Posts Tagged ‘Peanuts’
“What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure”*…
When a man is tired of memes, he is tired of life.
Samuel Johnson’s original observation pertained to his hometown of London, the streets of which he knew better than most. As a man of letters and author of a best-selling dictionary, he wrote volumes [see here]. But nowadays, in the words of one English professor, “Samuel Johnson is one of those figures whom everyone quotes and no one reads.” (The use of “whom” is how you know an English professor wrote that.)
That’s perhaps as it should be: As the subject of the first modern biography [see here], Johnson (1709-84) was known as the best social talker who ever lived. And 228 years after his death, referencing Johnson’s portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds became a universally recognized expression of this profane sentiment:
Resurrecting history’s most quotable man: “The memeification of Dr. Johnson“
For more on the remarkable Dr. J., see “A Word A Day, the Doctor’s Way.”
* Samuel Johnson
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As we share the love with Shakespeare, we might recall that it was on this date in 2000 that Charles M. Schulz published the last daily Peanuts strip. (The final Sunday panel ran on on February 13 of that year.)
“I’ve developed a new philosophy. I only dread one day at a time.”*…
Starting [last] month, the very talented Adam Koford, the creator of Laugh-Out-Loud Cats webcomic, started posting these wonderful bootleg Peanuts comics to his Twitter account, and continued almost every day since.
Loose and sketchy, they capture the essence of Charles Schultz’ Peanuts so well: sweet and sad, combining childlike wonder and existential dread. As he went on, they started evolving a unique style of their own, distinct from the Peanuts characters but still recognizable….
Via Andy Baio‘s wonderful site Waxy. The “Peanuts” panels are strewn through Adam’s Twitter feed; as a gift to us all, Baio collected a bunch of them into a Twitter “Moment.”
Enjoy… and don’t mention it to the Schultz estate.
* Charlie Brown
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As we ruminate on reality, we might recall that today’s a relative-ly good day for it, as it was on this date in 1900 that German physicist Max Planck presented and published his study of the effect of radiation on a “black-body” substance (introducing what we’ve come to know as the Planck Postulate), and the quantum theory of modern physics– and for that matter, Twentieth Century modernity– were born.
Planck study demonstrated that in certain situations energy exhibits the characteristics of physical matter– something unthinkable at the time, when energy was thought to exist only in wave form– and suggested that energy exists in discrete packets, which he called “quanta”… thus laying the foundation on which he, Einstein, Bohr, Schrodinger, Dirac, and others built our modern understanding.
Max Planck
“I think if human beings had genuine courage, they’d wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween”*…
With an eye to Thursday’s festivities, a collection of photos, circa 1897-1918, of children (from the Bronx) dressed as ghosts: “Costume.”
*
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As we give face to our fears, we might recall that it was on this date in 1966 that CBS premiered It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. it was the third Peanuts special (and second holiday-themed special, following A Charlie Brown Christmas) to be produced and animated by Bill Melendez. It was also the first Peanuts special to use the titular pattern of a short phrase, followed by “Charlie Brown”, a pattern which would remain the norm for almost all subsequent Peanuts specials. And it was one of 17 Peanuts specials (plus a feature film) to feature the music of Vince Guaraldi.
Keeping up with the Smiths…
From The Charming Charlie: a Tumbler of artwork from Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic series, with words from Smiths lyrics written by Morrissey– from Lauren LoPrete, a Bay Area graphic designer and co-founder of the record label Loglady.
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As we say “oui” to ennui, we might send an amusing birthday verse to Ogden Nash; he was born on this date in 1902. A poet best known for his light verse, Nash wrote over 500 pieces published, between 1931 and 1972, in 14 volumes. At the time of his death in 1971, he was, The New York Times averred, “the country’s best-known producer of humorous poetry.” The following year, on his birthday, the U.S. Postal service celebrated him with a commemorative stamp.
- Candy
Is Dandy
But liquor
Is quicker.- “Reflections on Ice-Breaking” in Hard Lines (1931); often misattributed to Dorothy Parker
- It is common knowledge to every schoolboy and even every Bachelor of Arts,
That all sin is divided into two parts.
One kind of sin is called a sin of commission, and that is very important
And it is what you are doing when you are doing something you ortant…- “Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man” in The Family Album of Favorite Poems (1959)
When Less is More…
Pre-blog readers may recall Garfield minus Garfield (from a March, 2008 missive). Now one can enjoy the existential stylings of 3eanuts…
Charles Schulz’s four-panel comic strips often defused the despair of their world with a fourth-panel joke at the characters’ expense. With that last panel omitted…
More dark doodling at 3eanuts.
[TotH to reader M H-H]
As we search search for silver linings, we might recall that it was on this date in 1043 that Edward the Confessor, son of Æthelred the Unready, was crowned King of England. The pious Edward– the last of the House of Wessex and one of the last Anglo-Saxon monarchs– was canonized in 1161, and became the patron saint of kings, difficult marriages, and separated spouses. After the reign of Henry II, Edward was considered to be the “Patron Saint of England” until 1348, when he was replaced in this role by Saint George. Still, Saint Edward will be watching over the pending nuptials at Westminster Abbey (where his remains are interred) as he continues as the “Patron Saint of the Royal Family.”
