Time Sure Flies When You’re In A Time Machine
Here’s a panel from the first installment of a graphic novel I’m working on. I decided to incorporate a time machine to maximize possible storylines.
There’s a line from a Steve Goodman song that goes, “From the cradle to the crypt is
a mighty short trip.” Here we see that this is especially true if you’re in a time machine.
Here’s a detail showing my illustrated version of time-lapse photography.
My time machine looks suspiciously like a turkey, doesn’t it? Yes, it really gobbles up the years… : )
My machine is a affectionate parody of the time machine in the 1960 movie version
of H.G. Wells’ celebrated novel. Here we see Rod Taylor as George the Time Traveler contemplating the machine in his 1900s-era laboratory.
MGM art director Bill Ferrari designed the machine. It has a great Victorian look. I’ve always admired its elegance. The film’s a bit cheesy, but it won an Oscar for its inventive time-lapse photography, as seen in the clip below.
Are you a time travel fan? Ever read Wells’ book or seen the movie?
Does time seem to pass more quickly when you’re eating a turkey sandwich??
Hope you’ll leave a comment.
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That Horse Coulda Been A Contender!
Every cartoonist knows there’s always one more desert island gag. This one was inspired by this year’s Kentucky Derby, won by Orb on a very wet and muddy track.
Part of the joke here keys off the fact that some horses run better than others on a wet track. Such a horse is referred to as a mudder.
More horse racing slang: in researching this post, I learned that this year’s Derby took place on a sloppy track, as opposed to a muddy track.
A muddy track is just wet. A sloppy track is so wet, it has standing water. Here’s a detail from the cartoon.
How muddy was it at this year’s Derby? Here’s a photo of winning horse and jockey as they crossed the finish line.
Orb was the favorite, but he had to come from far back to win. If you’d like to see the race, you can watch this 3-minute clip on YouTube.
Ever been to the Kentucky Derby?
Ever bet on a horse race and won some serious money?
Do you wear galoshes when you run in the mud??
Hope you’ll leave a comment.
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I was inspired to draw this cartoon after reading a very funny anecdote about Pope John XXIII, best remembered today for calling the Second Vatican Council which ushered in a new era for the Roman Catholic Church.
He was elected pope in 1958 at age 77. The convening of all Roman Catholic cardinals to elect a new pope is known as a conclave.
Hard to believe today, but security was not a major issue back in 1958. Pope John liked to get out of the Vatican and meet people, and would often stroll the streets of Rome dressed as an ordinary prelate.
He was a huge man, and on one occasion he overheard a woman talking about how fat the pope was. He turned to her and said:
“But, Madame, you must know that the conclave is not exactly a beauty contest!”
He sounds like my kind of quipster.
He was once asked how many people worked at the Vatican. His reply: “About half.”
A little boy wrote asking advice. The boy said he wanted to be either a policeman or Pope, but couldn’t decide which. Pope John wrote back advising him to become a policeman, because “Anybody can be pope; the proof of this is that I have become one.”
Amazing, isn’t it, how humanizing a sense of humor can be.
More Pope John wit and wisdom here.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Got any funny stories about popes, saints, or other religious leaders?
Do you think there will be free donuts in Heaven?
Hope you’ll leave a comment.
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Have you downloaded any unusual apps yourself?
Should worms be allowed to have mobile phones?
Hope you’ll leave a comment.
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It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Americans: a terrorist bombing in Boston, and a tragic fire in West, Texas.
Both incidents showed us what real heroism looks like.
I hope this illustration doesn’t seem trite or disrespectful. I believe humor helps us cope.
It also helps us say things that aren’t easy to express.
My thanks to the police, firefighters, first responders, and ordinary citizens of Boston and West, Texas who showed the rest of us the human spirit at its finest.
Have you ever seen a local community come together in response to a tragedy?
Ever thanked a policeman, fireman, or emergency squad person just for being there?
Hope you’ll leave a comment.
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Abbott and Costello were a little before my time, but I grew up watching their old movies, and they still make me laugh today (OK, I’m easily entertained).
I consider Who’s On First? to be comedic lunacy at its finest. The routine is brilliantly constructed, and I was intrigued to learn that its roots go back to burlesque.
I have a very slight personal connection to the routine. I grew up in Cooperstown, NY, which is home to the Baseball Hall Of Fame. A gold record of Who’s On First? was added to the Hall Of Fame Museum in 1956. Am I in the Hall Of Fame myself? No– but
I should be. : )
Here’s a closeup of the Abbott and Costello caricatures.
Here’s the famous routine itself, as performed by Abbott and Costello in their 1945 film, The Naughty Nineties.
You don’t really need to understand the American game of baseball to enjoy the routine. All you need to know is this:
Each team has nine players, and they play these nine fielding positions: first base, second base, third base, pitcher, catcher, left field, center field, right field, and shortstop.
The humor derives from the fielders’ names: Who plays first base, What plays second base, I Don’t Know plays third base, etc.
Questions For You:
1. Are you an Abbott and Costello fan?
2. Do you have a favorite comedy routine or skit? (e.g., Monty Python doing “Spam”)
3. Ever visited the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, USA?
Hope you’ll leave a comment.
If you enjoyed the post and would like to let me know, click the Like button below.
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Questions For You:
1. Ever heard a cinnamon roll called a snail before?
2. Do you have any funny names for food where you live?
Hope you’ll leave a comment.
If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to get updates. Just click the Get Updates button in the sidebar below the Portfolio Thumbnails, or click + Follow in the blog menu bar.
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