9 Chickweed Lane Explained

9 Chickweed Lane
Author:Brooke McEldowney
Status:Running
First:July 12, 1993
Syndicate:United Feature Syndicate

9 Chickweed Lane is an American comic strip written and drawn by Brooke McEldowney for over 30 years, which follows the fortunes of the women of three generations of the Burber family: Edna, Juliette, and Edda. 9 Chickweed Lane is the address of the characters' former family home.[1] There is occasional overlap of characters between 9 Chickweed Lane and another comic by McEldowney, Pibgorn.

The strip is syndicated by United Feature Syndicate (a division of Andrews McMeel Syndication). It debuted on July 12, 1993. It won the National Cartoonists Society Award for Newspaper Strip in 2005, and has been given Genesis Award Commendations for bringing attention to animal rights.

Publication

Syndicated by United Media, 9 Chickweed Lane debuted on Monday, July 12, 1993,[2] though comics historian Don Markstein notes that some sources erroneously give August 2, 1993.[3]

McEldowney's comic strip primarily focuses on the relationships between its multigenerational female characters, beginning with a single mother, Juliette, and her teen-aged daughter, Edda. Although he did not originally intend to have the characters age, they have done so, though not at real-time.[4]

The comic has dealt with a number of difficult issues including pregnancy out of wedlock, a school shooting, and the impact of sexuality on religious vocations. It has been criticized for addressing such topics, to the point of being removed from some newspapers. It has been both acclaimed and criticized for its "libidinous hot-plot lines" and the enthusiastic sexuality of its characters.[5] In a column entitled The Unbearable Horniness of 9 Chickweed Lane, critic Nathan Rabin criticized the strip's recurring sexual themes, writing "It feels like the only 'gag' in 9 Chickweed Lane is how unbelievably horny all the characters are for each other." Rabin is also critical of the strip's "intellectual pretensions" and McEldowney's "unspeakably pretentious, self-satisfied, endlessly masturbatory" content.[6]

Design

9 Chickweed Lane was originally drawn by hand in black and white. Around 1995, McEldowney moved to digitally-based production, using his computer as a drawing tool.[4] The comic eventually introduced color at the publisher's insistence.[7]

McEldowney trained as a musician[4] and incorporates dance and music into his drawings: several of his characters are dancers, singers, or musicians. One reviewer writes "Dance strips or strips involving just hands, hands hold hands, arms moving, legs moving, are gorgeous and dynamic."[8] Another comments on the Zen-like slowness of McEldowney's sequences, describing his work as lingering on the page, as he often draws out the action across multiple days.[9] Even reviewers who dislike the comic for other reasons have applauded its design qualities:[8]

Characters

Awards

9 Chickweed Lane won the National Cartoonists Society Award for Newspaper Strips in 2005.[60] It has also received 2 Genesis Award Commendations, for bringing attention to animal rights in a sequence involving the adoption of a greyhound.[61] [62]

Spin-off

Brooke McEldowney is also the creator of the webcomic Pibgorn, a spin-off. The strips appear to share the same universe, with the character Thorax appearing in both series regularly, and almost the entire cast of Pibgorn showing up as guests at two Chickweed weddings[3] in the strips of October 29, 2007,[63] and August 28, 2017.[64]

