TOP 5 BEST SUNDAY COMIC STRIPS OF ALL TIME

1. Calvin and Hobbes

Creator: Bill Watterson
Published: 1985-1995

Sweetness and pain, humor and philosophy: Calvin and Hobbes contained everything, and all through the lens of Bill Watterson's uncompromising vision.

Watterson was steadfast in protecting all aspects of his work. He fought to have the strip run at a half-page while others were running far shorter. He fought against the commercialization of his characters—though any of us who have seen a truck decal with Calvin peeing on a logo knows that battle wasn't totally won. Simply, he fought to tell the stories he wanted to tell.

The result was something of great insight and beauty. Though many of the strips on this list remained relevant by engaging in culture, Calvin and Hobbes achieved something more by walking a path independent of hot-button topics and trends.

There are precious few times in the strip's history that real people are mentioned, yet Watterson was able to make meaningful points about topics as varied philosophy, culture, and growing up.

The 3,000-strip journey of a boy and his stuffed tiger stands not only as a tremendous comic strip, but as a tremendous piece of art.

2. The Far Side

Creator: Gary Larson
Published: 1980-1995

Chances are, a distant relative gifted you a Far Side day calendar for a birthday long ago, and instead of being annoyed that Uncle Hal really doesn't know you as a person, you just enjoyed the hell out of it.

Larson's single panel comics used animals, hell, cavemen (he's married to an anthropologist, after all) and people marooned on desert islands to get at some great human truths, all while making us laugh at the absurd stupidity of life.

The simple sentences below the illustrations would add to or, even better, completely invert the image presented, with hilarious results. Please, if you haven't done so, go back and read them today

3. Peanuts

Creator: Charles Schulz
Published: 1950-2000

A Syracuse University professor once called Peanuts "arguably the longest story ever told by one human being." It seems silly to write about the influence of Charlie Brown and his gang, as it's evident everywhere you look: on t-shirts, blimps, and tattoos. Schulz has marked pop culture indelibly.

When revisiting the strips, it's remarkable how melancholy most of the humor is. The strip about children is rooted in loneliness and miscommunication.

Picture it: Charlie Brown silently observes a bunch of his friends as they swim in a pool. Rather than asking to join them, he goes back to his yard and sits in a bucket of water by himself. Entire novels have communicated less.

4. Bloom County; Outland; Opus

Creator: Berkeley Breathed
Published: 1980-1989; 1989-1995; 2003 - 2008

Whether the strip was going by Bloom County, Outland, or Opus, all of Breathed's work had a deep impact on cartooning. The authors of the zany, culturally-relevant cartoons that came after Breathed (many of them on this list) cite the Opus cartoons as a massive influence.

Scott Kurtz, creator of the webcomic PvP, went as far as to say that "so many webcomics...are nothing but Bloom County ripoffs."

There are a number of factors that make Breathed's work special, but one of the most striking aspects is how small moments, like receiving a Christmas gift or trying on clothes, can lead to larger philosophical questions. While many comic strips end with a joke, Breathed often joked his way to an ending that simply inspired more thought.

5. Doonesbury

Creator: Gary Trudeau
Published: 1970-present

While many comic strips get political, none have done so as explicitly and consistently as Doonesbury. Since 1970, when the strip turned from a feature of the Yale student newspaper into a nationally syndicated strip, the comic has kept the public abreast of the nation's politics through its existential tragicomic soap opera.

In that time, the cartoon has been no stranger to controversy. The most recent occurred after a number of papers refused to run strips critical of abortion ultrasound bills.

One of the greatest compliments Doonesbury has been paid came from President Gerald Ford, who was himself often a target of the strip. He said, "There are only three major vehicles to keep us informed as to what is going on in Washington: the electronic media, the print media, and Doonesbury, not necessarily in that order."