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STEPH! STEPH! RAT WAS IN YOUR LOST LUGGAGE! HE SNUCK INSIDE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO PAY FOR AIRLINE TICKETS! NOW HE'S LOST! WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?
WE SHOULD TRY TO GET HIM BACK, STEPH.
SHHH.
SAVOR THE MOMENT.

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, STEPH?
I FLEW FROM L.A. TO OAKLAND AND THE AIRLINE LOST MY LUGGAGE. IT HAD ALL MY CLOTHES, MY HAT, MY CONTACT LENSES. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT IS.
OH, NO, STEPH... WAS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE YOU CAN'T REPLACE?
WHERE THE (G** D***) AM I?

YOU EVER NOTICE HOW SOME OF THE OLDER COMIC STRIPS ALWAYS
HAVE A WIDE-EYED OPEN-MOUTHED GUY IN THE LAST PANEL?
YEAH. IT'S A VISUAL CUE SO THE READER KNOWS HE JUST READ THE PUNCHLINE.
WHY DON'T YOUR STRIPS HAVE THAT?
I DON'T KNOW... I GUESS I HOPE THE JOKE IS WELL-WRITTEN ENOUGH THAT THE
READER DOESN'T NEED AN OBVIOUS CUE LIKE THAT.
!
GET RID OF HIM.
WHOA... NOW I GET THIS STUPID STRIP.
ZONKS!

LOOKS LIKE ONE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS GOT HIMSELF APPOINTED TO THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION.
WHAT’S THAT?
THEY’RE THE GUYS WHO ISSUE PERMITS FOR ANY CONSTRUCTION YOU WANT TO DO.
SO THEY DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO TEAR DOWN STUFF YOU BUILD WITHOUT A PERMIT, DO THEY?
SURE THEY DO. THEY JUST BRING OVER THE WRECKING BALL AND DOWN IT GOES. WHY?
WALL WALL
WHAT WALL?
IF YOU’LL EXCUSE ME, I HAVE A WALL PERMIT TO FILE FOR.

WHAT'S THE
MATTER
WITH
YOU?
I CAN'T FIND MY CELL PHONE
ANYWHERE. I THINK I LEFT
IT IN THE DINER. ZEBRA'S
THERE NOW, SO I'M TELLING
HIM WHERE TO LOOK FOR IT.
WHAT'S THAT IN YOUR HAND?
GET HELP.

Okay, zeeba neighba, crocs has new stratagee. We ees smash you wid rock. Me say where to throw. Burt throw. Dat prove we great team. Dat prove we work togedder. Dat—
CRACK
Speech go on leetle long.

RAT GAVE UP HIS "SESAME STREET" PROTEST.
HOW COME?
PBS AGREED TO LET HIM REVIVE ONE OF THEIR OLD CHILDREN'S SHOWS.
RAT HOSTING A CHILDREN'S SHOW? WHICH ONE?
PLEASE DON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR...

THIS PROTEST IS STUPID.
STUPID?! THERE'S AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF YOUNG MEN OUT THERE WHO CAN'T GET JOBS. SO INSTEAD OF BUYING HOMES AND STARTING FAMILIES, THEY'RE STUCK LIVING WITH FRIENDS IN CRAPPY, ONE-ROOM APARTMENTS.
OCCUPY SESAME STREET
FINE. BUT WHAT'S THAT HAVE TO DO WITH SESAME STREET?
THEY PROMOTE IT.
PROMOTE IT HOW??
Bert and I would like to go to sleep now.
PIPE DOWN, YOU BRAINWASHING MUPPET.

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE PROTESTING "SESAME STREET."
YOU CAN'T HUH?... WELL, THINK ABOUT IT...
THE SHOW TEACHES YOUNG PEOPLE THAT THE 99% OF AMERICANS WHO ARE NOT RICH HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GET USED TO THEIR SUBSTANDARD LIVING CONDITIONS.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
Hey kids, It's fun to live in garbage cans.
See?
HEY, C'MON, HE'S GROUCHY ABOUT IT.

WHY IS EVERYONE GOING TO THESE "OCCUPY WALL STREET" PROTESTS?
BECAUSE THEY VIEW IT AS THE CENTER OF CORPORATE GREED.
BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER STREETS IN NEW YORK? WE SHOULD BE PROTESTING ON THOSE, TOO.
WHICH ONES DO YOU SUGGEST?
OCCUPY SESAME STREET
PLEASE LEAVE.
SHUT YOUR FACE, GROVER!

WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE?
VITO CORLEONE.
I'M GOING TO A MOB COSTUME PARTY.
A MOB COSTUME PARTY?
YEAH. AND THIS IS A STATUE OF JIMMY HOFFA. GUARD DUCK MADE IT FOR ME. I BRING ONE EVERY YEAR.
WHAT FOR?
AT THE END OF THE PARTY, THE MOBSTERS BLOW IT UP. THERE'S A LITTLE FUSE IN HIS HEAD. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE THE DESIGN.
WHY?
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS TAKING SOMEONE ELSE'S FUSE AND THEY PULL ON THE FUSE TO MAKE IT SHORTER. THAT WAY IT BLOWS UP RIGHT WHEN THEY LIGHT IT.
BUT THAT'S NOT SAFE.
I KNOW. THAT'S WHY I'M CHANGING IT.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?
I'M GONNA MAKE THEM A HOFFA THEY CAN'T RE-FUSE.

