Top 10 Comic Strips

#10: “Dennis the Menace” (1951-)

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This comic strip about a mischievous 5-and-a-half-year old boy may’ve started in the newspapers, but “Dennis the Menace” became so popular it spawned multiple film and TV adaptations and even a video game. There’s just something about the title character’s innocent curiosity and uncanny ability to always get into trouble that really endears him to us. What it boils down to is that Dennis mostly starts off with good intentions, but inevitably – especially if it involves Mr. Wilson – something goes horribly and hilariously wrong.

Opus the Penguin and friends took the comics pages by storm in the 1980s. Berkeley Breathed’s “Bloom County” defined the decade in the comics-world: smart, sometimes snide or sarcastic, and filled with social commentary, it was also uproariously funny. Whether focusing on major real life events or the fictional lives of its cast of engagingly oddball characters, “Bloom County” was always on-target.

Teenage comic strips go back a long way, but “Zits” is more than a modern day “Archie.” Lead character Jeremy is a 16-year-old dealing with parents, school, parents, music, parents and girls. “Zits” manages the great feat of accurately capturing the feel of being a teenager without being condescending or nostalgic; even when satirical, the humor is warm and gentle.

#7: “B.C.” (1958-)

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Caveman humor. That’s what “B.C.” was about when it started out in 1958. But if it had been about nothing else, it wouldn’t still be going strong more than 55 years later. But creator Johnny Hart filled the strip with recognizable characters that know how to work a gag – and Hart’s daughter and grandsons, who now handle the strip, inherited the cartoonist’s know-how to keep it fresh and alive.

Every office worker who has ever had to stay late to complete a pointless project or endure a brainless boss who uses meaningless catchphrases can relate to “Dilbert.” Judging by how immensely popular Scott Adams’ workplace comic strip is, there are a lot of people who can identify – and not just in the U.S.: The strip appears in 65 countries and in 25 languages.

Garry Trudeau’s iconic “Doonesbury” has been chronicling the social and political paths of the U.S. for more than 40 years. “Doonesbury” is one of the rare comic strips that let its characters age, but the strips’ humor, skill, perception and bite haven’t aged at all. Trudeau’s left-leaning politics have earned the wrath of some, but that just demonstrates how influential the medium of the comic strip can be in the right hands.

#4: “The Far Side” (1980-95)

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Single panel cartoons can be a challenge to pull off, but Gary Larson’s brilliant “Far Side” managed the trick neatly for 15 years. Although many faces and forms popped up repeatedly, this was a gag-a-day strip that didn’t really feature recurring characters: just Larson’s clean, crisp drawing and his unique, very off-kilter sense of the absurd. Didn’t need anything else.

#3: “Garfield” (1978-)

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This curt and sarcastic cat that loves lasagna has been tickling the funny bones of readers since 1978. An overweight orange tabby, Garfield has a human named Jon who thinks he is the cat’s owner; together with Jon’s brain-challenged dog Odie, they provide Garfield with the chance to exercise his snide sense of humor. Which is about the only exercise America’s favorite cat ever gets.

Charles M. Schulz’ “Peanuts” has become such a fixture in American culture that it’s hard to remember a day when it didn’t exist. For 50 years, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and the rest entertained readers with its subtle wit and insights. Widely regarded as the most popular and successful comic strip in history, “Peanuts” managed to make surprisingly profound observations in its small 4-panel way – without losing sight of its need to entertain. Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - “For Better or For Worse” (1979-2008) - “FoxTrot” (1988-) - “Krazy Kat” (1913-44) - “Li’l Abner” (1934-77) - “Hagar the Horrible” (1973-)

For 10 years, a comic strip about a boy and his stuffed tiger ruled the pages. Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and Hobbes” is in the tradition of “little kid” strips, but the humor could be sophisticated, wry and sardonic as called for. Expertly drawn, the strip also featured some gorgeous artwork and layout in its Sunday strips. But what it did best was capture the sheer joy of being a mischievous, wildly imaginative six-year-old boy – and of the special bond between a child and his best friend. Do you agree with our choices? What other brilliant comic strips should we have added to this list? For more enthralling top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.