The Era -- Day By Day

[Harp]

Who's watching Leonora (Sally's Mom I guess)?




You really can't. We need one of those Daily News charts.

Also, I don't care about the "he's immature" stuff - it's the paving stones and labor, stolen from the taxpayers, that is the real story here. From what we've read so far, everything points to the stones and labor having been knowingly stolen. Flynn and others should be tried.




A smart woman I know just said, "You can't keep the feuds straight without a scorecard."




That - the carton sliding to the field - is a great piece of marketing. I bet they sold a lot of cigarettes because of it.




An informed source has obtained a copy of some of the soon-to-be-published history:

...and so ended 1919, a very good year for our beer sales, which also highlighted Brooklyn's F&M Schaefer Brewing Company's wartime contribution and continued service to the greater Brooklyn community. [Ahem] Then, in 1934, another outstanding year for both beer sales and community service, F&M Schaefer's employment of Brooklynites hit an all-time high.




The draft proved to be an incredibly useful deus ex machina for resolving minor crimes and other youthful kerfuffles.




A cocktail bar, really, it's the middle of the day. Even Leona waiting until night to do her howling.




"We'll be ready for you Irwin." [Waits till Irwin leaves] "This is serious, Dan's in real trouble. Get Kay on the phone."

[Ring, ring] "Kay, we need you, Dan's in trouble. Can you find Harrington - I want both of you on this."

"He right here inside, um, sure, I think I can locate Harrington, we'll be right over."

"Irwin will help you too."

"Were you in the first draft lieutenant or did you volunteer?"
"I thought it was ask-an-inappropriate-question day, sorry."




I give Normandie and Merrily 12 hours, 24 at the outside, to survive on their own without Pat.
I'm hoping it's the DL, fits better than the Japanese.

CONUS-continental United States-stateside wartime assign is top dog as good as gets.
Those fortunate shavetails are lucky, platoon leader lieutenants have a ninety day life expectancy.
Red meat, hard liquor, and soft beautiful women are available only to the living.

Normandie is pushing Darwinian evolutionary theory to envelope edge. She needs some better
instinct to survive natural selection cruelty; pursuing that cad creep husband to China is akin
to Ahab chasin the catfish. Now, casting off and away Padraic, seals her and Merrilee's doom.

Nip-Nip seems sufficiently slime to be a DL resident snake-in-grass and Ryan needs to take
Norms and Merrilee to Hong Kong anywayz. DL will be there where all the action is-or out at Macau.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Keep in mind that Pat was, before Pearl Harbor, working in Hong Kong as the DL's agent, with an office and everything. At the very least, there'll be the matter of his back pay to resolve.

On the other hand, if Nip-Nip is also one of the DL's operatives, he should know who Pat is.

 

[Fading Fast]

Keep in mind that Pat was, before Pearl Harbor, working in Hong Kong as the DL's agent, with an office and everything. At the very least, there'll be the matter of his back pay to resolve.

On the other hand, if Nip-Nip is also one of the DL's operatives, he should know who Pat is.

I am going to have to break down and buy the compilations books, but they are expensive. Depending on this, that and the other thing, they run between $50-$100 a year. So to go back to the start in '34, the 1930s all in would cost, probably, around $500 (a bit less or more based on availability, condition, etc.).

I feel I need to really get the full backstory on everyone.

Or, Lizzie, do I really need to go that far back? Thoughts? Thank you.

 

[LizzieMaine]

There have been multiple reprints of the entire Caniff run, and for my money the best are the TDW "LIbrary of American Comics" editions, which cover two years per volume. I have the first two volumes of the TDW series, and they are, in fact, well worth owning despite the hefty price tag. The reproduction of the strips is excellent and the Sunday pages are presented in their original color, which we really do miss out on in these microfilm posts.

