Superosity
From Superosity Wiki
Superosity is the greatest comic in existence. There are many comics in existence that have earned genius-level Comic Quotient's (CQ) for short periods of time. Calvin and Hobbes demonstrated that a CQ of 145 was possible by combining beautiful artwork, kinetic humor, and philosophically balanced characters with a semi-episodic story structure. Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, once earned a CQ of 136 for a six month period in the late 1980s and has consistently held himself in the mid 120's by applying a consistently minimalistic banality. Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, holds the honor of maintaining 128 for more than six years in a row. Family Circus, on the other hand, continues to exist in syndication despite a CQ below 80.
Superosity however, holds the distinction of having achieved an average CQ of 193 over the last ten years. This places it approximately five and a half standard deviations away from the average mainstream comic. This singular fact would appear to be mysterious if not for the concomitant fact that creator Chris Crosby is truly a creative genius of the type that Greek Myths would be written about (and by) if this were presently a Greek World.
One might then ask why Superosity isn't more popular. The answer is very simple and straightforward. For those who are able to appreciate Superosity, it embodies a level of comic excellence that tends to make other comic strips look dull and uninteresting in comparison. However, Superosity is only one comic strip, and many people who enjoy comic strips want to spend a lot more time reading them on a given day. The choice is clear. It's either Superosity- and nothing else- or everything else, and not Superosity. It's tragic really.
Also, there are far too few people who are even aware of Superosity. And of those that do become aware, the immersion process is a bit more involved. While "Marmaduke" requires a kindergarten-level comic-comprehension on the part of the reader, Superosity requires the equivalent of a post-graduate degree in ability-to-recognize genius. For many people, Marmaduke is all they require. But for those who truly harbor the ultimate ambition of "dying of laughter," Superosity offers a very real, very deadly opportunity.
What makes Superosity so amazing? Well, if you have to ask.
No, seriously. Superosity isn't just a cute colorful comic about a seeming idiot and his Board. Superosity is a massive work of satire and meta-satire. It is also a science fiction universe that expands extensively beyond its nominal four frames. Superosity is also a work of deceptive psychological depth and is populated by a pantheon of post-modern archetypes. In the same way that Academy Awards are often won by actors playing severely flawed persons, Superosity holds a superior mirror to the relationship between personality and the culture it is immersed in. In that sense, Superosity is also a work of history and nostalgia, which it unashamedly explores via time travel and obsession. Superosity is also a work of current commentary on the politics of childhood, ellaborated by the Bob Crew's variance between ambition and apathy. t is continuously inventive, as exemplified by the variety of ideas found in Sunday strips. It is comically and artistically fully evolved, yet without the least bit of visual self-awareness or self-importance, thereby enhancing its direct nature. Beyond that, Superosity also operates as pseudo-autobiography worthy of Steven Daedelus's meta-Joycian theory of Shakespeare's Hamlet's Ghost.
All that aside, Superosity is consistently funny in consistently unexpected ways. Instead of delivering a single-format gag in a hundred different ways, Superosity ranges widely over a vast repertoire of comic devices even while new ones are pioneered on a practically weekly basis. Almost unheard of among its peers, Superosity is often comically efficient enough to achieve two and often three punchlines in a single strip. This elevates Superosity to the level of comic dialog, rather than the traditional set-up + punchline format employed by many artists working in the field. However, Superosity achieves this without departing from the traditional comic for which includes a punchline summation.
Superosity is wonderful.
