Ctrl-Alt-Del
One problem I’ve noticed in a number of humorous storyline comics is the gradual loss of humor as dramatic elements become increasingly significant to the strip. This can actually kill what made the comic worth reading (especially if you started reading it because of the humor) in the first place. And while Ctrl-Alt-Del hadn’t managed to descend into a level of pathos that would drive me off, I can’t really remember the last truly amusing segment in the comic.
When I read today’s comic, with Ethan looking in horror at a huge pile of paperwork that snuck up on him before he realized it and equating it with Gremlins (from the movie), I heard something alien in the air. It took me a moment before I realized what it was; I was actually laughing at one of Tim Buckley’s comics, something that hasn’t happened in months. And when you consider some of the jokes I laugh at, that tells you just how far afield CAD had drifted from its original comedy roots. To quote a friend of mine, CAD has nearly three solid years of fail, and it’s broken tradition.
I mean, we have a combination of character growth for Ethan (who, after getting married to his fiancé Lilah and gaining ownership of the game store he worked at for much of the comic’s run, is kind of overdue growing up a bit) and actual humor. If Tim Buckley actually sticks with humor for a while and gives his burnt-out audience a chance to recover before adding more drama, then the comic may actually become something I enjoy reading, rather than something I read because it’s in my update folder. Let’s just hope today’s strip isn’t just a fluke, but rather the return of humor to a comic in desperate need of a funny bone.
*reads up the last half month*
I see what you mean. I actually haven’t thought about CAD much since I read the archives last year. I mean, shortly after finishing the archives it *always* kinda slows down for you which generally means a decline in the funnies – whenever it’s not a gag-a-day strip at least.
But now… yeah. I don’t mind the Cerebus Syndrome – just the opposite, in most cases it’s accompanied by a raise in writing quality – but with CAD… it somehow got stuck inbetween I think. Or it’s just my monthly reading schedule. But somehow I did never really get… involved after the initial archive read.
Here’s hoping to a better future for the strip.
After reading the strips from the past week or so at CAD, I am inclined to think that Tim has finally found a good balance of continuing, semi-serious plotline and humor. As humor, the jokes aren’t terribly inspired–they’re the sort of banter that you and your friends would trade, not glistening gems of immaculately-crafted gut-busting hilarity–but still, the guy is starting to hit a groove recently. The Ethan-takes-over-the-game-shop storyline has kind of a sitcom feel to it, and I think it works.