After last week's delay, we are pleased to announce this week's Guest Quizmaster, Chicago's own Boxjam, returning to us after a long hiatus. His question follows:
In 1943 a contemporary comic strip was collected in book form. So esteemed was the comic strip that Dorothy Parker wrote a review of this collection, excerpted here:
'I cannot write a review of [book title deleted]. I have tried and tried, but it never comes out a book review. It is always a valentine for [artist deleted].
For a bulky segment of a century, I have been an avid follower of comic strips -- all comic strips; this is a statement made with approximately the same amount of pride with which one would say, "I've been shooting cocaine into my arm for the past 25 years."
...I do not enjoy the strips. I read them solemnly and sourly, and there is no delight in me because of them.
That is, I had no delight and no enjoyment and no love until [strip deleted] came...'
The artist of the strip became most famous for an unrelated children's book written later.
What was the book? Bonus - who is the artist, and what was the strip?
A very special prize this week, in the form of a limited edition Boxjam's Doodle printout -- signed by the artist!
As always the first correct answer posted to comments wins, with Mr. Boxjam to be the final arbiter of correctness. No Googling or going on "Crossing Over" to get Joanthan Edward to commune with the spirit of Dorothy Parker. Guess as many times as you like, but please make only one guess per comment (that way we get lots of comments and feel all big and important).
Posted by BT at December 13, 2002 08:36 AMGasoline Alley?
Posted by: teenidol on December 13, 2002 09:23 AMNo sir.
Posted by: BoxJam on December 13, 2002 09:33 AMClarification: The question is asking for the name of the more famous children's book which came later, not the collection of comic strips.
Posted by: BoxJam on December 13, 2002 09:34 AMMe no answer right.
Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are"
Posted by: teenidol on December 13, 2002 09:52 AMLittle Nemo in Slumberland? Nancy?
Posted by: bootsy on December 13, 2002 10:03 AMCurious George?
Posted by: Rory on December 13, 2002 10:12 AMNothing so far.
Posted by: BoxJam on December 13, 2002 10:53 AM___, Walt Kelly, Pogo?
Posted by: Jonathan on December 13, 2002 11:47 AMCat in the Hat, Theodore Geisel, ___.
Posted by: Jonathan on December 13, 2002 11:49 AMAnother hint:
Unless you're a *really really big* comic strip fan, you won't come up with the comic strip before the book.
So just go straight kids books.
Posted by: BoxJam on December 13, 2002 11:58 AMSylvester and the Magic Pebble?
Posted by: Jonathan on December 13, 2002 12:17 PMThe Gashleycrumb Tinies?
Posted by: Jonathan on December 13, 2002 12:20 PMThis is like playing darts in an empty bar. WHERE IS EVERYBODY?!?
Posted by: Jonathan on December 13, 2002 12:21 PMThis body gave up and cheated. No matter - I never would have got it in a million years (not having heard of the book, the cartoonist or the strip).
Posted by: Rory on December 13, 2002 12:42 PMThe Velveteen Rabbit?
Posted by: teenidol on December 13, 2002 12:43 PMAA Milne?
(yeah, I just like to see BoxJam squirm when I pay no matter to the rules)
Posted by: teenidol on December 13, 2002 12:45 PMLittle Black Sambo?
Posted by: teenidol on December 13, 2002 12:46 PMI would very much like to be playing darts in an empty bar right now. Put some Charlie Parker on the jukebox, draw myself a pint, and play against myself.
It's that kind of winter afternoon.
Posted by: BT on December 13, 2002 12:51 PMCarl's Wooden Horse.
There. That's every child-book known to man.
The Little Prince?
Nobody's gotten it yet.
Another hint - although the book's illustrations are in color, they're mostly in one color.
Posted by: BoxJam on December 13, 2002 01:14 PMTeen Idol - don't you have better things to do?
Posted by: NoComment on December 13, 2002 01:27 PMHarold and the Purple Crayon?
Posted by: Jonathan on December 13, 2002 01:37 PMMalevich's "White on White"
Posted by: teenidol on December 13, 2002 01:39 PM>> Teen Idol - don't you have better things to do?
I guess that's what happens when you tell Mrs. teenidol to check out the quiz.
Posted by: teenidol on December 13, 2002 01:42 PMJonathan got it.
"Harold and the Purple Crayon" was written by Crockett Johnson, the artist of the now-forgotten "Barnaby."
Dorothy Parker's review is here:
http://www.ksu.edu/english/nelp/purple/critics/dorothy_parker.html
Rory - I'm very sorry you've never heard of the book. Tell your parents I hold them accountable for this oversight.
For that matter, I encourage anyone who enjoys comics and/or "Harold and the Purple Crayon" to find a "Barnaby" collection.
Posted by: BoxJam on December 13, 2002 01:43 PMHarold and the Purple Crayon? Is that anything like the Simpsons where Homer shoves a crayon up his nose?
If it's like an empty bar here today, take consolation that Bloomberg can't declare the Wombat Zone non-smoking.
[takes deep drag]
Posted by: bootsy on December 13, 2002 04:01 PMHot damn! A printout of a Webtoon! And signed! Maybe after you print it out and sign it you could fax it to me, or scan it and send it to me as a graphic? No. How about take the original webtoon graphic and drop it in a pdf with your digital signature and an image of the check you use to pay the gas bill, signed in purple crayon? I can take it from there.
Posted by: Jonathan on December 13, 2002 04:29 PM>>Hot damn! A printout of a Webtoon! And signed!
You're mocking me, aren't you, Jonathan?
Posted by: BoxJam on December 13, 2002 05:19 PMNo way. I'm just reflecting on irony of putting a drawing on paper so as to be able to sign it. Aroung here people will print out an email and hand it to me.
Apropos of the quiz, remember a segment on Captain Kangaroo about Simon "...and the things I draw come true." Direct rip off if you ask me.
I suspected it was a North Americans-only thing, which is why I guessed Curious George (another children's book you're mad for over there, and nobody in Britain or Australia knows about). As for Crockett, I figured 'Who's Upside Down?' was the kid's book you meant, and you can guess why that wouldn't fly with your average antipodean six-year-old. ("Upside down? What?" "Don't say what, dear, say pardon.")
Posted by: Rory on December 14, 2002 07:39 AM