That middle panel is definitely something a normal person says

September 14, 1967

Are...Are the Thornapples trespassing in some bear family's house?

Mm. I didn't know Veeblefester, in addition to being the CEO, was also the person who procures general office supplies.

This Could've Been an Email

September 13, 1967

Not only does Brutus' back hurt, his legs are turning into a wispy mist. That can't be good.

Why "Old Zip Coon"? Why not "Turkey In the Straw"? 😭 

Yeah, it took Veeblefester years. Mainly because Veeblefester's father first ran the company and he didn't pass away until he was 93. "Why did you call me in...Are you counting coins?"

House Hole

Tim Curry

1946 - 2026 

Should we give Death one more chance to take an 80-year-old in hopes that he'll snag the right one? And you just know that with every celebrity death that gets an outpouring of grief, Trump is wandering around the White House saying this:

Ben Chang is just a little less insane.

 

September 8, 1967

*slams fist on desk* Get me the suggestion box!

*slams fist on desk* Get me Grinch in accounting!

*slams fist on desk* Get me the giant check!

*slams fist on desk* Get me Thornapple!

Hmm. This giant check makes the $225 I make every other week seem even smaller...

Brutus and Gladys' life is literally falling apart. Are the walls just crumbling or did Wilberforce die during the final boss fight and he ran out of continues? "I'll just hang this picture here and no one will be the wiser..."

Desperate Times, I Guess

July 10, 1988

I'm surprised we've only seen Brutus threaten to quit a couple times. Brutus seems like someone who would threaten to quit every couple weeks or so. Especially these days. But it's hard out there anymore and threatening to quit doesn't work as well as it used to...especially when you suck at your job.

I don't know what Veeblefester expected here. Brutus is a salesman, not an ad guy or marketing person. Tea cozies don't need a flashy ad campaign, they practically sell themselves!

I'm Starting to Think That Veeblefester Is Not That Great of a Boss

August 22, 1967

I like older music so I understand Brutus' frustration here. He's just a middle-aged man who likes waltzes. Is that such a crime? No need to call him a "golden-ager".

I mean, dear lord, Brutus is very excited for the Waltz-time portion of this program.

At least Veeblefester talks. He doesn't just sit there and fall asleep while several people talk beside and behind him like someone else I know.

Even RFKJr is snoozing a bit...

Monday Quickies

August 15, 1967

If that young woman is really enjoying herself, she won't care that Brutus is bald.

If Veeblefester wants his employees to read the Wall Street Journal then he should pay for a subscription for his employees.

Put Your Legs Under the Desk

August 3, 1967

Is...Is that God? No, it's probably just some advertisement on a building. You don't have to listen to those...unless it's about giving her English muffins this year.

Has Brutus just been sitting like that all morning? His knees, hips, and feet are going to hurt like hell when he goes to stand up.

If Brutus doesn't want to work, he shouldn't be so blatant about it. Hang in the break room, take longer in the restroom, Oh, I have to run out to my car for something, I was talking with Arnie about the Streisand account. Don't just sit at your desk.

I wonder how the Wimberley account went? Not great, I assume.

Fake It til You Make It

Brutus is off to do subpar work on the Wimberley account. At least it's Friday. Look, Brutus is apparently a terrible employee but somehow he keeps most of his accounts. I'm sure Wimberley will be fine.

Or Else

Don't write a check your butt can't cash. I look at some of the people in charge and am like "Nearly everybody else is probably better at their jobs than these people", but not Brutus. He is mediocre at best. Although his salary should keep up with inflation and reflect his years at the company.

Sick Leave Saturday

I don't think employers can control how I use my sick time. Especially when you don't give us personal or vacation time. So anyway, I guess I will go on vacation and call in sick every day. 

I will admit that spraining your ankle doesn't need an entire week off. Sprained ankles aren't contagious and you can still do your job if you don't need to stand or walk a lot. 

Daylight Brutus Time

For all I know, you got that coffee at five o'clock this morning. Your coffee being cold is no litmus test for how late someone is.

I don't know what Brutus is doing here. If I am late, the last thing I want to do is alert that fact to my supervisor. Is this some kind of kink Brutus is in to?

2s Across the Board

Jesus Hornswoggle Christ. Does Veeblefester do evaluations every other week? It seems like Brutus is getting evaluated or reviewed at least once a month. Is he on an improvement plan or something?

Admittedly, this is the best evaluation Brutus has gotten in a long time.

My Cousin Eddie

We started seeing Walmart Back to School commercials this past weekend. My wife and I were both like "It's not even July, Walton Goggins!" So anyway, the next time we see Walton Goggins, we're gonna punch him in the face.

I wonder if Veeblefester is one of those people who think teachers get paid year-round for a nine-month job?

