Life is very long when you're lonely

Blondie, 7/6/24

I can't believe I've lived long enough to become the kind of nostalgist who says things like, "Remember when this legacy comic was only 75 years into its run and still had a spark of whimsy in it, unlike today when it's 95 years in and every panel lacks any joy whatsoever?", but: remember when this comic used to give its ancillary characters fun names like "Glambaster?” Whereas now everyone is just named the most on-the-nose thing you can think of. Oh, is "Barbie Babewelder" a beautiful woman, like a Barbie doll brought to life? Is Hank Hunkerman a big, hunky man, guaranteed to delight any woman who looks his way when he has his shirt off? To be fair, today's strip does show that Blondie is continuing to provide the valuable service of giving non-senior-citizens insight into what boomers are up to online. It's unsettling that the answer is "using neighborhood drama Facebook groups to get horny," but sometimes the truth is disturbing and we need to face it.

Gasoline Alley, 7/6/24