Here’s another Sunday from 10 years ago. So, “Little Nemo in Slumberland” would be 110 years old this year. Winsor McCay was one of the greatest comic strip artists of all time, not to mention one of the first. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s been downhill ever since, but no one has ever surpassed McCay in drawing, scripting, dialog, creativeness, pacing… the list goes on. “Little Nemo” only ran on Sundays, beginning in The New York Herald in 1905. In the day, Sunday funnies were the new technological marvel. Seriously. Many cartoonists then were little more than overworked and underpaid cogs in a giant newspaper machine, but the popular ones such as McCay and Rudolph Dirks and Richard Outcault became wealthy celebrities. Outcault pretty much invented the art form in 1895 with “Down in Hogan’s Alley” and later invented the modern comic strip with “Buster Brown.”
Dutiful Dreamer
By Jimmy Johnson
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78 responses to “Dutiful Dreamer”
Coming on the heels of discussing cartoon strip minimalism is Our Humble Author’s hat tip to groundbreaking cartoon art.
Bill Watterson could certainly turn on the art for “Calvin and Hobbes,” but his flame burned very, very brightly… and he was done. Given how labor-intensive C&H was, one wonders what he does with his time now.
“Arlo and Janis” has always had a good, steady balance of detail and minimalism, dialogue and sight gags, whimsy and observation. OHA has run the race as a marathon, not a sprint, and the quality has remained good throughout. One day, cartoonists of the future will devote a Sunday strip to “Arlo and Janis.” They will!
Good morning Viet Nam! And you too, Sand!
Great tribute strip, JJ, despite fact I wasn’t there of course? Not quite antiquarian enough but I do know who Little Nemo was. Always wondered about the Finding Nemo movie too. Was that a tribute as well?
Jackie, I’m guessing Nemo the clown fish was a tribute to Jules Verne. I didn’t originally know that Nemo means No One or No body. I suppose it could go back to the Latin version of the Odessey. When Ulysses tells the cyclops his name it may have well been Nemo.
Loved Jules Verne. And H.G. Wells. Early science fiction geek as a kid, tried to copy the writing style. Loved the movie too although not as exciting upon watching it as an adult? Thought the undersea adventure at original Disneyland was amazing.
We were easily amazed and entertained by things in days of old.
Ordered my boat plans and shocked my editor no end, as he also owns the chandelry. Spellcheck can’t spell it either. He wants columns but thinks I should run it by and offer it to my other editor also who has a different audience. He also thinks that should I choose, there is probably a book in there.
Who says geezerhood has to be boring? Only thing left is getting dressed now and driving off.
Love, Jackie
Jackie, howdy. The good morning in Vietnam was the one where you boarded the freedom bird for home.
Debbe
Ran this yesterday but far enough back you may have missed it.
If you don’t have heavy wire take 3 of what passes for hangers these days
and twist (put one end in vise or clamp and use cordless drill) then bend.
Do you have a catching hook?
Made from #9 wire ( all farmers know of #9 wire)
about 4 feet long the hook is “U” shaped 1 leg about 6 inches long,
the width is chicken leg wide. The end is flared out to about 3 inches.
The fancy ones have a eye bent at end of wire and a dowel(broomstick)
for a handle. Otherwise fold the handle end wire back on itself for a grip.
Lets you get the little blighter when they think they are just beyond your reach.
Debbe
Google is great all hail Google
1009: LAWRENCE KANSAS DOUGLAS COUNTY CHICKEN CATCHER
Cut and paste
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1685941
It is just under the artwork
Guess you don’t have to cut and paste
OF due 1140-noon. Foggy but visible.
Today’s A&J is profoundly true of so much behavior today. On the other hand, it would be a neat way of showing that an egg sunny side on hashbrowns [or some other common dish] is a better deal at P*rk*ns than at a pretend upscale restaurant in the same town.
9CL drags along. And there’s still that mystery grave marker. Are there two Bills? Is there no body under it? Is it Martine?
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html
Peace, emb
Wonder how many chicken catcher ads I get
EMB, I keep repeating, it will take a stake through the heart.
Sand, I knew that. Sort of a declaration of moving forward on my part. Still one of my favorites. Movie, not Viet Nam.
