In 1983, the Dayton Daily News accidentally switched the captions for “Dennis the Menace” and “The Far Side”. And then, a few days later, they did it again.
So that got me to thinking… Scott McCloud invented “Five Card Nancy“, using panels from Ernie Bushmiller’s “Nancy” comic strip.
Could I make a similar game, using the real-world example from the Dayton Daily News? Of course!
So here it is!
The Rules:
- Only single panel comics can be used, and only those with captions below the art. In panel spoken text is not allowed. Silent panels may be included.
- At least two comics are used. If you wish to make it more interesting, you can use more, but the number should be even.
- Normal strips should be offset by the more unusual. For every “Dennis the Menace” there should be a “Far Side”. (See below for suggestions.)
- There should be at least 100 examples from each comic (100 panels, 100 captions). The more people who play, the more comics or examples should be used. Random examples may be used, but should be in equal proportion of “normal” to “unusual”.
- The playing deck has two parts: comics and captions.
- Each player is dealt four cards from each deck.
- Play begins with a player presenting a match of a caption with a panel.
- Other players then try to “edit” the match by replacing either the comic or the caption with a card from his/her hand. Play ends when none can improve on the mismatched comic.
- All players then refill their hands and play continues with the next player.
- If you need to keep score, post the mix-matched creations to your social network feed (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Friendster, Usenet). Score points for each “like” or re-share.
Recommended comics:
“normal” comics
Dennis the Menace
Marmaduke
Heathcliff
Family Circus
Berry’s World
Brother Juniper
Andertoons
“unusual” comics
The Far Side
Bizarro
New Yorker
Herman
Willy ‘n Ethel
Close to Home
Playboy
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4 Comments on Let’s Play!: Comics and Captions, last added: 9/17/2013
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How about Frank Herbert by way of Calvin & Hobbes?
http://calvinanddune.tumblr.com/
Peanuts comics with The Smiths lyrics.
http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/08/18/tumblr-of-the-week-peanuts-comic-strips-with-smiths-lyrics/
And my favorite… a “fill-in-the-blank” Zippy strip contest, from c.1988, with Gene Chandler lyrics!
[...] Adair of Comics Beat is suggesting taking “normal” single panel cartoons and switching the captions with “unusualR…. The inspiration for this is a 1983 oops in the Dayton Daily News that accidentally (twice) [...]
“And then, a few days later, they did it again.” Not exactly.
The cartoons that you show at the top of this story were printed in 1983. But what you and the linked blog say was a later event (the snakes and Dennis’ mom on the phone) are clearly dated 1981.