That said, T&TP does take a bit of time getting off the ground over the first six months or so -- you can see Caniff trying to figure out exactly what he's going to do with the strip, and he spends that time doing some generic adventure plots with characters that haven't yet quite come into focus. But by the time Normandie shows up in mid-1935, things are starting to come together, and the characters, while obviously younger, are recognizably the Pat and Terry and company that we know. Terry, at the start of the strip, is a little boy, with a little boy's attitude and a little boy's point of view, while Pat is more like his big irresponsible brother than any kind of an authority figure. There is also a lot more "velly solly" stereotyping of Chinese characters, even beyond Connie, who is there from the beginning and does gradually move beyond the straight-up comedy relief he was introduced to be.

One minor annoyance in the way Volume 1 is formatted is that for the first year and a half or so, the dailies and the Sunday pages run two separate stories -- so the book publishes all of the Sunday strips from this period at the very start of the book, and only joins the dailies afterward. So it's a little unsettling to watch the strip evolve thru the Sundays and then have to go back to the beginning for the dailies. Once the daily and Sunday continuities merge, however, things are back on track.

The first volume is essential reading, though, because in addition to Normandie and the DL, Captain Blaze and Burma both make their first appearances in its pages -- and both are, remarkably, fully-formed from the moment they show up. You also get the first appearance of Captain Judas and several other recurring characters. The second volume gives the first appearances of Big Stoop and Tony Sandhurst, and, most importantly, shows the DL's shift from pirate chieftain to guerilla fighter against the Invaders. This volume takes us thru the end of 1938, about a year short of the point where we picked up the strip in late 1939.

The TDW books have been out of print since the mid-2010s, but with a new prestige reissue now coming out, the prices of this version can be expected to drop. You can find them on eBay for $35-$60 each if you look sharp and act fast.

 

[Harp]

Keep in mind that Pat was, before Pearl Harbor, working in Hong Kong as the DL's agent, with an office and everything. At the very least, there'll be the matter of his back pay to resolve.

On the other hand, if Nip-Nip is also one of the DL's operatives, he should know who Pat is.

Dragon Gal might have her fiefdom configured guerilla cellular for security lest any soldier
be captured and tortured. Nip might not be inside DL's tightly pulled taut circle, and, Padraic
the tall Mick would prove an all too easily identified Celtic Caucasian Yank.

And Dragon Lady probably has urge-to-merge Saturday Night Fever just wanna dance
and make romance, so Padraic reasonably pencils himself her dance card date.
All particulars and travel voucher per diem jazz can wait, don't care late.

 

[Fading Fast]

There have been multiple reprints of the entire Caniff run, and for my money the best are the TDW "LIbrary of American Comics" editions, which cover two years per volume. I have the first two volumes of the TDW series, and they are, in fact, well worth owning despite the hefty price tag. The reproduction of the strips is excellent and the Sunday pages are presented in their original color, which we really do miss out on in these microfilm posts.

That said, T&TP does take a bit of time getting off the ground over the first six months or so -- you can see Caniff trying to figure out exactly what he's going to do with the strip, and he spends that time doing some generic adventure plots with characters that haven't yet quite come into focus. But by the time Normandie shows up in mid-1935, things are starting to come together, and the characters, while obviously younger, are recognizably the Pat and Terry and company that we know. Terry, at the start of the strip, is a little boy, with a little boy's attitude and a little boy's point of view, while Pat is more like his big irresponsible brother than any kind of an authority figure. There is also a lot more "velly solly" stereotyping of Chinese characters, even beyond Connie, who is there from the beginning and does gradually move beyond the straight-up comedy relief he was introduced to be.

One minor annoyance in the way Volume 1 is formatted is that for the first year and a half or so, the dailies and the Sunday pages run two separate stories -- so the book publishes all of the Sunday strips from this period at the very start of the book, and only joins the dailies afterward. So it's a little unsettling to watch the strip evolve thru the Sundays and then have to go back to the beginning for the dailies. Once the daily and Sunday continuities merge, however, things are back on track.

The first volume is essential reading, though, because in addition to Normandie and the DL, Captain Blaze and Burma both make their first appearances in its pages -- and both are, remarkably, fully-formed from the moment they show up. You also get the first appearance of Captain Judas and several other recurring characters. The second volume gives the first appearances of Big Stoop and Tony Sandhurst, and, most importantly, shows the DL's shift from pirate chieftain to guerilla fighter against the Invaders. This volume takes us thru the end of 1938, about a year short of the point where we picked up the strip in late 1939.

