Review: "The Botanist's Assistant," Peggy Townsend

Find exclusive book reviews, including this one, at The Walrus Said blog.

The New Yorker covers: September 8, 2014

The New Yorker isn’t Sports Illustrated, of course. But a fair number of sports, from basketball and baseball to golf and hockey, have graced the magazine's covers in one form or another since its founding in 1925. 

Mark Ulriksen
"Derek Jeter Bows Out"

And now, a few words from . . . Maya Angelou

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

"What is art but a way of seeing?" Saul Bellow

Boys in a Pasture," 1874, Winslow Homer

Movie Posters, 1947: Two adults, please, and a large popcorn!

Today in the history of the American comic strip: August 22

American cartoonists and writers may not have invented the comic strip, but some argue that the comics, as we know them today, are an American creation. Clearly, the United States has played an outsize role in the development of this underappreciated art form.

8.22.1880: George Herriman, who gave the world Krazy Kat (1913-1944), is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.  The Comics Journal has ranked Krazy Kat the greatest comic of the 20th century. 

8.22.1902: George Clark, who created The Neighbors and Side Glances, is born in the Oklahoma Territory. The strips explored middle-class humor.

8.22.1966: Peppermint Patty, who has a crush on Charlie Brown and calls him Chuck, makes her first appearance in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts.

8.22.1971: Merrill Blosser's Freckles and His Friends draws to a close with its final Sunday strip. The comic launched in 1915.

 

8.22.2022: In a story commemorating the 50th anniversary of Funky Winkerbean, The Washington Post reports that creator Tom Batiuk’s comic has become “the darkest strip on the comics pages” because of Batiuk’s willingness to realistically tackle such topics as terminal illness, suicide and abuse, among others.

Krazy Kat

Most of the information listed here from one day to the next comes from two online sites -- Wikipedia, and Don Markstein's Toonopedia -- as well as 100 Years of American Newspaper Comics, edited by Maurice Horn. Note that my focus is on American newspaper comic strips (and the occasional foreign strip that gained popularity in the United States). Thus, comic books and exclusively online comics are not included here.

The New Yorker covers: September 27, 2004

Pets come in many species, but cats and dogs are the most popular. The American Veterinary Medical Association reported in 2024 that the dog population in the U.S. stood at 89.7 million, while the cat population logged in at 73.8 million. The cute and lovable critters have worked their way onto the cover of The New Yorker more than a few times.

Ana Juan
"Brought to Heel"

And now, a few words from . . . J. K. Rowling

If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.

"What is art but a way of seeing?" Saul Bellow

"Mother and Son," 1950, Eileen Mayo