Comic Strip / Off the Mark

Off the Mark is a Newspaper Comic strip by Mark Parisi.

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Provides examples of:

• Black Comedy: Occasionally, such as "What really happened to Calvin."
• Bull Seeing Red: This strip◊ has a bull get pulled over by a cop thanks to this.
  Bull: Oh, come on! It turned red! This is entrapment!
• Cone of Shame: One strip has a dog who wears a cone on his butt. He doesn't want to talk about it.
• Circling Vultures: One - a turkey vulture, to be exact - appears in this strip◊.
  "It's like Thanksgiving in reverse!"
• Delivery Stork: They show up in quite a few strips.
  • "In my opinion, storks shouldn't get vacations..."◊
  • "I can't take many more of these multiple births..."◊
  • "Dad, what are we having?" "Stork."◊
  • Stork safety training.◊
  • "Only one?" "It was a long flight..."◊
  • "We've had reports that you've been hoarding..."◊
• Dogs Hate Squirrels:
  • "How'd you do that?"◊
  • "Isn't it true that you scurried by my client knowing full well he was tethered to a tree?"◊
  • Dogs running on treadmills are motivated by TV screens showing running squirrels◊.
  • "I get the feeling he's determined to catch a squirrel this year..."◊
• The '80s: The strip began in 1987.
• Elderly Future Fantasy: This strip, based on Green Eggs and Ham, features an elderly version of Sam-I-Am offering the equally-elderly nameless Tall Guy^note named "Guy-Am-I" in the 2019 Netflix series Green Prunes and Bran, only for him to turn them down.
• Exact Words: "But... but... online you said you were an anteater!"◊
• Fly in the Soup: "Waiter, there's a fly in my ants."◊
• Funny Octopus:
  • An octopus named Otis prepares for a big date◊.
  • Introducing the nadapus◊.
  • "THEY'RE NOT EXTENSIONS!"◊
• Hollywood Chameleon: If◊ a◊ chameleon◊ shows◊ up◊, they're◊ going to◊ be this◊.
• Informed Species: This strip◊ features an aardvark that looks more like an anteater.
• Lovable Lizard:
  • Lizard parties◊.
  • "Wannabe..."◊
• Meat-O-Vision: Mike Tyson sees everyone's ears as food.
• Medium Awareness:
  • "We give thanks for the meal the cartoonist drew for us. In appreciation, we won't use place settings becaue he hates to draw those..."
  • "Watch what happens when I startle Alfred..."◊
  • "I figure if we have to live with them, we might as well incorporate them into the decor..."
• Mouse Hole: This strip shows a cat wearing the Cone of Shame and crouching at a classic cartoon-style arched mouse hole, while all around mice frolic just outside the cat's (temporarily peripheral vision free) sight.
• Never Smile at a Crocodile:
  • The test-marketing of alligator shoes◊.
  • "C'mon! C'mon! The tour group is coming!"◊
  • "The first coach to be doused with◊ Gatorade."
  • And speaking of Gatorade◊...
  • "Now THAT'S diplomatic immunity!"◊
• Not-So-Imaginary Friend: They have a support group.
• Our Werebeasts Are Different: Werewolves DO show up, but sometimes other werebeasts appear as well.
  • "Big deal!◊ I'M turning into my MOTHER!"
  • This strip◊ features a werekangaroo.
  • When a balloon is exposed to the full moon◊, they turn into a balloon animal.
• Pun: Quite a lot of them.
• Redundant Parody: Inverted with one comic where a Barber cutting Bart Simpson's hair couldn't tell where his head ends and hairline begins. The show itself did that joke years after the comic ran.
• Reference Overdosed
• Rouge Angles of Satin: Mark says that the first fan letter he got was a Grammar Nazi telling him that in this strip, he spelled Dalmatians "Dalmations", and that "I have since made the correction".
  • Also discussed here.
• Stock Animal Behavior: These◊ strips◊ feature◊ squids◊, thus◊ they◊ have◊ them◊ squirting ink◊.
  • If a chameleon shows up in the strip, it's going to be changing its color. For specific comics that feature this, please see the aforementioned entry for Hollywood Chameleon on this page.
• Stock Animal Diet: If◊ an◊ anteater◊ or◊ an◊ aardvark◊ shows◊ up◊, chances◊ are◊ the◊ strip◊ will◊ reference◊ their◊ habit of◊ eating◊ ants◊. However, this strip◊ features an anteater who's a little different.
  • Surprisingly, very few strips reference bears eating honey◊ or salmon◊. Usually, bears featured in the strip go after humans...
• Take That!: This strip◊ takes a jab at Donald Trump - Dagwood is seen watching him on TV and thinks, "Even I don't understand that hair..."
• Threatening Shark: Well, the sharks that appear in this strip aren't exactly THREATENING, but...
  • "Figures...◊ I just flossed..."
  • "You're right... we each get more by taking out the middleman..."◊
  • "My doctor told me I needed more fiber..."◊
  • "How nice... a meal that comes with its own floss..."◊

• "I hope everybody likes 'em cooked on the outside and pink in the middle!"◊
• "Yes, mom, I had a salad with my meal..."◊
• "Okay, so that was a dumb idea..."◊
• Fishing for sleepwalkers◊.
• Sharks lure fishermen into the water with cash◊.
• We can get the double stuff..."◊
• "You go ahead. I'm on a gluteus-free diet."◊
• One of them climbs onto dry land and tries going after some antelope◊.
• "Geez, Larry, is that you? Do you know how close I came?"◊
• "What's with everybody posting pictures of their food?"◊
• "I prefer cage-free."◊
• "The doctor said my salt intake was too high so I switched to lakes."◊
• What this young and very fat shark did on his summer vacation◊.
• "I heard they've been showing up in warmer waters..."◊

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