Why Fred Basset is the “Dumbest Comic Strip Ever”.

July 12, 2006 by Josh Nunn

Update: 2007-06-02 I don’t care if you like Fred Basset. If you were thinking of commenting read this instead and then go away!

Many of you already know that Fred Basset is close to, if not the dumbest comic strip of all time. I know for a fact that there are whole religions based on pondering the worthlessness that is “Fred Basset”. For those that do not know, Fred Basset is a comic strip featuring a basset-hound that does ordinary dog things, and comments about them as though they are remarkably funny. They aren’t.

Now there never was much debate about it being a good comic, but in case there were any remaining basset-hound loving comic-readers with the sense of humour of a toasted marshmallow that thought Fred Basset was an amusing slice of suburban doggy life — I present the following.

Reader Beware! Before you click, you must know your immortal soul will be in jeopardy as you read it. It will cry out as though stuck by the very pitchfork of Satan himself. Hold on, and pray to whatever gods you must. I take no responsibility for it’s hideousness.

Fred Basset bringing pain to millionsFred Basset bringing pain to millions

Dear reader. I apologise for that, but I feel it is my duty to inform the world that Fred Basset is the worst… comic… ever…

If you need something to ease the pain, I will provide you with an example of the greatest comic of all time:

Calvin and HobbesA better cartoon

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  • Some guy
    The strip is in no way subtly funny or humorous. There is no observation of every-day life that presents any level of wit to the audience. There is a snippet of every-day life,but nothing from the strip brings a level of humor that is not found in the same scene in a real setting. It simply presents a possible situation that a dog could be in and offers a brief glimpse of the event. There is no setup, punchline, or social commentary of any kind. In addition to this, many panels are traditionally wasted showing the same image or similar ones repeatedly with no text. It doesn't even have artistic merit... the drawings are simple and the so-called 'abstract' nature of it appears to be an illusion stemming from people thinking too hard about the strip's intention and claiming to be "intellectual". The comic is either the so simple and pointless that it has tricked millions of people into thinking that there is some humor in it that they are too stupid to understand; or the comic is simply the world's largest-scale inside joke, with everyone agreeing to pretend that it is funny.
  • Well I don't find inside jokes funny when I'm not on the inside and it
    seems strange to base the success of a syndicated comic on people
    pretending they find it funny, so I have to conclude with you that it
    must be popular because people are stupid.
  • Steve
    Flag, you probably have the intellectual capacity of a toe nail. You can't fathom the subtle nature of the cartoon. Bet you're a Transformer fan and into moronic comics like MAD.

    Fred is brilliantSteve
  • Who is Flag? Are you addressing the "flag" link below EVERYONE'S comment as though it is my name? You have just made my day! Thank you!
  • Chris
    LOL, flag. My day has been made also.
  • Oh Terf, You made my day. You don't know how frustrating it's been having everyone disagree with me! Thank you for leaving a comment, I really appreciate it.
  • Terf
    LOL! Dude, this is exactly what I think whenever I see it in the paper. :p It's incredibly pointless.
  • amy
    GO AWAY


    FRED BASSET IS THE BEST,

    GO HAMISH!!! ILYY



    GO DIE IN A HOLE



    PLATIMUN BASSET!!!
  • Thank you, finally something sensible.
  • Colly Baby
    Josh, I agree with you. Those who like Fred B have the intellectual ability of a wilted lettuce.
  • Every strip? Did you read the strip I used as an example? Where is the wit in, "Now— my after dinner… …nap"?

    Obviously I'm intellectually inferior, that's the reason.
  • Every strip? Did you read the strip I used as an example? Where is the wit in, "Now my after dinner nap"?

    Obviously I'm intellectually inferior, that's the reason.
  • Morgan
    Those who do not love Fred Basset simply do not have the intellectual capacity to find the obvious wit in every strip. I feel sorry for you.
  • Morgan
    Those who do not love Fred Basset simply do not have the intellectual capacity to find the obvious wit in every strip. I feel sorry for you.
  • Every strip? Did you read the strip I used as an example? Where is the wit in, "Now my after dinner nap"?


