Mallard Fillmore Gets It Wrong Again

One of the worst comic strips I know of is Mallard Fillmore, by Bruce Tinsley. The Mallard character is like Howard the Duck, except he’s a neo-con. Mallard Fillmore is amusing to me only when Tinsley says something so inanely misinformed or misleading that I laugh at his idiocy. An excellent example is the installment from a few days ago, about Stephen Colbert.

Mallard Fillmore, 19Nov2007

I saw Stephen Colbert last week in New York, and he certainly had no difficulty being funny and entertaining, entirely on his own. Colbert is as much a writer as he is a performer, with improvisation and ad-libbing being what he does best! I don’t know if Tinsley doesn’t know this, or if he’s deliberately trying to create a false impression, but once again he has proven himself to be a cartoonist with no other point than the one at the tip of his pen.

Stephen Colbert, Up Close and Personal!

THAT’S ME AND STEPHEN COLBERT!

Stephen Colbert at the Times CenterStephen spoke for 90 minutes to a packed auditorium, 370 strong, of Colbert Nation fans Friday night at The Times Center in mid-town Manhattan. My buddy Dennis and I were among them! What a wonderfully memorable evening, and it was not without suspense, because Dennis and I were the last two people on the waiting list who managed to get in. Colbert had already started speaking by the time we got inside, but fortunately we didn’t miss much. On the audio player you can hear a passable recording with a few minutes spliced together of Colbert commenting on his show, his real fear of bears, and the true story behind his broken wrist.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/NOV07/ColbertTimesCenter.mp3]

Stephen Colbert's AutographYou can watch the video of Colbert falling and breaking his wrist at this link. After the talk there was a book signing, and because I’d already asked Santa for I Am America (And So Can You!) I bought the new DVD, The Best of The Colbert Report. Dennis’ camera makes me look gigantic compared to Colbert, but I think we’re actually about the same height. Something I would like to emphasize is that when Colbert is out of character he positively exudes sincerity and appreciation of your being there to see him, with the BS meter reading flat at zero.

Stephen Colbert On Meet The Press

Not being a blogger devoted solely to following Stephen Colbert, I post Colbertish things when it’s convenient and/or I’m inspired. Neither is the case at the moment, but my FiOS DVR happened to catch Stephen’s appearance on Meet The Press today. One interesting revelation is that in a past incarnation Colbert apparently wanted to look like Elvis Costello.
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