Comic Strip Life

Some comic strips follow life. People age. Kids grow up. Examples include "Arlo and Janis" or "For Better or For Worse." In other comic strips, life never changes. Except possibly for updating technology. Examples include "Blondie" or "Dennis the Menace." And another group likes to play with the fourth wall and interact with the real world--most notably "Pearls Before Swine."

The fact that life repeats itself can be a joke in itself for strips in the second category. Look at "Sally Forth," where daughter Hillary continues to be 12-years-old. Yet she engages annually in a scheme to prevent her mother from eating the ears off her chocolate bunny (and she remembers her past failures).

However, I cannot imagine a better incorporation of the all three ideas into one strip than "Cleats" on August 29, 2010:



In case you cannot read the text or see the image, here is the scenario. Three characters are enjoying the final days of summer by lying on floating lounge mats.

Abby: "I hate going back to school. The summers seem so short--and then right back into school."
Edith: "Yeah, right back into the same grade."
Abby: "What?"
Peri: "What do you mean by that?"
Edith: "I mean for the last nine or so years, we go back into the same old grade."
Peri: "You're wack."
Abby: "I believe the gray gumballs just rolled out of your little glass cranium."
Edith: "You guys just don't remember the past."
Edith: "I have Hindsight."

In the final panel, cartoonist Bill Hinds leaves his signature in two spots. One in the typical location in an open space in the frame. The second is included in the speaking text as Hinds makes a reference to himself.

I am also a fan of comic strips where they interact with characters of other comic strips. But that is another post.