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 (15) (Please sign in to comment)
Greg Cravens
said, 5 months ago
This is one of those cartoons transcribed nearly verbatim from life.
listmom said, 5 months ago
I’ll have to try that line. This happens with my teenager all the time. (that is, when I bring up his grades…)
Number Three said, 5 months ago
Excellent!
xxx
Shyygirl27 said, 5 months ago
I actually laughed out loud, doesn’t happen often.
Allan said, 5 months ago
@Greg Cravens
This a conversation with your brats, I mean kids?
Strod said, 5 months ago
@Greg Cravens
Greg, I hope you won’t consider this question inappropriate but… how old are your kids?
I ask because you have been drawing The Buckets for way more than a decade. In that lapse of time the Bucket boys barely aged while your kids must have aged a lot (or maybe weren’t even born at the beginning for all I know).
I think it would be interesting to see how your evolution as a parent influenced the evolution of the strip.
whmIII said, 5 months ago
Wrong answer…
Greg Cravens
said, 5 months ago
@Strod
Here’s the thing- Scott started the strip when his youngest kid was in diapers and the oldest was a rowdy li’l squirt. Ten years later, the character Toby was six or seven and Eddie was two or three, sorta. I think. Those ages were settled on because they were deemed to be the most fun or the funniest or whatever. That’s when I came into the picture. My youngest was in diapers and my oldest was a rambunctious li’l squirt. For about four years we aged Toby up to fourteen/fifteen and got Eddie to six. Those are still, to my mind, the funniest ages- the ones I relate well to. (though I overwrite Eddie’s lines when it suits me, like in many classic comic strips) So there’s your explanation. You can do the fuzzy math to guess at my kids’ ages.
Perkycat said, 5 months ago
I love this one. Being a mom, I know how it is to be the bad guy just trying to get your kids to be the best they can be. They appreciate it later in life.
whmIII said, 5 months ago
@Perkycat
Being a dad is no picnic at times either…
Comic Minister said, 5 months ago
I still like you Sarah.
Shirl Summ
said, 5 months ago
@Greg Cravens
AMEN to that!
Night-Gaunt49 said, 5 months ago
@Greg Cravens
Hard not to.
Hunter7 said, 5 months ago
@Greg Cravens
This means age wise…. Greg Craven- your oldest is almost at the age to realize dad is suddenly a lot smarter now than a few years ago. Your Toby is going to wonder in a year or two, how you suddenly got so smart. lol
Strod said, 5 months ago
@Greg Cravens
Thanks, Greg. That was as interesting as I thought it would be.