The TDW books have been out of print since the mid-2010s, but with a new prestige reissue now coming out, the prices of this version can be expected to drop. You can find them on eBay for $35-$60 each if you look sharp and act fast.

That is great color on the series and, agreed, eBay is often the least expensive way to buy books like this. Ok, I'll begin the hunt. Thank you so much for the detailed explanation.

 

[Harp]

^ Watch out for Ebay guerilla snipers. Got called to a staff meeting, rushed back to cover
my bid for this absolutely stunning Norwegian hand knit roll neck sweater, and just when I
was set to squeeze the mouse, blam!

 

[Fading Fast]

^ Watch out for Ebay guerilla snipers. Got called to a staff meeting, rushed back to cover
my bid for this absolutely stunning Norwegian hand knit roll neck sweater, and just when I
was set to squeeze the mouse, blam!

Thank you. I've been playing the eBay game for almost two decades now, so I get what you're saying. Sometimes I'll pay a bit more to buy something elsewhere to avoid all the eBay "rigamarole" if the extra money isn't crazy.

I think I have to get these books, though, and learn the full backstory.

 

[Fading Fast]

There have been multiple reprints of the entire Caniff run, and for my money the best are the TDW "LIbrary of American Comics" editions, which cover two years per volume. I have the first two volumes of the TDW series, and they are, in fact, well worth owning despite the hefty price tag. The reproduction of the strips is excellent and the Sunday pages are presented in their original color, which we really do miss out on in these microfilm posts.

That said, T&TP does take a bit of time getting off the ground over the first six months or so -- you can see Caniff trying to figure out exactly what he's going to do with the strip, and he spends that time doing some generic adventure plots with characters that haven't yet quite come into focus. But by the time Normandie shows up in mid-1935, things are starting to come together, and the characters, while obviously younger, are recognizably the Pat and Terry and company that we know. Terry, at the start of the strip, is a little boy, with a little boy's attitude and a little boy's point of view, while Pat is more like his big irresponsible brother than any kind of an authority figure. There is also a lot more "velly solly" stereotyping of Chinese characters, even beyond Connie, who is there from the beginning and does gradually move beyond the straight-up comedy relief he was introduced to be.

One minor annoyance in the way Volume 1 is formatted is that for the first year and a half or so, the dailies and the Sunday pages run two separate stories -- so the book publishes all of the Sunday strips from this period at the very start of the book, and only joins the dailies afterward. So it's a little unsettling to watch the strip evolve thru the Sundays and then have to go back to the beginning for the dailies. Once the daily and Sunday continuities merge, however, things are back on track.

The first volume is essential reading, though, because in addition to Normandie and the DL, Captain Blaze and Burma both make their first appearances in its pages -- and both are, remarkably, fully-formed from the moment they show up. You also get the first appearance of Captain Judas and several other recurring characters. The second volume gives the first appearances of Big Stoop and Tony Sandhurst, and, most importantly, shows the DL's shift from pirate chieftain to guerilla fighter against the Invaders. This volume takes us thru the end of 1938, about a year short of the point where we picked up the strip in late 1939.

The TDW books have been out of print since the mid-2010s, but with a new prestige reissue now coming out, the prices of this version can be expected to drop. You can find them on eBay for $35-$60 each if you look sharp and act fast.

Okay, so I went to the new release page and am considering just signing up and paying $75 per volume as they release all 13 of them over the next four years. This year I'd get 3 volumes covering years '34-'37. I know it's more expensive, but it might be nice to do it over four years and maybe they'll even have some neat stuff added into the new release.

 

[Harp]

Thank you. I've been playing the eBay game for almost two decades now, so I get what you're saying. Sometimes I'll pay a bit more to buy something elsewhere to avoid all the eBay "rigamarole" if the extra money isn't crazy.

I think I have to get these books, though, and learn the full backstory.

