that more accurately own us, than us them.

 

Follow our Cartoon Canines collection for more doggie-themed comics.

Celebrating 100 Years of the National Park Service with Thatababy!

National parks are so much more than a great picnic spot. They are full of rich history, incredible wildlife, sweeping views and landmarks. It’s no wonder they attract visitors from around the world.

 

Thatababy by Paul Trap

 

Since Monday, Aug. 22, Thatababy has celebrated the treasure of national parks and the National Park Service for all they do, with a week-long run of comic strips to say “Happy Birthday” to the NPS. Keep up through Friday (and beyond) — follow Thatababy on GoComics.

 

Thank you, National Park Service!

Pluto's still angry

F Minus by Tony Carrillo

 

Sure, it’s been a few years since astronomers demoted Pluto, but it still stings.

 

Pluto Demoted Day remembers all that Pluto did for us as a planet. It’s a chance for us Pluto-lovers to rally around the planet (figuratively) to show our support and hope for better days.

 

Real Life Adventures by Gary Wise and Lance Aldrich

 

Because let’s be honest — we all KNOW Pluto is a real planet.

 

Adam@Home by Rob Harrell

 

Microcosm by Hadria Beth

 

Pluto was a planet for 76 YEARS before anyone questioned its status. We’ll celebrate those years, and fight for years to come.

 

We love you, Pluto.

COMICS SHERPA: EDITOR'S PICKS

This recurring LAUGH TRACKS feature highlights individual Sherpa strips and panels that for one reason or another caught the fancy of the aide de sherpa. It could be anything; the drawing, the writing, the humor, the coloring, that they tried something interesting, or that it's a new step for that particular creator.

We hope this quirky sampler will alert you to features you might not yet have noticed amid Sherpa's abundant, ever-changing, and eclectic mix, and that it gives Sherpa creators a modicum of helpful feedback.

 

 

 

 Acorn Park  8-19-16

 

 

 

 

And now... 8-19-16

 

 

 

 

Cleo and Company 8-19-16

 

 

 

 

 

Doghouse In Your Soul  8-20-16

 

 

 

 

The Gray Zone  8-20-16

 

 

 

 

8-21-16

 

 

 

 

 

8-21-16

 

 

 

 

 

8-21-16

 

 

 

8-21-16

 

 

 

 

8-21-16

 

 

 

 

 

A complete list of all the Sherpa features can be found here.

 

NEW COMIC ALERT! Starling by Sage Stossel

Starling by Sage Stossel

 

After a rough childhood, raised by neglectful cat hoarders, Amy Sturgess yearns for a conventional life: success in her career, some friends for a change—and if all goes well, maybe even a boyfriend. But she's hampered by anxiety, shaky self-esteem ... and the fact that she's a superhero, endowed with superhuman powers ...

 

Follow Starling on GoComics!

COMICS SHERPA: EDITOR'S PICKS

 

This recurring LAUGH TRACKS feature highlights individual Sherpa strips and panels that for one reason or another caught the fancy of the aide de sherpa. It could be anything; the drawing, the writing, the humor, the coloring, that they tried something interesting, or that it's a new step for that particular creator.

We hope this quirky sampler will alert you to features you might not yet have noticed amid Sherpa's abundant, ever-changing, and eclectic mix, and that it gives Sherpa creators a modicum of helpful feedback.

 

 

 

Acorn Park  8-17-16

 

 

 

 

All In Good Time  8-17-16

 

 

 

Girth  8-17-16

 

 

 

8-17-16

 

 

 

 

Inkwell Forest 8-17-16

 

 

 

 

 

Adulting 8-18-16

 

 

 

 

Buns  8-18-16

 

 

 

 

Cleo and Company  8-18-16

 

 

 

 

Padded Cell 8-18-16

 

 

 

 

Prideland  8-18-16

 

 

 

 

 

 

A complete list of all the Sherpa features can be found here.

 

 

Drabble, Kevin Fagan and a musical

Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald

 

Kevin Fagan has illustrated Drabble every day for 37 years. That’s a lot of panels.

 

All of us non-cartoonists have to wonder: How does he do it?