So You Had a Bad Day

"Oh, well, I'll just start over tomorrow. Also, no point in finishing out these last five minutes. See you tomorrow!"

I like the idea of Brutus stumbling and fumbling his way through work and then at 4:55 going "I'm gonna press reset on this day". "Sorry about losing that client and that important paperwork, but if I could just get some fresh air, I know that I can right this ship." Uh-huh, sure.

Hey, He Handled It

How many tea cozies could Fitzbew Corp. need? I think 2% is a gift. I've never understood who Veeblefester is selling to. Is Fitzbew a Walmart-like company that will sell Veeblefester tea cozies? Who knows? It's never explained.

Fitzbew II

July 28, 1967

Londa grew up and added an extra "hee" to her laugh? Hey, Brutus, quit hitting on your cousin. There's got to be more to talk about with her than her looks. School, hobbies, what about the rest of the Smoot side of the family.

Why do they give these accounts to Brutus? They've met Brutus, right? Maybe it's just whoever is next on the list, but is that procedure set in stone? Can't you change it?

Reminder: Fitzbew is both an account and Gladys' ex.

On Break(s)

From 2018. Many Tiger Electronic Handheld Games were hit or miss. TaleSpin, I think, leans on the hit side, but barely. It's at least playable and actually works like a game although you can just keep hitting 'up', avoiding all obstacles. There's no limit on how high you can fly. It's like a metaphor or something.

July 15, 1967

Woof. Tough crowd. Not as many feathers, which is good, I suppose. We should go back to tarring and feathering people more. Or, like so many other things, was this something we thought was a big deal but it's not?

If Brutus is still within his 15-minute break window then leave him alone! If Brutus is trying to argue that he gets a break and then a completely separate 'coffee break' then that smoke coming from Veeblefester's head is justified. Although I'm against all form of time and/or wage theft so you take your breaks. You don't have to justify what you do on your break.

Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis.
1969 - 2026

Brutus Isn't Even Attempting to Raise His Boat

July 8, 1967

A problem Wilberforce? This is a far cry from the idiotic milquetoast Wilberforce we currently have in the strip. I can't picture today's Wilberforce carrying dynamite under his arms, having a two-by-four strapped to his back (or is that a rifle?), and a violin case that is obviously disguising a Tommy gun.

Clearly Brutus doesn't learn from his mistakes because Brutus loses accounts all the time. Master's degree? Brutus is on his doctorate of mistakes by now.

Gunke? I wonder if it's pronounced Gunk, Gunk-ee, Gunk-ay, or Günke like Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development.

Sink or Swim

During the War of 1812, the British burned down the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the Washington Navy Yard. The British occupied D.C. for a little more than one day. Reconstruction began fairly quickly with President Monroe moving in 1817, although work wasn't completed.

When John Quincy Adams became president in 1825, he and his wife, Louisa, moved into the partially rebuilt White House. It still had scorch marks, still in the process of being rebuilt, and Louisa never really considered it a home. Also, because of the controversy upon how Adams was elected, the administration wasn't that popular with the general public. There was a slight recession going on at the time and the Adams' were chided for "living in opulence' while common Americans were suffering. To combat this, Louisa held a public exhibition of the White House which further angered the public. Flash forward to today where there is a huge recession going on and it is becoming more difficult for Americans to live their lives, President Trump is demanding a $400 million ballroom, has covered much of the White House in gold accents, and seemingly has more plans up his sleeve like turning the simple ionic columns to ornate Corinthian columns. Do all of these goes against what the White House means. The White House is purposely simple and not ordained with elegance and luxury because the House doesn't belong to the president who occupies the White House, but to the people. The fact that President Trump is focusing his attention on showboating (Venezuela, Iran, Cuba) and renovating the White House when there is homelessness and people starving in the United States shows how out of touch (or ignorant) he is.

July 7, 1967

I honestly can't think of any word that would elicit this type of reaction from me. And this is in a newspaper in the 1960s. The word could be 'damn' for all we know.

Get your lips off of Veeblefester's cheeks and remove your nose from his ass, Brutus.

I understand what "raise all boats" means, but it's still a weird saying.

That's My Boy Who Said That!

July 5, 1967

There's an episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel learn to play golf so they can spend more time with their husbands. But instead of learning from a pro, they have Fred and Ricky teach them. Anyway, Ricky and Fred make up a bunch rules and one of them, as a penalty, your ball gets stomped into the ground (mashie!). That's what Veeblefester is doing here--playing by I Love Lucy rules.

What a lovely day, yeah we won the war. May have lost a million men, but we got a million more...

I think Chip drew Brutus' head and then slammed the panel down because the mark for the lower ear seems obtrusive and unnecessary. I keep thinking I have a spot on my screen.