My ultimate sniper duel on Ebay occured when I bid for a '94 Jaguar XJS convertible.
Searching for a Jag, scouring available models, years; estate sale iron; hand-me-downs;
reposession; three state radius, then two, then concentrated Chicago environ. I looked for
a high end dealer who wouldn't accept any crap for trade in: McGrath-Lexus on Division Street.
Started the shoot out around $2,300; sniper laid low for a day or two, snuck around. I recall
stopping at a Starbucks and whipping out my laptop just to monitor the situation before
the final hour. Nailed it at $5,200.

 

[Fading Fast]

Okay, so I went to the new release page and am considering just signing up and paying $75 per volume as they release all 13 of them over the next four years. This year I'd get 3 volumes covering years '34-'37. I know it's more expensive, but it might be nice to do it over four years and maybe they'll even have some neat stuff added into the new release.

The Lizzie "Like" sealed the deal and I just ordered the "new" editions.

I will report back after the first ones come and I've had time to read them.

I am glad my father is not alive to see how I waste my money.

 

[LizzieMaine]

An investment in fine literature is never a waste of money.

I noticed in looking over those new editions that they include the daily strip title slugs -- those are absent in the 2008 edition, and as we've seen, they're worth paying attention to for the hints they give to what's REALLY going on in each strip. That's a worthwhile improvement to previous reprints. Looking forward to a full review!

 

[LizzieMaine]

(An infra-red bulb, huh? Just happened to have that with you, huh? How 'bout we go in the police station here and show the desk sergeant, huh?)

Corregidor can and will be held, General Jonathan Wainwright declared this week. In an Order of the Day issued April 12th to the embattled U. S. garrison at the fortress at Manila Bay, and he ordered each person within that fortress, both soldier and civilian alike, to prepare for 24-hour-a-day battle to "keep the flag flying." Wainwright's order was issued to the furious accompaniment of Japanese artillery and airplane barrages with which the enemy seeks to crush the defenders and complete their victory in Bataan. "There can be no question of surrendering this mighty fortress to the enemy," stated Gen. Wainwright. "It will be defended with all the resources at our command."

The German radio today complained that torrential spring rains have created impassible bogs on the Russian front, as Soviet forces continue to assail the invading troops at will with bayonets and rifles along the entire length of that front, from Leningrad to the Black Sea. Strong Russian forces crashed today thru two German lines near the strategic city of Kuibyshev and that fighting has now reached the approach to that city.

(The wheels of justice may grind slowly, but they do continue to grind.)

A 13 year old boy from Munsey Park, L. I. was found today hiding under his bed after an odyssey that carried him from his suburban home to Ohio, where he had attempted to join the Navy. Robert Whearley had donned a pair of his father's trousers to give himself that grown-up look, but was turned away when he tried to enlist at several naval stations along his route. The boy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jay F. Whearley of 106 Trumbull Road, spent his $30 savings on the trip, and was just able to make his way home, where, after learning that a nine-state police alarm was out on him, he sought refuge beneath his bed, where his mother finally found him.

(Canada Lee was one of the outstanding stage actors of his generation, and the fact that he will die at the age of 45 is a monumental loss to the American theatre. Among his accomplishments, he will in 1946 become the first black actor to play a serious white role in a Broadway show. In full whiteface, yet.)

Typewriter rationing will begin on April 20th, with the Office of Production Management declaring that the end of typewriter manufacture in the United States will save enough steel to construct 540 light tanks and 216 medium tanks, enough aluminum to build 70 pursuit planes and 40 bombers, enough tin for 3,500,000 cans, and enough rubber to furnish 162 tires for use on "Flying Fortresses."

A state ban on all signs that may be read in daylight from the air that point the way to any community, village, business concern or utility plant requires that all such existing signs be eradicated immediately. With a number of such signs present on roofs and other flat surfaces in Nassau County, Civilian Defense authorities indicated that action will be taken there at once to comply with the order.

The new Victory Girdles are out -- and in addition to giving up elastic, the garments close with a long row of buttons instead of zippers. Even the stays and the garter clasps are now made of plastic.