 

“The trick is doing the same thing, but different every day. You have to be fresh and creative with the same characters, but without repeating yourself. You can’t let it get stale, and you can’t let up,” said Fagan.

 

To keep his ideas organized, he jots them down in basic notepads and throws them in boxes until necessary. Most impressively, Fagan has 13,500 original prints stored in boxes at his house as well.

 

“My wife wishes I was more organized, and I do too,” Fagan said.

 

Not many cartoonists have the endurance of Kevin Fagan. As if four new panels a day wasn’t enough, readers can now look forward to a Drabble musical in the future!

 

“There’s a long way to go before it goes on stage, but it’s coming along nicely” Fagan said.

 

Read the full article on The Daily Herald.

 

Follow Drabble on GoComics!

TED RALL ON WAY to $75,000

 

 

I've been following this strange and troubling story with interest since it bubbled up last year. Ted is a friend and has been partners with us in syndicating his editorial cartoons for more than 20 years. I don't often see eye-to-eye with him on his worldview, but I do appreciate his work (as a writer and a cartoonist).

 

Now, if you didn't know, I used to be a police officer, so I have mixed emotions about how the police can be portrayed in the media, but Ted seems to have a strong case here.

 

I wasn't there and the story sounds really complicated and has tons of details that I'm not privy to, so it sounds like a perfect case to be settled in court. Right? Only the court is insisting that Ted pay $75,000 to have his day in front of a judge. What the?

 

That is ridiculous!  

 

So I donated to Ted because it is unbelievable to me that any judicial body in a free society could demand an individual citizen come up with a "court tax" to buy access into the system. 

 

Here's the link to his GoFundMe page. https://www.gofundme.com/tedrall

Knock, knock! Who’s there? Tell a Joke Day!

We’ll cut to the punch line: It’s Tell a Joke Day. Prepare for laughter!

 

Half Full by Maria Scrivan

 

 

It’s a good day for comic lovers because, well, we all love humor! We know that little else beats a well-delivered joke. But not everyone can appreciate such a craft. It’s not your fault if your peers can’t appreciate your joking nature …

 

The Awkward Yeti by Nick Seluk

 

We all know the sheer pain of being around a person who doesn’t have a funny fiber in their body — even when the opportunity smacks them in the face … or foot.

 

WuMo by Wulff & Morgenthaler

 

And there’s always pressure to be funny around people you don’t know well. First day of school, first day on the job, an exchange with the lady at the grocery check-out line, or even a blind date.

 

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal by Zach Weinersmith

 

 

Ouch. May we vow never to try too hard.

 

Other than that, there shouldn’t be too many rules to telling jokes. You are even free to make jokes on subjects you have no experience with.

 

Sarah's Scribbles by Sarah Andersen

 

Today we encourage you to go forth and joke! Make people laugh, or laugh at yourself. If you’re not the best at telling jokes, the Internet is full of them. Google can help — comics, too!

 

Happy Tell a Joke Day!

COMICS SHERPA: EDITOR'S PICKS

 

This recurring LAUGH TRACKS feature highlights individual Sherpa strips and panels that for one reason or another caught the fancy of the aide de sherpa. It could be anything; the drawing, the writing, the humor, the coloring, that they tried something interesting, or that it's a new step for that particular creator.

We hope this quirky sampler will alert you to features you might not yet have noticed amid Sherpa's abundant, ever-changing, and eclectic mix, and that it gives Sherpa creators a modicum of helpful feedback.

 

 

 

Bushscrubs  8-13-16

 

 

 

 

8-13-16

 

 

 

 

Lili and Derek  8-13-16

 

 

 

 

Inkwell Forest  8-14-16

 

 

 

 

 

8-14-16

 

 

 

Something About Celeste  8-14-16

 

 

 

 

Spaceport 51  8-14-16

 

 

 

 

8-14-16

 

 

 

 

Whiteouts  8-14-16

 

 

 

 

 

Zombie Heights  8-15-16

 

 

 

 

A complete list of all the Sherpa features can be found here.

 

 

An Original

I've heard quite a few stories about how generous Richard Thompson was with his original art. Personally, I'm deliriously lucky enough to have a few Cul De Sacs. But, but, but ... the thing I treasure most is what Richard made me for my 40th birthday.

