I Favor Savage Chickens

Thought I'd post a comic that made me laugh for about a minute straight yesterday. Savage Chickens by Doug Savage is very reminiscent of the Far Side in that the humor is enhanced by its simple design. It helps that Doug seems to be a fountain of on-the-cusp funniness. You should read it daily.

http://www.savagechickens.com/

Those Little Quacks

Let's hearken back to "ye olden days" and "days of yore." According to Barnacle Press, this is a strip called The Little Quacks, from February 6th, 1908, a very early example of strippage, artist unknown. I don't know if it's the virtually unreadable lettering or the empty, soul-less eyes of the Quacks, but this strip completely screws with my spatial orientation. Read it, I dare you! You'll very quickly find yourself smashing head-first through your beveled-glass coffee table, no lie.

Fatty may be a horrible freak, but those Little Quacks are assholes.

Be Like Bob

Take a look at good ol' Bob Dobson here. Isn't he just filled with mirth and glee? Now I ask you, why can't you get up off your stinkin' couch, wipe the Dorito crumbs from your sweat-stained t-shirt and get excited about New Ideas in Photography like Bob? Don't you want to watch crude out-of-sync film stock from the 60's while laughing like an idiot? What's wrong with the world today? Where did we take the wrong turning?!?!

Carbon Alley - 1/26/07

National Gorilla Suit Day!

Mark Evanier wants us all to prepare for this very important day, which is right smack around the corner. Unfortunately, I'm not sure where my old Don Martin books are. Speaking of that, gone are the days when you could go down to Snyder Drug and peruse the paperbacks for Mad and Peanuts compilations. Now all you find are self-help books and Steven King. I developed my taste for the written word from Louis Lamour, dammit, and I'm not afraid to admit it!

Fleischers Selling Carses

This is an ad for Olds by the Fleischer Bros. I always enjoy the voice acting from that studio, but this is particularly hilarious. The villian is Gus Wickie, who went on to do Bluto is the early Popeye shorts. Not sure who is playing Lucille, but it certainly isn't a woman.

"Oh, my operation"???

Carbon Alley - 1/19/07

Godspeed, Ned Sparks

Who is this man, you may ask. Why do you force upon me his grim visage? Why doesn't he go away and leave us alone?!



Well, here he is as a hermit crab in Tex Avery's Fresh Fish (1939)...




Here he is again at The CooCoo Nut Grove (1936) courtesy of Friz Freleng...




Here he spends a lovely day at Friz's Malibu Beach Party (1940)...




And here he provides grins and gaiety for Old King Cole in Disney's Mother Goose Goes Hollywood (1938)...


So... who is this wearer of many hats, this man with the smiling eyes?



Why, it's none other than 1930's character actor, Ned Sparks!

I think we owe it to this forgotten thespian for providing us years of laughs with no understandable context. Let us all take a moment to reflect on Ned. Because, even after all these years, there's a little bit of Ned in you and me.

For more information on Ned Sparks, visit Ned Sparks on IMDB.

Carbon Alley - 1/06/07

More Marxes

Oh, what the heck. Here's more Marx Brothers caricatures from Disney's Mother Goose Goes Hollywood (1938), on the More Silly Symphonies Set. They were designed by artist/storyman T. Hee. As you can see, they are an unreasonable facsimile of the Fiddlers Three (consult your old kindergarten teacher as to whether that should be capitalized or not).

The Four Marx Birds

I just discovered this scene in Disney's The Bird Store from 1932. They're pretty cool caricatures of the guys. Just doing what I can to spread Marx Brothers awareness.

For more Silly Symphonies, see More Silly Symphonies.

A Message From Lawrence Welk

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Welk would like to wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!