[0023] Coon Tools
Thursday, 8 Jan 2009 by Novil

[0023] Coon Tools

If this single panel strip leaves you behind in a mental state of total confusion, that’s not surprising since it’s a reference to a The Far Side strip which is infamous for the fact that absolutely nobody understood its meaning. If you want to know more about the backstory, you can read the following article.

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Discussion (20)¬

  1. Newbienice says:

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    I remember reading that article, I love the Chicago Columnist’s quote.

    Yay for references to other comics.

  2. BenBen says:

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    one of Larson’s Farside strips was had the caption “cow tools,” with a cow standing in front of a table of odd utensils. I guess these things would come in handy for a raccoon?

  3. BenBen says:

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    Also they’re extremely professional and well-made, unlike the cow ones which are all lumpy and such?

  4. Cairn Destop says:

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    I saw some of the “tools” as useful to a racoon. They like fish, so a net makes sense. There are two items that remind me of a hand (paw) held can opener, which has got to be like gold. And let’s not forget the keys; no doubt skeloton keys for entering whatever interest them. (My father collected such keys because of his job and drew a lot of interest from the local police when they saw them. My dad claimed he could enter ANY home that hadn’t changed its lock since it was built.) Naturally, no barn, but the tree is a natural habitat for a racoon.

    Did think the expression way too serious.

  5. Vinnie D. says:

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    I just happened across this comic today when I was going through referrals for my own comic. I do like it very much. Your art is clean and precise and you do wonderful things with nothing but stark black on white. I think I’ll link back to you, next time I update the links page over on AntiBunny.

  6. jup-reindeer says:

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    So, are you saying that this panel isn’t leading up to something bigger. After all, it does feel like a jigsaw puzzle with every piece laid out, but very much out of position. Like, two week…then five months and another year afterwards, the “tools” on display are going to become useful in some way. Those kinds of long life threads that arc a story along, proving that there truly was a plan, instead of the daily thought for what would make a good, stand alone comic strip.

    And, yea…raccoons sure do like the fish. Hadn’t seen on around my place in years…until the other week. My neighbor just put together a coy pond…of sorts. The raccoons homed right in on it in a matter of days. Do fish in water really make unique sounds or have a strong odor???

    I’ll take the ‘coons hanging around. It’s nice to see them in the middle of the night. Far better then the possem that visits my doorstep each night for the cat’s dish. Well…I guess it was cute to watch the possem gaze up at me with a dumb founded look, eventually run off over the near by wire and change it’s mind from “flee the scene” to “Gee…what IS this that I’m trying to walk upon?”

  7. Tom Flapwell says:

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    I have to say, this is one tribute I never thought I’d see. Most cartoonists refer to “Cow Tools” as the pinnacle of the ungotten joke, not something to imitate. But this one comes out pretty nicely.

    When I first saw “Cow Tools,” I didn’t feel that I missed the punchline. I just figured that Gary Larson was having a bad day and hoped that anything involving a cow would pass for funny. Kinda like how Frank Cho would think anything with a primate could pass for funny.

    @Cairn: The serious expression is in imitation of the Far Side cow, altho I think the latter is more blank than serious.

  8. LT says:

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    *facepalm*

    I read the article. I’ve got nothing.

  9.     Rate this comment: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

    a set of keys a butterfly net and two can openers…

    is the answer “two can keep….” darnit what does the net stand for?

  10. Java says:

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    The articles are not ‘lumpy and such’ ’cause he stole them, methinks. Which makes it funny, as the cow made the things… I wish I could explain thinks better :/

  11. Cat says:

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    This is absolutely amazing. This made me laugh incredibly hard, I’ve NEVER seen a reference played out this perfectly. Congratulations.

  12. Niall says:

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    BenBen, the Cow Tools were meant to have been made by the cow. But a raccoon is known to pilfer things.. so Woo stole things and hid them in the hole in the tree in th background and is now displaying them. And looks displeased that his cache has been “found out”. :) Great riff on a great (or at least classic) strip!

  13. nagath says:

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    here’s late thought… Woo can key too fishy…

  14. Daniel J. Drazen says:

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    Everybody sing along, you know the words:

    “One of these things is not like the others….”

  15. lightningbros says:

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    ….Make pirfect sense to me.
    2:I like your way of drawing more than his
    and 3: Isn’t that the tree from “The Forbiden Fruit”?

  16. Mimi says:

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    “One of these things just isn’t the same….”

  17. Soren says:

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    More to the point, anyone who lives in a raccoon-infested area will tell, you those little bastards can get into anything. I would have included a hacksaw.

  18. Warren says:

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    I remember Cow tools…
    People did not get it…..
    I first thought so yeah they are tools made by the cow….
    so i ended up at the conclusion that the cow had shaped its Feces
    into the shape of tools and let them harden..

  19. Cozakaxo says:

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    Ahh, good ‘ol cow tools. Read that one in my copy of the complete Far Side collection.

  20. Heterodyne says:

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    Impressive – I saw the cartoon and new what the subtitle must be :-D
    Fabulous, thx

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