Yeah, You Rite

Today's post kicks off with a pipe pic from Bizarro CEO (Chief Eyeball Officer) Dan Piraro. It's a groovy shot of self-described "spiritual entertainer" Alan Watts, who Dan mentions as one of his favorite authors of the moment.

I'd heard his name before, but didn't know anything about him. Dan tells me that he was a genius, esoteric, spiritual philosopher from the mid-20th century, and was an Episcopal priest who was thrown out of the church and the first person to bring Buddhism to the West in a way we could understand.

During my childhood I was forced to attend twelve years of Sunday school at an Episcopal church, and I have the perfect attendance pins as souvenirs of my time served. So, I can appreciate someone who was thrown out of the organization, and I'll definitely add Alan Watts to my reading list.

Speaking of reading lists, here's a rundown of the latest shenanigans in Bizarro.

 

We started the week with a premise that makes as much sense as anything I heard in Sunday school.

 

The Laughing Cow mascot was already creepy, and I was pleased to find a way to make it even more off-putting by turning it into a bovine-serpent hybrid.

 

Here at Bizarro Studios North, we love to draw Frankenstein's monster. According to my cartoon database, he's appeared in about 20 gags since I started doing the daily panels in 2018.

 

Perhaps I'm still stewing because Santa never brought me a Big Frankie model kit.

 

We reached a meta-plateau on Wednesday, with a clown gag that doesn't actually show a clown. 

 

The question here is whether the caption refers to the sea creature's pride in appearance, or its favorite item of bedroom furniture.

 

 

A scene from the Hasbro Toy Company's in-house production of "Sweeney Todd." 

 

I just noticed a small coloring error in this panel. Award yourself a Jazz Pickle Eyeball merit badge if you find it. At least I counted the symbols correctly.

Although I never had a Big Frankie model kit, my siblings and I had plenty of Potato Head toys over the years. I clearly recall the cucumber character, and I have a vague memory of a bell pepper sidekick. Please note that this photo includes an impressive addition of three pipes.

We close out this batch with a bon mot from a lesser-known Victorian wit.

This week, we were saddened to learn that the great New Orleans cartoonist Bunny Matthews died on June 1 after an extended battle with cancer.

Bunny Matthews at his home office in Abita Springs, LA in 2016.
Photo by Keith Spera/Times-Picayune

I never met Mr. Matthews, but have enjoyed his work since first encountering it in 1983. He had a wonderful, individualistic drawing style and a sly sense of humor. His comics, particularly those starring Vic & Nat'ly Broussard, showed a deep affection for the quirky inhabitants of his hometown. 

The title of this week's post is taken from the cover of one of Bunny's books.

In 2009, I excitedly snapped this photo of a bread truck adorned with a giant image of Vic and Nat'ly.

Thanks for all the laughs you gave the world, Bunny.

 

RIP, f'sure.

Bonus Track

Since starting this post with the photo of Alan Watts, I've had the Kinks' song "David Watts" playing in my head. That's how the mind of a music nerd works.

 

"David Watts" originally appeared on the band's 1967 album Something Else by the Kinks. I love that bit of studio chatter at the beginning, where Ray Davies is heard saying, "Nice and smooth."

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Further Reading

 

Don't forget to visit Dan Piraro's blog, where he shows off his latest magnificent Sunday Bizarro page, along with thoughts on the week's cartoons and other topics of interest.

Also, please consider subscribing to my free newsletter. It'll deliver a link to my latest blog posts directly to your email inbox, and it always includes an exclusive peek at a work in progress. Of course, you can unsubscribe at any time.

 

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Take care of yourselves, and take care of each other.