The Funnies

The Funnies.  The Funny Papers.  That's what my Dad used to call them.  At some point, and I do not know when, I developed a love for what many devoted readers call Comic Strips.

While I still carry in my mind the colloquialisms of growing up in southeastern Ohio, I certainly comprehend others when they talk about what Comic Strips they read.

How important are The Funnies to a newspaper's circulation?  When the Columbus Dispatch redesigned their entire newspaper into a magazine format, they wrote a column in particular stating the specifics of The Funnies.  It is the only item in the Sunday Dispatch that remained the large newspaper page size.  In addition, in the daily Dispatch, in order to keep the size of Funnies the same size, the Funnies are now one-half of five separate pages.  Obviously, the paper spent a lot of time considering the effect of reducing the page size and placement of the Funnies to the effect on readership.

I do not have the slightest idea why I developed an affinity for certain Funnies as well as the complete rejection others.

My never miss Funnies: Blondie, Zits, Hi and Lois, Peanuts, Beetle Bailey, Garfield, Sherman's Lagoon, and Family Circus.

I also wonder what digital news media apps have done to reading the Funnies. I know we are one of the few families on our street who still get a daily newspaper delivered to our driveway every morning, no matter if it is raining, snowing or sunny.

I still love the feel of the newsprint in my hands and turning pages, browsing sections, and yes, reading  the Funnies. Every day, especially on Sundays.  My husband and I share time every Sunday morning reading the newspaper together, carefully sorting sections, referring each other to articles of interest, and yes, even to our favorite Funnies of that morning.

"Have you seen Zits today-- that's just like you."

For me the attraction of the Funnies is remembering which ones my Dad loves, sharing Funnies with my husband and daughter, and yes, even enjoying the longevity and familiarity of the ones I enjoy.

For me the experience would not be the same without a hard copy, and although I do have the digital app for the Columbus Dispatch, I completely only use it to browse for recent news, and I never read the Funnies.

Although I enjoy reading other diverse reading materials, including motivational books, novels, and poetry, my Funnies remain constant, an everyday friend where the characters never age and the humor is always just right.

What are your favorite Funnies?