Jimmy
October 27, 2011 at 1:07 pm
I’m beginning to think this strip is BNFN (By Nerds For Nerds).
I’m not going to get all over TB for cribbing the Dutch Master; he knows he’s no Rembrandt. And at least today he’s ripping off working from a source that most of us are familiar with. But the looks on those faces…in Rembrandt’s masterpiece, his “sampling officials” look up from their work to acknowledge our presence; a couple of them even seem to smile slightly . No doubt that in the next moment they will be back to their work. Contrast that with the slit-eyed scowls on the faces of every one of the “Comic Book Graders”. How dare we violate the sanctum of the Komix Korner? Today’s comic creeps me out a little.
Son of Stuck Funky 
You know what the funniest thing about this one is? It’s that Batom felt compelled to very conspicuously include that “Comics Grades” note on the bulletin board in the background there so the non-comic geeks in the audience would have a clue as to what this was supposed to be.
What’s even more disturbing is that DSH looks disturbingly like Ben Stein.
Who’s the diminutive mustachioed guy in between Crazy Harry and Maddie? I assume by process of elimination that he is this mysterious “Kevin” referred to in the tags, but for the life of me I can’t remember what he does or any strips in which he’s been featured (even though he’s been in Funkytown at least as long as the rest of the cast, if the soul-crushing misery in his gaze is any indication).
I don’t get it. It looks like something for a noir film or something like that.
Other than Maddie’s bored looking wishing she was anywhere but here, I get this vibe of the characters (especially Cody) saying to you, “You’re not goodgeeky enough to be here.”
Gotta love the mega-smug, “Or, if you prefer, the ‘Dutch Masters’.” What an insufferable a-hole he is.
Kevin’s eyes… they follow me, even after I close the window.
The Stan Marsh figurine in the background looks as if it has gained sentience and wants to scream in horror, but can’t because it’s mouth is painted closed.
The whole strip is pretty unsettling, which is a good thing, I suppose, for a Halloween strip. Though the whole reference/joke/gag probably elicits a “huh?”, an “ummmmmmmmm OK…”, or a “lame” from even the superiest of super nerds.
No matter how many knees to the groin this sextet of inanity has taken over the course of their lives, it’s far, far too few.
Also, creepy John appears eager to apply a healthy grab-ass on Owen.
Um, I’m not much of a comic nerd (way more into coins, YAWN) but even I have heard of CGC, the third party comic grading company, where “mint” is broken into 7 different levels of preservation. I’d prefer to buy comics graded by someone other than the person selling it to me.
The disturbing thing is, when I lived in Ohio, I *knew* (sort of) a “Little Person” that owned a comic shop. Knowing how much Tombat cribs from real life with his somewhat dubious homages, I wonder if I met a real-life Westviewian!?
@David O, I doubt TB’s audience knows of such a thing. I suspect that the overwhelming vast majority have no clue that comic books can be officially graded- and until I read your comment I was a member of that majority.
Why is this collection of geeks, pussies, and weirdos trying so hard to look so bad-cool?
Whoop…wait a minute…I guess that question answers itself…
Today’s Comix Conundrum: Which is more gay, the original or the pastiche?
Memo to TomBat: If you have to label your parody/”homage,” you didn’t do a good job.
Thank you for today’s comic. I recently gave an assignment to my 12th grade photography 2 students in which they had to reproduce a classical work of art as a contemporary photograph. The students are instructed to concentrate on the composition and lighting of the painting and render their piece as closely as possible to the original. Your use of Rembrandt as the model for today’s cell fits right into what I’m teaching
You can smoke a cigar but you can’t tuna fish
Comic books, pizza, the high school and cancer hospices: the engines of Westview’s economy.
Yeah, who IS that mustachioed guy in the middle there? Please don’t tell me there’s more than one comic book store in town.
Quite a few registered trademarks in the background there; Stan Marsh, Magic 8-Ball, “Clone Wars”…I guess different rules apply for famous comic strip authors as opposed to humble little bloggers, eh?
“Manga” the one book is titled. I hope it’s about manga, otherwise Batiuk is like the crossword and Jeopardy! writers who call anime a “genre” …
Close, TB, but no cigar.
Geez, everyone person in this scene looks like this is their last known photo.
-After MST3Ks Joel Robinson in “Manos: The Hands of Fate”
or if you prefer the most epic hour and 34 minutes in the history of comedy!!!
“all these comics have pizza grease on them!”