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This week, I review BoxJam's Doodle, by BoxJam.

BoxJam's Doodle is the only comic strip on the web that has managed to make me laugh so hard I spewed coffee all over my computer and managed to make me cry -- a real, deep, honest cry. The pseudonymous author, BoxJam, has presented a "slice of life" comic that manages to reach into every realm of human existence, from absurdity to poignancy.

Early comics are extremely sketchy and disproportionate, leaving the reader to focus more on the words than anything else. Fortunately, this is where the true genius of BoxJam's Doodle lies. Puns and slapstick can be found in this comic, as well as surrealistic musings on the nature of garbage and a storyline involving penguins. I will admit that the penguin storyline is my least favorite part of the Doodle, but it's still funny. And it doesn't last long.

BoxJam, the main character in this quasi-autobiographical strip, is a self-deprecating average Joe who's received the short end of the existential stick. His wife, Ms. BoxJam, serves as a sort of conscience-slash-common-sense-slash-nemesis, who seems unbelievably harsh at times and wonderfully human at others. Their children, Little BoxJam and BoxJamina, can make you alternately glad that you have/don't have kids and longing for life with/without them.

If it weren't for BoxJam, I wouldn't dare do a strip that reveals many of my insecurities. This comic is aimed primarily at the intellectuals who will absorb pop, literary, and obscure references, but it has enough straight-out comedy and personal drama to keep anyone on the edge of their seats.

Final thought: BoxJam, as a social commentary, deserves a permanent place in American culture.

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