The Funny Papers

by Tom Conally

Dont'cha just love reading the comic strips in the daily paper (we called them “the funny papers” when I was just a wee lad)? Even now at retirement age, I read them and most often as not enjoy them, but sometimes they just make me mad! Those smug artists can draw interesting figures but my gosh, they are using lines, puns and jokes that I actually invented years ago. How dare them use my material in their little petty comic strips, but then I think how could they have stolen my material when I really didn't write it down? It would make a sorry case in court (I would have to use small claims court as no lawyer in his right mind would take on such a silly case) when I said “Your Honor, I really did think this up years ago but did not have the gumption to write it down.” I guess I'll just keep on reading and thinking I coulda, shoulda, woulda been right there on the funny pages and remind myself: if it's worth thinking, it's worth writing down.

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Tom Conally, author of Like Life, has a picture gallery.