“It is required of every man,” the Ghost returned, “that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world-ah, woe is me!-and witnessContinue reading “Screen Scrooges: Sufferings of the Late Mr. Marley”
Tag Archives: Postcards
Cute Overdose
Now, in nature, children and small animals are not necessarily the best of friends. It depends a lot on that first encounter. Are they going to be in competition or cahoots? Sometimes likes repel, after all. But the world of postcards and the world of what we consider reality both see thatContinue reading “Cute Overdose”
New Moon Over Your Shoulder?
Some other time, we shall discuss the weighty question of why our ancestors had so many jokes about bathrooms and their functions and the functions of people using them in their world of postcards. It could be because postcards were consider such a quick, informal form of communication that we could toss in aContinue reading “New Moon Over Your Shoulder?”
Looking Glass
So, once upon a time, somebody came up with these discs of glass which could be used to focus the sun’s rays into a burning point. THEN someone realized they could be used to make small things look bigger, and, over the years, loupes and telescopes and microscopes and binoculars came to be. SomewhereContinue reading “Looking Glass”
To Make a Long Story Short
We have examined, from time to time, the pleasure our postcard artists took in the infinite mixings and matchings of romance, but we have been primarily concerned with girth. The artists found other ways to express romance in inches. (Mind. Gutter. Please.) The tall, thin man and the short, round woman were veryContinue reading “To Make a Long Story Short”
The Seven Deadly Virtues
Today, we are going address unfair animadversions against human qualities. I realize that this material has been presented from other angles, but bloggery can be a haven for unpopular viewpoints. Why don’t people speak more pleasantly about WRATH: Despite its popularity on social media, recognition of this as a major virtue goes backContinue reading “The Seven Deadly Virtues”
Boat Season Coming Up
Spring is here now, more or less. (One forecaster spoke of snow this weekend, but it IS only April.) It is the time of year when folks start getting out on their boats again. And seasonal though they might be, boats were regarded with just as much joy by postcard cartoonists as cars. Continue reading “Boat Season Coming Up”
More Is More
One of the questions which comes up in considering of old-time comedy is “Why that?” Why do some things come up in jokes more than others? As noted hereintofore, we have plenty of cartoons about dogs peeing and horses pooping: how did we decide THAT was funny, when each animal obviously does both? CustomerContinue reading “More Is More”
Come Here Often?
The cartoonists who commented on life through postcards were of course alive to the constant comedy of romance, but the awkward first blushes to the elderly couple getting a divorce after seventy-five years of marriage because enough is enough. One facet of the procedure which has gotten attention from comics and philosophers in allContinue reading “Come Here Often?”
SCREEN SCROOGES: The Charity Solicitors
This lunatic, in letting Scrooge’s nephew out, had let two other people in. They were portly gentlemen, pleasant to behold, and now stood, with their hats off, in Scrooge’s office. They had books and papers in their hands, and bowed to him. “Scrooge and Marley’s, I believe,” said on of the gentlemen, referringContinue reading “SCREEN SCROOGES: The Charity Solicitors”
Blogsy Babbles 