Comics
Squeans, Plewds and Briffits
In a March 24, 1946 article for This Week magazine (which was included as a Sunday supplement in many newspapers), Charles Rice coined names for various symbols that appeared in comic strips. For example, he said that 'briffits' were the dust clouds left behind when a character is running, and 'plewds' were the drops of sweat emanating from the character.Cartoonist Mort Walker (of Beetle Bailey fame) later expanded Rice's brief list into an entire Lexicon of Comicana (1980).
According to wikipedia, these terms now "sometimes appear in dictionaries, and serve as convenient terminology occasionally used by cartoonists and critics."
More info: Wikipedia; The Lexicon of Comicana (Internet Archive)
Indianapolis Star - Mar 24, 1946
Posted By: Alex - Tue Dec 10, 2024 -
Comments (2)
Category: Languages, Comics, 1940s
The Educational Value of Comics
Nowadays we've all heard of people who practice on a flight simulator game, then manage successfully to steal a plane. But these two lads deserve extra credit, since they had to learn from the printed page!
Posted By: Paul - Fri Nov 22, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Crime, Comics, Juvenile Delinquency, Air Travel and Airlines, 1940s
The Great Comic Switcheroo
Read about this excellent April Fool's Day prank at Wikipedia.Here are some representative strips.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Nov 18, 2024 -
Comments (1)
Category: Newspapers, Identity Mistakes, Thefts and Mix-ups, Comics, 1990s
Mystery Illustration 114
What is unique about this PEANUTS cartoon?The answer is here.
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jul 28, 2024 -
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Category: Comics, 1970s
Huey Smith and the Clowns, “Popeye”
The musician's Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Mar 29, 2024 -
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Category: Music, Comics, 1960s, Dance
Miss Moon Maid of 1965
More fotos and text at the link.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Mar 09, 2024 -
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Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Comics, Space Travel, 1960s
“The Family Circus” Goes to War
No one likes to make fun of THE FAMILY CIRCUS more than I. In fact, if you go beyond the jump, you'll see a couple of samples of the re-captioned cartoons I frequently post on Facebook.But I have to say that I have new admiration for Bil Keane after reading about his somewhat gutsy and altruistic trip to Vietnam.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 22, 2024 -
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Category: War, Comics, 1960s, Asia
Wife Gets Smart, Makes Husband Happy
In 1941, Safeway began including comic strips in their newspaper ads. The comics continued throughout World War II until 1947.Nat Gertler collected these comic-strip ads together in a book titled Wife Gets Smart, Makes Husband Happy. It's a collection WUvies might enjoy since it offers a bizarro window onto the concerns of mid-20th century American families.
One theme in particular emerges repeatedly: wives desperately trying to manage the moods of their husbands (the husbands being either cranky, obnoxious, clueless, or lethargic). Somehow the wives always manage to save the marriage by shopping at Safeway.
More info: AboutComics.com, Amazon
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jul 08, 2023 -
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Category: Advertising, Comics, Books, 1940s
A Comic That Scared the Senate
The infamous Senate Hearings on horror comics in the 1950s are well known. And in fact, you can read the whole 316-page transcript here.I thought it might be fun to see one of the actual stories that triggered the politicians. It follows after the next two images.
Posted By: Paul - Fri May 19, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Horror, Politics, Scandals and Controversies, Comics, Children, 1950s
Follies of the Madmen #549
Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 13, 2022 -
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Category: Family, Newspapers, Restaurants, Advertising, Comics, Junk Food, 1960s
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |