This is the weekly dispatch from Bizarro Studios North, where I have been writing and drawing the Monday through Saturday Bizarro comics since 2018. My partner and friend, Dan Piraro, created Bizarro in the late twentieth century and continues to do the Sunday comic from Rancho Bizarro in Mexico.
Wayno
If I had more time, I'd have written a shorter letter.
(attributed to) Mark Twain
That pithy sentiment, which Twain may have composed, paraphrases "I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time," which was definitely penned (albeit in French) by 17th-century French philosopher, physicist, mathematician, inventor, and theologian Blaise Pascal in his Lettres Provinciales.
One of the more challenging aspects of creating single-panel cartoons, as well as the most necessary, is verbal and visual editing to remove anything that's not needed to deliver the gag. Dialogue or captions can easily become so wordy that the verbiage obscures the payoff.
At times, a word balloon's verbosity is part of the joke, but it's usually best to simplify.
I like the phrase "quiet complexity," and hope I achieve it from time to time. Our reader's comment is more literate than my usual description of single-panel gags as the punk rock 45s of cartooning.
Before drawing Tuesday's "Sidekick Law Firm" gag, I ran an image search for actors who have played Sherlock Holmes's Dr. Watson. Among the results was this caricature of British actor Nigel Bruce, who was best known for his portrayal of Watson in several films and a radio series.
New Zealand cartoonist Allen Reeve (1910-1962) did the caricature. Nigel Bruce must have liked it, since this image is a glossy photo of Reeve's drawing, autographed by Bruce.
The signature on this 1938 self-portrait by Reeve matches the one on the Nigel Bruce drawing and confirms that it's the same artist.
In 1932, at age 22, Reeve published a book of 250 caricatures of notable people from Wellington, New Zealand, where he lived. He traveled extensively as a cartoonist and journalist, and his work was published in American magazines such as Fortune, Town and Country, and Vogue.
If this week's comics aren't all punk rock 45s, at least none are triple-LP gatefold-cover concept albums.
The good news is that the mold problem was eliminated.
As someone who once had an overnight lock-in shelf-stocking job at a local grocery store, I can confirm that the referenced syndrome is pure fiction.
When you can't afford first-rate attorneys, go to the second fiddles.
Few biblical scholars know that Cain was an early grammar nerd.
Speaking of grammar, I know that the sign should say "fewer" rather than "less," but supermarket express lane signs nearly always use "fewer." I applied for and was granted special dispensation in this case.
For the strip configuration, I had some fun with the shelves in the background, and swapped out the flying saucer secret symbol for the dynamite.
Rapunzel never left the tower, but she always tried to look her best.
My Substack newsletter, available this afternoon, includes the alternate strip version and an early sketch of the Rapunzel gag that we abandoned in favor of the one you see here.
That's the blog for this week, and I hope it wasn't too lengthy. Join us again next Saturday for more cartoons and commentary.
Does Anybody Really Know What Day It Is?
You can be in the know for all of 2026 with a Bizarro Canines & Felines wall calendar hanging in your home or office. It's available at the Comics Kingdom Shop, along with t-shirts, hats, and holiday.
Currently, you can save 50% on your entire order by using the code BIZARROHOLIDAY25 at checkout.
Currently, you can save 50% on your entire order by using the code BIZARROHOLIDAY25 at checkout.
Bonus Track
The Kinks: "Father Christmas"
Arista Records single, 1977
The Kinks seemed to draw renewed energy from the emergence of 1970s punk rock and released this great Christmas single, full of cynicism, humor, and crunchy guitar.
Gobs of Bizarro Goodies
If you like what we do and appreciate that it's free, we encourage you to explore the following links.
