A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Microwave

The controversy over the last couple of days of Hedge rages on over at comics.com.   A lot of  cranky readers are offended that I might not agree with their world view.   Or more specifically, that I dare inject my world view into their favorite comic strip — as though who I am is somehow incidental to what Hedge is.

It’s been my long held belief, born of years of experience, that the more personal a work of art (even bottom of the entertainment food chain comic strip art), the better it is.   I once wrote a comic strip called, “When I Was Short.”  It started strong, yet eventually failed, I believe, because it wasn’t really, “When I Was Short.” It was, “When A-Generic-Child-Who-We-Hoped-Would-Have-Mass-Appeal-Grew-Up-in-the-Sixties Was Short.”   Big mistake.  Generic is bland.  Personal is specific and well… personal.   I think we’re all voyeurs on some level and we enjoy entertainment more if we believe it’s authentic.   Authentic does not mean biographical or literal.   Authentic is a combination of personal and fictional.  It’s truthfulness.  Not truth.

Look, if you want to read antiseptic, bland, boring, tired, so-tired-their-original-creator-is-dead, comic strips there are plenty out there.   But if you want to read an earnest attempt to entertain an audience with a daily, honest, heart-felt, kinda dark, but in a  funny way, then read Pearls Before Swine.

The rest of you are stuck with us.