Today the Calgary Herald published a letter to the editor that refers to F Minus, and it suggests something that interested me very much.
"I realize that, compared with the weighty matters that cause many to write to you, the comics page is not that significant. However, I did want to make a few comments about the Aug. 30 edition. First of all, we had the final chapter of Lynn Johnston's consistently delightful For Better or For Worse. I know that I am among many who will miss the ongoing reports of the family, and Johnston's unique ability to weave poignant and funny moments together. She is a Canadian treasure.
At the other end of the spectrum (and page) we have F Minus. I cannot understand why you publish this dreadful strip. Its title truly is its grade. Today's strip (with a child pouring gasoline over his tricycle) was mystifying. What is supposed to be either amusing or creative about a child wasting a precious and expensive resource while harming the environment?" -Philip E. Carr
Several things delighted me about this letter, but I'm going to focus on one specific idea: The Comic Spectrum. According to the author, on one side of the spectrum is the "consistently delightful" For Better or For Worse. At the other end... the "dreadful" F Minus. I'm going to assume Mr. Carr would be okay if I changed it to "consistently dreadful" for uniformity.
I decided to work up a helpful chart of the comic spectrum for your convenience. I've included some comics that readers have suggested should replace F Minus (and are therefore delightful). 
Please let me know where you think other comics might land on the spectrum!
16 comments:
Garfield should be near the dreadful line, while Pearls Before Swine should be closer to delightful. Love F- though!
I didn't realize that the word "dreadful" had its meaning changed to "something that one enjoys on a consistent basis, that brings entertainment", and the word "delightful" had its meaning changed to "a monotonous, mundane matter that one must put up with at times". Interesting. Actually, I did enjoy reading For Better or For Worse (so sue me), however, you can add about 90% of the other daily comics in the paper to the "delightful" end of the spectrum. Especially Garfield, Marvin, etc etc. The only others off the top of my head that I would add to the "dreadful" side, thus meaning good, are Bizarro, Foxtrot and when it was around, The Far Side. Keep truckin' Tony.
I'm thinking Mr. Philip E. Carr would also consider Funky Winkerbean delightful, although the idea of a hall monitor armed with an automatic machine gun and its warmongering implications might horrify him.
From all those comics suggested, there's only one I really enjoy. That's Pickles, but it doesn't offer the freshness F-minus brings to the comics pages. All the other old stale strip should be retired. The comic pages needs newer strips. Old boring strip is what's dreadful about the comic pages. For Better or for Worse had been getting worse not better these last few years.
..And what does being Canadian has to do with anything, anyway.
I'm most interested in comics that fall in that dark green no man's land...strips that elicit absolutely no reaction whatsoever. The only one that comes to my mind is Tank McNamara.
how dare you mock canadian's most valuable resource: lynn johnston. she fuels all the lorries with her joy
Get Fuzzy definitely belongs on the dreadful side with F Minus... thanks lucky for the definition clarification of "dreadful" and "delightful".
Well, If F-Minus is dreadfull, and those others are delightful, then I would add the following to the dreadful list:
- Opus/Bloom County (ah, I miss it the latter . . .)
- The Far Side
- Calvin & Hobbes
- Boondocks
(Gosh, so many dreadful ones gone . . .)
- Doonesbury
- Pooch Cafe (one of my new faves)
- Arlo & Janis
- Zits (but I am a parent to teenagers, so . . .)
Actually, these are the only ones that I read. I did like Fox Trot, too, and I always read For Better - it wasn't bad.
Garfield without Garfield is a lot better than Garfield, by the way.
I am thinking that Tundra since it can be very similar to yours should be near the "Dreadful" end. I really like F Minus and Tundra, so they have to be next to each other.
Oh as for the comic "Mutts" yea, that shouldn't even be allowed on the spectrum. In the Des Moines Register, we have that wasted space EVERY day and its a space where YOUR comic should be.
delightful (adj) - giving great pleasure or delight; highly pleasing
dreadful (adj) - extremely bad, distasteful, unpleasant, or shocking
FBofW has featured several deaths (family dog, grandma, etc.), stroke, divorce, birth defects, child abuse, etc., etc. and they're calling it *delightful*?! I find it to be a relatively grim comic. F-Minus is consistently funny. Too strange.
I can't wait for the next episode of Andy Capp!! What's he going to do? Is he going to get drunk? Fight with his wife? I bet she throws him out again. He's such a delightful womanizer! Nothing like that hussy Mary Worth. What a tramp!
I think when Mr. Carr uses the word "delightful", he means "safe". There is nothing in the strips of For Better or Worse that has actually made me laugh out loud.
Personally, I would rate F-Minus as dreadful as Peanuts. When I heard Charles Schultz died, my first thought was "Why couldn't it have Bil Keane".
like posted previously, f minus justs brings the freshness. something to look forward to.
Everyday, there is that damn family circus, just waiting to suck. F Minus is one of a handful of comics I even find funny. Keep up the good work man.
Weak City probably is as good as Marmaduke...
I'm surprised that no one has pointed out that Mr. Carr seems to be more concerned about some wasted gas and the environment than the safety of a child.
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