Any insights on yesterday's Get Fuzzy cartoon?

February 23, 2005 8:49 AM

Yesterday's Get Fuzzy comic strip appeared in my newspaper with one balloon smudged, one completely blank and a head-scratching graphic in the last frame. I assumed print problems, until I looked at the online version which displays exactly the same way. I looked at the previous few days' strips, and it still makes no sense. Is it an in-joke? Does anyone have enlightenment to share?
posted by initapplette to Society & Culture (14 answers total)

Well that last frame looks like the kind of splash screen that TV stations throw up on the screen when they are experiencing technical difficulties. So my guess is that this is a meta-level "we are experiencing technical comic strip difficulties" joke...
posted by googly at 8:54 AM on February 23, 2005

Best answer: The joke, as is explained by the last panel--the test pattern--is that there were techincal problems that caused the strip to fail. As if you were watching TV and the feed to your local station broke up or whatever. I think that's it. Oh, yeah, then there's the added humor of the out-of-context reply: "On the same monkey?" Comedy gold!
posted by skynxnex at 8:54 AM on February 23, 2005

Best answer: googly is correct, the last graphic is definitely the 1939 RCA "Indian Head" monoscope TV test pattern.
posted by RichardP at 8:55 AM on February 23, 2005

Amazing that that graphic was used after being discussed here last week, especially considering the lead time for drawing comics is about a week.
posted by mischief at 8:58 AM on February 23, 2005

especially considering the lead time for drawing comics is about a week.

Not sure if you're trying to imply something or just point out a coincidence, but I think the lead time is longer than that.

Syndicates generally require that you submit your daily strips (6 a week) 4 weeks in advance and the Sunday color strips 8 weeks in advance.
posted by GeekAnimator at 9:06 AM on February 23, 2005

Response by poster: Ah ... I missed the test pattern thread the first time around. With the cool answers here, all is now clear. Thanks! We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
posted by initapplette at 9:14 AM on February 23, 2005

I think Bucky is "supposed" to be saying something that wouldn't be allowed in a family comic, thus being crossed out.
posted by drezdn at 9:15 AM on February 23, 2005

I think Bucky is "supposed" to be saying something that wouldn't be allowed in a family comic, thus being crossed out.
Agreed. I think yesterday's started it and today's strip further displays Darby's conception of what he thinks of the media.
posted by jmd82 at 9:35 AM on February 23, 2005

Yeah, I took that as a statement on censorship without being hip to the series. The most likely bet.
posted by dong_resin at 9:52 AM on February 23, 2005

I like the family-friendly media idea. The only thing that makes me wonder a bit is that it looks to me like Bucky is saying "Idiot. He meant which/what species?". I'm just surprised Darby didn't try to imply something a little more obscene -- cause I think Bucky has said or implied far worse things before. But perhaps the suggestion is that "idiot" triggered the comic version of "bleep" and that there was collateral damage in that panel and the next, making an even bigger commentary on censorship. Or perhaps I'm overanalyzing...
posted by afiler at 10:15 AM on February 23, 2005

As a little bit of background for anyone unfamiliar with the strip, there's a long running joke within the comic about Bucky the Cat wanting to eat a monkey.

Mmmmmmmonkey.
posted by GeekAnimator at 10:17 AM on February 23, 2005

afiler , The printed strip once had "Big Birds bum feathers" that was changed online to "holy fanny feathers" Which for British readers is much stranger and funnier.

I wish i had kept the printed version , much funnier.
posted by stuartmm at 10:41 AM on February 23, 2005

Response by poster: cause I think Bucky has said or implied far worse things before

Some newspapers refused to run this one.
posted by initapplette at 11:13 AM on February 23, 2005

Thank you for reminding me why I gave up on this strip despite the cat.
posted by krisjohn at 9:34 PM on February 23, 2005