Cathy

Last updated

Cathy
Cathy wedding.jpg
Cathy and Irving after being married. Electra and Vivian, their dogs, are also in the picture.
Author(s) Cathy Guisewite
Website www.gocomics.com/cathy (reruns)
Current status/scheduleConcluded daily strip
Launch dateNovember 22, 1976
End dateOctober 3, 2010
Syndicate(s) Universal Press Syndicate/Universal Uclick
Genre(s)Humor, gag-a-day

Cathy is an American gag-a-day comic strip, drawn by Cathy Guisewite from 1976 until 2010. The comic follows Cathy, a woman who struggles through the "four basic guilt groups" of life: food, love, family, and work. The strip gently pokes fun at the lives and foibles of modern women. The strip's debut was on November 22, 1976, and it appeared in over 1,400 newspapers at its peak. The strips have been compiled into more than 20 books. Three television specials were also created. Guisewite received the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award in 1992 for the strip. [1]

Contents

History

Initially, the strip was based largely on Guisewite's own life as a single woman. "The syndicate felt it would make the strip more relatable if the character's name and my name were the same," Guisewite said in an interview. [2] "They felt it would make it a more personal strip, and would help people know it was a real woman who was going through these things. I hated the idea of calling it 'Cathy'." Guisewite had Cathy's long-time boyfriend, Irving, propose on Valentine's Day 2004. The two characters married in the February 5, 2005 strip. [3] That same year, Cathy appeared in the 75th anniversary party of Blondie and Dagwood.

On August 11, 2010, Cathy Guisewite announced the decision to end the run of Cathy. [4] On October 3, 2010, the final strip ran with the revelation that Cathy is pregnant with a girl. [5]

On June 1, 2020, Cathy Commiserations, a single-panel cartoon, began on GoComics. The earliest entry was dated March 20, 2018. The series paused May 9, 2021, but resumed on October 29, 2021. [6]

Main and supporting characters

Animated specials

Three animated specials were made from the strip: Cathy , Cathy's Last Resort and Cathy's Valentine . [8] All aired on CBS, and the former won Guisewite an Emmy Award. [9]

The four basic guilt groups

Defined by Cathy Guisewite, the four basic guilt groups are four types of temptation that the character Cathy faces in her daily life. [10]

Food

Cathy has a love/hate affair with food (especially carbs). She loves food, but suffers from body dysmorphia from her weight. She is often shown in a department store fitting room trying to stuff herself into a bathing suit. She is overweight, but not obese, and has some success with weight loss over the course of the comic. Cathy is particularly fond of chocolate, pizza, her mother's cooking, and her aunt's homemade nut rolls every Christmas. [11]

Love

Cathy dates extensively, but is unable to find "Mr. Right." She has a number of love interests throughout the comic, though none more consistent than Irving. Later in the series, they marry. At the end of the comic series, Irving and Cathy find out that they are expecting a child. [12]

Mom

Although well-meaning, Mom's advice often frustrates Cathy. Cathy is from the era of feminism, women's rights, and the sexual revolution. Mom is from the earlier, more conservative World War II—1950s era. Although presented as an equal in her marriage to Cathy's Dad, Mom holds many old-fashioned ideas. Prior to Cathy's marriage, she seems to have an obsession with seeing Cathy married, keeping a current copy of Bride magazine in her purse and trying to send Christmas cards to Cathy's ex-boyfriends. [13]

Work

Cathy has to juggle many tasks at Product Testing, Inc. Her boss, Mr. Pinkley, often asks the impossible. Cathy always seems to pull through in the end and gives him and the client exactly what they want, albeit with quite a bit of drama. [14]

Books

Following are books featuring Cathy, illustrated by Guisewite. The chronological strips and special collections lists are believed to be complete; the other sections are not.

Note: capitalization appears according to the copyright page of the book.

Chronological strips

The following books are collections of strips in the order they were published.

Special collections

The following books include strips already published in earlier books.

Gift books

The following books are smaller than the works above. They may have a short storyline and are intended as gifts.

Hardback

Paperback

Paperback gift books.

  • How to Get Rich, Fall in Love, Lose Weight, and Solve All Your Problems by Saying "No" (1983, ISBN   0-8362-1986-4)
  • Eat Your Way to a Better Relationship (1983, ISBN   0-8362-1987-2)

Other books

The following books feature Cathy illustrations by Guisewite, but are not authored by her.

Comics

The June 18, 2017 strip of the relaunched Bloom County featured a dismayed Cathy awakening in bed alongside Steve Dallas. [15] She also appeared in the strip the following day. [16]

The comic strip Luann featured Mabel (in the October 5, 2016 strip) as a worker of the 'Bridal Barn' wedding gown store where Toni Daytona went to purchase her wedding gown with the help of Nancy and Luann DeGroot.

