The funnies is back

 by Greg Ralbovsky
 published on Wednesday, February 13, 2008

The comics section of the newspaper was always the most enjoyable to read while growing up. At the time, the jokes offered by a lasagna-eating cat, overworked office employees and a small boy named Ziggy were fresh. Today, many of these comics are still in the paper but are repeating the same jokes from 15 years ago.

The Perry Bible Fellowship, which started in 2001 at Syracuse University's paper, is one of the funniest and freshest comics out today. Much of its humor, like The Far Side's, is based on surreal environments, characters and situations. A collection of author Nicholas Gurewitch's work, "The Trials of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories" is available and includes never-before published comics.

One comic, titled "Goodnight Full Moon," has a father tricking his son into looking out the bedroom window to see the full moon. When the son realizes there is no full moon, the father shoots a dart at his son so he can peacefully get some sleep.

What really sets this comic apart from many others is the artwork. Most comics have the same look and feel week after week, making it hard to distinguish one week from the other. This is the complete opposite for "The Perry Bible Fellowship."

Some comics are very simple, where the people are drawn with very little facial features and have simple black and white backdrops. Other weeks, the artwork is extravagant with many colors and a fine attention to detail.

Anyone who is looking for a book to stir up laughs should seek this gem. The comic can also be viewed online at pbfcomics.com.

<->— gralbovs@asu.edu