Comic rule #162: Every reaction needs an equal action

Look at Hi in the last panel of today's strip -- eyes exaggeratedly wide, mouth small and taut. He’s pulling off the classic Hi & Lois look of shock and sadness, as if a little part of his idyllic world just became infected with the cold, sour reality of life. We see this in other comics as well, particularly Blondie, when characters lean backwards and an exclamation mark appears atop their heads. These people have been wandering around their timeless, Donna Reed worlds for decades, and it’s still the little things that get them. You’d think they’d grow some sense after a while.

Problem is, what Thirsty says in panel two isn’t really saddening, even for Hi & Lois’s standards. A driving school called “Fender Bender Enders”? Corny, sure, but is it really enough to maim Hi’s soul? Shouldn't the punchline be at least a little bit jarring? Let’s do a tiny re-write here...

See that? Are we taking notes here, Brian and Greg Walker?

Posted by Jason Feifer at June 20, 2006 08:27 AM