My Leg Goes to Sleep If I Sit Like That

Big Nate, June 13, 2026

I missed it, but Big Nate dailies have come to an end. Lincoln Peirce has decided to just focus on Sunday strips and, I'm assuming, his popular run of Big Nate graphic novels. On the plus side, Peirce has said he doesn't want reruns to continue in newspapers so that opens up a lot of real estate. Good on you, man.

Baby Blues and Zits will also be winding down over the next year so I'll grab those finales when they happen.

What is Brutus doing? Is he just sitting there with his chin in his hands? Look, I'm not necessarily judging, Mother Gargle is in the wrong, always is, and should die, but Brutus just sitting there like that is weird. At least turn on the TV or something.

Brutus Should've Just Ordered for Her

Growing up, I had this comic book featuring stories about alien encounters. It was very beat up and I would read it and skim through it all the time. I don't actually remember any of the stories in it and they were from comics in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The collection came out in 1978 and published by Golden Press. What I do remember is that the book scared me for some reason. Maybe it was the cover, or maybe one of the stories inside did it but since I can't remember any of the stories I don't know why I was scared of it. To be fair, the cover is pretty ominious and there's the blurb that these are true stories. Clearly, some day I will be confronted by some skeleton-like alien.

Maybe if I give it my wife and baby, it'll
let me go.

I was never a huge fan of UFOs and aliens which is probably why I didn't really get into The X-Files but I did go see Fire In the Sky in theaters with my mom and I remember enjoying that. I'm just not one to think that if UFOs and aliens came here, they would have the need to abduct and run invasive tests on us. They're able to travel millions of light years without problems but they can't observe and research us from afar? They have to take us aboard a ship and shove something up our butts?

I've only had one encounter with what I would consider a UFO or UAP or whatever you want to call it. I was laying in bed, years ago, probably 2002, 2003. I wasn't feeling good and was slipping in and out of sleep while trying to watch TV. I then heard something rumble above in the sky. I rolled over to look out the window and saw a massive object overhead. It didn't look like a plane and was very low to the ground. I watched it continue moving across the sky before it disappeared over the tree line. I asked people about it but no one heard or saw anything. Nothing showed up in the paper. And I've never see any UFO sighting list mention it (the only close one is a 2004 sighting in Chicago). Was it a UFO? Was it something else? Was it just some sickness-induced delirium? I will probably never know.

I like reading about UFO encounters but I am not convinced that aliens are coming here and observing us. Mainly because I don't think they would be more advanced technologically than we are nor do I think we are important enough to warrant an advanced species to intervene in our lives. But, maybe I'm wrong. I've been wrong before. I do not want to be proven wrong if it's some sort of Independence Day-like scenario.

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Ziggy

Aliens may also not visit us because stuff like this happens.

Thank you to Ziggy for being on point today.

Big Nate

Wait until Nate has subs barely older than him. An 18-year-old with absolutely no experience in teaching or child care? These kids will literally eat that sub alive. The picked-clean bones outside the classroom window will serve as a warning to the other would-be substitutes.

Wizard of Id

Cool to see Wizard of Id hopping on the Thanos/Marvel/Infinity War/Endgame bandwagon...nearly three years later. Better late than never, I guess.

Marmaduke

Who's talking in the top panel? One of the kids? Marmaduke?

Dennis the Menace

Donating practically worthless things to the church is pretty menacing, Martha. No one will purchase it and they'll have to use precious time to throw it away. Brilliant! That's showing Dennis how it's done.

The Born Loser

Just order the beef wellington, Gladys. Or the spaghetti. I can't really tell which one you want more. And is it me or does this strip not work as well without the throw-away panel at the top?

If you would like to support my writing or research, you can buy me a cup of coffee over on Ko-fi.

Potato Collecting?

I don't have anything special for you this week. I have a few in the works for the upcoming weeks but nothing today. Just a bunch of comics to comment on. That's what you come here for, right?

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Shoe

"On the plus side, they're still nude, they're just in more religious-y and God forgiving poses. Somehow that's sexier."

Big Nate

Beetle Bailey

Who knew that Sgt. Snorkel could get so offended by a belch. He really loves Otto.

And Snorkel and Otto working side-by-side is freakin' adorable.

Marvin

We can guess what Bitsy was going to do. We didn't need the red words reading "Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle" to hammer home the joke.

The Born Loser

"You opened the door, Gladys. Don't be upset at what could fly out."

I know I've complained about co-workers but aside from using my job for hilarious anecdotes and commentary on our crumbling society, the last thing I want to do when I get home is talk more about work.

Max's Life Is Just Near-Death Experience After Near-Death Experience

There is a poll in the sidebar about why you come to my website and what you read on here. Do you read for the comics, the Story Series, or the other writings that are sprinkled throughout? Let me know.

Slylock Fox and Comics for Kids

"Here Mr. Mayfly, you're about to die anyway so drink this potion."

Big Nate

"U R 2 Cool 2 B 4 Gotten"

Back in middle school a girl wrote "And I can see you every night for free. I do." in my yearbook. I thought she was hitting on me but it was really just a Nirvana lyric. I don't know why I didn't make the connection but it took me years to figure it out.

Mutts

Oh, good. A week of this garbage, probably.

1209: All Your Base Belong to Marmaduke

I starting to have a problem with people using crowdfunding as a way to do stuff. I believe that crowdfunding is a great way to create something but what I am having a problem with are people using crowdfunding to start a business. Again, it makes sense when you are creating something but I've seen it be used to start microbreweries, grocery stores, restaurants and you know what crowdfunding can't do? Keep your business open.

