Monty (comic strip)

Monty is an American comic strip created, written and illustrated by cartoonist Jim Meddick. The strip began as Robotman starting February 18, 1985. The title changed to "Monty" in 2001.
"Robotman".
The comic strip began as "Robotman" on February 18, 1985. It originally depicted the exploits of a small robot from outer space visiting Earth, living with the ordinary Milde family. In the 1990s, Robotman instead began living with a geeky inventor named Monty, introduced in the January 20, 1993 strip.
Robotman left the strip in 2001 to find love on the planet Diskelion, and was replaced in the strip by space alien Mr. Pi.
Robotman's evolution.
"Robotman" originated as a character created by British musician Peter Shelley. Shelley later worked with United Feature Syndicate in an attempt to push Robotman via cross-marketing toys, records, videos, and other merchandise. In 1985, DIC Enterprises produced a 90-minute television special called "Robotman & Friends".
The syndicate desired to have a comic strip featuring the character; they had asked Bill Watterson to incorporate the character into Calvin and Hobbes as a condition of syndication, but Watterson refused. The job was then passed on to Jim Meddick, who created the family setting and the other characters. As the strip progressed the design of Robotman changed considerably as Meddick's style evolved.
During contract negotiations, the syndicate approached Meddick with a request to change the name of the strip to "Monty" and to deemphasize and remove the Robotman character from the strip. This was due to an ongoing difficulty in marketing the strip with the name "Robotman" (for a brief period, the strip was rechristened "Robotman & Monty").
Robotman was gradually phased out of the strip through a farewell storyline, and the series continued as "Monty" in April 2001. Robotman's farewell included a return to outer space to live with his love interest, a female robot.
Storylines.
As the website announces, the comic strip "spoofs suburbia, trashes tacky TV shows and offers absurdist commentary on everything from hosing down spider monkeys to the latest conspiracy theory." Monty Montahue, the brainy, bumbling bachelor who's unlucky in work and love, is the star of the strip.
Explains Meddick, "I've tried to create the comic strip equivalent of "Monty Python's Flying Circus". The name 'Monty' is a nod to the influence that show had on my humor. In my cartoon just about anything can happen — this way, the ideas and characters always stay fresh."
Books.
Several strip collections have been published: