Dennis the Menace (5/4/11)

After graduating from high school, I took two years off in order to find myself. Fortunately, those years were spent at an inexpensive state school where I made friends, performed in plays, and racked up general education credits that I took with me when I transferred to film school. Sure, I spent my time riding the train to and from my parents’ house instead of riding the Eurostar from Paris to London. I studied at a concrete urban campus instead of at a perfectly preserved set of Mayan ruins. And I waited patiently for my 21st birthday in America instead of celebrating my landing in Australia with a pint or two of Foster’s. (What is the drinking age in Australia? Eighteen? Fourteen? Twelve?) But even though they might not have been glamorous, my first two years of college were a blast; a carefree, inexpensive blast.

Dennis the Menace (4/16/11)

Do you know what’s wrong with basketball? Nothing. The NBA playoffs started today, and my hometown Chicago Bulls got the tournament off to a good start by staging a comeback against the Indiana Pacers. The Bulls played poorly, at least on the defensive end, and found themselves trailing until the final minute of play. That’s when Chicago superstar (and presumptive league MVP) Derrick Rose took over the game. After driving to the basket for two baskets (dude is unbelievably fast), he passed the ball to sharpshooter Kyle Korver who sank a tie-breaking three-pointer. For a minute there, I thought I was watching Michael Jordan and John Paxon do their thing. I wasn’t, but it was awfully close.

Dennis the Menace (12/26/09)

What strikes me about this strip is not Dennis’ aw-shucks observation that every material thing in his life is made in China, but rather his father’s incredulous (bordering on angry) reaction to the quip. It’s as if this middle-aged man has been hit with the sudden, rude realization that American manufacturing is in the midst of inexorable decline. Considering the father’s physique, it seems safe to assume that he sits at a desk all day. Still, his expression suggests that Dennis’ callous dig at an entire, fading sector of the American economy has touched a raw nerve.