I've tried helping two things on crowdfunding sites--one succeeded, one failed--but both were things that were to be made and then sold briefly online. A local restaurant was started because of funding received from people on IndieGoGo. It was a fish and chips restaurant run by an actual British guy. It was something our city didn't have and was something that wasn't fast food, Mexican or pizza. It was delicious and seemingly popular but only lasted 15 months. Crowdfunding works the best when you want to create something. I don't believe crowdfunding can sustain a business. Now, pieces of art, a card game, graphic novel, action figures, a music album, a movie--all worthy of being crowdfunded.

But if you feel like you have something that could be crowdfunded, then I say go for it. I'm nobody so you probably shouldn't even listen to me. I never attempted to crowdfund anything but I have looked into and maybe someday I will. Anyway, onto the comics.

Girls might not be able to resist a warm chuckle but girls can resist a look that makes you look like a rapist.

Please hold the reunion at Montoni's. That would be the most depressing thing ever--even more depressing than holding it in the high school gym where you can't have alcohol. PLEASE have the reunion at Montoni's!!

For some weird reason, I have the need to obey Marmaduke and do everything that he demands. I don't know why...

Odd that the phone book publisher put Crankshaft's name roughly were it would be in the book if everybody else was listed in it.

"How's that going?" Mary asks, a strange taste in her mouth, a combination of battery acid and stomach bile. Even her love of pruning her rose bushes cannot satiate her hatred that it took Terry this long to come to her for advice.

Is this a real saying? I've heard of "a friend in need is a friend indeed" but that means that if a friend sticks around while you are in need, then they are a true friend. Either way, Veeblefester isn't a true friend to anyone--at least until his hired scientists figure out a way to anthropomorphize his money.

"I don't care that you are thinking of going to the store. You clearly haven't made up your mind, you haven't asked me to go with you and you're standing there acting like going to the grocery store is some sort of fantasy trip. It's five blocks from our house!"

True story: I learned to ride a bike at age 11. I grew out of my bike around age 15 and haven't ridden one since. I learned in a matter of a week or so because I was being threatened with having training wheels put on and what 11-year-old wants training wheels on their bike?

Two Days--One Weekend

So our Big Nate storyline comes to an end. Nate won and got "Bethany" back into his local paper which honestly would probably not happen no matter how many people complained.


I think Charlie Brown's baseball team should play Wilberforce's baseball team. Maybe Charlie's team would actually win one. I know I'd be cheering in the stands. And Marcie and Peppermint Patty would be so proud of Chuck that they would...well, you know where I'm going with this.


Oh your God!! This is a color Sunday comic and just look at how much color there is. Dark brown, two shades of lighter brown and a small dot of blue. Chip, why even take time to send this comic to the colorist? The guy at the print shop was probably so mad. "You just made The List, Chip Sansom!" he screamed as he saw he had to color roughly one panel. Also, this would never happen in the corporate world. Employees would happily like their boss to leave early so they could goof off the rest of the day. Besides, Veeblefester would have an assistant or something to watch the staff.

Unless Brutus is Veeblefester's right-hand man which if so, is just bad business.

I Wonder If Her Chair Buckles Too

It's a father's worst nightmare. Coming in and noticing his son surfing the Internet on the computer and finding out he's reading soap opera comic strips. I don't know what I would do if I found my son reading soap opera comic strips. I guess I would feel like a failure of a father. Just Say 'No' to Apartment 3-G.


Marmaduke has apparently never experienced remote control batteries dying and is full of sorrow.


Oh look, another fat joke. This strip rehashes the same joke a lot. I've never noticed that before. Why would you want your wife or any significant other to wear high heels when they are roughly a foot taller than you. Yes, I find tall girls kind of attractive but give me a girl who's a foot shorter any day. Why would a woman of Gladys' size even wear high heels in the first place. She knows they can only support so much weight.

Never Look That Hopeful

Nate takes things into his own hands and calls the features editor of his local paper. The man genuinely looks like he cares...


Why would Veeblefester cut Brutus' pay? Unless Brutus is being demoted or it's an across the board pay cut then there should be no excuse for Brutus getting a pay cut. I would also think that'd be good reason to quit and find something else. The look on Gladys' face in the last panel is kind of creepy.

Maybe Charlie Brown Should Market a Shampoo

Today's Big Nate reminds me of me. When my local paper dropped Sally Forth I actually cared but didn't know why. I know now that dear old Sally actually became pretty funny. Apparently it was taken over by new creators. Now I have to look at the dreadful Luann every Sunday. We don't even have the dailies which actually tell a story. We get the lousy Sunday edition.


Today's strip makes me shudder. Underneath that baggy, shapeless robe, Gladys is nude. It's a scene I can't unsee. The only way to get rid of it is with a bullet...to the brain.

Anyway, bald jokes are too easy in this strip. I'd make a joke about Brutus actually caring about what type of shampoo he should use. Men don't really care. We'd use dishwashing soap if possible then top it off with Suave Lavender-scented conditioner. But that's just Brian being Brian.

Has Your Paper Dropped Born Loser Yet?

I subscribe to Big Nate through email and I noticed this week's storyline is about Nate's hometown paper dropping his favorite comic strip "Bethany". I am intrigued by this storyline because I anxiously await when my newspaper drops strips. I was ecstatic when the Journal-World dropped Marmaduke and Cathy back in 2004 or so. We, the readers, had won. And the world rejoiced. I'm gonna keep tabs on this storyline which is a breath of fresh air from the recent school time stories that have been going on. Plus I really like Nate's dad.


In today's strip we once again hear about Veeblefester's wife Lividea. Are gas stoves really better than electric? I had a gas stove one time and it was a pain in the ass. Of course I had older one that you had to light with a match and that wasn't fun. That's how my sister died...