My Top 5 Favorite Comic Strips

While growing up, I fell in love with all things comics.

Comic books and Comic Strips were and still are a passion for me, and while I had done a Top 5 List of Most Important Comics, it was pointed out to me that I should make a Top 5 of Comic Strips and so without further adieu….

1-Peanuts by Charles Schultz was always a favorite comic strip for me to read, due in no small part to the many different characters that made up the world of Peanuts.

Linus and his security blanket.

Lucy & Peppermint Patty, my favorite female characters in Peanuts.

Patty, the perennial tomboy, who has an on again, off again crush on Charlie Brown, and of course Lucy and her penchant for holding a football for Charlie Brown to kick, and always pulling it away before Charlie Brown ever gets the chance to do it.

Snoopy, perhaps the best character of the entire Peanuts gang. Snoopy has been everything, from the World War One Flying Ace to an ice skater, to just being Charlie Brown’s lovable pet.

And of course, there is no peanuts without Charlie Brown.

The ultimate loser, the worry wart, the little league baseball manager, and Snoopy’s owner. The fact that Peanuts continues today, even after Schultz’s passing attests to the popularity of this strip and is my favorite strip to read even today.

2- Dilbert by Scott Adams

Dilbert is dry, witty humor, that always manages to bring a smile to my face.

The strip is based on the very real office world of workers, spending their days toiling at their jobs while working in their cubicles.

Dilbert is your average geeky engineer, who works for a clueless, inane boss. One of the better characters in this strip is wally, who always seems to find a way to do as little as possible, in any given situation, and always comes away smelling like a rose.

And lets not forget Dogbert and Catbert, who sometimes are evil HR people, but are always finding a way to get poor Dilbert into some sort of a jam.

3- Blondie by Young and Marshall

I’m not sure about who the original artist of this strip is ( I keep remembering Chic Young ) but the main characters are always perennials.

Blondie and her husband Dagwood.

Mr. Dithers and his wife Cora.

Blondie and Dagwood’s kids, Cookie and Alexander.

Tootsie and Herb Woodley.

And let’s not forget the family dog, Daisy.

Blondie celebrated their 75th year as a strip in 2005. I am not sure how many other strips can make the claim of being around for that period of time.

Some of my favorite moments are usually between Mr. Dithers and Dagwood, where Dagwood is usually on the receiving end of Mr. Dithers shoe!

4- The Family Circus by Bill and Jeff Keane

While reading the daily version of this strip is always amusing, the strip really always shines for me on Sundays. I especially love the Sunday strips where, where one of the kids usually takes over the strip for dad Bill.

5- This was a difficult choice ( which is why, a top 5 list can be difficult to do at times ) but I have to go with Lynn Johnson’s For Better or For Worse.

This strip is really grounded in everyday family life. The trails and tribulations that I think most families tend to often go through in life. I dare someone who has a family, to read this strip for a month, and tell me that they don’t see some aspect of their own lives right here in this strip. I can especially relate to the kids in the strip growing up, becoming young adults, raising their own families. Finding a place to live, finding a job, making friends, these are just some of the real life happenings in this strip and while it is not always a funny read, there is always a real slice of life contained in Lynn’s strips and I have really enjoyed the ride so far.

So that’s it! My Top 5 Comic Strips.

I’d be interested in what you think of my list, and if you have your own Top 5, I’d be interested in seeing what they are also, so you an email me at snewmark@hvc.rr.com or just leave a comment here.

Thanks

Lew