I feel as if, nowadays, not enough teenagers are exposed to comic strips. 

It’s hardly surprising. With declining newspaper circulation, as well as a large number of people getting their news online, the once popular comic strip has begun to become less known, which is unfortunate. The comic strip is one of the most brilliant forms of comedy; using only a few simple images, and usually a few dozen words, a cartoonist is able to make people laugh, as well as convey character, emotion, and story. It’s a rare talent. 

So, while we’re all sitting around doing nothing, I recommend reading some comic strips. If your parents subscribe to a newspaper (the Star-Ledger has two pages of comics) go through there and find them. Buy a book of them. Or, go online to gocomics.com to get access to dozens of different comic strips, all for free. 

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of silly, dopy comic strips with jokes that expired fifty years ago; but there are also plenty of brilliant strips with some of the best comedy ever created. So, to get you started, here’s a list of some of MY favorite comic strips.

Comic: Zits by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Description: A current comic strip, Zits is just the everyday life of a teenage boy and his parents. Nothing too complex, but some good jokes that both you and your parents will be able to relate to.

Comic: Dilbert by Scott Adams

Description: The ultimate work comedy, this strip has been running for more than 30 years. While primarily relating around jokes to the work environment (idiot managers, strange co-workers, and menial tasks) there are definitely some parts in here that high schoolers can relate to.

Comic: The Far Side by Gary Larson 

Description: Unique on this list, The Far Side had only one panel, with no regular characters: each day was a new joke. Despite this, Larson managed to create one of the funniest comic strips of all time, once causing comedian Robin Williams to lament that he wished he had his skill. 

Comic: Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

Description: Detailing the life of a trouble-prone middle schooler, Big Nate has some of the best school comedy of all time, detailing the strange things both teachers and students deal with everyday. 

Comic: Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson

Description: Said by many to be the greatest comic strip of all time, you might be familiar with this six-year old and his stuffed tiger if you’ve ever taken one of Ms. Schram’s psychology tests. Hysterically funny, the strip revolves around the life of Calvin and his imaginary friend Hobbes, as they get themselves into wilder and wilder scenarios.

Comic: Peanuts by Charles Schultz

Description: Everyone knows the Peanuts gang by now, thanks to their numerous television and movie appearances, as well as the abundance of Snoopy merchandise available. A comic strip that ran for fifty years, Schultz proved how much comedy and emotion you can put into four small panels about some little kids. 

Comic: Pearls Before Swine by Stephen Pastis

Description: This, in my opinion, is the greatest comic strip of all time. It has no plot, very few characters, with extremely simple drawings- and it is frequently laugh out loud hysterical. Pastis is probably one of the funniest people alive, and his skill at making you laugh in a few dozen words is almost unparalleled.