Sally Forth (12/1/09)

What’s a Noid? What’s a Noid?!? As a child of the ’80s, I’m shocked to think that someone could draw a blank when confronted with that classic advertising icon. Then again, I’m also shocked when I see signs in convenience stores stating that customers need to have been on or before this date in 1991 in order to buy cigarettes. Maybe I’m just getting old. As for why the Noid needs to avoided, the answer to that question is clear: he was associated with Domino’s Pizza and common sense dictates that it’s best to steer clear of anything associated with that particular chain.

Sally Forth (10/20/09)

I was reading an article the other day about how married couples need to set aside time to date each other, especially if they have kids. Otherwise, mundane tasks can dominate a couple’s life and they can lose the emotional connection that drew them together in the first place. But while candlelit dinners are lovely, I’m pretty sure they’re not the type of thing the woman in this strip is asking her husband about. And while I understand the need for euphemisms in a family newspaper, I think this conversation would be a lot more direct (and interesting) if she substituted “sex life” for “love life.”

Sally Forth (10/8/09)

These girls have the right idea. While their contemporaries are getting their musical kicks playing Beatles Rock Band or listening to Hannah Montana, these lasses are rocking out in their parent’s garage. The results are likely horrendous, but that’s not the point. At least they’re making an honest (and earnest) attempt. And who knows, one day the guitarist might learn to play a chord or two, the bassist might develop a loose sense of rhythm and the drummer might get inspired by the musical stylings of Animal the Muppet. It would make for an intriguing rock band, and one that their classmates would be lucky to encounter at a random all-ages show.

Sally Forth (5/26/09)

This week marks the return of one of my favorite storylines of the past year: Ted Forth’s alleged (but ultimately nonexistent) affair with a woman from work who shares many of his geeky interests. The reason I like this conflict is that it infuses real emotions and genuine stakes into the strip without being heavy-handed or losing the silliness that makes Sally Forth such a joy to read. As evidence of that silliness, I point to Ted’s painfully mixed metaphor in panel two. Thoroughbreds may be highly regarded as racehorses (and may be magnificent beasts, to boot) but they’re not typically thought of as delicacies, at least not at any restaurants I’ve been to.

Sally Forth (2/10/09)

The bad boss is one of the classic characters in fiction (and comics, and movies, and popular art in general) and this new character in Sally Forth fits the mold beautifully. He’s withdrawn and sickly, paranoid and irrational, much like the owner in the classic baseball novel, The Natural. Regardless of the role this character takes in the strip from now on, today’s installment will serve as a testament to his chilling misanthropy. Take that, Mr.Burns!

Note: Today is the one-year anniversary of this blog. It started on an ambitious note, as you can see by reading this lengthy inaugural post.

Sally Forth (1/23/09)

Something tells me that the absent assistant in this strip is excellent at her job. She could have written, “had to leave to take care of the cats” on her note but instead she took the time to write out each cat’s name. That kind of attention to detail will save her boss countless headaches in the future. Then again, it might have been wise to include the word “cat” somewhere in the note. Otherwise, an uninformed reader might think this woman left work early to indulge in an eleven-hour Lord of the Rings marathon.

Sally Forth (11/3/08)

If predictions hold, and if the weather is as nice as it was today, then this year’s election could spark turnout the likes of which we haven’t seen since the (Teddy) Roosevelt administration. I’ll be voting bright and early, and hope to be one of many millions filling the nation’s polling places. I might even reward myself by picking up a package of interoffice clasp envelopes on the way to work…they are handy and I wouldn’t want to run out.