Dennis the Menace has been dipping its toe into some pretty heady material lately, and today's cartoon just continues the trend. At first glance, this might just seem like an innocent cartoon about a young boy and his dog who got caught out in a rain storm and are seeking some temporary shelter from their surly neighbor. But given the last few weeks, it's quite clear that the rain is a metaphor for Dennis' difficult home life and the shelter he's seeking a desperate cry for help. It's pretty dark stuff.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Dennis the Menace: Mind if we stay with YOU till it stops?
Dennis the Menace has been dipping its toe into some pretty heady material lately, and today's cartoon just continues the trend. At first glance, this might just seem like an innocent cartoon about a young boy and his dog who got caught out in a rain storm and are seeking some temporary shelter from their surly neighbor. But given the last few weeks, it's quite clear that the rain is a metaphor for Dennis' difficult home life and the shelter he's seeking a desperate cry for help. It's pretty dark stuff.
Will George continue to shut him out, leaving each character alone with their suffering, with no outlet but to lash out at each other with their daily one-liners, like some Edward Albee tragedy?
ReplyDeleteOr will he remember what it was like to be young and afraid and in need of some kind of safe haven, and take the boy under his wing at long last, turning the strip into a moving coming-of-age drama?
Only time will tell.
Or will he remember what it was like to be young and afraid and in need of some kind of safe haven, and take the boy under his wing at long last, turning the strip into a moving coming-of-age drama?
ReplyDeleteThis would be awesome.