The Eagle Editorialist takes umbrage at Mayor LaGuardia's refusal to explain himself to newspaper reporters, and his insistence on using his WNYC radio broadcasts as his primary means of communication with the public. "The mayor does not actually depend on the radio despite his slurs on the press," he sniffs, "for he is at special pains to see that the papers receive a verbatim text of his remarks."

(Get ready for YEARS of housing shortage jokes.)

The self-styled leader of the Gray Shirts, a one-man anti-Semitic organization that openly supports Hitler on the streets of Yorkville is being held today as a draft evader. Forty-year-old Herbert Schmuderrich, a butchers' helper, is a naturalized American citizen, and was arrested by FBI agents yesterday on charges of failure to register with Selective Service. He is also alleged to have distributed hundreds of Nazi propaganda pamphlets to officers and men on active duty with the Army. He is being held in lieu of $5000 bail pending further action.

(ARE THE GIANTS STILL IN THE LEAGUE?????)

Remember all those jokes about Babe Herman, back in the days of the Dodger Daffiness Boys, getting hit on the head by a fly ball? Well, out in Hollywood no one's joking now that Brooklyn's Babe is in the movies. Still an active player with the Hollywood Stars in the Coast League, the Incredible Hoiman is wearing Yankee flannels for Samuel Goldwyn, acting as Gary Cooper's body double in the upcoming movie about Lou Gehrig's life. Whenever you'll see "Gehrig" pulling off an impressive fielding play that'll be Herman, not Cooper, wielding the mitt.

Brooklyn's own queen of the daytime serials, Elaine Carrington, will join Dave Elman on Saturday night's "Hobby Lobby" program over WABC, to talk about her own hobby: song writing. Mrs. Carrington, who turns out thousands of words a day for "When A Girl Marries," will introduce her new song "Here's What You Are," to be sung by baritone Harvey Harding.

(It's his moustache! That must be it! It's really a disguised Nazi agent giving off anti-Cosmic Ray rays! "HERE LET ME SLAP IT OFF YOUR FACE!" What? I could write this stuff as well as Boody does.)

("You look so dumb!" Well, that could apply to anybody.)

("My scheme worked PERFECTLY! I got a cut and a perm and I didn't even have to leave a tip!")

(Isn't that always the way though.)

(Ooooooooooh, we KNOW WHAT'S COMING!)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Yeah, this infra-red thing is getting out of hand.

I've read these articles, and Mr. Hibbs' predecessor, Wesley W. Stout, is guilty at the very least of having absolutely no sense whatsoever of the tenor of the times, and at most, of being a deliberate provocateur, in putting out this particular series under this particular title at this particular moment, especially given the Post's reputation as the voice of reactionary WASPdom, and Mr. Mayer's previous articles taking a hard-line isolationist position on the war. I feel bad for Mr. Hibbs having this particular ball land in his lap, but that's how it goes.

Serial killers are as much a thing in 1942 as they are in any era, but they're not usually so businesslike about it.

"Relax, we don't even look German. Well, OK, a little bit, but who'll notice?"

"Many brave hearts -- are asleep -- in the deep -- so -- beeeeeeWAAAAARE..."

Merrily is growing up fast.

Well, with those flat feet you won't have to worry about the draft.

We're leading up to something here.

Keep it up and you'll have your own show.

I've never had any dealings with "venture capitalists," but I expect this is exactly how it goes.

 

[LizzieMaine]

And a baseball bonus --

It takes a lot of courage to be a Giant fan in Brooklyn, but to have your picture in the paper is living a bit dangerously.

 

[Fading Fast]

...
The German radio today complained that torrential spring rains have created impassible bogs on the Russian front, as Soviet forces continue to assail the invading troops at will with bayonets and rifles along the entire length of that front, from Leningrad to the Black Sea. Strong Russian forces crashed today thru two German lines near the strategic city of Kuibyshev and that fighting has now reached the approach to that city.
...

Yeah, it's the spring rains.

...

