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What's So Funny?
These familiar faces are but a few of the newspaper comic-strip characters that have made us laugh out loud or otherwise captivated us for more than a century. More than just "the funnies," comic strips document our cultural history, offer social and political commentary, stir controversy, and provide a daily dose of humor, adventure or drama.
Comics have been a unifying thread in U.S. history. "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz called comic strips "poor man's poetry," and some became memorable. "We have met the enemy, and he is us," the possum Pogo famously declared. Even presidents acknowledged the power of comics. "There are only three major vehicles to keep us informed as to what is going on in Washington," President Gerald Ford once said. "The electronic media, the print media and Doonesbury, and not necessarily in that order."
Comics are no thrilling matter, according to newspaper editor Steve Smith. "I've always found a certain irony in the fact that no decision [journalists] make -- from determining front-page content to endorsing presidential candidates -- generates as much response, passion and anger as comics decisions." |