So, Kendra knows I love her (at least I hope she does. Love you, Kendra. Love your blog.) And Kendra isn’t afraid to stir the pot, which is something I really like about her. But I honestly lost sl…
When my six year old saw me drawing this, he said “If Simon loves Baz, why is he pointing a sword at him?” I had to laugh. (I set him straight of course and told him Simon was a little confused. 😂)…
I finally braved the waters of drawing all the Canaan House necro-cav pairs, plus a compilation of some year-old HtN things (I am so unreasonably happy with Harrow’s fancy paint)
Science with Dr. Darling! @ControlRemedy @remedygames @505_Games #ThrowbackThursday #MatthewPorretta Photos by @vidaisonline
One of God’s stranger affections is the special love He had for Jacob of the Old Testament. We are reading through this story in daily Mass this week. According to some, the name Jacob means “grabber” or “usurper.” Even while still in his mother Rebekah’s womb, Jacob wrestled with his twin brother, Esau. Although Esau … Continue reading "A Battle You Can’t Afford to Win – The Story of Jacob’s Conversion"
By Astrid Lindgren Illustrated by Nancy Seligohn 1973 softcover edition (This translated version, coupled with these illustrations, was originally published in 1959) Viking Press Tab Books Schoolastic Book Services
What if Rich did it all for Jake? Seen earlier on my Patreon.
Sneaky 😏
1959 was a pivotal year in John Stanley's comics career. He ended a 14-year relationship with Dell's best-selling Little Lulu comics franchise. He moved laterally into a recent Dell acquisition--Ernie Bushmiller's Zen comic strip Nancy. Stanley applied most of his Lulu formulae to the Nancy universe, with the added spin of a genuinely supernatural character (his own creation): Oona Goosepimple. Most importantly, Stanley's comedic sense took a sharp new direction in '59. The 1950s, for Stanley, had been largely devoted to the calmer, gentler, more internalized world of Lulu, Tubby, et al. He was able to summon some of his wilder humor tendencies in a series of side-projects. You've seen most of them here: Krazy Kat, The Little King, Howdy Doody and Rootie Kazootie. Stanley's Little King is the only example of his 1950s work that I would consider major--outside of Lulu and Tubby, of course. Slapdash as his other non-Lulu '50s work may be, the seeds of a new comedic sensibility were slowly developed in those quickie side-projects. The world of Little Lulu is tightly wound and hermetically sealed. Like Chuck Jones' "Road Runner" animated cartoons, Lulu functions on a series of strict rules and formulas. Stanley worked in the manner of other pulp fiction authors of the era. Lester Dent's Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot formula reveals the methodology that enabled such writers to keep up their tremendous output. Stanley was no exception. He had a series of master story lines for Lulu, and by the end of the 1940s, it was just a matter of plugging in new elements, shuffling the deck of familiar locales and predicaments, and, voila! Story after story could be created. It is to John Stanley's credit that he sought to augment the rigid formulas with some wild flights of imagination. Otherwise, his Little Lulu would be dull reading. We hate to admit it, but we're hooked by formulas. We like the template--we find comfort in the set-up and its familiarity. This may explain the lasting popularity of Stanley's Lulu--why it continues to hook readers. But formula on its own leaves no lasting legacy. Without the human touch of the unpredictable, the incongruent and the surprise of twists and tweaks, even the sturdiest formulas lose their sheen in time. I think that John Stanley understood this. He knew that he had a responsibility to write to the formulas--that's what the large Lulu readership wanted and expected. He also knew how to subvert the formulas just enough to keep them fresh and rewarding. My study of Little Lulu has, until recently, been hampered by my lack of the last few issues that contain Stanley's work. Thanks, in part, to Jon Barli at Rosebud Archives, I have been able to peruse the long-missing issues 132-136 of Lulu. (In fact, thanks to him, I now have a complete run of the Stanley issues in digital form. Bless you, Jon!) These unaccountably hard-to-find late issues reveal two important things: Stanley was not burned out on Little Lulu, even to the end of his association with the title Western Publishing transitioned another writer into the title while Stanley still worked on it For years, I've wondered if the error-riddled Overstreet Price Guide had it right in stating that #135 was Stanley's last issue of Little Lulu. They've gotten so much else wrong about Stanley's comics work... but they're almost correct in this case. There is one Stanley-written story in Lulu #136 (the fairy-tale). I have not seen issues 137-139. I don't hold my breath, but it's possible there may be one or two other Stanley left-overs in those issues. I'll know when I finally see 'em... This is a huge preamble to the meat of today's posting, I realize. But it's important to lay these cards on the table. The myth that Stanley's Lulu, post-1955, is a work in decline is wrong. It is, in fact, thrilling to see how Stanley picks at the iron-clad formulas in the last four years of his Lulu tenure. Substantial changes, many which you'll see in these late stories, include (yep, more bullet points): the use of typography to depict changes in dialog and sound-effects volume (which can go from a whisper to a full-throated shout) a tendency to fill the panels with verbose word balloons (including multiple balloons and balloons with motile tails) a harder edge to the comedy situations--in general, a more brassy approach to humor a tendency of the characters to have bigger emotions: when they're angry, they're ANGRY All these aspects point the way to Stanley's comics masterworks of the 1960s. In a sense, John Stanley had outgrown the world of Little Lulu by 1959. In the 1950s, Stanley tended to tamp down