Collections

9 Chickweed Lane has been published in several hardcopy collections, most available from Pib Press.[65] These include:

Controversy over anti-Asian language

On December 1, 2021, a strip including an anti-Asian slur resulted in GoComics pulling that day's strip.[66] It was part of a series set during World War II, when the Japanese fighter plane Mitsubishi A6M Zero was often called a "Jap Zero" in contemporary usage. In more modern times, the term "Jap" has become considered a racial slur. On December 9, The Los Angeles Times announced that they were removing the strip after receiving "hundreds of letters" from readers. In their statement, they stated "Our decision was based not on one offensive comic but on an evaluation of the strip overall, and more broadly an evaluation of our entire comic catalog."[67] GoComics did not publish the strip for December 1, nor for December 3 in which the term "queer" was used in a derogatory way.[66]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Hazard . Evan . Generations: Evan Hazard: A multi-talented cartoonist: Brooke McEldowney's comics are a treat . 28 January 2020 . Bemidji Pioneer . January 11, 2019.
  2. News: There! With a supreme effort I've achieved.... . Sarasota, New York. July 12, 1993. October 21, 2015. 6E (newspaper), 74 of 113 (online archive).
  3. Web site: Markstein . Don . 9 Chickweed Lane . Don Markstein's Toonopedia . 28 January 2020.
  4. News: Harris . Karen L. . 3 generations come to life 9 Chickweed Lane; Funnies Festival . South Bend Tribune (Indiana) . February 27, 2000.
  5. News: Cavna . Michael . What's the Steamiest Comic Strip? (Oh, So Many Contenders) . 28 January 2020 . The Washington Post . February 5, 2009.
  6. https://www.nathanrabin.com/happy-place/2020/5/6/the-unbearable-horniness-of-9-chickweed-lane The Unbearable Horniness of 9 Chickweed Lane
  7. Web site: Tompkins . Michelle . January 9, 2017 . Interview with '9 Chickweed Lane/Pibgorn' comics creator Brooke McEldowney . 14 November 2022.
  8. Web site: Travis Hedge . Coke . [httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20140607124206/http://www.comicscube.com/2014/04/worth-closer-look.html Worth a Closer Look ]. The Comix Cube. April 2, 2014.
  9. Web site: Duy . The Zen of Comics: Brooke McEldowney . The Comix Cube. October 10, 2014.
  10. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2017-09-26) . September 26, 2017 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  11. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2017-09-11) . 2017-09-11. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  12. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2019-12-12). 2019-12-12 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2019-12-12. en.
  13. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2017-09-29) . 2017-09-29 . 9 Chickweed Lane. 2017-09-29. en.
  14. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2010-08-04) . 2010-08-04. 9 Chickweed Lane. 2017-09-29. en.
  15. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2015-02-20) . 2015-02-20. 9 Chickweed Lane. 2017-09-29. en.
  16. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2015-02-21) . 2015-02-21. 9 Chickweed Lane. 2017-09-29. en.
  17. Vary . Adam B. . '9 Chickweed Lane': I can't be the only one utterly riveted by this comic strip, right? . 28 January 2020 . Entertainment Weekly . Meredith Corporation . September 9, 2010.
  18. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2008-11-08) . 2008-11-08. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  19. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2007-07-19) . 2007-07-19. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  20. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2020-09-30) . 2020-09-30 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2020-09-30. en.
  21. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2021-09-27) . 2021-09-27 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2022-03-17 . en.
  22. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2021-10-07) . 2021-10-07 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2022-03-17 . en.
  23. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2021-12-10) . 2021-12-10 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2022-03-17 . en.
  24. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for June 03, 2021 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. Jun 3, 2021. GoComics. Aug 17, 2022.
  25. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for September 01, 2021 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. Sep 1, 2021. www.gocomics.com. Aug 17, 2022.
  26. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for September 01, 2021 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. Sep 1, 2021. www.gocomics.com. Aug 17, 2022.
  27. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2006-11-04) . 2006-11-04. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  28. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2013-03-02) . 2013-03-02. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  29. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2013-03-09) . 2013-03-09. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  30. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2013-09-28) . 2013-09-28. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  31. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2006-10-25) . 2006-10-25. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  32. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2013-09-25) . 2013-09-25. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  33. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2011-10-12) . 2011-10-12. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2017-09-26. en.
  34. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2022-12-09) . December 9, 2022 . 9 Chickweed Lane . December 9, 2022.
  35. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for October 06, 2011 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. Oct 6, 2011. www.gocomics.com. Aug 17, 2022.
  36. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2020-03-10) . 2020-03-10. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2020-03-22. en.
  37. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2022-08-04) . 2022-08-04. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2022-08-06. en.
  38. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2023-01-31) . 2023-01-31. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2023-01-31. en.
  39. The collection is also available as a book, Hallmarks of Felinity,
  40. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2009-11-23) . 2009-11-23. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2019-09-26. en.
  41. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2015-01-03) . 2015-01-03. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2019-09-26. en.
  42. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2010-08-03) . 2010-08-03. 9 Chickweed Lane . 2019-09-26. en.
  43. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2010-11-22) . 2010-11-22 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2019-09-26. en.
  44. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane (2010-01-22) . August 10, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100128041744/http://comics.com/9_chickweed_lane/2010-01-22 . January 28, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  45. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2010-09-20) . 2010-09-20 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2019-09-26. en.
  46. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2010-09-21) . 2010-09-21 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2019-09-26. en.
  47. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for December 22, 2008 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. December 22, 2008. www.gocomics.com. May 8, 2023.
  48. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for January 14, 2009 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. January 14, 2009. www.gocomics.com. May 8, 2023.
  49. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2016-11-12) . 2016-11-12 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2019-09-26. en.
  50. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for May 04, 2022 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. May 4, 2022. www.gocomics.com. Aug 17, 2022.
  51. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for May 06, 2023 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. May 6, 2023. www.gocomics.com. May 6, 2023.
  52. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for May 08, 2023 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. May 8, 2023. www.gocomics.com. May 8, 2023.
  53. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for May 09, 2023 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. May 9, 2023. www.gocomics.com. May 9, 2023.
  54. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for May 08, 2023 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. May 8, 2023. www.gocomics.com. May 8, 2023.
  55. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney for May 09, 2023 | GoComics.com. Brooke. McEldowney. May 9, 2023. www.gocomics.com. May 9, 2023.
  56. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2020-08-03) . 2020-08-03 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2020-08-12. en.
  57. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2021-12-30) . 2021-12-30 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2022-03-17 . en.
  58. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2022-01-03) . 2022-01-03 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2022-03-17 . en.
  59. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2022-04-02) . 2022-04-02 . 9 Chickweed Lane . 2022-05-20 . en.
  60. Web site: Division Awards: Newspaper Strips . . January 27, 2020.
  61. Web site: Comic Strips A-Z . Universal Uclick: Content is Universal. 13 . 28 January 2020.
  62. Web site: 9 Chickweed Lane . Everything2 . 28 January 2020.
  63. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2007-10-29) . May 13, 2018. 9 Chickweed Lane.
  64. News: 9 Chickweed Lane (2017-08-28) . 2017-08-28. 9 Chickweed Lane. 2017-08-28 . en.
  65. http://pibpress.blogspot.com/ Pib Press Retrieved 25 March 2013
  66. Web site: 2021-12-03. Los Angeles Times Discontinues 9 Chickweed Lane, GoComics Erases Dec. 1 Episode from Internet. 2022-02-12. The Daily Cartoonist. en-US.
  67. Web site: 2021-12-09. Love and hate for '9 Chickweed Lane' and sympathy for Chris Cuomo. 2022-02-12. Los Angeles Times. en-US.