Comic strips have been a significant part of American culture for over a century. Whether it be from a newspaper’s funny pages or on the internet, countless people grew up reading and laughing at the wacky characters that get their jokes across in just a handful of panels. With many of these daily strips, their writers and artists have managed to produce tens of thousands of hilarious comics. The iconic and relatable characters, clever jokes, simplistic art styles, and numerous published works have made these comic strips pop culture icons with millions of fans across the world. These are the comic strips that everyone should read for a good laugh.
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Despite originating inside newspapers instead of comic books, these comic strips have provided plenty of humor and heart for countless people and remain benchmarks of comedy and visual storytelling.
5) Bloom County
Politics and comics have gone hand-in-hand for centuries, and Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed continued that tradition. Set in the titular county, this absurdist comic features a wide cast of colorful characters that each represent different groups and aspects of American culture and politics. Opus the Penguin is a hapless and hopeful character whose propensity for existential dread makes him both humorous and relatable. Other great residents of Bloom County include the crazy parody of American consumerism, Bill the Cat, the forever-anxious yet idealistic Michael Binkley, the Republican scumbag lawyer Steve Dallas, and the reasonable Vietnam War veteran Cutter John. Originally published in the 1980s, Bloom County primarily satirized the Reagan administration and the general culture of the decade. The series did a great job mixing wacky jokes with real-life events and issues in a way that was both clever and hilarious. Bloom County was a funny and thought-provoking series that spoke to a generation.
4) Garfield
With countless comics, movies, shows, specials, and merch, Garfield is among the most recognizable characters in modern pop culture. Written by Jim Davis, this iconic comic strip follows the fat, lazy, and sarcastic orange tabby cat Garfield, along with his dweeby owner, Jon Arbuckle, and the lovable yet dopey beagle Odie. Other great characters include the annoyingly cute Nermal, the sassy vet Liz, and the sarcastic Arlene. Even as his appearance has changed over 50 years of publication, Garfield’s personality has stayed consistent and iconic as a lasagna-loving and Monday-hating slouch who always has a wisecrack ready to go. The simplicity of the comic adds to the brilliance, as the numerous running jokes, fun character dynamics, and relatability of many of their feelings and struggles pushed to extremes make it a series that all ages can enjoy. And as the most syndicated comic strip in history, Garfield continues to grace the funny pages and is loved by countless people.
3) The Far Side
In just a single panel, cartoonist Gary Larson made people laugh hysterically with his minimalistic and wacky series The Far Side. With no standard cast of recurring characters or a primary location but with a lot of cows, The Far Side went wild with surrealist humor where anything could happen as long as it was unexpected and funny. This series featured people, animals, aliens, monsters, cavemen, and more in crazy situations and often with poignant captions. Given the extremely restrictive nature of single-panel comics, they can oftentimes be very hit-or-miss. However, Larson managed to make his comics hilarious because they work on multiple levels by using both clever wordplay and bizarre imagery to make unforgettable jokes. And since The Far Side isn’t tied down to any specific characters, location, or time period, it’s a completely timeless work that people of all ages can enjoy. To this day, The Far Side remains the gold standard of absurdist single-panel comics.
2) Peanuts
In 1950, Charles M. Schulz made history with the publication of the very first Peanuts comic strip. Since then, Peanuts and its wide cast of characters have been pioneers of the entire comic strip industry and grown to become a multimedia empire. The success of Peanuts was due in part to its great humor, minimalist art style, revolutionary formatting, and relatable characters that accurately portrayed the highs and lows of childhood. Charlie Brown is a socially awkward but kindhearted kid; his dog Snoopy is an imaginative and adventurous extrovert; Lucy is bossy and sassy; and Linus is thoughtful and loves his blanket. Everyone can relate in some aspect to the antics and feelings that these characters go through as they try to make sense of the confusing world around them while still having fun. Schulz also practically invented the four-panel comic strip format, which allowed him to set up and pay off clever jokes perfectly. All of these factors come together to create a timeless comic strip that’s equal parts humorous and heartfelt.
1) Calvin and Hobbes
No comic strip is as hilarious, nuanced, relatable, and beautiful as Bill Watterson’s iconic and timeless masterpiece Calvin and Hobbes. The series follows a six-year-old boy and his talking stuffed tiger as they go on crazy adventures and contemplate the nature of existence. Calvin is a wild and imaginative kid whose propensity for getting into trouble while having crazy daydreams has resonated with both children and adults. In contrast, Hobbes is a wise, if not childlike, individual who will often act as the voice of reason to Calvin’s insane antics. Watterson considers his comics as a work of art, which can be seen in how he blends simplistic character designs with realistic and fantastical imagination sequences to portray how children view the world. And on top of witty humor and incredible art, Calvin and Hobbes isn’t afraid to tackle serious topics like war, religion, death, and society in a way that’s easily digestible for people of all ages. Calvin and Hobbes pushed practically every aspect of comic strips, and it will always be relevant and beloved.
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