the wilder flights of his humor and imagination in the service of the deeply-established Lulu universe. He became extremely sensitive to the actions and reactions of his characters. The stories are largely driven by character, and not imagination. Stanley's free-form imagination is confined to the monthly installment of Lulu's improvised fairy-tales, usually told to the excitable brat-next-door, Alvin. These segments were Stanley's playground in the 1950s Lulu comics. Though some argue that the stories are too word-heavy to be considered true comics, the fairy-tales are a lone outpost for Stanley's wilder creative tendencies. Via the discipline of having to write at least 12 of these a year, Stanley found a formula for brilliance. The tension between the mundane and the far-flung is at the core of Stanley's 1960s work. His late comics are all about their characters seeking refuge from the crippling order of their everyday lives, trying to break free, and failing--usually to the derision of others in their community. That they try, and try again, despite impossible odds, is a strong agent in the bittersweet, sometimes-painful comedy of Stanley's finest work. Having said all that, I'll present some stories from issue 132 of Little Lulu. As you read them, look for the ways in which Stanley skewers his longstanding formulas. Stanley had written this story over and over in his Lulu tenure. Note the density of the dialogue--characters reveal much more about who they are and what they want. This will be common in Stanley's 1960s work. As well, note the awkward moment of paralysis that overcomes Tubby and Th' Gang on p.3. Such a moment would be unthinkable in a 1951 Lulu story! "School Crasher" stars agent-of-chaos Alvin, who wreaks havoc as he seeks a change in status. He destroys school property, bites the teacher, and embarrasses Lulu, Tubby and other "big kids" in his orbit. Lulu's deadpan exit line shows her resignation to the reality of her bratty young charge. She attempts to stem Alvin's wayward tendencies with yet another on-the-fly fairy-tale in our next selection... An incident of spanking marks this as a product of the 1950s. That aside, "Ol' Witch Hazel and the Wasted Talent" stands out for its devotion to the cranky, self-deluded character of Witch Hazel, whose manic, desperate actions dominate this very funny, brassy story. Finally, in an odd late twin of the Peterkin Pottle story I recently posted, Tubby stars in "Strong Kid." "Strong Kid," of all the stories here, points the way to Stanley's 1960s work like a beacon. The epic levels of self-delusion exhibited by Tubby is the stuff of divine comedy. I love his rant on the top tier of p.2. The inclusion of streamlined stereotyping (the Fifi and Pierre characters) is another quality we see so strongly in the '60s work. The last tier on p. 7 looks forward to many similar sequences in Dunc 'n' Loo, 13 Going on 18 and Melvin Monster. A more sophisticated touch, and one I don't recall seeing elsewhere in Stanley's work, occurs earlier in the story. We get a strong glimpse inside Tubby's psyche during several panels in which Fifi and Pierre talk in French. Stanley begins their dialog in French, but then switches to what Tubby hears--"jabber jabber jabber." By giving us this sliver of Tubby's experience, Stanley helps us to further identify with his social dilemma, and the embarrassment and humiliation that trample him at every turn. I'll return to these final issues through the rest of the summer. I believe it's time to put the belief to rest that Stanley's late Little Lulu is lesser work. I hope that this and subsequent posts on this topic will help cancel out that wrong notion.
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I am always happy that anyone wants to visit me and my city – Funchal. You see we (the madeirans) share this passion for the Island and we want visitors to experience the best spots. Funchal …
This illustration is from the public domain book, The Book of Knowledge, The Children’s Encyclopedia, Edited by Arthur Mee and Holland Thompson, Ph. D., Vol II, Copyright 1912, The Grolier Society of New York. The original copyright for these books was 1899. This poem and illustration of a mother and child is from page 564. The poem is titled "Who Can This Somebody Be?"
This is a thing. I'm totally down with loving history, but these artists take the concept to a whole new level.
"There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart." ~Jane Austen I went to a wedding this past weekend and besides enjoying the company of friends and the spreading of well-wishes it made me think about love and romance! One of my most favorite writers famous for her love stories is Jane Austen. I have loved her books and the adapted films since I was a little girl! In my final research paper at university I presented on the topic of the female identity and the struggle throughout history for women to find their voice and perspective through writing. Jane Austen was one of the authors that I spoke about for her portrayal of women in a very strict and enclosed society. I quoted critics who wrote about the attitude of Austen's characters being one of "grace under pressure" - facing the world and it's realities with poise and dignity. Her love stories embody this grace and have always captivated me. The photos for today include my copies of favorite Jane Austen novels and pictures from a few of the film and television adaptations that I love including the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. Also, some photos taken of an article from an old Victoria magazine that featured a gorgeous Jane Austen inspired photoshoot. The illustrations are borrowed from Emma Adaptations which includes, among other things, a gallery of illustrations from early editions of the novel 'Emma'. Last but not least to begin my little Jane Austen tribute the 2007 ITV trailer for the Jane Austen Season - BBC adapted the Jane Austen stories beautifully and I definitely advise you see them all if you haven't already!
