Hello, gang. A few news and notes. Woo Hoo! Another Top 10 Challenge! Shall we begin?

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BATTLE OVER
In a follow up to last week's PCR piece on Yoko Ono and her former personal assistant, Frederic Seaman, a settlement was reached this past Friday. A judge ruled that the 1979 confidentiality agreement Seaman signed before working for Ono and her late husband, John Lennon, was binding. Seaman had tried to publish a memoir of his days with the late Beatle. As part of the agreement, Seaman also issued a public apology.

THE RETURN OF DIRK DIGGLER
Val Kilmer has signed to play late porn film star John Holmes in the film, "Wonderland." The movie will tell the story of the 1981 multiple murders that occurred on Los Angeles' Wonderland Avenue. Though a suspect in the crimes, Holmes was never charged with them. I always thought it was humorous that John Holmes would be suspected of killing people by hitting them over the head with a heavy, blunt object!

TOP 10 COMIC STRIPS
OK! This is what I'm talking about! The funny pages, man! I quickly name "Peanuts" to the Hall of Fame. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and the gang will always live on in my memory. Easily my all time favorite. Here are the next 10, in no particular order:

1. BLOOM COUNTY: probably the most consistently funny strip I've ever read. From Steve Dallas to Opus the Penguin, from laying in a field of dandelions to Bill the Cat's version of "Tomorrow," the mind of Berke Breathed gave us a multitude of laughs. One of my faves ran towards the end of the strips run when one of the characters found out he was destined to join the "Family Circus" and was drawn in Bill Keane's unmistaken style.
2. THE FAR SIDE: easily the most laughs out of one panel. Far to many to pick out one fave. But if I had to: a fish heading towards the surface of the water, tail first. The caption: His tail encased in styrofoam, Carl is sent to "sleep with the humans."
3. BABY BLUES: I don't know why this strip amuses me so much, but it does. The adventures of little girl Zoe, her brother, Hammie, and their parents just hit home so much. Maybe it comes with being a parent.
4. BLONDIE: long before Denis Lebrun was drawing menu's for "Pop and Son's" Blondie was a favorite of mine. I know I can easily relate to Dagwoods love for sleeping and the occasional giant sandwich.
5. FUNKY WINKERBEAN: Though it's been around for as long as I can remember, I only started following "Funky" the past few years. It's look at today's world, along with the problems that come with it, is always touching and often very funny.
6. HI and LOIS/BEETLE BAILEY: Between Sarge and Otto or Ditto and Dot, both of these strips continue to amuse. If I'm not mistaken, Beetle is Lois's brother.
7. MARY WORTH/MARK TRAIL: I combined these two because they are very similar in that they are like short stories. It usually takes a month or so for another chapter to end. I also used to read APARTMENT 3:G, but stopped after the Kansas City Star canceled it in order to run RED and ROVER, which is basically "Calvin and Hobbes" without the tiger or the wit. Speaking of...............
8. CALVIN and HOBBES: What a great strip. And kudos to Bill Waterson for not selling out and mass marketing his characters (though I would have loved to have a stuffed "Hobbes.") Like the Carol Burnett show, Waterson chose to go out on top.
9. DILBERT: for anyone who has EVER worked, this strip is like therapy. I don't think there is anyone who hasn't dealt with a Dogbert, Catbert or Pointy Haired Boss at least once in their life.
10. DOONESBURY: No one has the balls Gary Trudeau does to consistently point out the obvious in our world. I was able to have a little insight into the comics biz last September. While appearing in the play, "Glen Gary Glen Ross," I discovered that one of my fellow actors was the inker for this strip. Following the Sept 11 attacks, he commented on how fast Trudeau decided to preempt his current strips (which were negative towards President Bush) and insert a different story line. Of course, it wasn't long until it was business as usual again.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
I always felt like an idiot because EVERYONE I grew up with could draw. Me, I couldn't draw water from a well. Thankfully, I was smart enough to save pretty much every drawing I've ever gotten from my friends so that one day I can make a fortune off of their efforts. From the early work of "True Artist's Tales" creator Scott A. Gilbert to the early fanzines of our own Nolan B. Canova, from the multitude of "remember when" comics that Matt would send me to the really bad drawings Ben Gregory would do when we were roommates, these little artistic masterpieces hold a special place in my life and in my heart.

Well, that's it for this week. See ya!