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    1. Does the Great Pumpkin really exist in the Peanuts Universe?

      Recently my family was watching "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" from 1966 and I recalled how the plot of the show came from comics that were written over time in the years before the...

      Recently my family was watching "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" from 1966 and I recalled how the plot of the show came from comics that were written over time in the years before the cartoon game out. And one thing we talked about was whether Linus was correct that The Great Pumpkin actually exists, or was everyone else right and it was in his imagination.

      It seems a reasonable question, because one thing about Linus is that he's usually the wisest character on the show. Like the rest of them, he has flaws but he tends to see things more clearly than the rest.
      Well, I was looking for old Peanuts strips and I found one that seems to answer the question in this article:

      https://screenrant.com/funniest-peanuts-comics-about-great-pumpkin-linus-disappointment/

      It is under item 4, "Great Pumpkin, You're Going To Drive Me Crazy!" November 1 1961.
      Here is a direct link to the comic in question, (not sure if it will work long term).

      In the comic, Charlie Brown says: "Hey wake up, Halloween is over... You missed The Great Pumpkin. It just came over the radio... He appeared in a very sincere pumpkin patched owned by someone named Freeman in New Jersey!"

      When I was a kid we had a book that had a lot of the older Peanuts comics in it, and I'm pretty sure that I had seen this one and just forgotten about it.

      So I think one of the following is true:

      • The Great Pumpkin really exists in the Peanut's world
      • Charlie Brown is lying
      • Charlie Brown is teasing
      • The radio was lying, like when NORAD reports where Santa's sleigh is on Christmas eve
      • Charlie Brown misunderstood the radio

      This question may have been answered in a later strip a day or two later, but I don't currently have access to the strips in the order they appeared.

      This question is mostly about whether Charles Schulz decided to have magic in his "universe" or not.
      What do you think?

      16 votes
    2. Looking for some recommendations

      I've been getting into comic books (or graphic novels) lately and I read some that affected me on a personal level quite a bit. I had never been a comic book person, especially about superhero...

      I've been getting into comic books (or graphic novels) lately and I read some that affected me on a personal level quite a bit. I had never been a comic book person, especially about superhero stuff, and I still don't think they're my cup of tea (Except maybe for Watchmen). I brushed off the whole genre thinking that superhero comics were the best they had to offer and that was quite wrong of me to assume so.

      A while ago I read Richard McGuire's comic, Here, and it was one of the best books I've ever read. Brilliant idea, superbly executed. It had a profound affect on me and kicked the doors open to a world I had not known existed.

      Subsequently, I bought a few more titles after some research in similar vein to Here. I've read about half of them, but bought all of them thinking that their stories would appeal to me. So in order to give you all some ideas, here's a list of the titles I've purchased so far:

      • Here by Richard McGuire
      • Maus by Art Spiegelman
      • Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware
      • Rusty Brown by Chris Ware
      • City of Glass: A Graphic Mystery by Paul Auster, Paul Karasik & David Mazzucchelli
      • Black Hole by Charles Burns
      • Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
      • Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
      • Hostage by Guy Delisle
      • Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City by Guy Delisle
      • Burma Chronicles by Guy Delisle
      • Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle
      • Stardust by Neil Gaiman & Charles Vess
      • Daytripper by Gabriel Ba & Fabio Moon
      • Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
      • Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
      • From Hell by Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell
      • Berlin by Jason Lutes
      • Blankets by Craig Thompson

      I've had some comics adapted from novels (like _Brave New World, 1984 etc.) but I'm not into those as much.

      My wallet will not like this topic but I'm looking forward to your recommendations. Thank you in advance!


      Please do not comment about reading the rest first instead of seeking new recommendations. I understand the sentiment and would normally agree, but I have legitimate reasons to do it.

      13 votes
    3. Webcomics recommendations

      My list of comics I read over a cup of tea in the morning is looking a little stale so I wondered what webcomics people like to read on a regular basis. I'm pretty flexible about content types,...

      My list of comics I read over a cup of tea in the morning is looking a little stale so I wondered what webcomics people like to read on a regular basis. I'm pretty flexible about content types, the only real requirement is regular updates. If I can jump in without reading a shedload of back issues that would be better than not, but for a good series I don't mind putting in some time catching up.

      Here's my current list:

      Daily-ish updates

      Couple of updates a week-ish

      Might be dead

      26 votes
    4. Ebook reader for comics

      I'm looking to buy a new ebook reader to replace my old Paperwhite. I would like to be able to read comics on it as well as normal books. I know there are finally some color screen ebook readers...

      I'm looking to buy a new ebook reader to replace my old Paperwhite. I would like to be able to read comics on it as well as normal books. I know there are finally some color screen ebook readers on the market but from what I have read, they're not great for comics yet. Most of the comics I read/want to read are black and white anyway, so I figure my best bet is a b/w reader with a decent sized screen. Does anybody here have experience reading comics on ebook readers with or without color? Can anybody recommend a reader for this purpose?

      Edit: Or is a tablet still the best choice for comics?

      15 votes
    5. Any Megg, Mogg, & Owl fans?

      Simon Hanselmann published a new book this month, Werewolf Jones and Sons Deluxe Summer Fun Annual. I'm curious if anyone has read it or is planning to. I'm a huge fan of the main entries in the...

      Simon Hanselmann published a new book this month, Werewolf Jones and Sons Deluxe Summer Fun Annual. I'm curious if anyone has read it or is planning to.

      I'm a huge fan of the main entries in the MM&O series, but have been a bit disappointed with the recent spinoffs. Crisis Zone was a lot of fun and captured the mood of the pandemic really well in the first half, but felt like it jumped the shark a bit too much towards the end. Below Ambition is the only book by Hanselmann that I thought was downright not good. There are no interesting stories or redeeming humorous moments, just characters repetitively acting obnoxious. I had to force myself through it.

      I've seen a few mixed reviews of Werewolf Jones and Sons on Amazon and Goodreads that raise similar complaints- that it relies too much on shock value without any underlying substance. I like Werewolf Jones, but it seems like he is becoming more and more of a caricature relying on cheap gross-outs (one reviewer called out Flanderization which I thought was apt). I think I might skip this one unless I hear otherwise.

      I'm still all in for the next mainline entry in the series. I definitely want to see the resolution to the more dramatic elements that were left hanging (ex. Megg's relationship with her mom, Mogg's insecurities, the return of Owl). I definitely need some plot progression and character development to balance out all of the hedonistic debauchery.

      Would love to hear what anyone else thinks about the series.

      7 votes