Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: What does “Dennis the Menace” sometimes dress up as?

A cowboy
An alien
A dinosaur
A detective

Correct Answer: A cowboy

So why is this answer correct? : Dennis Mitchell is a young, freckle-faced boy who causes lots of trouble for his parents and neighbors. The pockets of his overalls are often filled with frogs, snakes, or his trusty slingshot. One of his favorite antics? Dressing up as Cowboy Bob. Dennis loves watching his favorite cowboy in TV Westerns and even has an autographed poster of him. He’s also been known to sing a cowboy song or two. The original “Dennis the Menace” comic strip by Hank Ketcham debuted on March 12, 1951, and still runs today.

Trivia: Who does creator Garry Trudeau often make fun of in “Doonesbury”?

Children
Aliens
Politicians
Scientists

Correct Answer: Politicians

So why is this answer correct? : “Doonesbury,” a chronicle of Michael Doonesbury’s life, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020. The award-winning comic strip has a unique feature: its characters age in real-time. This allows Trudeau to write about current events from different generational views, especially politics. He has famously taken on several U.S. Presidents, including Richard Nixon during Watergate, and Bill Clinton during his impeachment. This, of course, sparked controversy, but the comic strip is generally viewed as “one of the best.” In 2008, Trudeau received a Mental Health Research Advocacy Award from Yale for his depiction of the mental health issues commonly faced by military veterans.

Trivia: Who is “Hägar the Horrible”?

A ruthless king
A sloppy giant
A Greek god
A medieval Viking

Correct Answer: A medieval Viking

So why is this answer correct? : This little red-bearded Viking broke records after the launch of Dik Browne’s comic strip in February 1973 when Hägar and his crew became the fastest-growing comic strip of all time. The main character and comic strip’s namesake, Hägar, looks like a fierce Viking warrior on the outside, but really, he’s a loving family man with all the same problems as the modern suburban father. Hägar and his wife Helga have a son named Hamlet, a daughter Honi, and two pets, Snert the dog, and Kvack the duck.

Trivia: Also the name of his owner, what was the original title of “Garfield”?

Jon
Odie
Jim
Dr. Wilson

Correct Answer: Jon

So why is this answer correct? : Before the comic strip “Garfield” was named after the famous orange tabby cat, it was called “Jon” after its main character and Garfield’s owner, Jon Arbuckle. As the pasta-loving feline’s role grew during the comic strip’s first year in print, creator Jim Davis switched the name to “Garfield.” A year later, on June 19, 1978, the comic strip premiered nationally, and still today follows Jon, Garfield, and the dog Odie through daily life.

Trivia: What was Dilbert’s personality in the eponymous comic strip?

A loving family man
A micromanaging boss
A lazy intern
A dissatisfied businessman

Correct Answer: A dissatisfied businessman

So why is this answer correct? : Still a daily comic strip today, “Dilbert” is a satire of corporate culture, something that the growing number of white-collar workers in America could relate to when it was picked up in 1989. Scott Adams’s comic centers around Dilbert, a dissatisfied, sarcastic employee managed by the “Pointy-Haired Boss.” His boss is incompetent, but all Dilbert can do is voice his displeasure to his coworkers. Dilbert is a single man, but he does have a pet named “Dogbert,” a highly intelligent dog who appears in high-ranking roles at Dilbert’s office.

Trivia: What breed of dog is the titular character in “Marmaduke”?

Golden retriever
St. Bernard
Yorkshire terrier
Great Dane

Correct Answer: Great Dane

So why is this answer correct? : In 1954, cartoonist Brad Anderson created the character Marmaduke, a giant Great Dane and the beloved pet of the Winslow family. Unlike other animal cartoons, Marmaduke doesn’t speak, relying on facial expressions and gestures to convey humor.

Trivia: What was Gary Larson’s comic “The Far Side” known for?

Its recurring main characters
Its themes of love and family
Its ongoing storyline
Its random style of humor

Correct Answer: Its random style of humor

So why is this answer correct? : “The Far Side” keeps readers on their toes. Larson didn’t want his comic strip to be character-based like so many were at the time, so, in 1979, he created a strip with surrealistic humor that always surprised readers with new ideas and characters. This quickly became part of its magic. There are some broad recurring themes, such as uncomfortable social situations, bizarre disasters, proverbs, and philosophical ideas. He commonly uses anthropomorphic animals (especially cows), cavemen, and regular humans as his characters, but he never names them. After a 25-year hiatus, Larson began publishing the comic strip again (online) in 2020.

Trivia: “Family Circus” is drawn inside which shape?

Triangle
Circle
Star
Diamond

Correct Answer: Circle

So why is this answer correct? : “Family Circus” is a single-panel comic strip created by Bil Keane in 1960. Each edition of the cartoon is drawn inside a circle, which is meant to represent the family’s sense of closeness. Keane based the comic on his own life, creating lovable characters that have appeared in nearly 1,500 newspapers worldwide.

Trivia: What type of sandwich originated in “Blondie”?

Reuben
Juicy Lucy
Dagwood
Tuna melt

Correct Answer: Dagwood

So why is this answer correct? : The dagwood is a cartoonishly tall sandwich that originated in the comic strip “Blondie” in 1936. A common gag sees Dagwood Bumstead holding together various breads, meats, cheeses, and vegetables using a toothpick, going to great comedic lengths to fit the entire sandwich in his mouth. The term “dagwood” has since been added to several dictionaries, and the sandwich has even been sold at restaurants in real life.

Trivia: In “Calvin and Hobbes,” what is Hobbes?

A young boy
A tiger
A mailman
A family dog

Correct Answer: A tiger

So why is this answer correct? : Calvin and Hobbes have been best friends for nearly 40 years thanks to Bill Watterson, who created this classic daily comic strip that ran from 1985 to 1995. The comic follows the antics of Calvin, a mischievous 6-year-old, and Hobbes, his tiger. Everyone besides Calvin saw Hobbes as an inanimate stuffed animal, but Calvin saw him as a living character. How did they become friends? The first comic strip featured Calvin setting up a trap to catch Hobbes with a tuna sandwich.