Debbe, hen catching loops are also useful for snagging feral cats (or not feral) and wild animals.
Sometimes feed and seed stores have them but i BET Mark can link you to an online source. I have never seen one in a Petsmart or other big box store, not that I go often. I use my local F and S store in town, ditto pet supplies at another F and S.
Try to be a locavoire. Well, spend my money where it does more good.
Love, Jackie
Had to check through the week of TIP. This one really hit home.
http://www.gocomics.com/that-is-priceless/2015/01/26
Charlotte, glad to hear you came through the snow okay; hope the same is true for Neal and other friends up there. Jerry mentioned hauling the fridge contents outside in coolers, but in my experience, plastic storage tubs work well and stack inside each other when not being used. The coolers probably keep a more constant temperature, though.
About the rules for the Navy—so THAT’S why my Dad drank so much coffee! It was the eight years afloat. And here I thought all he did was salute, paint, and drive small boats very fast!
Jackie, I love your boat building stories! My Dad built his own Criscraft, took it out a few times and didn’t like the way it handled, and rebuilt the bow. That was in the mid-fifties, and that boat is still on the water.
Jackie, about the Disney rides. Walt Disney World did away with the ride entirely, filling in the lagoon to build something else. And Disneyland changed it to a Finding Nemo themed ride. Too bad.
As for chicken catchers, might try Tractor Supply Company.
Several years ago the Milwaukee Art Museum had a special exhibit on the history of cartoons. That was the first time I saw the works of the pioneers in the industry. It was an interesting experience. Until then I only knew Buster Brown as a shoe company not as a cartoon.
I have several book collections of Krazy Kat, that is one weird but intriguing strip, especially since Krazy was sometimes he and sometimes she. The earliest Sundays are only black and white. Hearst loved the strip but it was too weird for most of his papers, so he compromised and told them they had to carry it, but they could put it in the Sunday variety section and not have to print it in color in the comics
OF due 1448-1508 CST.
http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html
Peace, emb
I’ve always enjoyed the Sunday efforts, both the ones here at A&J – I particularly loved the Wyeth tribute a few years back – and the other cartoonists who used Sunday strips to get out of the story running in the Monday through Saturday strips. Some cartoonists really used the space to expand the genre, as McKay did, or my favorite of the ‘old time,’ Cliff Sterrett, who did “Polly and her pals” for many years. Well worth learning about. Check out the Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics for a nice overview of some of the biggies.
In the ’30s, I think KK was in the regular, color comics section in the Saturday evening Journal American, NYC’s Hearst paper. No evening paper had a Sunday edition, to my knowledge. I don’t know when the paper folded, but I expect Wiki does.
Peace, emb
I also remember Buster Brown as a radio program. Guess that makes me old as dirt!
Am caught up on today’s comments, but don’t know if I will ever get to the last couple of days. I have been just too busy for fun things…
From yesterday:
sandcastler™ – “Super Storm Juno was like most first dates; full of promise, but rather dull in retrospect.”
I’ve got a 5-foot snow drift blocking my front door, so speak for yourself! Although… I’m the only one who mentioned it, so…
I guess of all those Mass. A&J readers, none hangs out here!
Jackie Monies – “Matt, I will be in Maine in August after the spring thaw at Brooklin for a class at the Wooden Boat School. I am going as much for the scenery and food as knowledge but to also fulfill another Bucket List commitment I made in 1980?s to return to Maine and take a class at the school.”
That is a beautiful spot on the coast, and a wonderful school… try to learn yourself somethin’ while you soak up the scenery!
Happy 100th Birthday, US Coast Guard. You don’t look a day over 90.
Matt said: “sandcastler™ – “Super Storm Juno was like most first dates; full of promise, but rather dull in retrospect.”
I’ve got a 5-foot snow drift blocking my front door, so speak for yourself!”
From my own past experience, I’ve never met a non-dull snow drift. By temeperment they just sit in place before slowly dripping to nothingness. If a timely demise of aforementioned drift is called for, assign wife and children the task. Statistics show increased levels of heart attacks in males who shovel snow. Call it a family win-win; they get exercise and freedom while your health is protected.
Here’s a different sort of bracelet to give the love of your life:
http://gizmodo.com/a-leatherman-bracelet-puts-25-tools-on-your-wrist-1681104701