In decades past, several celebrities endorsed products including Lux soap, cereal, beer, alcohol and cigarette ads. We features with stars like Joan Crawford, Kirk Douglas, Sammy Davis Jr, Rita Hayworth and countless others endorsing products! Let's take a look down memory lane and explore these great ads!
Dash my wig, the Victorians had a lovely way with words.
St Nicholas, Lesser Town Square, Prague - The Dome
1. An essential resource A few favourites from the glossary… AAin’t that a bite: that’s too badAngel: One who pays the billAnkle biter: childApple butter: smooth talk or flatteryAre you writing a book?: you’re asking too many questionsBBack seat bingo: making out with a girl in a carBad news: a person who rejects a beatnikBake…
I know some people think it’s gross or it’s a bad habit, but I love chewing gum. Yup, I admit it . . . I’m a chicle chomper. Although, these days you’d be hard pressed to find a commercially manufactured chewing gum in the United States made out of this natural latex. Nowadays, like many things, it’s cheaper to manufacture chewing gum out of a synthetic. I love to blow bubbles and, as annoying as it is to other people, I really love to snap my gum. My favorite bubble gum is Bubble Yum but I’ll settle for Bubblicious in a pinch. But, I don’t normally get bubble gum, only because its so loaded with sugar. I always keep some form of chewing gum at my disposal if for no other reasons than for a quick breath fresher upper or as a stop gap until I can get some food in my tummy. I learned very early on not to swallow my gum. most of us were told when we were kids that swallowed gum stay in our stomachs for up to seven years, since it’s not digestible. This is actually not true . . . gum will pass through your digestive system along food and make its exit with little or no fanfare at the end . . . or your end. My younger years were greatly influenced by gum chewers. Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory fame was an avid gum chewer. Unfortunately, it was her love of the confection that was also her downfall. Violet is the third child to find a Golden Ticket and the second to be ejected from the tour. Her demise came when she swipes and then chews an experimental three-course meal gum. When it gets to the dessert, blueberry pie, she turns blue and begins to fill with juice, inflating into a human blueberry. Another was feisty, gum-popping red-head named Florence Jean Castleberry from Cowtown, Texas. Better known as Flo from the television series Alice. Flo was a waitress at Mel's Diner in Phoenix, Arizona. She was a seasoned waitress who was vivacious and flirty with the male customers. I loved Flo’s feisty attitude and her famous catch phrases . . . "Kiss mah grits!!!", "When donkeys fly!!!" and "You bet your sweet patoot!" Last, but certainly not least, was MacGyver. MacGyver rocked! He was as cute as the day is long and just as smart. Give him a Swiss Army Knife, a roll of duct tape, a stick of chewing gum, a paper clip and just about anything else you can think of and this guy can get you outta trouble !! He could make a bomb and once repaired a blown fuse using the aluminum wrapper of a stick of chewing gum to bridge the blown fuse. Did I mention he was cute? What’s super cool is the world record for the largest bubble ever blown. In 1994 Susan Montgomery Williams of Fresno, California stuck a bunch of gum in her mouth and blew a bubble. She blew and blew and blew until it became the largest bubblegum bubble in the world . . . a whopping 23 inches in diameter. You know what I hate though? Is when people stick their gum under tables and seat in public places. Come on, people! That’s just gross! Roast Beef, Mushrooms and Onions This is a great recipe to use for leftover roast beef. Yummly! 1/2 Lb Sliced Mushrooms 1 Medium Onions, Sliced 2 Tablespoons Butter 3 Cloves Garlic 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon Cooking Sherry Roast Beef, Sliced Thin 1/2 Cup Shredded Fresh Parmesan Cheese Melt the butter and olive oil together in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and season with Tony Chachere (or other seasoned salt); let them cook until they start to get soft. Then add the mushrooms until they start to get a little brown and the onions are nice and soft, about 15 minutes. Add the roast, sherry and salt. Cook until most of the moisture has evaporated. Mix in cheese and serve.
Here is a treasure trove of 28 beautiful travel words and wanderlust synonyms that describe how we feel before, during, and after we travel.
Looking for the best things to do in Hanoi? Explore Hanoi's architecture, history and food with this step-by-step guide - cool things to do, places to eat and Hanoi sights you need to visit. Read now
The Old Astronomer to His Pupil by Sarah Williams Reach me down my Tycho Brahe, I would know him when we meet,When I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet;He may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of howWe are working to completion, working on from then to now. Pray
Teachers don’t have to be stuffy, boring, and angry — they can be the most awesome and hilarious authority figures in your life. Those people are educators who go above and beyond the call of duty, using humor and shock to help their students learn about life.
