Sunday evening toons: America's wistful goodbye to summer will continue, after this word from the arms industry

We're getting a very late start on this today because the entire staff of p3's international headquarters was invited to a cookout last night, a combined birthday/house-warming/summer's-end bash. And then today involved joining a friend for breakfast and Guardians of the Galaxy, marking the likely end of the summer blockbuster season. Alert readers can challenge themselves to see how many end-of-summer themed cartoons are sprinkled throughout this week's review.

Meanwhile, it's been a good week for the arms industry. ISIS, relying to considerable extent on captured American weaponry, continues to make northern Iraq a hell hole. Pressure continues to come down on Obama to bomb someone or something there, in order to prove something, if only that he is no longer devoting as much time to golf as his political enemies claim. Militarizing of local police continues apace, although Obama has ordered a review of government policy on transfer of weaponry to the local LEOs. And it wouldn't be too surprising if freshly-indicted Governor Perry might attempt to "wag the dog" by raising the temperature on Texas' southern border where not-well-regulated militias are already looking for an excuse to act. So far, of course, there's not been much tie-in between the arms industry and the ice-bucket challenge, which continues to be a thing. But I'm sure one will be found.

Today's toons were selected by a system that absolutely did not include profiling of any sort, really, from the week's offerings at McClatchy DC, Cartoon Movement, Go Comics, Politico's Cartoon Gallery, Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoons, About.com, and other fine sources of toony goodness.

p3 Picks of the week: Mike Luckovich, Jeff Danziger, Tim Eagan, Rob Rogers, Ben Sargent, Jeff Stahler, Scott Stantis, Gary Varvel, Signe Wilkinson, Clay Bennett, R. J. Matson, Matt Wuerker, and Monte Wolverton.

p3 Best of Show: Pat Oliphant.

p3 Legion of Merit: Daryl Cagle.

p3 Certificate of Harmonic Toon Convergence: Gary Varvel and Dan Wasserman.

p3 Award for Best Adaptation From Another Medium: Steve Benson.

p3 World Toon Review: Patrick Chappatte (Switzerland) and Ingrid Rice (Canada).

Ann Telnaes reminds the cultural conservatives on the Supreme Court that hearing a marriage equality case this fall may be no walk at the beach.

Mark Fiore reviews the options in post-racial America.

Tom Tomorrow watches as an encounter with the public turns slightly sour.

Keith Knight finds some suspiciously-timed information.

Tom the Dancing Bug explains the real reason that Quill survives to the end of Guardians of the Galaxy. (Oh yeah: Spoiler alert! Sorry.)

Red Meat's Bug-Eyed Earl shares a summer fun pro tip.

The Comic Curmudgeon considers the power of frozen novelties to help us through difficult times of transition.

Comic Strip of the Day starts with something I didn't know about Rita Hayworth, moves on to charges of cheapshottery (charges with which I agree), segues to uncoolness in support of charity (I'm in agreement there, too), and then brings it all home with more Rita.

Either he goes, or either I go! And there you have the basic plot of "Dog Gone South," directed by Chuck Jones in 1950 from a story by Michael Maltese. It's the fifth of six Warner Bros shorts starring Charlie the Dog (although he was named Rover in the first one, directed by Bob Clampett before Jones took over the character). Charlie was normally paired with Porky Pig, but here he tries his charms on a southern Colonel  (and in his next and final outing in 1951, on a Pisa restraunt owner). Portland's own Mel Blanc does the uncredited voice work for Charlie, the Colonel, Belvedere, and the guy who booted Charlie off the train.

The web content editor on Blogger (owned by Google) makes it pretty difficult to embed any video that doesn't come from YouTube (also, coincidentally enough, owned by Google), so you are invited to watch "Dog Gone South" at eBaum's World.

The p3 Sunday Comics Read-Along: Pearls Before Swine, Doonesbury, Rhymes with Orange, Zits, Adam @ Home, Mutts, Over the Hedge, Get Fuzzy, Prince Valiant, Blondie, Bizarro, Mother Goose & Grimm, Rose is Rose, Luann, Hagar the Horrible, Pickles, Rubes, Grand Avenue, Freshly Squeezed, The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee, and Jumble.

The Big, And Getting Bigger Since We Bent the Rules and Welcomed Back The Departed, Oregon Toon Block:

Ex-Oregonian Jack Ohman notes the most important item for local police to adjust before they hit the streets.

Possibly Ex-Oregonian Jen Sorensen sees a lesson to be learned. Think anyone will? Nah.

Matt Bors notices that some people just can't catch a break, while others apparently can.

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