WHAT'S THE MATTER, PIG?
MY STUPID COMPUTER. IF I DON'T USE AN ANTI- VIRUS PROGRAM, I GET SOME RUSSIAN-MADE VIRUS ON MY COMPUTER THAT STEALS MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER.
BUT IF I DO USE AN ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAM, IT SLOWS MY COMPUTER DOWN TO A CRAWL AND INTERRUPTS EVERYTHING I DO WITH STUPID MESSAGES.
YEAH, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO?
I E-MAILED MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER TO THE RUSSIANS.
IT'S A BIG TIME-SAVER.

HEY, RAT, I'M TRYING TO SET UP THAT POKER GAME YOU ASKED FOR, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO TO INVITE.
WHO CARES? WE JUST NEED PLAYERS. ASK ANYONE WITH ARMS THAT CAN HOLD CARDS.
THAT HURTS.
TRY TO BE MORE SENSITIVE AROUND MR. BUFFALO HEAD.

LOOK WHAT I BOUGHT, RAT...IT'S THE 'MOUNTED BUFFALO HEAD OF REGRET.'
WHAT'S THE REGRET?
NOT DUCKING.
IT'S REALLY LIMITED HIS OPTIONS.

THE CROCS ARE ASKING THE CITY TO TEAR DOWN YOUR WALL ON THE GROUND THAT IT POSES A DANGER TO CHILDREN.
HOW DO THEY FIGURE THAT?!
THEY SAY A HELPLESS CHILD COULD CLIMB ON TOP AND SUFFER A TRAGIC FALL. BUT THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED, AND THEY HAVE NO PROOF IT EVER WOULD.
Why me got wear funny costume, Bob.?
Shut mouf and walk closer to edge, Burt.

DO YOU REALIZE THAT IN 1985, THERE WERE ONLY 13 BILLIONAIRES IN THE U.S., AND TODAY THERE ARE MORE THAN 1,000? SO WHILE MOST OF US STRUGGLE, THERE'S THIS CLASS OF THE SUPER RICH WHO'VE THRIVED.
THAT'S NOT FAIR. WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT.
I AGREE.
BUT HOW?
BY JOINING THAT CLASS.
I THINK YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT.
LET ME BE ONE OF YOU, RICH PEOPLE!

GUARD DUCK STARTED PLAYING BINGO WITH THE SENIORS AT THE RETIREMENT CENTER.
WHY BINGO?
DOCTOR SAID HE HAS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. IT'S SUPPOSED TO HELP HIM RELAX.
THAT'S GREAT. HOW'S HE DOING WITH IT?
NO, I DO NOT WANT TO FORM A BINGO ALLIANCE.

Elly Elephant was thinking of Henry Hippo.
So she sat in her kitchen and tried to envision her dream man.
"I will take this empty basket and put in one avocado for each trait I want in a man."
So she put in one avocado for sensitivity, and one for handsome, and one for adventurous.
"And I want him to be dependable," she said, adding in another avocado. But when she did, out fell adventurous.
"Okay, he can't be needy," she said, squeezing in another. But out fell sensitive.
"The basket can't hold all the avocados," Elly cried in despair. "They are too many. I will learn to be happy with the one avocado I have."
Elephant was soon seen dipping Henry into guacamole.
This is an uplifting tale.
"Oh. THIS IS AN UPLIFTING TALE."
"So remember, people. Be happy with the crappy partner you have."
"I WILL STRIVE TO BE ALONE FOREVER!"

TOOOT
PEARLS
10th Anniversary
12/31/01 - 12/31/11
SOMEHOW I EXPECTED MORE.
CAN I GO HOME NOW?

HEY, NEIGHBOR BOB...WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?
I DUNNO. JUST BEEN REAL DOWN LATELY. I NEED A REAL SHOT IN THE ARM.
BLAM
DID THAT HELP?

Look... It shiftly leetle rat. Mebbe he got idea how crocs can geet down eento zeeba yard.
DUDE. JUST GO DOWN A LADDER.
Any more idea?

HEY, GOAT... WANT TO PLAY BADMINTON WITH ME AND PIG? YOU JUST TAKE A RACKET AND HIT THIS LITTLE THINGIE.
YOUR LITTLE THINGIE THERE IS CALLED A 'SHUTTLECOCK.'
SOMEHOW I DIDN'T LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT.

Okay, guys, we is wait here for zeeba neighba. When he show up, Bob smash heem wid rock.
How long we got wait?
Long as it take.
Toss
THUD
Me got bored.

I'M HAVING A BAD DAY...A REAL BAD DAY.
DON'T BE DOWN, RAT. YOUR LIFE'S NOT THAT BAD. JUST ASK THE SPECTRAL TORTOISE O' PERSPECTIVE.
YOU COULD BE DEAD.
HE'S QUITE THE PICKER-UPPER.

Well now, there's a constellation you don't see every day.