    Obviously I'm intellectually inferior, that's the reason.
  • Morgan
    Those who do not love Fred Basset simply do not have the intellectual capacity to find the obvious wit in every strip. I feel sorry for you.
  • O.K. people. Here is the RIGHT answer. The guy who originally made Fred Basset died around 16 years ago. for the last 14 years it's been drawn and written by someone else. I'm willing to bet that all you Fred Basset lovers are fans of the original artist and writer Alex Graham. We in Australia only get the later strips syndicated in our newspapers, the ones *written by someone else*. They are neither funny, nor charming - as evidenced by the strip above. Any given strip will not make me laugh - most don't make sense in a comic way. I could write a comic where:
    * I tie my shoelace

    * I look out of the panel and say "Oh look... I tied my shoelace"

    And I would be about on a par with current Fred Basset comics.



    Lighten up. Don't read blogs of people who's opinions you don't care for. Not everything written on the Internet has to be argued with.



    Fred Basset IS the dumbest comic strip ever written.
  • yuri
    You can never ever be universally right about such subjective things as 'funniness', and this is why you are WRONG.


    To prove my point:

    Def of Funny: Something that invokes laughter/smiles.

    I laugh when i read Fred Basset. Explain to me (and the other millions people who laugh too) why what we are reading laughing at such bad comics. Its not like we are being forced to read and laugh.





    ps. are you saying that people who laugh @ Fred's comics are clueless morons?



    1st CH

    2nd Garfield

    3rd Fred

    5th Peanuts
  • Lighten up people.
  • emma
    also you dont need to make a friggin thesis on stupid comics. we all have our own opinions. if ur not happy with anyone elses then shut ur mouth and keep it to urself. so clearly ur thesis was ur own opinion. u were not necessarily 'correct'
  • emma
    fred basset isnt the worst.hes not that bad gosh. garfield is the best
  • I don't know why you people are arguing this. It's really simple. Fred Basset is not funny. Now you may argue that 'The Phantom' is not funny either, and that I haven't singled it out for my scorn, but his serialised adventures are not meant to be. Fred Basset on the other hand MUST be trying to be amusing, as the dog wears a constantly smug expression, and regularly makes asides to the audience that are meant to include us in the 'joke'.


    I've heard ridicule piled on the 'Family Circus', and must say that I while I haven't read many, what I have read seems to be attempting to be funny and poignant. It is also clearly written with an audience in mind (families/parents) who might share the joke. Whether it succeeds or not is irrelevant, but the effort disguises its (lack of) humour.



    Fred Basset on the other hand is neither poignant or funny, and lacks a clear audience (stupid dogs maybe - but dogs don't read the comics section, and stupid ones only read the lifestyle section).



    I hope that my arguments have made you realise that I am indeed right. In any other debate I will concede I am wrong when I am given clear evidence - but of this one thing I am certain. Fred Basset is not a good comic. It is not a passable comic. Fred Basset is a dreadful blight on humanity. He is never funny.



    And 'Calvin and Hobbes' IS the greatest comic strip and holds that place with Gary Larson's 'Farside' comic.
  • Vicki
    Erm ok people.
    fred basset isnt the BEST comic strip.

    but he aint the worst either.

    i've seen some worse comics.

    and that particular strip that you put isnt funny.

    but he's had funny ones.

    and then after that to "ease the pain"

    you say that calvin and hobbes is the best comic strip ever?

    erm... NO !!!

    he's probably JUSt as boring as some of the bassets.

    but he has funny ones too.

    each to their own opinion.
  • O... K.... Have you read Fred Basset? No. I didn't think so. Did you write Fred Basset? Maybe that would explain your problem with my comments. But really, it is the dumbest comic. Of all time. I'm right... That's all.
  • charlie
    WTF?!?!? it is the best comic ever DOnt be so fucking stupid there are worst comic than fred basset
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