The first robbin' of spring
Originally published 23 April 2003

This strip ran on my 26th birthday. It is also, probably, the single best (or worst, depending on your point of view) pun I have ever used in the strip. I don't apologize for that.

One of my least favorite truisms is the notion that puns are "the lowest form of humor." That seems a little unfair to puns, in a world that also contains comedians like Tom Green, who think handicapped people and child molestation are funny subjects. Puns require more than shock; they involve wit. And they work. I can see that spark of deep amusement in people's eyes, even as they roll them and say "God, that's terrible."

After this strip appeared, one reader wrote in to tell me that she had duplicated this gag, with an actual spring and an unsuspecting family member. Stories like that demonstrate just why I love being on this planet.

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