Life in retirement isn’t so bad, it seems. For Opal and Earl Pickle—the stars of Brian Crane’s comic strip Pickles—it’s all about stubborn habits and quirky relationships. As readers peruse the comic’s slides, they befriend the varied characters in the Pickles’ lives. There’s their cat and dog, Muffin and Roscoe; Nelson, their 6-year-old grandson; his mother, Sylvia, and stepdad, Dan; and a slew of other smile-winners to boot.

What Crane does best—and why he’s syndicated in nearly 700 newspapers nationally—is capture the irony of a moment and the subtle importance in a phrase. His latest collection of strips, How Come I Always Get Blamed for the Things I Do?, is sure to elicit abundant chuckles and snorts as it ambles along that same old road that’s at once familiar, yet never wearisome. Join Crane as he visits for a signing event.

Brian Crane @ The King’s English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, 801-484-9100, Jan. 29, 2 p.m., free. KingsEnglish.com