History KarmaHoudini / NewspaperComics

* Lucy Van Pelt from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' is perhaps the oldest and most well known example of this trope in this particular medium. From bullying her younger brother, destroying Schroder's piano (twice), to her generally selfish demeanor, not to mention the infamous "football" running gag (which she [[SchmuckBait successfully pulled off]] ''fifty times''); it's little wonder why so many parodies involve her getting a surprisingly violent yet not entirely undeserving comeuppance.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}''
** Dogbert and Rat from ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' frequently do terrible things for their own gain and/or amusement and rarely suffer any punishment for their actions. This is [[RuleOfFunny played for laughs]].
** Lampshaded, justified and/or generally [[PlayingWithATrope played with]] by Dogbert himself at least once, in the Aug. 6, 2005 strip.
--> '''Dogbert:''' I believe in karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it.
** While the PHB and CEO often get some comeuppance, Catbert the Evil Director of Human Resources (and one of the cruelest characters in the strip) rarely does. [[FridgeBrilliance (Maybe because being evil is his job?)]]
** Alice has committed cold-blooded murder several times ([[AssholeVictim sometimes justified]], other times [[DisproportionateRetribution not so much]]) but has never even been disciplined. Catbert claims this is because she "did not discriminate, sexually harass, steal or take drugs". (He then gave her an award for her "cost-saving idea" of killing a co-worker.)
** The accounting trolls are trolls who act like trolls, but they get away with it, although one storyline suggests that working in accounting ''is'' [[TheCurse their punishment]] [[WasOnceAMan for something else they've done.]]
* ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} is a constant offender of this trope. He regularly bullies Odie and makes Jon's life hell, yet almost ''never'' receives comeuppance.
** It's subverted in ''WesternAnimation/TheGarfieldShow'' however, where Garfield (who's actually [[TookALevelInKindness kinder]] in that series) loses a lot. Instead it's Nermal who's the Karma Houdini.
** Once, when Garfield was stuck in a body cast for a week, Odie did give back some of his own, but just on the level of mild teasing.
*** Sadly for Odie, it ended up boomeranging on him when Garfield got out of the cast and used it to whack him in the head.
* The titular character of ''ComicStrip/{{Crankshaft}}'' is a classic example. A terror of a school bus driver, he deliberately causes kids to miss the bus, causes repeated property damage, and breaks every rule in the book ForTheEvulz. The worst he ever seems to get is a reprimand from the principal, who seems powerless to actually do anything about him. Sure, he's gotten his occasional comeuppance (such as losing a million dollars on a game show), but the idea that he still has his job after half the stuff he's pulled puts him in this category.
* ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'':
** The aversion of this is notable in that the ''fans'' demanded it. When Howard Bunt [[AttemptedRape attempted to sexually assault]] Elizabeth Patterson, and he was foiled by Anthony, writer Lynn Johnston was content to leave it there and move on to the next plot. She was surprised when fan demand for Howard to be brought to justice came in. In her eyes, he fulfilled his role in the story, and what should it matter what he did after as long as he left Liz alone?
** Anthony tends to play it straight, mainly ''because'' he's a CreatorsPet, and the story likes to side with him even when he's being an asshole.
** Speaking of Elizabeth, April got away with murder at her expense for years. I never could understand why Liz wanted anything to do with her once she got out of the house.
* Curtis's AnnoyingYoungerSibling in ''ComicStrip/{{Curtis}}'' is this. He usually [[IShallTauntYou provokes Curtis into wanting to hurt him]], then gets away with it. Let's just say many people find Barry to be UnintentionallyUnsympathetic for this. In one instance, Curtis finally gets to tell his mother what he did: put toenail clippings in his sandwich.
* One issue of the ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' has a wildly dressed man whose been hitting people on the head with a hammer stopped by the cops. Only for them to discover that he does in fact have a license to do it.
* The closest [[TheBully Moe]] in ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' received in terms of comeuppance is when Calvin's mom called the teacher to report his taking of money from other students, but Calvin begged her not to because it would only make it worse for him if Moe found out he snitched. Calvin still wishes that something horrible would happen to him, but it never does and the most that he can do is see that if he's getting beat up or getting money taken anyway, he might as well deserve it.
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** The aversion of this is notable in that the ''fans'' demanded it. When Howard Bunt [[AttemptedRape attempted to sexually assault]] [[MarySue Elizabeth Patterson]], and he was foiled by the CreatorsPet Anthony, writer Lynn Johnston was content to leave it there and move on to the next plot. She was surprised when fan demand for Howard to be brought to justice came in. In her eyes, he fulfilled his role in the story, and what should it matter what he did after as long as he left Liz alone?

* Dogbert from ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' and Rat from ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'' frequently do terrible things for their own gain and/or amusement and rarely suffer any punishment for their actions. This is [[RuleOfFunny played for laughs]].

** It's subverted in ''TheGarfieldShow'' however, where Garfield (who's actually [[TookALevelInKindness kinder]] in that series) loses a lot. Instead it's Nermal who's the Karma Houdini.

* Lucy Van Pelt from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' is perhaps the oldest and most well known example of this trope in this particular medium. From bullying her younger brother, destroying Schroder's piano (twice), to her generally selfish demeanor, not to mention the infamous "football" running gag; it's little wonder why so many parodies involve her getting a surprisingly violent yet not entirely undeserving comeuppance.

* Lucy Van Pelt from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' is perhaps the oldest and most well known example of this trope in this particular medium. From bullying her younger brother, to her generally selfish demeanor, not to mention the infamous "football" running gag; it's little wonder why so many parodies involve her getting a surprisingly violent yet not entirely undeserving comeuppance.

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'':
** Moe the bully ''never'' got his comeuppance, primarily because Calvin never told anyone about what was being done to him. His mother did once find out and called the school, though Calvin begged her not to, fearing retaliation. About the closest Moe got to getting what he deserved was when he stole a toy truck from Calvin. Calvin tried to steal the truck back, but then chickened out at the last minute.
*** He actually still got told to return the quarter he took from Calvin back when his mom called school. Course that was ''ONCE''.
**** When Calvin brought Hobbes to school so he could eat Moe, he appeared suspiciously willing to let Moe have Hobbes, and Moe assumed he was being set up, and chickened out. It was hinted that Moe left Calvin alone after this.
** Calvin himself is usually the exact opposite of this trope. Whether he's tormenting girl-next-door Susie Derkins, humiliating his babysitter, or making his parents miserable, he hardly ever comes out on top, being sent to his room or getting a painful spanking. This makes him an interesting contrast to Dennis Mitchell of ''ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS'', who irritates everyone around him but usually doesn't get punished for it, except for occasional periods of being forced to sit in a corner.
** And then there's [[MemeticMutation "homicidal psycho jungle cat"]] Hobbes, who frequently pounces on Calvin (sometimes playfully and sometimes viciously) and hardly ever gets any payback for it. He and Calvin are VitriolicBestBuds, but even if they were bitter enemies there would be little Calvin could do to get back at Hobbes, since Calvin doesn't own a gun and Hobbes [[ShrugOfGod may or may not]] exist only to him.

* Dogbert from ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' and Rat from ''PearlsBeforeSwine'' frequently do terrible things for their own gain and/or amusement and rarely suffer any punishment for their actions. This is [[RuleOfFunny played for laughs]].

* {{Garfield}} is a constant offender of this trope. He regularly bullies Odie and makes Jon's life hell, yet almost ''never'' receives comeuppance.