A state ban on all signs that may be read in daylight from the air that point the way to any community, village, business concern or utility plant requires that all such existing signs be eradicated immediately. With a number of such signs present on roofs and other flat surfaces in Nassau County, Civilian Defense authorities indicated that action will be taken there at once to comply with the order.
...

Who'd a thunk any of those signs existed in the first place?

"Hey, Joe, let's paint a giant arrow on our roof to point the way to Massapequa."

"Yes, great idea!"

Said no one ever.

...

The new Victory Girdles are out -- and in addition to giving up elastic, the garments close with a long row of buttons instead of zippers. Even the stays and the garter clasps are now made of plastic.
...

I don't think I've ever seen a woman wearing / putting on a girdle (outside of the movies), but if I understand the purpose and logistics, unless very well designed, I can't imagine a zipper fastener would be the best idea as you can see that going horribly wrong.

...

(ARE THE GIANTS STILL IN THE LEAGUE?????)
...

It's living through innings like the seventh that shortens one's life.

...

(It's his moustache! That must be it! It's really a disguised Nazi agent giving off anti-Cosmic Ray rays! "HERE LET ME SLAP IT OFF YOUR FACE!" What? I could write this stuff as well as Boody does.)
...

I wonder if Boody isn't having, um, er, performance issues that he's working out in his strip: "When I'm in front of you, I can't take off...what's wrong with me??" "It's no big deal, dear, it happens to everyone at some time or another." "Not me!"

...

(Ooooooooooh, we KNOW WHAT'S COMING!)

Now, Lizzie, don't forget, the school counselor went into private practice and the school doesn't have the budget to send you to him. You should know, they're thinking of having the gym teacher fill in as counselor until they can hire a new one. If it was me, I'd just keep whatever I'm thinking to myself, at least until they hire a real new counselor.

...


I've read these articles, and Mr. Hibbs' predecessor, Wesley W. Stout, is guilty at the very least of having absolutely no sense whatsoever of the tenor of the times, and at most, of being a deliberate provocateur, in putting out this particular series under this particular title at this particular moment, especially given the Post's reputation as the voice of reactionary WASPdom, and Mr. Mayer's previous articles taking a hard-line isolationist position on the war. I feel bad for Mr. Hibbs having this particular ball land in his lap, but that's how it goes.
...

I've not read the articles, but taking this notice at face value, it is a compliment to the country. It's an impressive statement two decades before the Civil Right Movement and at a time when so much of the world was outwardly against the individual freedom it stands for.

...

Merrily is growing up fast.
...

Pat's just waiting for word that the Japanese have killed Sandhurst, then he's expecting to have a quite a conversation with Normandie.

Meanwhile, Merrily thinks, "who you calling useless, Mother?"

...

I've never had any dealings with "venture capitalists," but I expect this is exactly how it goes.

You're not far off. The confidence they exude is incredible. It's quite a show.

 

[PrivateEye]

FF, where did you order the new releases from? If you like them, I'll consider following suit.

Nice to see that Father Coughlin lost his mailing privileges - thank goodness he didn't have access to the internet...

 

[Fading Fast]

FF, where did you order the new releases from?

If you like them, I'll consider following suit.

You can read about them here: https://cloverpress.us/collections/terry-and-the-pirates-the-master-collection

And order them here: https://cloverpress.us/collections/...selling_plan=679215289&variant=41487796895929

 

[Harp]

just waiting for word that the Japanese have killed Sandhurst, then he's expecting to have a quite a conversation with Normandie.

Meanwhile, Merrily thinks, "who you calling useless, Mother?"

As Franklin quipped, 'a man who empties his purse inside his head...'
Fine literature also includes controversial writing, such as Celine; thou even the French are confused.
-----
Padraic and Norms, will this thing ever work itself out?

 

[LizzieMaine]

As far as zippered girdles go, they're usually set up with a hook-and-eye underflap that you close first, and then pull up the zipper for a smooth line. It works fine if the garment fits properly, but if it's too tight, the opening gaps, flesh is exposed, and the zipper can be unpleasant.

Although, I might imagine, not so unpleasant as trying to pull a girdle closed with a buttonhook.