Monday 24 September 2007

still cranky

These strips from 1909 to 1913 are very funny and all that. At this time the title changed every day. The first one in 1907 was 'A MUTT STARTS IN TO PLAY THE RACES,' and four consecutive from 1908:
'A. MUTT IS SUMMONED BEFORE THE INSANITY COMMISSION FOR EXAMINATION'
'DIVERS OPINONS AMONG BOOB INSPECTORS! MUTT ASKS POSTPONEMENT TILL TOMORROW'
'THE LOON COMMISSIONERS, AT DEFENDANT'S REQUEST, SEND HIM TO THE BOOBY CAGE.'
'MUTT SPENDS FIRST DAY IN BUGHOUSE AND IS WELCOMED BY ALL THE BUGS'
It's during that sequence, not in the current book, that A.Mutt meets the diminutive Jeff, an inmate of the booby hatch (no sensitivity toward the intellectually impaired in those days), who believes himself to be the world heavyweight champ, Jim Jeffries. Readers picking up the current book will probably be students of the history of humour to a greater or lesser extent. The most interesting thing the book could have told them is when Jeff's name started appearing in the ever changing daily titles of the strips, but some boob has gone to a lot of trouble to remove every single one of them. And the dates too.

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5 Comments:

Blogger Nicki Greenberg said...

Again with the boobs!

24 September 2007 at 00:39:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Hayley Campbell said...

Nae bother. Within a week you will have taken the book apart and put the individual strips in chronological order (complete with original title) and filed them away in a lever-arch folder.

And then you'll use the hardcover to scoop up the dogshite in the garden.

Or something.

24 September 2007 at 03:58:00 GMT-5  
Blogger jadesky19 said...

I dropped by to say, I love The Fate of the Artist. I picked it up at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary art, and I think it's very innovative. One of my favorite things is the drop caps you sprinkle throughout. Especially the 't' made of bare legs and butt. I am an Illustration student at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. You will probably only be annoyed that I asked, but one of my school projects is to interview someone in our field. I would be honored to talk to you about your work and experiences. Anyway. Had to ask . . .
Rebecca

25 September 2007 at 01:24:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Eddie Campbell said...

Rebecca
I sent you a message.

25 September 2007 at 01:29:00 GMT-5  
Blogger Eddie Campbell said...

and thanks for the good words

25 September 2007 at 01:31:00 GMT-5  

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