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March 04, 2007
Opposite World
This is one of those times when it would be nice if Prickly City had more than two characters (other than "guests" like the easy-to-draw "fat guy with big nose in a hooded robe" or the other fat guy with a big nose, Ted Kennedy. Or Michael Moore. Or...you get the idea. Stantis only knows how to draw people he doesn't like as fat drunkards with big noses). It could have been cute to see Winslow roaring like a lion, Carmen looking sweet and innocent as a lamb, and then someone else (Dio maybe?) sitting on the crate of mint jelly holding the whip. But nope - instead we get Carmen doing the worst impression of a lamb EVER. How is that a lamb? Um, dude - easy way to draw a lamb is big huge blue eyes and a pink bow around the neck. Not some little girl looking like she just smoked a doob and is floating in the air.
My friend and I were having a conversation yesterday about success in the Bush world of politics. It came up because William Kristol now has a column in Time magazine. The same Bill Kristol who has been wrong about absolutely every single thing in the past six years, especially as it relates to the war in Iraq. But here he is, in one of America's most respected magazines - not to be ridiculed and held up as an example of the idiotic warmongers that got us into this mess, but instead to be worshipped as some kind of political insider who knows better than the rest of us. Maybe it's reverse psychology - they hope that by printing his thoughts everyone else in the country will be smart enough to realize they need to do the opposite of everything William the Bloody says. But that's doubtful.
Why is it that in conservative circles if you're wrong about everything, if you screw up everything you touch, and if you're completely bankrupt of ideas and corrupt in everything you do, you're promoted and rewarded? Across the board the Bush Administration is filled with people who failed miserably working for us, and then have turned around and given medals of freedom, cushy high-paying jobs, and the last thing they deserve: respect.
On the other hand, if you actually do your job and do it well you're punished. Look at the recent case where upwards of eight prosecutors across the country that were fired for political reasons (www.talkingpointsmemo.com has the best general coverage of the story - unfortunately the "liberal" media has been dragging its feet). One of them caught and punished Duke Cunningham. Another refused to bow to the pressure of two Republican members of Congress when they wanted him to rush and file charges against a Democrat in his town because they wanted to influence the fall elections. And all of them received positive reviews of their work.
And how did Bush repay them? Fired their asses. That'll show 'em what happens when you don't do everything the Republican Leadership tells them to do. How dare you actually hold Republicans accountable?
Scott Stantis and Prickly City are just another reminder that in our crazy, mixed-up, Conservative political world if you're an absolute failure at everything you do you're bound to get promoted. I dare ONE editor to come forward and say, "Prickly City is a hysterical, educational, well-drawn comic strip and it's the best one we carry in our newspaper." Just one. Come on, there has to be at least one editor who firmly believes that there aren't any comic strips out there good enough to replace Prickly City. Someone who's willing to put his reputation on the line and say, "Prickly City is the best."
Hmm, now that I use that reverse psychology, maybe the editors out there are hoping they fail by putting PC in their papers, so they too can get promoted and rewarded with better jobs and more money. That's the only way I can explain why Scott Stantis is still given space to lie about everything he doesn't agree with. And be unfunny while doing it.
