Art holds a mirror up to Nature. The Buckets come along, turn the mirror on Art and say, “Look how goofy you’re acting. Now get to work, Art. Your kids need an Xbox 360.”
The Buckets comic strip isn’t a parody of family life. Parodies are filled with hearts and rainbows or enraged tirades and dramatic confrontation. The Buckets, though? Nope. Real life, baby. It’s funny because it’s on a page and not in your house at the moment. Next week, when it’s happening to you, you’ll thank us for reminding you that it’s supposed to be funny.
Greg Cravens looks in the mirror and see not himself, but all of us. And then he draws up the silly, grand, goofy, thrilling, utterly human things we do and calls it The Buckets.
© Greg Cravens - All Rights Reserved.
Broom Hilda by Russell Myers
Buni by Ryan Pagelow
Comments (13) (Please sign in to comment)
Doctor Toon said, 6 months ago
It was Junior High School in my day and contained 7th – 9th grades
My older brother was in 9th grade when I was in 6th, he told a lot of the kids at the school that he had a little brother that could beat them up
Next year he goes to High School and I entered Junior High with a bunch of kids a year or 2 older that already wanted to fight me
Not sure how many times I had to prove him right before they left me alone
Greg Cravens
said, 6 months ago
And you need to give the BEST Christmas gifts so that no one judges you. A book of Buckets cartoons. It’s ‘Black Friday’ here in the states, when all the stores suddenly start operating outside of the red ink in their ledgers and start making a profit. But here you are on the computer, at home in total comfort. Smart. Buy everyone a Buckets book. Done. Boom. Thank you and have a stress-free Christmas.
Number Three said, 6 months ago
PRICELESS!
xxx
Allan said, 6 months ago
I was picked on in Grade 7 and 8 by a group of kids. They continued in Grade 9.
(BTW in Ontario, most schools are “Primary” JK-8 and “Secondary” 9-13).
I was somewhat protected, in grade 7/8 as I lived in a group home, and staff would pick us up most nights.
Not so in Grade 9, and a ‘new kid’ joined the group of bullies.
It was middle of September, when things came to a head. He didn’t like that I told him to go f*** himself in gymclass before the teacher came in.
So after school, he attacked me. He ripped my shirt, but I broke his nose, and blackened both eyes.
After that, no one bullied me. I don’t know why. ;)
Comic Minister said, 6 months ago
I see.
Linda Dean
said, 6 months ago
There were girl bullies in like 5th and 6th grade. After getting a few punches (very few in most cases) in most of them gave up, because they were bleeding on thier blouses and other parts. I had big brothers and lots of cousins, and because I was the youngest, I had lots of experience…
Night-Gaunt49 said, 6 months ago
Some bullies these days turn peer pressure against certain children, use of taunts and spread lies to hurt the delicate reputations. Some have committed suicide over it.
Neo Blakkrstal said, 6 months ago
Bullying is no longer as it was when we were kids. It used to be a bully would come up and if you could hit them a few times they would give up and move on to easier prey. Now, bullies travel in packs and as Night Gaunt 49 says they no longer use physical violence to intimidate. They use rumor and inuendo and belittle the bullied in front of their “friends” in an attempt to ostrasize the individual. Once excluded from the group it becomes like a piranha feeding frenzy. And if the bullied fights back they are usually the ones that the authorities end up punishing because the bully appears innocent (no violence). My daughter’s school was so bad that we pulled her. And the school won’t even acknowledge that there is a problem. The principal of the high school went so far as to post on his blog how "proud he was that (school system name withheld) does not have a bullying problem. As long as the authorities will not see the problem, the only sollution is to remove the children from the environment for their own protection.
Hunter7 said, 6 months ago
@Linda Dean
I was in grade 1 the girls doing the bullying were in grade 6. But I had a friend. Same age as me – and she beat the living daylights out of those 4 girls. No more trouble. And no probs with the grade fours. I played with the boys across the street. And they were in grade four.
.
these days – what with the cyber bullying. Not to mention the groups and gangs….. its not safe out there.
Qun Mang said, 6 months ago
Isn’t Toby’s age supposed to be 15? Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can shed a light here. Does Toby’s age fluctuate like in some other strips, or is he a year behind in school? Or perhaps this strip is set one of those odd areas where middle school goes through 9th grade instead of 8th? Or am I just wrong about his age?
I know it’s just a strip, but I am curious.
Qun Mang said, 6 months ago
Just reread the first comment- could be in the same school system as the Doctor was… :D
cutiepie29 said, 6 months ago
The bullying that I dealt with was almost never physical, but very strongly verbal. It is nothing new for kids to taunt others with cruel nicknames and lies/rumors. And it is nothing new for the bullies to run in “packs” either.
omwae said, 6 months ago
so – much for role reversal. gotta light?