Intelligent Life, 4/24/26

You could use Intelligent Life to do a whole in-depth analysis of how the position of the nerd has changed in American culture over the past couple decades: the strip's nerdy main characters still have the chip on their shoulders of social outcasts who push against the grain with their insular hobbies and interests, but they now spend their days discussing the massive box office takes of hegemonic superhero franchises. The strip cast also includes "Barry," on the left here, a beefy jock who mainly serves to illustrate the humiliation of the normie in today's nerd-ruled world as he can't get a date and is constantly failing at work. At least he "gets it" when it comes to Fridays. Fridays, am I right? The last refuge of the regular guy who likes wings and beer? Even the ascendant hardcore geek has to acknowledge that that's pretty cool? I genuinely don't know what this strip is supposed to be about, honestly.

Alice, 4/24/26