 

 

How about it ... right? I will treasure it for all my days. 

 

Now get that damn finger out of your nose, Dill!

 

NEW COMIC ALERT! bacon by Lonnie Millsap

bacon by Lonnie Millsap

 

Lonnie Millsap’s bacon is a comic about nothing and everything at the same time. Composed of hilarious single panel style cartoons, bacon has everything from talking hot dogs, talking cows, talking bears, talking cats, talking planets, talking inanimate stuff and talking humans. In the world of bacon, they all make themselves known as the intellectuals that they are … or are not.

 

Follow bacon here!

Summer is out, school is in!

Unless you were among the lucky graduates, it’s that time of year again!

 

Going back to school never gets easier. Students bid adieu to sleeping in, summer nights, swimming all day and staying up too late, and say hello to piles of homework, early mornings and new teachers.

 

But for parents, the first day of school has been long-awaited and is not-so-secretly celebrated. Parents say sayonara to “so bored” kids, sibling brawls and constantly hungry mouths, and get to enjoy some silence, serenity and much-needed alone time.

 

For those returning to the classroom, prepare for procrastination to come alive again.

 

 

Sarah's Scribbles by Sarah Andersen

 

 

And let’s be honest, “I have homework” is really just an excuse for watching YouTube videos for three hours.

 

 

Sarah's Scribbles by Sarah Andersen

 

 

School also starts incredibly, unnecessarily early. Don’t forget to set your alarm for the crack of dawn, even though your parents will still have to drag you — kicking and screaming — out of bed.

 

 

FoxTrot by Bill Amend

 

 

Prepare for the rigid school schedule you may have forgotten over the summer. Instead of being disciplined by mom and dad for missing curfew, it’s time to dig down deep and find the discipline within yourself to get all of that homework (and last-minute summer reading) done.

 

 

Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

 

 

Some parts of school might be a drag, but take advantage of it. Education isn’t an option for everyone. Consider yourself lucky, and work hard this year!

 

 

Don’t let the laziness of others influence you. Keep reading, keep writing and keep going!

 

Invisible Bread by Justin Boyd

 

 

 Enjoy your school year, students! We know your parents will.

For more school-themed comics, follow our Back to School, Toons for Teachers and Peanuts: In the Classroom collections.

FOR SALE: someone's old pillow?

It’s Garage Sale Day.

 

But have you ever actually considered the nature of garage sales?

 

 

Grand Avenue by Steve Breen and Mike Thompson

 

 

You venture around a neighborhood to sift through strangers’ garages full of junk they don’t want any more. If you’re lucky, they sell stuff they just don’t want — not stuff that’s falling apart or completely broken.

 

 

Lola by Steve Dickenson and Todd Clark

 

 

Some sellers can also be quite pushy. How strange is it that these people hope YOU want stuff they DON’T want collecting dust in their basements or garages?

 

 

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis

 

 

Where did all the junk come from, anyway? Previously treasured items are strewn about garages and driveways, now unwanted and unloved by the sellers. Will someone else find a treasure among this family’s trash?

 

Luann by Greg Evans

 

 

Here’s why we travel door-to-door, scouring for junk we’d like to make our own: it’s cheap, the stuff is unique and it’s shamelessly fun.

 

Grab your nickels and dimes and shop `til the garage door drops!

 

Bill Amend's New Side Project (a bit NSFW)

 

Is there a more harmonious relationship in nature than cartoonists and martinis?

 

"Yes," is what you'd likely hear me answer.  

 

Now you may think I'm being too cheeky in my reply, but I think you'll be whistling your tune on a different harpsichord after I tell you what a certain Mr. Bill "Foxtrot" Amend is up to. 

 

It's called "Bored Napkins" and it's over on the Instagram where folks are loving it with a recklessness that hasn't been seen since Nancy made the ill-advised statement to Sluggo that she was glad his parents were dead. It blends Bill's delicious interest in pop culture, gaming, comics and cursing.

 

Bill says, "Sometimes I get bored at bars and draw cartoons of questionable value on napkins."

