Time for a dozen highlights from Thos. W. Jackson's "See America First" funny book from 1922. I really don't want this post to turn into anything too overly political, (can we pleeease just focus on the cute art?) --but as with most things "America First", there tends to be a rather large amount of rough landings pertaining to sex, and especially to race throughout these 95+ pages of coast to coast jokery. To be perfectly honest, some of the travel related jokes mirror where we are even now as a country, which can be both a good thing, and a bad thang, and I spared ya'll some of the more painful examples. Jackson seemed quite proficient throughout the first half of the century though, churning out tons of material as evidenced by the back cover featuring more of his kooky collections, and thus, making millions laugh, and more than likely, groan.
Cute jokes, they remind me of Benny Hill's seaside postcard/music hall humor.
ReplyDeleteWe all need a good laugh nowadays, thanks for the humorous post.
That is definitely a good assessment of this stuff!
DeleteA number of these gags have my favorite old-time-y bit where an entire crowd is looking on, getting ready for the craziness to happen. Like "Signs of an early fall" and "to wash her ears." I always like that, it's all this weird kind of background element work, kind of like a less nutty MAD.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of MAD, the sleep walking lady is a Kutzman joke if I've ever seen one.
JMR777 nailed this one, any of these could be one of those sea side resort postcards.
“The Nailer” strikes again! ;)
DeleteI also like how everybody in the banana peel cartoon sees it coming--except for the birdwatcher of course, he's doomed (and that kid's got plenty of ammo left if he has to try, try again). I also like the sassy plump lady on the beach in the "return ticket" gag. Got the Etta Candy vibes going on.
ReplyDeleteThe sleep walking comic's high concept is a pretty heavy lift, even after jamming in a second panel. And as far as high concept backstories go, I've had a good time filling in the pertinent details of that "lost nurse" cartoon (which has my favorite art in today's roundup--man but I love a group in multiple uniforms!). Coming up with lighthearted reasons for that sick kid to have landed in police custody on his caregiver's birthday can get pretty darn convoluted.
Anybody get the “wash her ears” gag?
ReplyDeleteI had to look that one up, it either mans
Delete1. "Wash her ears and neck" was an old-fashioned, backhanded way of saying she was unrefined, raised wildly, or a bit unkempt.
2. The lady constantly washed the kid's ears, and in a rough way, so he wanted to do the same to her one day.
3. Not listening carefully, ignoring instructions, or failing to understand a situation.
It could just be a slang term that has faded into obscurity so much that its meaning is lost to us today.
Whatever its original meaning was, its still the type of reply a smart alec kid would say.
I think I’m gonna go with #1
DeleteThanks for curating this awesome selection! Amazing how timeless these jokes are, that they’re all still totally gettable a hundred years later! Well, except for the ears thing…is it cause she washes his mouth out with soap and turnabout’s fair play?
ReplyDeleteThat works too!
DeleteI think that's it. He wants payback.
DeleteI took the "wash your ears" gag to refer to the OLD trope of having to force little boys (like this rapscallion) to wash their hands and face. It usually ends with their mother forcefully washing the dirty (you know how boys are!) lad's ears themselves with a washcloth, often rather roughly. The little weisenheimer is looking for some "turnabout is fair play", as in JMR777's #2. See multiple Our Gang/Little Rascal, Wallace Beery, Ma & Pa Kettle era comedies...
ReplyDeleteSo basically, all of the above ;)
DeleteNobody commented on how 21st century the trains are for something published in 1922?
ReplyDelete