The Brutus P. Thornapple Memorial Watercooler

March 29, 1987

Why is Brutus wearing a top hat? I've never seen him in a top hat before and I don't think I've seen him in one since. I guess Brutus is trying something different. Something he will probably stop doing because it caused him to fall into the sewer.

Who are those kids? Why are we just creating random children when Wilberforce and Hurricane Hattie are already established characters?

Didn't you hear him? Weren't you listening? Veeblefester specifically said the naming rights would be paid for. My reaction wouldn't be "Golly, Chief!" but "How much is this stupid idea going to cost us? Me, specifically?"

Naming the watercooler for Brutus does make sense since that's where Brutus spends most of his day.

Phone Bemoan

from Heathcliffcomix Instagram

The boys all just came from running over Garfield. What's Scratchy doing here? He's not a comic strip character.

January 11, 1987

I guess building a snowman is a young man's game? I don't know. I've never built or helped build a snowman in my life.

Why is Brutus sitting on the giant snowball?

He should memorize a number or two. Businesses still tend to have landlines. You can also ask someone to borrow their phone. "Can I borrow your phone?" "Yeah, sure." "Damn it!" "What's wrong?" "None of my numbers are in your contacts!"

Brutus needs to be honest with himself that even with phone numbers memorized, Wilberforce would be useless in an emergency.

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Get the Heart Pumping

February 28, 1966

I'm all for painting NO on the wall, but on your wife? Brutus deserves whatever happens that gives him his headache.

Why is it such a big deal to go to this PTA meeting? Do both parents need to go? If she doesn't want to go without her husband, then maybe she just needs to quit.

I have never seen Brutus at the gym. Does Brutus think the diner he always goes to is a gym? He should go to the doctor and make sure his brain is okay.

And why is he covered in snow?!

Ageism In the Comics

November 23, 1965

What I don't like about this comic is that he has two hats. I get that it's cold and god forbid a businessman be seen without a hat on, but this annoys me.

I'm glad his plan didn't work.

Wilberforce really hates old people. I would agree that it's just a kid being a kid, but he seems really vindictive and not just curious. "How does it feel being old?" "How's those wrinkles treating you?" "Surprised you woke up this morning!"

Snow Blow

February 19, 1989

No offense, but who would kidnap Brutus? How much money do these kidnappers think they're going to get for Brutus? Maybe the Thornapples had more money back in the 1980s.

"I don't have to prove anything to you!" Brutus screams as he turns around and goes back home, learning his lesson about going outside. Hattie has done this before--dared Brutus to prove what he is saying--I'm just shocked that money's not involved this time.

The snowman in the background should've been another Brutus-esque one.

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Happy Birthday!!

Guard Dog is going to be OK. Doozy has to wait 7 days to adopt Guard Dog to give him time to heal and for his owners to attempt to come for him. Has the 7 days passed? Is she just visiting? We still have three days in this week. Is Guard Dog going home?

January 19, 1978

I was originally going to ask "where's the funny?" but then I noticed Gladys' hair in the middle panel. It's hard to see in this scanned version.

Seems like Wilberforce got his snow day after all. And he's wearing that stupid hat again. It's still not clear if that's a tie or scarf. I'm leaning scarf but why does it look like that?

I enjoy Snowman Brutus. Much better than the original. Should've brought him to life and got him to the North Pole.

I See a Snowflake, Too

January 7, 1978

I've gone my whole life without having to come to fisticuffs. Why do we need to yell and fight each other all the time? You were disrespected? If I beat up everyone who disrespected me, I wouldn't have a job and I'd probably be in prison. Or dead. Dead's also a possibility.

What is that hat? Can't just draw a normal stocking cap? I guess it's time to come to fisticuffs.

Let's Stop This Fussin' and a Feudin'

October 16, 1973

Her purse is cleverly censoring her butt. Newspapers in 1973 weren't ready for what's behind it.

That's some pretty tame name-calling in this day and age. Newspapers in 2023 aren't ready for what's kids say to insult each other these days.

Christmas At the Bus Stop

August 30, 1973

I think it's interesting that The Born Loser was a slice-of-life comic mixed with a marriage strip. A lot of strips don't really show Brutus being a "born loser" but just showing the general foibles of life. Like, this strip doesn't show Brutus really losing, unless you consider failing at quitting smoking a loser quality. He's just a stereotypical man in the 1970s.

For some reason, I don't mind when when these characters look at the readers like I do with the current versions.

