Sunday morning toons: p3 Krazy Word Games!

Is “Chuck” a noun or a verb?

Is “Congress” the opposite of “Progress?”

Is “Fiscal Cliff” a metaphor, or is there really a cliff out there somewhere we were supposed to go over?

(Answers below!)

Today's toons were selected from the week's pages at GoComics, McClatchyDC.com, Slate, Time, About.com, Daryl Cagle, and other fine sources.

p3 Picks of the Week: Mike Luckovich, Kevin Siers, Jim Morin, Jeff Parker, Clay Bennett, Tom Toles, Steve Sack, Adam Zyglis, John Darkow, Jimmy Margulies, Mike Wuerker, Jen Sorenson, and Monte Wolverton.

p3 Best of Show: Lee Judge.

p3 Best Adaptation from Another Medium: Jeff Stahler.

p3 “Thrill of Human Athletic Competition” Medal: Pat Bagley.

p3 Certificate for Harmonic Toon Convergence: Chris Weyant and Jim Morin.

p3 World Toon Review: Kevin Kallaugher (), Patrick Chappatte (Switzerland), Petar Pismestrovic (Austria), and Luojie (China),


Ann Telnaes marks the latest Obama nominations. It's a miracle he wasn't trying to rub that spot off his hand.


And while we're on that subject, Mark Fiore's Dogboy is left facing some ugly questions about Obama's latest nominations.


Taiwan's Next Media Animation has the story you never wanted to see: Justin Bieber just stopping in to see what condition his condition was in.


Internationally-known cartoonist Jacques Tardi has turned down his country's highest civilian honor, the Legion D'Honneur award. Find out why.


p3 covered the Superman underpants controversy four weeks ago. Now it's time to look at what would happen if the Man of Steel wore Dolce & Gabbana. The jacket and hoodie work, I guess. But what's with the headphones? He's Superman. According to trailer for the next movie his problem is not hearing stuff. And Lex Luthor would laugh himself silly over those socks. Come to that, The Guild of Calamitous Intent would laugh themselves silly over those socks. It's not always wise for grown men to let their mothers dress them, but Martha Kent knew what she was doing on this one.


And speaking of Krypton's last son, Maurice Mitchel has produced an infographic of every major version of Superman's insignia.


Tom Tomorrow muses on the definition of insanity.


Keith Knight asks what sounds to me like a perfectly reasonable question.


Tom the Dancing Bug's Ruben Bolling has the distinction of being one of the few cartoonists this week who actually understands the point of the “trillion-dollar coin” scenario -- albeit with a pretty weird-ass story line. (John Darkow, above, is another.) For a smattering of some who apparently don't, go here and here and here. Really, folks, it all comes down to two sentences. Anything else, and you're being played.


Red Meat's Johnny Lemonhed ponders the riddle: Is it good or bad not to feel anything, whether good or bad?


The Comics Curmudgeon considers, with no real joy, the Proustian horror of the typical daily comic strip.


I hear you knockin' but you can't come in! Released in 1954, directed in 1953 by Robert McKimson (with a little less of his trademark visual treatment of Bugs Bunny), this is “No Parking Hare,” with story by Sid Marcus, voice work by Portland's own Mel Blanc (plus an uncredited John T. Smith), and musical direction by Carl Stalling. According to Wikipedia, several of the attempts by the construction worker to get back at Bugs were deemed unfit for television by ABC and CBS. But more fundamentally, how could the construction guy not know Bugs was there? His mailbox was in plain sight! Also notice that Bugs' hole has a plain old ladder in an early shot, but a spiral staircase in a later scene. The sanctity of the American home must be presoived!

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The p3 Big Oregon Toon Block:

Jack Ohman (still grandfathered in as an Oregon although his job at the Sacramento Bee starts any moment) looks at what happens when you take an already-stupid metaphor and beat it like a rented mule.

Matt Bors celebrates FREEEEEEDOMMMMMMM!

Jesse Springer shares this wonderful tidbit:

News Item: In the month since the Newtown, CT shooting, gun sales have reportedly doubled in Oregon when compared with the same period last year.

Perhaps this is the result of those two clowns in Sellwood last week who hoped that openly carrying automatic rifles would trigger a <airquotes>dialogue.</airquotes>

Test your toon-captioning mojo at The New Yorker's weekly caption-the-cartoon contest. (Rules here.)