Bryan had an interesting comment on the sketches I posted earlier this week. He suggested the characters be developed into a Sunday-only serial strip. This intrigued me, because it brought back a memory from when I’d read the comics as a kid. In The Atlanta Journal, we’d see “Buz Sawyer” in the funnies Monday through Saturday. Buz had been a Navy pilot during the war years, but he was a civilian adventurer and corporate mercenary by the time I came along. His was a swashbuckling serial strip, expertly produced by Roy Crane, and I loved it. However, on Sunday, in the large color format, the strip was about the man who’d flown with him as a gunner in the Pacific; his name was Roscoe Sweeney, a bellicose sidekick who’d been providing comic relief since their flying days. By the 50s, Roscoe lived on his orange grove in north Florida, with his younger sister. The Sunday strip was titled “Buz Sawyer, Featuring His Pal Roscoe Sweeney,” but each week would be a self-contained comic happening within the Sweeney household. It was a sit-com premise that might seem a tame life for such an old war horse, but combat veterans like him literally were everywhere in those days. Domesticity and normalcy were in big demand, and I suppose this was Crane’s version. Anyway, I always enjoyed Roscoe Sweeney, and I’m happy to be reminded of him.
Wither Thou Goest
By Jimmy Johnson
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109 responses to “Wither Thou Goest”
Posted this early today but it was put in yesterday’s group:
07 Aug 2015 at 7:39 am #
To our fearless leader, JJ,
A belated “Thanks” for the kind treatment of a fellow veterinarian in your daily strip. Surely he must be a graduate of the Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine. There are many of us old retired large animal vets out in the world and we all thank you.
Blessings and prayers for all who need them and we all need them,sometime.
I remember Roscoe Sweeny, but not Buzz Sawyer. We only got the Sunday Edition of the paper that carried that strip, so I never had the chance to see the dailies.
The TIP BlogSpot posted on “Next” is called “Carrying the Urn.” The lady in black is carrying it. Beats me. Somebody’s ashes? Peace, emb
Thanks for posting today so that we don’t go “dark” next week. It’s summer so I don’t mind the infrequent posts. Maybe make a 2 or 3 week interval? Have a great weekend.
Janis may perhaps have not felt so sanguine about The Good Doctor if he had tried to treat her with this…
http://www.fleetfarm.com/products/images/medium/0000000001181.jpg
One of my all-female staff keeps a container of the above product in the office. Although she uses it as a hand cream, it has, as you might imagine, been the source of much office mirth.
She is also the one who suggested we get a large block of Valium for the office, so that when things get hectic, we could just take a lick of it as we pass by. And yes, she and her husband do farm part-time.
Yes, Ghost – Udder Balm is a great hand cream! I remember my mom using it.
I remember Roscoe Sweeney too. One of my favorites involved him trying to find the source of a noise in his car trunk. He climbed into the trunk while his wife drove the car. For several panels you could see him clamber around in the trunk with various parts of himself sticking out under the lid. Finally his wife got pulled over by a policeman who wanted to see the “body in the trunk”.
Roscoe Sweeney! What a GREAT character, and what a great face he had. Being just a grade schooler when I encountered him, and knowing nothing of his past history with Buz, he struck me as sort of hapless, silly, harmless fellow. Then some hints got dropped, that he was Fleet Boxing Champion and such like that. Apparently Roscoe could bring the hurt, but you would never know it while he was hanging out with “Baby Sister” in the Sunday funnies.
Roy Crane’s artwork was, like our Humble Author’s, very simple in its appearance but LOADED with personality… especially the faces. Roscoe and our Good Samaritan Veterinarian both have fairly simple faces that are so fully of expression and character.
I also remember Buz going on a mission with a new group called the “Seals” in the dailies about 50 years ago. Quite a few NVA got to die for their country as a result. Some things have remained constant to this day. God bless Buz, Roscoe, Roy and all the vets!
“Had” to google Roscoe Sweeney. As soon as I saw his image, I felt as though I was seeing an old friend. In reading about Roscoe, I found some other old friends: Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy, also created by Roy Crane. I can see right now that I will be delving into the comic strips of yore and renewing old acquaintances. Oh happy day!
I grew up in the wrong town; Buzz Sawyer wasn’t carried by either paper. 🙁
As usual, Jimmy’s taste in comics is excellent, and Crane is a true master. His Christie Sawyer is a brunette babe on the scale of Jimmy’s Janis. There were three fairly recent reprints of Buz Sawyer dailies done in hard cover, and they are worth tracking down. But as far as I know, there are no books of the Roscoe Sweeney Sunday strips.
Buz Sawyer was a favorite strip of mine growing up. (Hey, it had airplanes in it.) I had forgotten about Roscoe, but of course I remembered him (and the way he looked) immediately when I saw his name this morning. Good times.
More info on Buz and his creator: http://www.toonopedia.com/sawyer.htm
And if you want the reprints: http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?author=&title=buz+sawyer&lang=en&isbn=&new_used=*&destination=us¤cy=USD&mode=basic&st=sr&ac=qr
http://comicskingdom.com/mother-goose-grimm/2015-07-29
Roman history, updated.
emb, with many frog species declining, I like this woman’s idea.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/swimming-pool-converted-to-backyard-wetland-by-penticton-woman-1.3180698
Mark… Sure wish we had a LIKE button for the frog story!
So nice to read all the friendly and enjoyable comments. I agree, Galliglo — often my fingers start to feel for the LIKE button here, then I remember where I am, and there isn’t any!
Gal & Charlotte: In effect, you just did. 🙂
Debbe 😉 Here is another bonus track for those occasions when I have time to go over an hour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFU9qBEvEVw
Like. emb
Up ahead! A signpost. Where are we going? The JJ zone.
Jimmy:
I also have strong memories of Buzz and Roscoe.
Another of my favorites back then was “Rip Kirby.”
Good morning Villagers….
No time for ranting this morning…..
Emb…why would you feel you would be competing against me? Peace
Good song GR 😉
Gal 🙂
Happy Caturday