Veeblefester is neither merry or jolly and Brutus knows this. And it's December 8th, it's too early to be happy about snow. Snow on December 8 will be gone by December 25 unless it stays really cold or snows more.

If Veeblefester rides the bus with Brutus, how has he not pushed Brutus in front of it?

2016.

Your Milk Is Crushing Your Groceries

November 25, 1984

Why is Gladys even out there shoveling show when it's still snowing? She's just doing extra work. Brutus is right to smile dumbly at her and Mother Gargle should be yelling at her own daughter, not Brutus.

I thought this was going to become a joke where she substituted stupid things in for what she needed. "They didn't have ketchup for our hot dogs so I got pasta sauce or a can of crushed tomatoes. Ha! A tomato's a tomato, amiright?" that sort of thing. No, we get some "sale" joke that doesn't really connect to the main thread of the comic and Gladys in that stupid hat.

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Wednesday Weather

Yesterday: Wilberforce should go outside and not just play video games.

Today: It's snowing.

Make up your mind, comic strip!

Someone's Gotta Do It

Brutus has a job. Brutus works everyday. Gladys, while being a stay-at-home mom is important, her son is at school everyday so I think Gladys could shovel the sidewalk so that Brutus doesn't have to do more work after he comes home from work.

I Love the Nose Drip

Brutus is shoveling at least three feet of snow so it's not for nothing considering Cleveland probably has a clean sidewalk ordinance. So on the plus side, he's finished with the shoveling. On the down side, you know, Mother Gargle.

Suburban Cleveland Got a Snow Day

It's good to see Brutus and Gladys actually agreeing on something this time.  I especially like seeing them in agreement about the junk food in their fridge.  I'm just wondering if "goodies" means actually junk food or if it's groceries for the next two, three weeks.  Because there is nothing better than a fridge full of groceries.

Also, Hattie's perfectly made snowfall has caused Wilberforce to have a mini-stroke.  But he's feeling much better now.

America Runs on Dunkin...and Snow Days

So there was a commentator on my local paper's website that every time there was snow in the forecast, even if it was just a dusting would threaten the school district to close school.  She would argue that it was too cold for kids to be out and much too dangerous.  And if school wasn't canceled, then she would keep her kids home anyway.

I personally didn't care what she did with her kids but she seemed like one of those parents that would yell and scream and curse for the district to cancel school because it was cold and dangerous but would then take her kids out to Target or Walmart to do running around.  In one comment she made the mistake of mentioning going to Dunkin Donuts one morning when school was canceled basically creating a running joke all her own.  She has quit posting because she could barely dish it out and she definitely couldn't take it but the Dunkin Donuts jokes continue every time there are threats of snow.

That's What She Said?

The groundhog--Punxatawney (sic?) Phil--did not see his shadow so Spring should come early.  I could care less.  I want all the snow to melt.  I want to not feel sick anymore.  Both of those things are out of the hands (paws?) of a damn groundhog.

Also, I've never understood the "six more weeks of winter" vs. "early Spring" thing.  Technically, couldn't early Spring be five weeks from now?  Lousy groundhogs....

Veeblefester Cuts Down Trees for Sport

Well, that's just seems like a waste of perfectly good coffee.

At least Brutus doesn't insist on wasting cream or sugar too.


Hmm, does this mean we may see Brutus, Gladys and Wilberforce all crammed into a Toyota Prius? God I hope not.

And yes, I said Toyota.

Electrical Shock Warning

Why is that hair dryer's cord so long? I see no evidence of an extension cord.

When I was growing up my mom had this hair dryer that had a huge warning label attached to the power cord stating to keep the hair dryer away from anything wet or you will be electrocuted and killed. Okay, maybe not but the scary picture on the label made sure that I dried my hair well away from the sink or tub. The point of this is that I wouldn't take that hair dryer outside with the wet snow.

Entrepreneurism Isn't Dead After All

They only made $8 shoveling snow? Did they only shovel one house? I feel in this day and age that they should have made about $10-20 per house, depending on how much they needed to shovel so at most they should have $100. Hurricane Hattie is not a very good businesswoman however I do believe she would work well at AIG or Goldman Sachs.

Come On Out to the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center

Screw the things actually happening in today's strip, I am more interested in the backgrounds. The Lake Erie Nature and Science Center actually exists and there is, in fact, a deer barn there. So I guess Chip lives somewhere near Bay Village, Ohio. Or he's just a pawn the the LENSC's little game.

I guess I should comment on the actual strip. Uh, it sucks.