Laugh Tracks

Nickelodeon Mag Comics Awards Winners: Garfield, Calvin and Bone!

The most famous feline on the comics page was the big winner in the first ever Nickelodeon Magazine Comics Awards. The award for Favorite Comic Strip went to Garfield, by Jim Davis, which beat out finalists Calvin and Hobbes, FoxTrot, Peanuts and Mutts.

Take heart, Calvin fans: While he missed out on the Favorite Comic Strip award, Calvin didn't go home empty-handed, winning the Best Hair in Comics award. (Not bad for a kid who's been enjoying retirement for more than a decade.)

And lastly, Jeff Smith's Bone won the award for Favorite Fantasy Graphic Novel. The entire Bone series, originally published in black and white from 1991-2004, was reprinted in color by Scholastic Books' graphic novel imprint, Graphix. The first nine issues of the color series have also been re-released in a series of comic apps produced by Uclick for iPhone and iPod touch.

Read the story from Universal Press Syndicate here.

New Comic: Chuckle Bros!

We have another great new daily cartoon on GoComics: Chuckle Bros. Here's the description from ChuckleBros.com:

"Humor can be found in just about every nook and cranny - down dark alleys, deep in space, far out to sea and hidden under grates. These are just a few of the myriad settings which serve as a backdrop for our zany cartoon, Chuckle Bros.

From early civilization, through the present, and on into the distant future, the world of Chuckle Bros is actually the same crazy world we all inhabit - it's just missing the normal set of checks and balances that keep each and every one of us just inside the ropes on our path through life.

Add the ignoble guy - the fellow who is constantly faced with innumerable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster - and you've got a sure-fire recipe for laughter.

And the best thing about him is that he is everybody and nobody at the same time - a pirate, a gardener, a locksmith or an astronaut - so he can go anywhere, anytime and do anything, all in the name of a good chuckle.

In a world that's often all too serious, we welcome you to see it through the eyes of Chuckle Bros - a laugh-a-day, every day."

The Fusco Brothers' Axel: Wolverine or Dog? You guess!

Fusco Brothers news from Universal Press Syndicate:

Wolverine or Dog? You Guess.

On March 19, a cartoon character comes out of the closet.

Since 1989 when J.C. Duffy began syndicating “The Fusco Brothers,” Axel (the Brothers’ faithful companion) has been described as “maybe a dog, maybe a wolverine.”

On March 19, Axel announces in the strip what he really is, and he’s not too happy about the outcome, judging from the single tear that falls from his eye.

Wolverine or Dog? Put your best-guess down now under the comments section on “The Fusco Brothers” site at gocomics.com and check back on March 19 to find out where his persuasion leans. “The Fusco Brothers” comic strip appears in about 125 newspapers nationwide and internationally, with a combined circulation of about 1.8 million.

Duffy’s comic strip of almost 20 years is primarily about unmarried brothers who score a zero in the romance department. When Duffy first created the “The Fusco Brothers,” who are a combination of Italian-American and Swedish, he wasn’t trying to base the characters on anyone in particular. The name “Fusco” came from brothers in Duffy’s childhood neighborhood.

The four brothers, Lance, Rolf, Lars and Al, along with their dog or wolverine, Axel, each have their own unique personalities. In the love department, Lance is the only one that seems to have scored big, landing a girlfriend, Gloria.

“The Fusco Brothers” has a wide range of readership, appearing in city newspapers, college newspapers and on various web sites. Aside from his long-term relationship with the “The Fusco Brothers,” Duffy is a greeting card designer and makes regular cartoon appearances in The New Yorker and other magazines.

“Come Here Often? Bad Pickup Lines FromThe Fusco Brothers,” is Duffy’s latest book available on Lulu.com. Other collections of “The Fusco Brothers” published by Andrews McMeel Publishing include “Meet the Fusco Brothers,” “Cruel and Unusual” and “Virtual Banality.” Duffy has also published a book of his drawings called "Moot Points," and has appeared in many New Yorker anthologies. In his spare time he writes and draws a daily blog called Night Deposits (a blog that’s sometimes best suited for mature audiences). However, audiences of any age can enjoy “The Fusco Brothers” at www.gocomics.com.

Pibgorn kicks off new story arc with larger format!

Brooke McEldowney's Pibgorn begins a brand-new story arc today, entitled "Pibgorn and the Volcano on 77th Street and Park Avenue!"

Of course, this is big news because the previous story, "Lena the Horrible," has been running since Pibgorn first joined GoComics on May 14, 2007 and just wrapped up yesterday.

