What's your favorite comic strip (or book, or webcomic)?

[Lord J Esq]

A couple of nights ago I thought of my old favorite comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes. It had been a few years since I'd last read any of them--maybe more than a few--and long enough in any case to be able to enjoy them practically as new, but with the comfortable familiarity of a strip I know I love. So I pulled out one of the books, dusted it off, and spent the rest of the evening with it. And of course it was just as brilliant as I had remembered. Truly, Bill Watterson is the greatest name in the history of the entire comic strip medium.

Last night I came down with a cold, which pretty much blew my weekend and consigned me to lots of bedrest, so this morning I pulled out another one and read it in bed. Once again I was not disappointed. How often can we say that when we speak of revisiting the things we enjoyed as children? Calvin and Hobbes is very special in that regard, and Watterson's genius is affirmed.

But that isn't to say he hasn't had some great competition. I got to thinking about it, and I came up with some other comics that I also really like. That inspired me to create this poll. Poll options are limited so I tried to list the biggest ones. If I missed yours, feel free to name it!

[GrayLensman]

You left out the greatest webcomic of all!

http://icomix.com/maze/comicpage/index1.html

[ZeaLitY]

That Zombie in the upper right with the helicoper shining on him supposed to look like the Gray Lensman black & white concept art? I see a familiarity in the face!

[GrayLensman]

You crack me up, Zeality.



That's actually a 60 year old magazine illustration by Charles Schneeman.

[Kazuki]

Definitly have to say Calvin and Hobbes. Off-kilter genius/6 year old child, and throw in a talking, Groumet-esque stuffed tiger, and you have a masterpiece.

[Lordchander]

Where is everyone's sense of humour? The far side all the way dudes! Though I probably would say Calvin and Hobbes next. Hmm, I wonder if its possible to make a polling system that allowed you to choose between and first, second and perhaps a third prefrence if you wanted to?

[Mystik3eb]

I thought Far Side was the most intelligent humor ever, when I was young. Then I grew up and realized how simple it was.

My favorite comic is a webcomic, called Fortuna Saga. I'm a sprite comic fanboy, I suppose. After that, I like Metroid: Third Derivative, Bob & George, and then 8-Bit and Ctrl-Alt-Del. I'm not a major fan of regular comics...though I always like Peanuts, Garfield and indeed Calvin and Hobbes. Also liked Foxtrot.

[Sentenal]

As for news paper comics, I'd say Perals Before Swine.

As for comic book comics, the non-Sentinel Robotech comics.  Such as the Robotech: Invasion, Robotech: Love and War, and the most recent, Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles.  Basically, I like them because they are Robotech, and continuations on the greatest animated series ever made.

[Tonjevic]

Look: anther CAD fan. I too enjoy reading CtrlAltDel. But it was basically a rip off of Penny Arcade to start off with.

[Mystik3eb]

Actually I don't find Penny Arcade funny. At all. I also don't vind VG Cats very funny either, but he's got a humongous fanbase.

As for comic book comics, the non-Sentinel Robotech comics.

...does anyone else find this humourously ironic?

[Hadriel]

I love basically every webcomic devoted to video games; I read Bob and George, CAD, Penny Arcade, 8-bit, and VG Cats regularly.  Calvin and Hobbes is total genius; nothing in newspapers today has been its equal.

[Naz]

Batman.

[Sentenal]

Actually I don't find Penny Arcade funny. At all. I also don't vind VG Cats very funny either, but he's got a humongous fanbase.

As for comic book comics, the non-Sentinel Robotech comics.

...does anyone else find this humourously ironic?

Heh, my screen name goes way back.  FYI, it is the Sentinel Robotech novels that I enjoyed.

[Lord J Esq]

I thought Far Side was the most intelligent humor ever, when I was young. Then I grew up and realized how simple it was.

Gotta disagree with you there. Politely, of course, since this isn't a debate thread. As a kid and even still today I think The Far Side is extremely witty. It isn't really my type of wit, although I do find it humorous enough to smile at, but intelligence is certainly not a trait it lacks. The simplicity you cite may even be a testament to that; one need not necessarily be complicated and elaborate to achieve intelligence...especially in some of the arts. Gary Larson's ability to boil down meaningful ideas into a simplistic, intuitive presentation is quite remarkable!

[nightmare975]

My newspaper just put Calvin and Hobbes back into sindication this September, so I now I can read them every morning.