1 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d354c98b_9321_4b7f_91f7_6624a603ec6f.jpeg]] |
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3 | A MundaneFantastic NewspaperComic set in suburbia, chronicling the adventures of Alice Otterloop, a child in preschool; her brother, Petey, a neurotic and [[ExaggeratedTrope absurdly]] PickyEater; and their family, friends and neighbors. |
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5 | It began in 2004 as a SundayStrip in the ''Washington Post Magazine''. The setting was explicitly somewhere in suburban DC, but after going to nation-wide syndication in September of 2007, the setting changed to a more generic suburb, though there are still references to the original setting. The strip ended in 2012 after the author, Richard Thompson[[note]]Not [[Music/RichardThompson that one]][[/note]], decided to concentrate on managing his case of Parkinson's disease. Thompson died on July 27, 2016 from complications related to the disease. |
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7 | Can be read [[http://www.gocomics.com/culdesac/ here.]] Has nothing to do with the Creator/RomanPolanski film. |
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9 | Now has its own [[Characters/CulDeSac Character Sheet.]] Not to be confused with an infamous fan theory regarding ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'', which can be found [[Fanfic/CulDeSacEdEddNEddy here]]. |
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11 | ---- |
12 | !!''Cul de Sac'' provides examples of: |
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14 | * TheAllegedCar: Dad's car runs perfectly fine, but it's apparently small enough to fit in a bathtub or get buried in a sandbox. |
15 | * AncientConspiracy: The 'Future Adults of America' society. One day, they will control everything. |
16 | * AprilFoolsDay: Close to the strip's end, a number of guest artists were brought in to do it while Thompson was dealing with Parkinson's disease. The April 1st, 2012 strip was done by [[ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine Stephen Pastis]], who made an extra ''Pearls'' strip about [[SelfDeprecation his failed attempts at replicating Thompson's art style]]. |
17 | * ArtShift: Whenever a comic by Petey, Andre, or Loris appears. |
18 | * ArtEvolution: Like most other comic strips, Thompson's character designs have evolved. For example Alice originally had long hair, and Petey was much more rounded-looking. |
19 | * BeleagueredBureaucrat: The dad started off like this, when the setting was explicitly in DC. |
20 | * BerserkButton: |
21 | ** Don't call Sophie "New Kid" or "Soapie" over and over again. |
22 | ** Never refer to Viola D'Amore's instrument as a xylophone. ''It's a '''[[InsistentTerminology marimba!]]''''' |
23 | * BigFriendlyDog: Big Shirley, but her size intimidates Alice and the other preschoolers. |
24 | * CallBack: An early strip involved a group of cows at a theme park getting annoyed with Mrs. Otterloop mooing at them, planning on quacking next time. Years later, when driving by a cow on the side of the road, Mrs. Otterloop asks the kids if they know what sound a cow makes, and Petey jokingly quacks. |
25 | * CharacterizationMarchesOn: Petey was a bit more of a {{Jerkass}} in the early years of the newspaper run, but quickly evolved into the neurotic grumpy mess we know and love today. |
26 | * ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: The origin of Ernesto. Well, [[MindScrew maybe]]. |
27 | * CloudCuckooLander: Pretty much everyone in the strip, but especially Ernesto, to the point where Petey's convinced Ernesto is a figment of his imagination. |
28 | ** Alice's friend Dill is also pretty out there -- he peeks in on Alice's family through the mail slot and claims he can hear everyone in the world (including Santa Claus) with his hat. |
29 | ** Cul de Sac is CloudCuckooLand |
30 | * {{Egging}}: Alice's grandmother habitually throws deviled eggs at passing cars |
31 | * EldritchLocation: The jungle gym. It's apparently alive and continually growing. |
32 | * GuestStrip: Early in 2012, several weeks of these ran as Thompson was undergoing treatment. These were drawn by talents Creator/MoWillems, [[ComicStrip/TomTheDancingBug Ruben Bolling]] and [[ComicStrip/BigNate Lincoln Peirce]]. Stephen Pastis contributed what was basically an extra ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' about his inability to copy Thompson's style as a Sunday strip on April Fool's Day. |
33 | * TheGhost: Dill's brothers are frequently referred to, but never actually seen. |
34 | ** One was seen in a July 4 strip, wearing a [[CoolMask giant George Washington head]]. |
35 | * HalloweenEpisode: There's a set of Halloween strips every October, interspersed with regular strips. |
36 | * LargeHam: Ernesto, Mr. Danders, Alice, Dill, Petey when he's upset. Actually, enough are like this to qualify for WorldOfHam. |
37 | * LittleProfessorDialog. Ernesto. Sometimes Alice and her classmates say things that, while not quite this advanced, are more articulate than the average preschooler. |
38 | * MemeticMutation: In-universe example; the size of Grandma's dog Big Shirley. |
39 | * MeaningfulName: Otterloop. Of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_495_%28Capital_Beltway%29 the Beltway]]. Say [[StealthPun it slowly]]. |
40 | * MundaneFantastic: Petey's various adventures. |
41 | * NeverMessWithGranny: Grandma Otterloop throws deviled eggs at passing cars. |
42 | * NoIndoorVoice: Alice can be like this. And Andre at cartoon camp. |
43 | * NoNameGiven: Averted. Both parents names are known (much to the chagrin of Alice); dad is Peter senior, and mom is Madeline, and her maiden name is Urqhart. |
44 | * OneTwoPunchline: The "two punchlines in last panel" variation is frequently seen. |
45 | * OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: Ernesto's lycanthropy is caused by a ''food allergy''. |
46 | * PickyEater: Petey takes great pride in it. |
47 | * PowerTrio: [[TheSpock Petey]] ,[[TheKirk Andre]] and [[TheMcCoy Loris]] form one of these. |
48 | * PutOnABus: Mr. Danders, the talking guinea pig, hasn't been seen in some time. |
49 | ** He reappeared; he's 'working' at a petting-zoo/animal centre type place, so CommutingOnABus? |
50 | * SeriousBusiness: For Dill, shopping carts. |
51 | * SixthRanger: Sophie, the weird new kid from Camp Blisshaven. |
52 | * ShoutOut/Crossover: PJ Piehole's a 'restaurant' that appears in Thompson's other comic 'Richard's Poor Almanac' was the subject of one strip and a source of angst for Petey. |
53 | ** Petey's [[ComicStrip/LittleNemo Little Neuro]] comics. |
54 | * SummerCampy: Both the 2010 and 2011 summers, but with a day camp. For Alice it's Camp Blisshaven(Basically a camp version of her pre-school) and for Petey it's Cartoon Camp(where he and other kids draw comics and what not). Notable for introducing Sophie, Andre and Cloris. |
55 | * ThatCloudLooksLike |
56 | * WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: Odd example, in that the strip was originally located in the suburbs of Washington DC. After the strip became nationally syndicated, the setting changed to a more generic suburb. |
57 | * WomenAreWiser: The mother, Miss Bliss, Nara. |
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