And perhaps even more exciting than the beginning of a new arc is the confirmation from McEldowney that the larger format you see in today's installment is here to stay! Here's what the creator had to say in the comments section earlier this morning:

At this moment, I think I should say that, for reasons that are good but perhaps ruinous to one’s well being, I decided that I want to enlarge the format vertically. The result you see above.

Heretofore, what I have composed for each day of Pibgorn have been sections of a book page. I began with sections with the proportions of daily strips. In the second Pib story (“The Poltergeist in The Piano”) I changed to drawing in half-page sections, all to be assembled later in book form, two to a page.

That is enough work, when I’m doing them five days per week. However, the urge to draw each installment as one whole page of the book-to-be kept nagging at me. I finally gave in with the story you see evolving before you.

One little problem is that each page now is the equivalent of what, heretofore, were two day’s worth of work. This might get tricky, as far as its propensity to gobble time is concerned. I’ll have to see how it goes. For now, I’ll draw them five times a week. If it gets to be too much, I may move back to thrice weekly. I don’t want to, but it might be necessary.

Pray for me.

Brooke

New Comic: Scary Gary!

Scary Gary, a new comic strip by Mark Buford, examines an all-too-common problem: vampires in the suburbs. But this vampire isn't out for blood; Gary has turned over a new leaf.

"He's rather burned out on vampirism and is ready to hang up his cape," said Buford, adding that Gary's henchman, Leopold, is somewhat less than enthusiastic about the move: "Leopold keeps the neighborhood thoroughly terrorized."

Buford has been drawing cartoons since childhood and scored his first syndication deal in 1997 with a daily called Meatloaf Night. He said that Scary Gary was inspired in part by classic TV.

"When I was a kid I loved watching 'The Munsters' and 'The Addams Family,'" he said. "One day a few years ago I was thinking about those shows while doodling in my sketchbook, and Gary just appeared on the page."

Buford's late wife suggested the henchman idea, selected a design and even named him Leopold. And with that, Buford said, "Scary Gary was off and running."

Scary Gary has been syndicated by Creators Syndicate since June. It updates every day.

New Comic: The Barn!

Barnyard buddies Stan the bull and Rory the sheep, unlikely friends and stars of Ralph Hagen's new daily comic strip, The Barn, have a new home on GoComics.

The Barn, which is syndicated by Creators Syndicate, is the first daily strip of Hagen's 30-year career in cartooning. His work has appeared in publications such as Reader's Digest, The Saturday Evening Post and Woman's World, among others. Hagen is looking forward to the expanded audience offered by GoComics:

"From the fan mail I've received, people really enjoy the unique personality traits of Rory and Stan, especially the innocence of Rory. There's a lot of fun to explore in the premise - a barn situated between a butcher shop, a French restaurant and a vet clinic. Stan spends his time evading the butcher and chef to live another day, while Rory seems oblivious to the dangers, and outside of his fear of shearing day, spends his time exploring and asking questions."

The Barn updates every day.

Video: The Argyle Sweater on new greeting cards

From Universal Press Syndicate:

Beginning April 1, Recycled Paper Greetings (RPG) introduces an exclusive collection of cards featuring the comic panel The Argyle Sweater that will be available through mass retailers, drug stores and specialty stores nationwide. Included in the April launch are 12 birthday and just-for-laughs card designs. The Argyle Sweater is syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate.

Here's a video featuring The Argyle Sweater creator Scott Hilburn talking about the new card line:

 

And in case you missed it, here's an animated The Argyle Sweater cartoon that was created to promote the new book:

 

New Editorial Cartoonist: Donna Barstow!

Our newest editorial cartoonist, Donna Barstow, is a rarity. It's not just the fact that she's female - though that in and of itself is exceedingly rare in the field of editorial cartooning. But it's her background and her approach to cartooning that really set Barstow apart. Originally from the East Coast, the cartoonist crossed the country and landed in the Golden State, taking up residence in the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown. Barstow credits her familiarity with both coasts as one of the major reasons why her cartoons cover a broad mix of politics and pop culture, often putting a positive spin on things.

“I try to see more of the positive in the news,” says Barstow. “It’s important to have a point of view, but does it have to be fatalistic? I try and bring light to a subject even though I might loathe it.”

Look for new cartoons from Donna Barstow three times per week on GoComics.com.

Calvin and Hobbes Bento!

The Daily Cartoonist, that most excellent site for news from the cartooning industry, has posted the image and link to what can only be described as a bento artist (bento is basically lunchbox in Japanese) who created this Calvin and Hobbes bento! If you browse through her blog, you'll find lots of images of her amazing creations. She apparently made the Calvin and Hobbes bento for her boyfriend, who may now be officially considered one of the luckiest guys on earth.