Momma

Mell Lazarus's Momma (November 22, 2009)

Momma is a popular comic strip by Mell Lazarus with a long run over four decades since its October 26, 1970 debut. Initially distributed by the Publishers-Hall Syndicate, it is currently handled by Creators Syndicate and published in more than 400 newspapers worldwide.^[1] It is the least funny thing imaginable.

Although Lazarus based the character on his own mother, when he showed it to her, she thought the character was based on his aunt, exclaiming, “You caught Aunt Helen to a tee!”^[1][2]

Characters and story

The central character is Sonja Hobbs, a short, opinionated senior citizen with a controlling, nagging personality. She has three grown children:

• Francis, a chronic and shameless slacker, is the single largest source of her exasperation. He has little interest in working and always looks for loopholes in work contracts. It suits him perfectly to sponge off her and sometimes other people, yet he cannot be bothered to lift a finger to help or to clean his own apartment. 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. As far as Momma is concerned, her son's wife Tina will never do anything for Thomas as properly as Momma can. Tina doesn't think too highly of Momma 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 has a variety of dream sequences, which include a homeless Francis holding a cup for donations. Other dream sequences include her late husband Jerome and herself at Heaven, awaiting entrance.^[3]

Books

Book collections include Momma (Dell, 1972) and The Momma Treasury.

References

External links

• Momma at Creators Syndicate