The first impulse is to ring the “Batiuk’s making light of mental illness again” bell. But I think TB’s merely guilty here of employing the old cartoonists’ “psychiatrist cliché” (Google “psychiatrist couch cartoon” to see just how cliché). It was reliable enough schtick when Batiuk’s idol Charles Schulz used it (nearly 60 years ago). Anyway, whatever therapy ol’ Mort derives from this dog, it’s doing wonders! When Funky dumped him in “the home” five years ago, he was practically catatonic. Since then, he’s taken up smoking, has picked up the trombone, and is now nearly indistinguishable from his son.
17 thoughts on “Couch Gag”
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Son of Stuck Funky 
(Shrug). It’s an attempt at a joke, so I give this one a pass. It would have been better if it didn’t have Dinkle in it, one of those FW characters that I really loathe. It could have been Walt, back from surgery, asking where Morte is–that would make more sense, really.
It’s not the gag itself (although I’m sure it’s not a Batiuk original), it’s the way he plays Mort for laughs now. A few years ago, as TFH said, he was catatonic and being played for pathos, now he’s a wisecracking “Crankshaftian” laff riot. Once again BanTom wants it both ways.
When I first saw this strip, I thought Funky was laying on a couch next to a dog for some reason, and was pretty excited because Funky in a strip outside of Montoni’s and not exercising would’ve been pretty groundbreaking for Batiuk lately. I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed that Funky wasn’t in a strip before. It’s a weird feeling.
Somehow, I don’t think Lassie should be your first choice for a therapist.
Anything that can’t be solved by comic books can be solved by therapy dogs. Just ask Buddy.
That’s a fairly small couch… Is Morton talking about Darin’s birth?
I don’t think Batiuk realizes that once you cross the cancer Rubicon, you can’t go back to wacky jokes like this. It’s like how Johnston decided to quit because she couldn’t damned near drown a child or out someone and go back to Elly freaking out because someone left the cap off of the toothpaste.
What’s that, girl? Funky fell down the well?
Could Be A Retcon Here
Not a bad gag, taken in a vacuum. But after years and years of abject misery, it’s too little too late.
Well put, Sarge. TB has built his serious, “prestige” arcs on shrinks (grieving Les at the beginning of Act III) and therapy dogs (Wally’s Buddy). Now he’s back to treating them as punchlines.
I have finally attained that higher state of consciousness in which I laugh out loud (as opposed to smirking) at the SOSF headers – “Cataract Walt” is the best song title pun I’ve heard in months, salute! Those strained FW gags, not so much.
TFH sez: Thanks! I was worried that nobody got it:
Yeah, I’m with the good Sarge here as well. At least it resembles a joke. Also I agree with Mr. Blurt, the funniest thing about FW these days are the headers over here.
Naw. Gonna give Batty a pass on this one. One of the functions of therapy dogs is to give people a safe ‘person’ to confess things to and talk out problems. I remember learning in an anthropology class about a tribe that uses dogs as marriage counselors. The husband would talk to the dog about his problems, knowing his wife was in earshot, and vice versa, so they could air issues without confrontation.
Uh huh, whatever, Batiuk. If you want to see a REAL example of a “legacy” cartoonist with a healthy sense of humor about themselves, then check out the epic collaboration Jim Davis did with Berke Breathed for today’s Bloom County strip, it’s one for the ages and had me rolling.
@capt
Yeah ol Berkeley has been on a roll ever since he came back. He is cranking out hit after hit while Batty just gives us bad puns.
Mink Deville rools, ok. I interviewed Willy once, and he had a great sense of humor. He’d love the “Cadillac Waltz” ref. Huzzah!