Gone to the dogs . . . or vice versa

It was just this morning, as we walked toward the court, that my tennis nemesis---when informed that Bernita and I had adopted a dog from the animal shelter in Carlsbad---asked: “Why would you want to do something like that at this stage of your lives?” Thankfully, he didn’t say “ . . . at your age.”  More than once, I’ve mulled that question around in my own skull and finally come to the reasonable answer, “Why not?”


Bella, our two, or three year old---both ages were on the documents we received from the shelter---is obviously happy to have had the invitation to be part of the Whiting household. We don’t know her former owner(s) but I’ll speak well for what training was given our little lady. Bella knows when it’s necessary to “take a walk outdoors” and looks us straight in the eye and vocalizes a most plaintive plea when it‘s time to pee. It was her idea to sleep in our bed, but we nixed that quickly and she’s apparently just as happy on a nice mat at the foot of the bed. She has another pad downstairs which is convenient for daytime naps. There’s no begging at the table either. Well, most of the time. She either sits  a few feet away with a rather despondent dog look on her face or she retreats, defeated, to the under-the-stairway daytime pad. As mentioned, most of the time. Still not comfortable about meeting other canines, Bella will, we hope, become more sociable in that area after some sessions in Sunday School, (dog obedience) which starts at PetSmart in a few days. 

Enough with the words. Allow us to introduce you to Senorita Bella.

We looked at dozens of dogs before two of them made the cut. As we passed the cages the animals seemed to be saying “Pick me! Pick me!”  My thoughts went back to the mid 50s and a cartoon spread which Collier’s published. 

Life---in our case--- has just imitated art, and my mind recalls myriad moments when mammals (dogs, this time) have held center stage. The following examples were taken from files older than you; some of you, anyway.

My favorite . . . though not totally reflecting my sentiments:

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This cartoon suggests a dog's misguided protective instinct.

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And this one shows a dog's complete devotion to his master.

Someone once said ---or might have said, if they were not completely sane--- "One can't have too many dogs." This might be proof.

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A natural response to an overpopulation of dogs

 might be this poor man's.  

                                                           

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We'll catch up with VINCENT the Magician next time.as he enjoys the great Magic Convention 

Remember:

A dog has lots of friends because he wags his tail and not his tongue
Til soon,
Jim

ME TARZAN . . . YOU JANE.

Way long before Superman, Batman and others of their breed were saving girl reporters or police commissioners’ daughters, Tarzan was rescuing one particular damsel from myriad menaces in the steaming African jungle. The Ape-man, as his creator Edgar Rice Burroughs had christened him, had a twenty year head start over the modern day comic book heroes. And Tarzan was the man I admired most in my pre-teen years.
I was fifteen years old before I stopped clipping the Sunday comic strip Tarzan from the Elmira Sunday Telegram and pasting it into what would eventually become a four-scrapbook series. It constituted part of the Jimmy Whiting Tarzan Collection. You might say I was a true Tarzan aficionado. That weekly full page, full color dosage, the work of writer/artist Burne Hogarth not only transported me to places both exciting and vicariously dangerous; the drawings were spellbinding. Hogarth was in his prime in the early 40s and I worshiped his artwork. Many years later, it was such a treat to meet this comic art icon and to be on the staff of Cartoonists & Illustrators School in New York City with him.


Each Christmas I received a Tarzan book to add to the Collection. I joined the Tarzan Clans of America; my Official Guide is #90. In it I learned how to form a Tarzan Clan; what the Duties of Officers --including the Medicine Man, Scribe, and High Priest are. I even learned, by virtue of the guide’s English-Ape Dictionary, how to use words just as Tarzan did in talking with apes from the tribe of Kerchak.  How’s this? Tand-ramba! po! Popo ut! That means: Get up! Hungry! Eat corn!

By the way, several years ago I saw this booklet listed in a price guide. 1939, Mint condition: $1000. Mine could be described more accurately, Tattered and Torn

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Never, ever missed a Tarzan movie starring Johnny Weissmuller, the champion Olympic swimmer who is still the most identified player of the jungle man. I wrote to him--Weissmuller--not Tarzan, and received a nice picture.

A lesser known celluloid Tarzan sent an autographed picture AND a nice hand written letter which encouraged me to work hard in school and keep physically fit. The letter almost made up for the disappointment I felt upon seeing Glenn Morris’s leopard slippers. Look at this. Can you imagine?!

Every once in a while I’m pleased to see a magazine article or watch a special TV program devoted to some aspect of the Tarzan phenomenon; we’re only five years from his 100th anniversary. 
One last thing:  I really think that--in my youth--I did a terrific Tarzan yell. (More correctly, I should say “victory cry of the bull ape.”) Yes, I’m confident it was even better than Carol Burnett’s rendition. 


But the pipes are old now and the cry is more like that of a baby’s than an ape-man.


Swing by on your vine to my wala (house) next time, OK?


Jimmy Whiting

You’re such a card!

After a three weeks hiatus I’m back with new resolve; there shall not be such a protracted interval before our next visit. So there!


Should someone comment, “You’re such a card!” don’t be offended. I googled the phrase and truly, more than anything else, it’s meant to be a compliment.  If you accept the definition: A witty or eccentric person as complimentary . . . Be glad.


Neatly segueing from that sort of card to another, while running through a whole bunch of business cards-- accumulated over many years, I was amused to note that more than a few are amusing, or novel in some manner beyond their primary purpose. “Hey,” I thought, “Maybe some of the MM blog readers would be as amused as I!”  Or not. 
In any case it won’t take long to peruse a pack of personal cards. 
I’ll start off with a card used by a friend I’ve known for at least twenty-six years. It introduces us to maXwel, the Robot, available for birthday parties, reunions, stock holders’ meetings, weddings, and other gatherings which might be happier events if for the presence of  maXwel.  Some of you know the owner of this card. (circa 1985 or ’86) 

I’ll let you in on the secret before we sign off today

? ? ? ? ? 

But first, the latest of VINCENT’S adventure at the big Magic Convention. He had just realized that IBM stands for a rather large company which is holding ITS convention at the same time as the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Wha’ hoppened?  See here.    

     ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

I did mention that Tarzan would be a feature next time here on the MM blog, didn't I? Will you forgive me if I take another Next time?

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This card I made for our son, David . . . years before he became an award winning wine maker in Hector, NY.  Red Newt Cellars and Bistro is only eleven miles north of Watkins Glen, where David, back then, was probably the only chimney sweep in town.

In 2001, the same winery mentioned above hosted a cartoon art exhibit; thirty-two artists were represented. A hundred and twenty-three cartoons were displayed to the delight of the many attendees, who also enjoyed the generous offerings of food and wine. Happy to be among that favored group were Rosemary and Wally Littman. Here are their delicious and  humorous cards.

Our final (almost) business card reminds us that Schuyler County historian Barbara Bell wrote a fascinating book in 2008 which captures the many attractive attributes of the county I called home for more than half a century. Schuyler County Days Bygone is the book; it's a treasure and I treasure my autographed copy. (Schuyler, by the way is pronounced Sky-ler.)

The book's cover art is the work of Wendy Lee Black. It displays much of what old time Schuyler was known for. A much smaller version graces the flip side of Barbara's business card.

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And now, the last wurd . . . From one of our Li’l Ones.

I don’t do much better if I don’t have Spell-Check.

Oh . . . The owner of maXwell is cartoonist Greg Evans, creator of the Luann comic strip.

Another Oh: My updated business card: You may not have known that I'm using g-mail now. The MM blog URL is noted.

Catch you later this month.

Jim