Introducing Tom the Dancing Bug @ Boing Boing

Ruben Bolling is the author of the weekly comic strip "Tom the Dancing Bug," and we're delighted to have him here with us at Boing Boing.

"Tom" won the 2009 Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Award for Best Cartoon, the third time in a row, and is the only comic to have won the award more than once and to have been a finalist every year since the award began in 2001. The 2003 AAN judges said of the comic strip: "Consistently funny, pointed without being dogmatic, and takes on subjects that no one else does ... an oasis of keen intelligence."

Ruben Bolling has authored three "Tom the Dancing Bug compilation books: Thrilling Tom the Dancing Bug Stories (Andrews McMeel, 2004); All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned From My Golf-Playing Cats (NBM Publishing, 1997); and Tom the Dancing Bug (HarperCollins, 1992).

Bolling's also had original comics published in The New Yorker, Nickelodeon, Mad Magazine, ESPN The Magazine and Harper's. One of "Tom the Dancing Bug's" popular recurring characters, "Harvey Richards, Lawyer for Children" is set to become the star of a live action motion picture by New Line Cinema.

First comic after the jump. Enjoy!

• [JonStewartMill]

  Huzzah indeed! Ruben’s strips helped me keep my sanity during the Bush years, and for that I am forever a fan.

• [SpaceGhost]

  Yaka-wow, its full size too. Awesome guys thx

• [Maggie Koerth-Baker]

  Yaka-wow, indeed, SpaceGhost!

  I’m so excited, I’m gonna go re-read the first three pages of Ulysses!

• [ciacontra]

  Yay! I love TDB.

• [Dan]

  Congrats Reuben! Great to see my favorite comic on one of my favorite blogs!

• [millionpoems]

  Best.

• [blackhound]

  This is just the bestest news I’ll have all week.

• [Anonymous]

  To hijukal,

  I’m “an asshole” for providing information that other posters are asking about? Screw you, then, jerk!

  Leiula

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    http://www.boingboing.net/2010/04/16/every-comic-is-funni.html

• [arkizzle / Moderator]

  Nice!

• [UncaScrooge]

  Everybody Wang Chung tonight!!

• [Anonymous]

  Salon never really appreciated TDB. The comments were always insipid. Here there are already over thirty comments, all of pure enjoyment of Mr. Bolling’s genius. Hurray for more TDB on BB!

• [Anonymous]

  I no longer have any need to go to any other website!

• [Anonymous]

  Yay! Tom the Dancing Bug is my all time favorite weekly comic.

• [agitprop]

  One more reason to love BoingBoing!

• [Anonymous]

  Tom the Dancing Bug! Meets Boing Boing! My two favorite things on the intrawebs united! Perfect happiness!

• [Anonymous]

  My last name is Godman can I be Billy Billings best girlfriend?

• [samsm]

  Most excellent!

• [Stefan Jones]

  Great news! I had Ruben’s site bookmarked but it is nicer having it on a site I read anyway.

  One of the cool things about TTDB is its variety. One week outright satire, the next a strip about that narcissistic dweeb kid.

• [linernotesdanny]

  AWESOME. Lately, Ruben Bolling was basically the only reason I ever clicked over to Salon. Good catch, BB!

• [Trotsky]

  I am a lifelong comics and comedy nerd, so you can trust my expert opinion on this topic… TDB is hands down the most consistently hilarious comic of all time, bar none.

  Suggestion: The falking iPad is absolutely made to display TDB content. Put up an enhanced version like the Alice or Elements apps and charge $15. I will buy as many as you can produce.

  (Full disclosure, I develop shiz like that. Call me).

• [devophill]

  I second the K Chronicles suggestion, also This Modern World!

• [Anonymous]

  Hi Folks,

  The GoComics site (http://www.Gocomics.com) has Tom the Dancing Bug, as well of many of my favorites such as Slowpoke, The City, Red Meat, and Deep Cover. And for those who pine for the days of pulp, my husband and I have subscribed to The Funny Times (http://www.funnytimes.com to subscribe)for many years now.

  Leila

• [Anonymous]

  Great fit, I hope this lasts forever’

• [karengeier]

  HOLY LIVING FUCK. How’d you guys know I love Ruben? Your lojack of my computer must be workig!

• [hijukal]

  Christ, what an asshole.

  • [Anonymous]

    Wow! Now its even funnier!

• [Anonymous]

  But when is TDB coming back to dead tree format?

• [The Thompson Five]

  Well done! How about the K Chronicles next?

• [bbbaldie]

  LOVE Tom the Dancing Bug!

• [John Napsterista]

  Tom the Dancing Bug is the best thing going in comix today. Kudos to BB for bringing it!

• [Anonymous]

  The movie option on Harvey is still on?

• [Anonymous]

  Salon’s loss, BB’s gain. Nice. :)

• [Anonymous]

  Guess I better start reading BoingBoing now.

• [markbellis]

  Thanks!

• [Anonymous]

  Back to Aninous/Moderator:

  No, Sorry.

  I posted, and then he posted, “Christ, what an asshole.”

  It is not somehow “my fault” that he was referencing some earlier article. He needed to be clear.

  Why? Most of the time people are appreciated, not insulted, for being helpful. Sorry you all are on his side.

  “Ha, Ha, He called her an asshole and she didn’t know he was referencing an article that occured SEVERAL DAYS BACK. Gee, HER bad. Guess she must really be an asshole for not “getting” the reference.

  I posted. He insulted me. What is difficult to see about this?

  And yes, even if he realized that he didn’t mean to insult me,
  I DO realize that an apology, well, that would be too much to ask.

  I post. He insults me. I now feel like trying to help was a bad thing to do. Sure, somehow MY bad.

  THAT won’t happen again. Even if someone had a huge problem and I knew how to save them all sorts of heartache. You’ve cured ME of trying to help.

  Leila

  • [Matt Deckard]

    Jesus, get over yourself. Hijukal’s comment wasn’t in response to yours, or even about you.

• [Anonymous]

  Shame about Salon, but great to see him back on the web.

• [MrJM]

  You have really out done yourselves this time, Boing-Boing.

  Huzzah, etc.

• [bobrk]

  Thanks, guys. Awesome! I’ve been missing my TDB fix since he left Salon.

• [jgs]

  Yay, thanks. Salon’s slow-motion train wreck is BoingBoing’s gain.

• [Felton]

  Outstanding! I’m definitely looking forward to this.