Herb and Jamaal: Running up bills, jumping to conclusions, stretching the truth.

This comic is hilarious because women are economically illiterate, irrational liars.

Herb and Jamaal: Who's this, Mrs. Johnson?

Alzheimer's disease: it's so silly!

Herb and Jamaal: Silent Alarm

After the big Funky Winkerbean fake-out, I know I shouldn't get my hopes up over the prospect of Herb and Jamaal possibly each getting shot in the face. BUT OH MY GOD HOW AMAZING WOULD THAT BE?

Herb and Jamaal: Ever since I had that argument with my mother-in-law...

A mother-in-law joke. That's very clever, Herb and Jamaal. Tomorrow you should write about how other women are terrible, too.

Herb and Jamaal: Uh-oh. Jamaal's got that look on his face.

This comic is hilarious because women are bizarre and terrifying creatures, evidently incapable of forming coherent sentences.

Herb and Jamaal: I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian.

This comic is hilarious because, er, something vague and snide about vegetarianism.

Herb and Jamaal: What am I doing in these online talk rooms?

Here we see the inner turmoil of a sex chat addict. Ashamed to be logging on once again, Jamaal questions his motives. He tries to disassociate himself: "These folks [not me, Jamaal, but these folks] seem to be trying to live out their fantasies!" He then resigns himself to always being an addict and, at the same time, justifies his addiction by positing that he's really just there to marvel at all the freaks: "You know it's unbelievable, but you just GOTTA look." Yeah, Jamaal, I know. You keep telling yourself that.

Herb & Jamaal: While you're at it, get some fire insurance, too.

Ah, eternal conscious torment, when will you cease to amuse?

Herb & Jamaal: !

Oh, Herb and Jamaal, why do you tease us with intimations of Herb's violent death yet never dare follow through?

Herb & Jamaal: Everyone lies, Rev. Croom.

And so the pastor in Herb & Jamaal cheats on his taxes.

Considering that every character in this comic strip is insufferable, this is hardly surprising.

Herb & Jamaal: Oh, Herb, I just LOVE shopping! I truly do!

Today's Herb and Jamaal is very exciting. First up is the "women love to shop" trope. And, oh, they "truly do." Then in the final two panels, we get some classic mother-in-law humor. The third trope is a little more tenuous, but I think a "doesn't marriage suck?" element is clearly present. Put it all together, and what we have here is a rare cliche trifecta.

It'll be a long time--though probably not long enough--before we see another one of these.

Herb & Jamaal: Dilated pupils signify intense interest in the subject at which they gaze.

Oh, those women sure do love to shop! Ha ha!

I also have serious doubts as to whether those first two (or even three) panels are necessary in any way.

Herb & Jamaal: Oh, man, I just found a gray hair!

If Herb were just being an asshole, this comic wouldn't be all that funny. But because Herb is specifically being an asshole to his mother-in-law, it is hilarious.

Herb & Jamaal: Go 'way, ya bum!

Ha ha! Herb was right! We should treat the homeless like shit!

Herb & Jamaal: Yes, Jamaal, I accept your apology.

This comic is hilarious because women are petty liars.

Herb & Jamaal: How do I nag you?!?

Sometimes I nag Herb & Jamaal about being unfunny and sexist.

Does this mean I'm a woman?

Herb & Jamaal: She's 21, Uhuru.

Next time in Herb & Jamaal: Her world thrown into confusion, Uhuru frantically attempts to discover the identity of her real father by digging through her mother's old middle school yearbooks. Hilarity ensues.

Herb & Jamaal and Pearls Before Swine: This strip just gets stranger and stranger.

These comics each use pretty much the same gag, in which a mundane phrase becomes absurdly literal for comic effect. But the Pearls is quite a bit funnier, partially because the specific situation is more extreme, partially because Pig is just a funnier character than the tall one in Herb & Jamaal and partially because of the extra layer of meta in the final Pearls panel.

*Herb & Jamaal from 3-6-10.

Herb & Jamaal: God, in his infinite wisdom...

This is, I'm sure, exactly what Langston Hughes had in mind.

Herb & Jamaal: sometimes you've gotta take advantage of the moment.

This comic is hilarious because Jamaal's such a terrible husband/boyfriend that his wife/girlfriend has to wait until he falls asleep to get her daily dose of imaginary personal affection.