T U E S D A Y October 12, 2010 Meredith Ito

Theme: D.C. Comics — Theme answers are comedians with the initials D.C.


Theme answers:

• 17A: "Vicious Circle" stand-up guy (DANE COOK).
• 25A: Stand-up guy who played Tobias Fünke on "Arrested Development" (DAVID CROSS).
• 36A: Stand-up guy with his own sitcom, 1995-2004 (DREW CAREY).
• 51A: Stand-up guy with multiple "SNL" personas (DANA CARVEY).
• 60A: "Superman" publisher, and this puzzle's title (D.C. COMICS).

Love this theme. I mean, I really love this theme! See, the reveal answer is D.C. COMICS. And D.C. COMICS is actually a thing all on its own. But for the puzzle it's re-interpreted: the theme answers are all comics whose initials are D.C.! This is exactly what I want to see in a puzzle theme. And I don't even know who DAVID CROSS is. But I don't care! Because there are plenty of things that I don't know and he fits perfectly with the theme. Unless he's not a comic. Let me look him up real quick. ... Oh I totally know that guy. And he's totally a comic. I just didn't know his name. This is kinda sad, but I'm gonna go ahead and tell you anyway. I recognize him from "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel." He was the bad guy.

Now, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not crazy about seeing two suffixes in the same grid — 14A: Suffix with stamp (-EDE) and 43A: Enzyme suffix (-ASE) — and the southeast corner is a little military heavy, but I'm not going to dwell on any of that. The theme is outstanding and the fill is above average. Oh, and did you see the two non-theme bonus answers?

• 19A: Explosion sound (KABOOM). Straight of out D.C. COMICS, right?
• 59D: "Isn't __ riot?!": "Funny guy!" (HE A). I have been amused at one time or another by each of the comedians mentioned, so this clue definitely works for me.

Bullets:

• 4A/1A: Fix à la MacGyver (JURY / RIG). I so wanted this to be DUCT TAPE. Does MacGyver actually use duct tape? I've never watched the show, but when I think of MacGyver, I think of ... duct tape.

• 15A: "Lonely Boy" singer (ANKA). Women around my age probably think of this as a Donny Osmond song.
• 63A: Little laugh (TEE-HEE). I much prefer this spelling to the oft-seen TEHEE.
• 65A: Rebellious Turner (NAT). Honestly? The first thing that came to my mind was IKE. Well, he was rebellious too, wasn't he?
• 28D: Golfer Sabbatini (RORY). I know this one through PHGOO (PuzzleHusband Golf Obsession Osmosis). If you're not a golf fan, this guy probably isn't somebody you know, but the crosses are all solid so you shouldn't have had any trouble.
• 40D: Potter's friend Ron (WEASLEY). Lots of Harry Potter this week. Glad I didn't have to know the actor's name today.
• 43D: "Sweet" girl in a barbershop song (ADELINE). I tried to find a video of one of my favorite bands singing a song called "Adeline," but I couldn't. I found audio of it and I got super excited until it cut off right before the last verse. Unfortunately, for this particular song you really need the last verse. Anyway, if you like bluegrass music, check out The Mike & Amy Finders Band on iTunes. And if you're in Colorado, by all means go see them.

Crosswordese 101 Round-up:

• 15A: "Lonely Boy" singer (ANKA).
• 23A: River inlet (RIA).
• 33A: Hot day coolers (ADES).
• 18D: Mideast carrier (EL AL).
• 37D: Semicircular recess (APSE).

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Everything Else — 8A: "__ Bovary" (MADAME); 16A: Hypothetical primate (APEMAN); 20A: Spiral-shelled mollusk (WHELK); 21A: Uncover, in verse (OPE); 24A: Whit or bit (IOTA); 29A: Carpenter's fastener (NAIL GUN); 31A: Regis and Kelly, e.g. (CO-HOSTS); 32A: Big initials in nutritional supplements (GNC); 35A: Clear the chalkboard (ERASE); 39A: Horrendous (AWFUL); 42A: NYSE debuts (IPO'S); 46A: Predicting a market decline (BEARISH); 49A: Husky, e.g. (SLED DOG); 53A: Start from scratch (REDO); 54A: The Trojans of the Pac-10 (USC); 55A: Luggage-screening gp. (TSA); 56A: __ Lama (DALAI); 57A: Platitude (CLICHÉ); 64A: Large-scale work (EPIC); 66A: Iraqi neighbor (SYRIAN); 67A: Loser to paper and winner over scissors (ROCK); 68A: USN rank (ENS.); 1D: Joe Louis Arena hockey player (REDWING); 2D: Pocatello resident (IDAHOAN); 3D: Like some fingerprints (GENETIC); 4D: Tire-changing aid (JACK); 5D: Game with Draw Two cards (UNO); 6D: "King Kong" studio (RKO); 7D: Comedian Smirnoff (YAKOV); 8D: Just about manage (MAKE DO); 9D: Therapists' org. (APA); 10D: Society newcomer (DEB); 11D: Loving, to Luisa (AMOROSA); 12D: "Little Red Book" adherents (MAOISTS); 13D: How stadium crowds move (EN MASSE); 22D: Photo (PIC); 25D: "Bro!" ("DUDE!"); 26D: From the start (ANEW); 27D: Word preceding a 22-Down (CHEESE); 30D: Marinara clove (GARLIC); 34D: Lab subj. (SCI.); 36D: Commercial battery prefix with "cell" (DURA-); 38D: __-poly (ROLY); 39D: Kidnaps (ABDUCTS); 41D: More decorative (FANCIER); 44D: Recycled item (SODA CAN); 45D: Ones with I-strain? (EGOISTS); 47D: Glossy fabric (SATEEN); 48D: Noon and midnight: Abbr. (HRS.); 50D: Wee weight (DRAM); 52D: Skywalker's nemesis (VADER); 56D: Pier (DOCK); 58D: T'ai __ (CHI); 61D: Naval noncom: Abbr. (CPO); 62D: Pres. title (CIC).