Sunday morning toons: Special "Gravity-Defying" Edition

(Reminder: I die shortly after the intermission at today's matinee performance of Les Misérables. With a draw like that, it's not surprising that the show is sold out. Hope you got tickets.)

So while we're waiting, let's start with Daryl Cagle's round-up of juicy political toon goodness.

p3 Picks of the Week: Nate Beeler, John Darkow, Eric Allie, Steve Sack, Thomas Boldt, and John Cole.

This report just in: Jesse Helms (R - Middle Ages) Is Still Dead. Hat tip to Mike Luckovich, Steve Benson, John Sherffius, and Jeff Darcy.

Ann Telnaes reminds us: When the monarch taps your phone, it isn't illegal. (And isn't it nice that this time, he remembered to say "Democratic," not "Democrat?")

Opus may have discovered the unified theory of gravitation and politics.

(By the way, the idea of a cartoon penguin mooning Dick Cheney as the ultimate act of energy independence in last week's Opus, which we brought you same as always here at p3--in fact, here it is again--was too hot for the Washington Post to handle. The Post's editors complained that the strip was "ethnically offensive, overly partisan, and mean-spirited." Which seems a little odd, because they run stuff like this all the time. Guess it's one of those "eye of the beholder" things.)

Inspired by the Thomas Boldt (aka TAB) toon above, and keeping with our "defying gravity" theme, here's a classic by Chuck Jones, Michael Maltese, and Carl Stalling: the first-ever Warner Bros. cartoon featuring the Road Runner (Accelleratii Incredibus) and Wile E. Coyote (Carnivorous Vulgaris).

p3 Bonus Toon: And to return to our theme one last time, Jesse Springer notes the gravity-defying act Oregon's rural communities are facing. (Click to enlarge.)