Television

A live action Cathy sketch was included in the special Mother's Day Sunday Funnies broadcast May 8, 1983 on NBC. [17]

Caroline in the City features fictional cartoonist Caroline Duffy (Lea Thompson), who makes a rival strip. The feud between Caroline and Cathy is described as "oily rag, lit cigarette". In the season 1 episode "Caroline and the Bad Back", Caroline hurts her back and is unable to meet a deadline. To prevent the newspapers from double running Cathy strips, Del (Eric Lutes) and Richard (Malcolm Gets) create one for Caroline. The strip is presented as being only funny to men. Upon seeing the strip, Caroline declares that: "Cathy is gonna have a field day with this". [18]

In Sex and the City season 3, "Cock-a-doodle-doo", Miranda compares her lonely and repetitive take-out orders to a Cathy cartoon, and Carrie asks her never to refer to Cathy again, indicating Cathy's status by 2000 as a symbol of an earlier generation's sad, contemptuous view of single women. (Miranda: "I'm sitting home with my cat, ordering the same thing almost every night. The only thing sadder would be a Cathy comic pasted on my refrigerator door." Carrie: "Never say Cathy comic to me again"). [19]

On the series 30 Rock , Cathy has been referenced more than once. On the episode "Don Geiss, America and Hope", Liz Lemon's boyfriend Wesley compares her obsession with food to being like "a Cathy cartoon that just won't end". In another episode, Liz exclaims "Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, aack!", which had been exclaimed by Cathy herself in an earlier strip.[ citation needed ]

On Saturday Night Live , Andy Samberg would portray Cathy as loud and obnoxious on Weekend Update (Season 34, Episode 17; aired March 7, 2009).

In The Simpsons episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Sums", a painting of Cathy is shown as part of a hall of famous female artists; in the painting, Cathy is shown in a two-piece swimsuit, saying "I'm finally able to fit into my bathing suit.... and it's September!". In a Simpsons comic strip, Comic Book Guy owns a rare Cathy cartoon - the only one that men find funny.

In the 2022 Robot Chicken episode "May Cause Involuntary Political Discharge", Cathy falls in love with the Martian leader from Mars Attacks over their shared love of the word "Ack!"

In the 2010 The Big Bang Theory episode "The Wheaton Recurrence", Sheldon brings Penny ice cream, citing that he had been familiarizing himself with the comic strip Cathy and that when she is upset, she says "Ack!" and eats ice cream.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Dilbert</i> American comic strip

Dilbert is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Scott Adams, first published on April 16, 1989. It is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office with engineer Dilbert as the title character. It has led to dozens of books, an animated television series, a video game, and hundreds of themed merchandise items. Dilbert Future and The Joy of Work are among the best-selling books in the series. In 1997, Adams received the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award and the Newspaper Comic Strip Award for his work. Dilbert appears online and as of 2013 was published daily in 2,000 newspapers in 65 countries and 25 languages.

MUTTS is a daily comic strip created by Patrick McDonnell and launched on September 5, 1994. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it follows the adventures of Earl, a dog, and Mooch, a cat. Earl and Mooch interact with each other, their human owners, as well as the animals around their neighborhood.

<i>Zits</i> (comics) Comic strip

Zits is a comic strip written by cartoonist Jerry Scott and illustrated by Jim Borgman about the life of Jeremy Duncan, a 17-year-old high school junior. The comic debuted in July 1997 in over 200 newspapers and has since become popular worldwide and received multiple awards. As of 2010, it continues to be syndicated by King Features and is now included in "more than 1,700 newspapers worldwide in 45 countries and is translated into 15 different languages."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathy Guisewite</span> American cartoonist (born 1950)

Cathy Lee Guisewite is an American cartoonist who created the comic strip Cathy, which had a 34-year run. The strip focused on a career woman facing the issues and challenges of eating, work, relationships, and having a mother—or as the character put it in one strip, "the four basic guilt groups."

<i>Rose Is Rose</i> American comic strip

Rose Is Rose is a syndicated comic strip, written by Pat Brady since its launch on April 16, 1984, and drawn since March 2004 by Don Wimmer. The strip revolves around Rose and Jimbo Gumbo, their son Pasquale, and the family cat Peekaboo. Rose and Jimbo are deeply in love with each other, sometimes exchanging love notes or kissing under the stars, and they dote fondly on Pasquale.

Scott Dikkers is an American comedy writer, speaker and entrepreneur. He was a founding editor of The Onion, and is the publication's longest-serving editor-in-chief, holding the position from 1988–1999, 2005–2008, and as General Manager / Vice President of Creative Development from 2012–2014. He currently heads the "Writing with The Onion" program in partnership with The Onion and The Second City in Chicago.

