I'm bringing out the big guns here, but YES to answer your question: ....nothing on Earth than was more of a relief than Cathy FINALLY waddling her fat ass off into the sunset, never stinking up newspapers again.
Many great strips have been mentioned but growing up and even now this has to be my favourite. I give you Footrot Flats. Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler
I was raised on the Far Side, it was one of the first things I read growing up and learned a lot just by asking my parents what things meant and how jokes made sense (the one that still sticks out to me is the preserves falling into the Le Brea tar pits) My favourites now are xkcd, Perry Bible Fellowship, and Cyanide and Happiness, though I've been meaning to check out A Softer World. I also have a soft spot for POKEY THE PENGUIN. It's a dadaist nightmare. Spoiler And there's nothing quite as depressing/awesome as Garfield minus Garfield Spoiler
Pearls Before Swine is probably my Mom's favorite comic, and I'm a big fan as well. Rat is just hilarious and so brutal. My personal favorite is probably Get Fuzzy. I don't read it as much anymore that I don't get the paper, but I literally just googled it and found 2 the made me chuckle out loud in about 10 seconds. Spoiler Spoiler My family almost named our new cat Bucky as a result of the continual hilarity of the strip.
As a kid, Calvin and Hobbes. Now, I follow QC and explodingdog in my daily "get to work and not work" routine. I found this gem today, and am desperately hoping there are more like it. Still laughing actually...
I LOVED <a class="postlink" href="http://www.sexylosers.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.sexylosers.com</a> <a class="postlink" href="http://www.ghastlycomic.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.ghastlycomic.com</a> and it makes me sad that they're not really releasing much/regularly any more. I continue to love <a class="postlink" href="http://www.questionablecontent.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.questionablecontent.net</a> <a class="postlink" href="http://www.somethingpositive.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.somethingpositive.com</a> <a class="postlink" href="http://www.theoatmeal.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theoatmeal.com</a> <a class="postlink" href="http://www.xkcd.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.xkcd.com</a> <a class="postlink" href="http://www.penny-arcade.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.penny-arcade.com</a> <a class="postlink" href="http://www.thebadchemicals.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thebadchemicals.com/</a> <a class="postlink" href="http://www.explosm.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.explosm.net</a> I fucking LOVE <a class="postlink" href="http://choppingblock.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://choppingblock.org</a> though.
I have a bunch of web comic in my RSS feed that help me waste time at work. Most of the best ones have already been mentioned. HiJinks Ensue is pretty good, not as good as it used to be but still gets a chuckle. GunShow is an internet classic Formal Sweatpants is one I found recently Nedroid another internet classic Pictures for Sad Children kinda hit-or-miss Three Word Phrase pretty good
I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned The Oatmeal (Scootah). Best webcomic there is, and their treasury book Five Reasons To Punch A Dolphin is pinnacle humour. Not only is it hilarious, but it's truth.
Mutts, by Patrick McDonnel. Fucking waste of paper. I refuse to link to any of his comic strips*. The Sunday stuff is the most half-assed bullshit I've ever seen, and the weekly stuff is 3/4 assed at best. Others I loathe: Peanuts (Why the fuck are they still printing this? Charles Schulz has been dead for years!) Family Circus - Bill Keane Frazz - Jef Mallett F Minus - Tony Carrillo (the worst one-line comic I've ever seen.) *I will link to this page though!
Broads, Buicks, and Buckley!! I still have my "Billy and the Boingers" flexidisc (1): And Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. is why I went into computer security as a career. This strip will be even funnier when Bank of America really does go bankrupt, hopefully RSN: (1) A long, long time ago, kids, there was this thing called vinyl.
One I forgot in my earlier post, Toothpaste for Dinner. The art is terrible but every once in a while there's a real gem. Spoiler Spoiler
Of the Sharing Machine comics, Married to the Sea is clearly the best. Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler And then there's this comic about a ninja. Who is also a doctor. Spoiler
I think the Ambien Walrus is my favorite reoccurring character: Dinosaur Comics is another consistently solid webcomic, with the interesting bit being that the art hasn't changed since day one. It's all just clever writing (not for those of you who hate reading):
Australias best known cartoonist would probably be Michael Leunig. <a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Leunig" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Leunig</a>
Along with the previously mentioned (Dinosaur Comics, Calvin & Hobbes, Cyanide & Happiness, xkcd): Get Your War On is a great great look back in time - a time when we were all scared of anthrax, underwear bombers and crazy people in turbans. (Yes, it's political.) Spoiler I pretty much love Chainsawsuit by Kris Straub Spoiler I think this adequately explains my hatred of Reddit Along the same lines, Three Word Phrase Spoiler