Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:05 pm
I've read all strips until June 2000 now. That means that there are more than a thousand left to read and I'm really glad about that <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... /smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->.<br><br>In my <a href='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... topic=2573' target='_blank'>introduction</a> thread I mentioned that "Ozy and Millie" is not as great as "Calvin and Hobbes" and I still stick to that. On the other hand, I don't really see that much of a difference most of the time. Looking at <a href='http://www.ozyandmillie.net/1999/om19990730.html' target='_blank'>this</a> strip, or <a href='http://www.ozyandmillie.net/1999/om19990930.html' target='_blank'>this</a> or <a href='http://www.ozyandmillie.net/1999/om19991001.html' target='_blank'>that</a> or at my <a href='http://www.ozyandmillie.net/2003/om20030825.html' target='_blank'>favourite strip</a> so far (the waffle one, of course <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... s/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->), I just have to say that these strips are nearly perfect. Actually so good that I would only consider one handful of Bill Watterson's masterpieces as *better* if there exists an appropriate measurement for comic strips of some sort. But this is just my opinion.<br><br>Now, after that big compliment to David Simpson, I just want to say, that there are also some things, that I don't like that much about "Ozy and Millie" (Shock!) The first and most important one is, that I don't really like the political comics. On the one hand, I don't think they fit very well into the scenario and second, equally important, I am not an American. There was a joke about Newt Gingrich, but I really didn't understand the joke because I had no glue, who Newt Grinnich was, except that he was an important American politician. Having to ask Google about the concerning person to get the joke is not really satisfying. So I generally don't like it when comic strips deal with persons or events, that are not well-known around the globe. I am sure nobody of you would get a joke about infamous Bavarian secretary of the Interior Günther Beckstein or German showmaster Jürgen von der Lippe.<br><br>Having read some of the newer strips, I also have to say, that I like the visual appearance of the characters the most shortly after the relaunch in May 2000. The characters looked more "realistic" and were kind of cuter then than they now are and I prefer cute animal characters to not so cute ones <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... s/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->. I know, that David is not really fond of criticism but I think that there is nothing wrong about it to express one's opinion if one stays polite.<br><br>Today, I've also written an <a href='http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozy_and_Millie' target='_blank'>article</a> about Ozy and Millie on the German version of the Wikipedia. I doubt, that anybody here is able to understand it, but I think the quality of the article is not bad compared to the articles for most of the other webcomics. On the other hand, the section with the character descriptions needs a complete overhaul. I've read only one third of all the strips, so even if the section was better written it still can't be complete in any way. I don't like the concept of the Wikipedia that much and some of the admins are morons (some weird sort of crossover between Jeremy and Stephan), but I understand that it's read by many people, so I guessed to write an article about it is a good way that "Ozy and Millie" gets at least a little bit more attention in Germany.<br><br>I also think about it to buy one/some Ozy and Millie originals, but haven't decided yet. Obviously I will make that decision at the earliest when I will have read all the strips and, of course, it will depend heavily on the fact, what is still available. In that respect I want to point at the <a href='http://cgi.ebay.com/Calvin-Hobbes-poste ... dZViewItem' target='_blank'>ridiculous prices</a> some weirdos (from another planet) are willing to pay for signed Calvin and Hobbes <i>prints</i> at eBay. To spend > 1000 $ seems absolutely inadequate to me for a not original drawing by some quy, even if it's Bill Watterson. 100 $ for an original by David Simpson seems to be cheap that way. Not that I insist to pay more <!--emo&:P--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo-->.