Caroline in the City is an American television sitcom that ran on the NBC television network from 1995 until 1999. It stars Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy, who lives in Manhattan. The rest of the cast includes Eric Lutes, Malcolm Gets, Amy Pietz, and Andy Lauer. The series premiered on September 21, 1995, in the "Must See TV" Thursday night block between Seinfeld and ER and ran for 97 episodes over four seasons before it was cancelled; the final episode was broadcast on April 26, 1999. The series' rights are currently held by CBS Media Ventures.

Jump Start is a daily comic strip drawn by cartoonist Robb Armstrong. It portrays the trials and tribulations of a young African American couple as they try to balance the demands of work and raising their young children.

<i>Non Sequitur</i> (comic strip) American comic strip

Non Sequitur is a comic strip created by Wiley Miller starting February 16, 1992 and syndicated by Andrews McMeel Syndication to over 700 newspapers. It is also published on gocomics.com and distributed via email.

Jim's Journal is a comic strip written and drawn by Scott Dikkers, co-founder of The Onion. The strip first appeared in the University of Wisconsin–Madison The Daily Cardinal newspaper in 1988.

Stone Soup is an American newspaper comic strip. It was created by cartoonist Jan Eliot as Sister City, and was renamed after being syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate in 1995. The strip originally ran daily until 2015, when it switched to Sunday strips only before ending in 2020. The strip centers on a single mother named Valerie Stone, and her struggles to raise her daughters Alix and Holly.

Citizen Dog is a newspaper comic strip by Mark O'Hare, distributed by Universal Press Syndicate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry LaBan</span> American cartoonist

Terry LaBan is an alternative/underground cartoonist and newspaper comic strip artist. He is known for his comic book series Cud, and his syndicated strip Edge City, created with his wife, Patty LaBan, a couples and family therapist.

<i>Heart of the City</i> (comic strip) American comic strip

Heart of the City is a comic strip created by Mark Tatulli and currently drawn by Christina "Steenz" Stewart that began syndication by Universal Press Syndicate on November 23, 1998. It is currently syndicated by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.

This is a list of works by Lynn Johnston, Canadian cartoonist.

Cathy is a 1987 animated television special based on the Cathy comic strip by Cathy Guisewite. It features Kathleen Wilhoite as the voice of Cathy Andrews, and was written by Guisewite, executive-produced by Lee Mendelson, produced by Bill Melendez, and directed by Evert Brown.

Cathy's Last Resort is a 1988 animated television special based on the Cathy comic strip by Cathy Guisewite. It features Kathleen Wilhoite as the voice of Cathy Andrews, and was written by Guisewite, executive producer Lee Mendelson, produced by Bill Melendez, and directed by Evert Brown. This special premiered after the episode "The NASA Space Station" of This Is America, Charlie Brown.

Cathy's Valentine is a 1989 animated television special based on the Cathy comic strip by Cathy Guisewite. It features Kathleen Wilhoite as the voice of Cathy Andrews, and was written by Guisewite, executive-produced by Lee Mendelson, produced by Bill Melendez, and directed by Evert Brown. This special premiered after This Is America, Charlie Brown: The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad.

References

  1. "Guisewite". www.reuben.org. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  2. "The Cathy Guisewite Interview" Archived March 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , Hogan's Alley April 24, 2012.
  3. "Cathy by Cathy Guisewite for Feb 5, 2005 - GoComics.com". February 5, 2005. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  4. "Cathy comic strip to end". CBC.ca. The Associated Press. August 11, 2010.
  5. Guisewite, Cathy (October 3, 2010). "Cathy". GoComics. UCLICK LLC.
  6. "First Cathy Commiserations by Cathy Guisewite for March 20, 2018". GoComics . Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  7. Cathy, May 20, 2007, from gocomics.com
  8. "Boca Raton News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  9. Roush, Matt (November 11, 1988). "Aaack! 'Cathy' stirs up a controversy". USA Today.
  10. "About Cathy Classics Comic Strips". GoComics . Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  11. "Food: A Celebration of One of the Four Basic Guilt by Cathy Guisewite". Goodreads . Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  12. "Love: A Celebration of One of the Four Basic Guilt Groups by Cathy Guisewite". Goodreads . Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  13. "Mom: A Celebration of One of the Four Basic Guilt Groups by Cathy Guisewite". Goodreads . Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  14. "Work: A Celebration of One of the Four Basic Guilt Groups (Cathy Special Collections) by Cathy Guisewite". Goodreads . Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  15. "Bloom County 2018 by Berkeley Breathed for Jun 18, 2017 - GoComics.com". June 18, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  16. "Bloom County 2018 by Berkeley Breathed for Jun 19, 2017 - GoComics.com". June 19, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  17. Television Specials: 5,336 Entertainment Programs, 1936-2012, 2d ed. by Vincent Terrace
  18. Bill Prady (writer); James Burrows (director) (October 12, 1995). "Caroline and the Bad Back". Caroline in the City. Season 1. Episode 4. NBC.
  19. Coulter, Allen. "Cock a Doodle Doo!".