Momma

Momma is an English language comic strip by Mell Lazarus which debuted on October 26, 1970. It is currently distributed by Creators Syndicate to about 400 papers.

The main character is Sonja Hobbs, a short, opinionated senior citizen with a controlling personality and three grown children she appears to get extreme kicks out of nagging:

• Francis, a chronic and shameless slacker with little interest in working for anyone or anything (he always looks for loopholes in work contracts), is the single largest source of her exasperation. It suits him perfectly to sponge off her and sometimes other people, yet he can't be bothered to lift a finger to clean up his own apartment or otherwise help out. He has a single taste in women: airheads built and dressed rather provocatively. His friends, with similar work ethics, sometimes show up.
• Marylou, her youngest, has frequent relationship problems (particularly with her mother, as evidenced by her comment that she was living the comic strip Momma was talking about in the October 6, 2006 strip). She has a thing for losers and outcasts — the very types of men Momma loathes. She does not, however, favor the types of men Momma is determined she marry: well-educated and / or well-heeled.
• Thomas, her oldest, is employed and happily married. His wife Tina tends to be just as lazy as, if not worse than, Francis and therefore is a frequent target of Momma's criticism. For her part, Tina doesn't think too highly of "Mother Hobbs," either.

While Momma constantly tries to make them feel insignificant without her, they consider her to be an emotional burden. Still, they love her in their own way as she loves them in turn.

Momma also has a variety of dream sequences, most includes Francis being homeless, standing in the streets holding a cup for people to put money in for donations. Next to him is a large sign displaying various gags and statements. Other dream sequences include her late husband Jerome and herself in Heaven awaiting entrance.

Though based on Lazarus' own mother, he reports that she thought the character was based on his Aunt Helen. ^[1]

References

1. ^ "Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Momma". Toonopedia.com. 1970-10-26. http://www.toonopedia.com/momma.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-28. 

External links

• Momma
• Toonopedia entry

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