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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Friday, December 8, 2006

Our daily newspaper funny pages won't be nearly as funny after Saturday, December 31, 2006. Bill Amend is ending his "FoxTrot" daily strip to concentrate on other endeavors. Though he'll still be writing and drawing the "FoxTrot" Sunday strip, there will be a hole in our comics hearts the rest of the week. Anyway, in honor of all the laughs Amend's strip has given us, day in and day out, here's a "Comics In the Comics" sequence that ran in the newspapers from July 24-29 of this year.




"FoxTrot" has been running in all three of my newspapers: The Akron Beacon Journal, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and The Medina Gazette. When the ABJ had to replace the discontinued "Boondocks," it merely moved the exiled-to-the-classifieds "Mary Worth" back to the comics pages proper. This time around, both it and the Gazette will need replacement strips. My vote would be for Darrin Bell's edgy "Candorville" [www.comics.com/wash/candorville], but I suspect the editors will go for a safer strip.
The PD has a pair of comics-in-classifieds-exile: "Spider-Man" and "Judge Parker." My guess is that Spider-Man will return to the main comics pages, what with Spider-Man 3 having been partly filmed in Cleveland last summer. That "Judge Parker" is embarking on a political story sure to incense the PD's conservative editors also figures into my prediction.
I miss my daily dance with "FoxTrot," just as I've missed my morning visit to "The Boondocks." In salute to the Aaron McGruder strip, we close today's column with, from February 7, 2003, my all-time favorite "Boondocks":

Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back on Monday with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 12/07/2006 | 12/08/2006 | 12/11/2006 >>
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Tony's Online Tips, P.O. Box 1502, Medina, OH 44258
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THE "TONY" SCALE

ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.

ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
 
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
  
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
   
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
    
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
Please send material you would like me to review to:
Tony's Online Tips
P.O. Box 1502
Medina, OH 44258
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