That Simpson Family

If Howard Rosenberg is such a fan of adult, offbeat humor (re his Feb. 23 rave about “The Simpsons” cartoon series) he should try reading his own newspaper.

Compared to what passes for TV comedy these days, the show is indeed a standout. But compared to the dozen or so brilliant cartoons and comic strips that appear in The Times, “The Simpsons” seems pale.

“Calvin and Hobbs,” “Mr. Boffo,” “Sally Forth,” “Cathy,” “The Neighborhood,” “Bent Offerings,” “Ziggy,” “Mother Goose and Grimm” and “Herman,” plus the venerable “Peanuts,” “Doonesbury” and “The Far Side,” consistently provide more intelligence, sophistication, psychological and cultural insight, off-the-wall perspectives and flat-out hip hilarity.

Moreover, each has a warm-heartedness and affection for its characters and our world absent in the often sarcastic and sometimes almost mean-spirited “Simpsons.”

BOB BONN, San Diego