 

Nothing questionable about it, Bill, these are so great that I don't even take it personally that I'm usually with you when you get "bored at bars." #ivegothurtfeelings

 

 

It’s time to party — family style.

August is officially Family Fun month. Prepare for all the family nights you can handle.

Family nights aren’t what they used to be. They’ve changed.

 

Adam@Home by Rob Harrell

 

 

Off the Mark by Mark Parisi

 

Maybe game nights look more like Candy Crush instead of Monopoly. That’s OK — it’s 2016, and you’re still together.

If you are anti-cell phones-during-game-night kind of people, unplug! Pretend the power is out, grab some flashlights, candles and chat fireside.

 

Real Life Adventures by Gary Wise & Lance Aldrich

 

Scary stories optional.

 

Families can be messy. Carve out quality time to invest in the people who raised you, or those you were raised with. 

 

Stone Soup by Jan Eliot

 

Keep your friends close, and your family closer.

 

Daddy's Home by Tony Rubino & Gary Markstein

Happy Family Fun month!

COMICS SHERPA: EDITOR'S PICKS

 

This recurring LAUGH TRACKS feature highlights individual Sherpa strips and panels that for one reason or another caught the fancy of the aide de sherpa. It could be anything; the drawing, the writing, the humor, the coloring, that they tried something interesting, or that it's a new step for that particular creator.

We hope this quirky sampler will alert you to features you might not yet have noticed amid Sherpa's abundant, ever-changing, and eclectic mix, and that it gives Sherpa creators a modicum of helpful feedback.

 

 

 

 

The Rocks  8-1-16

 

 

 

 

Weasel Ink  8-1-16

 

 

 

 

Zombie Heights  8-2-16

 

 

 

 

All In Good Time  8-3-16

 

 

 

 

 

The Beauforts  8-3-16

 

 

 

 

8-5-16

 

 

 

 

Something About Celeste  8-5-16

 

 

 

 

8-6-16

 

 

 

Buns  8-7-16

 

 

 

 

The Gray Zone  8-7-16

 

 

 

 

Girth 8-9-16

 

8-11-16

 

 

 

 

A complete list of all the Sherpa features can be found here.

 

'Michelangelo with a sense of humor' -- Pat Oliphant on Richard Thompson

Richard's Poor Almanac by Richard Thompson

 

If you happened across Richard's Poor Almanac this week (and you should every week), you would have seen the venerable Pat Oliphant's tribute to Richard. I know Pat Oliphant and he is not a man who throws around compliments lightly. Pat's greatest praise for me was "on time, at least." 

 

This was taken from the introduction of the one and only Richard's Poor Almanac collection "12 Months of Misinformation" by Emmis Books and is now going for $650+ on Amazon for a new copy. 

 

If you can't afford the book, you can see a good chunk of the contents in the archive at GoComics. It is work that will tickle your sensibilities and shock your disposition with how damn brilliant it all is. "Michelangelo with a sense of humor" indeed. 

 

Happy National Book Lovers Day, Bibliophiles!

Sarah's Scribbles by Sarah Andersen

 

Attention, all bibliophiles: Today is for you.

 

It doesn’t matter if you buy your books or borrow them; if you keep haphazard stacks of paperbacks or curate your collection on a Kindle; if you stay up all night reading or sneak in a few minutes on your commute. It’s National Book Lovers Day, and there’s no wrong way to celebrate!

 

Baldo by Hector D. Cantu and Carlos Castellanos

 

Head to the library or your favorite bookstore. Curl up in a comfy chair with an old classic or meet with your book club to talk about the newest release. Find someone to read to, or with!

 

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

 

Novels, memoirs, poetry or comics collections — all books are welcome among book lovers.

 

Frazz by Jef Mallett

Enjoy whatever adventures your books take you on today, friends.

 

The Awkward Yeti by Nick Seluk

 

Happy National Book Lovers Day!

NEW COMIC ALERT! Widdershins by Kate Ashwin

Widdershins by Kate Ashwin

 

Widdershins is a series of light-hearted adventure stories, set in a magical version of Victorian-era Yorkshire, featuring grumpy treasure hunters, accidental thieves, failed wizards and more.  

 

Follow Widdershins here!