“I wish this guy would quit showing up. It was only funny the first time. After that, it got old. Please stop recycling jokes. They usually are only funny the first time around.”
It seems that you had to grow up watching Jack Benny in order to be able to appreciate this. I like the idea of recycling old characters to keep them alive. It’s just that this one is from TV rather than the comics.Currently we have Little Orphan Annie doing a guest appearance in Dick Tracy. I don’t see any complaints about that.Then again, there will always be some characters you dislike no matter where or when. For this reason, I will not watch cop or zombie programs when my wife does. I go somewhere and read.
His badge says, “Nelson Sales Dept”. Gasoline Alley is a comic that is not supposed to be like real life all the time. That is what makes it so enjoyable to some of us at least. Nelson is supposed to irritate us as well as his victim. That is the role of his character. So sit back and enjoy the show.
Skeezix, the reason that he keeps showing up at different stores is that he gets fired regularly and has to find a new position. You are just unlucky enough to need each new appliance just as he gets to the new store. How many appliance stores are there in GA, anyway?
I happen to find the “Frank Nelson” type character! He has been pretty funny in previous appearances. I think he will liven up Skeezix’s story arc quite a bit, and I am looking forward to how it progresses. Joel and I were talking again last night as we smoked our pipes and sipped on a few fingers of iced, amber beverages. He was telling me that even though he is accepting the notion that Skeezix doesn’t want his help, he would still be willing TO HELP if asked. Joel also told me that over at his junkyard, he had a feller bring in for scrap a 1965 VW Beetle. I told him I was going to end up heading over there to take a look. If it has an intact original radio, I might buy it from Joel and Rufus. I would like to put an OEM one in my beast, especially if it is AM/FM and not just AM.
I love Frank Nelson’s cameos! Old Time Radio is my favorite form of entertainment, and “The Jack Benny Program” one of the classics. Of course, I also have a thing for “Lum and Abner”…
In the early 40’s I enjoyed all the radio shows, especially Jack Benny. No TV then, just a great sound man & voices witha personality one’s imagination pictures. Years later I discovered that Mel Blanc[phonetic spelling] was the voice ofsalesman when Jack went to Macys, as well as the guy selling hot dogs. All the shows were better than the TV versions. But Jack’s expressions in TV shows brought a new dimension to the effect of his marvelous humor!
First of all, if your a really big fan of Jack Benny, try looking at some OTR podcasts. There are a lot of them out there but my favourites are from the Jack Benny OTR Podcast done by a guy who uses the nickname “Buck Benny.” I don’t particularly care for his introductions but not a huge problem, and he’s posted most of the episodes of the Jack Benny show back to the mid 1930s. Plus he has a lot of other shows including Fred Allen.
Mel Blanc did just about anything on the Benny show including a large number of voices, the sound of Jack’s Maxwell car, Jack parrot Polly, Jack’s violin teacher, Professor LeBlanc, the train announcer (“Anaheim, Azusa and Cuc…….), the little Mexican guy in the train station, random voices, possibly Jack’s polar bear Carmichael, and the clerk at the May Company (not Macy’s which was New York only then) who was driven to suicide by Jack constantly changing his mind about Don Wilson’s gift. (…..amonga!”)
Frank Nelson’s role on the Benny show was pretty much the same as it is here with Skeezix, namely to drive the lead character into a slow burn that finally has him exploding. By the late 1940s Nelson was appearing in most of the shows. Sometimes he’d be a department store floorwalker, sometimes the ticket seller at the railroad station, sometimes a doctor or dentist who had been recommended to Jack because his prices were low. Nelson’s character was generally seen as a nice guy right up until he and Jack came together. Then Nelson’s sarcastic character took over.
OzzieJohn over 8 years ago
“I wish this guy would quit showing up. It was only funny the first time. After that, it got old. Please stop recycling jokes. They usually are only funny the first time around.”
I agree!!!!
richardson_slr over 8 years ago
The Jack Benny Program was funny because it recycled its jokes and we got to laugh at them all over again.
What? Me worried ? over 8 years ago
I like Frank Nelson on the Jack Benny show and I like when he appears here !
Stevero over 8 years ago
What does his badge say?
grainpaw over 8 years ago
It seems that you had to grow up watching Jack Benny in order to be able to appreciate this. I like the idea of recycling old characters to keep them alive. It’s just that this one is from TV rather than the comics.Currently we have Little Orphan Annie doing a guest appearance in Dick Tracy. I don’t see any complaints about that.Then again, there will always be some characters you dislike no matter where or when. For this reason, I will not watch cop or zombie programs when my wife does. I go somewhere and read.
Willow Mt Lyon over 8 years ago
His badge says, “Nelson Sales Dept”. Gasoline Alley is a comic that is not supposed to be like real life all the time. That is what makes it so enjoyable to some of us at least. Nelson is supposed to irritate us as well as his victim. That is the role of his character. So sit back and enjoy the show.
JanLC over 8 years ago
Skeezix, the reason that he keeps showing up at different stores is that he gets fired regularly and has to find a new position. You are just unlucky enough to need each new appliance just as he gets to the new store. How many appliance stores are there in GA, anyway?
Pipe Tobacco Premium Member over 8 years ago
I happen to find the “Frank Nelson” type character! He has been pretty funny in previous appearances. I think he will liven up Skeezix’s story arc quite a bit, and I am looking forward to how it progresses. Joel and I were talking again last night as we smoked our pipes and sipped on a few fingers of iced, amber beverages. He was telling me that even though he is accepting the notion that Skeezix doesn’t want his help, he would still be willing TO HELP if asked. Joel also told me that over at his junkyard, he had a feller bring in for scrap a 1965 VW Beetle. I told him I was going to end up heading over there to take a look. If it has an intact original radio, I might buy it from Joel and Rufus. I would like to put an OEM one in my beast, especially if it is AM/FM and not just AM.
Donnie Pitchford Premium Member over 8 years ago
I love Frank Nelson’s cameos! Old Time Radio is my favorite form of entertainment, and “The Jack Benny Program” one of the classics. Of course, I also have a thing for “Lum and Abner”…
Banjo Gordy Premium Member over 8 years ago
In the early 40’s I enjoyed all the radio shows, especially Jack Benny. No TV then, just a great sound man & voices witha personality one’s imagination pictures. Years later I discovered that Mel Blanc[phonetic spelling] was the voice ofsalesman when Jack went to Macys, as well as the guy selling hot dogs. All the shows were better than the TV versions. But Jack’s expressions in TV shows brought a new dimension to the effect of his marvelous humor!
Callie Ray over 8 years ago
Why do you keep showing up?
bmr1 over 8 years ago
Is it my imagination , that the sales character in this strip resembles the one on the old Jack Benny TV show portrayed by Mel Blanc?
bmckee over 8 years ago
First of all, if your a really big fan of Jack Benny, try looking at some OTR podcasts. There are a lot of them out there but my favourites are from the Jack Benny OTR Podcast done by a guy who uses the nickname “Buck Benny.” I don’t particularly care for his introductions but not a huge problem, and he’s posted most of the episodes of the Jack Benny show back to the mid 1930s. Plus he has a lot of other shows including Fred Allen.
Mel Blanc did just about anything on the Benny show including a large number of voices, the sound of Jack’s Maxwell car, Jack parrot Polly, Jack’s violin teacher, Professor LeBlanc, the train announcer (“Anaheim, Azusa and Cuc…….), the little Mexican guy in the train station, random voices, possibly Jack’s polar bear Carmichael, and the clerk at the May Company (not Macy’s which was New York only then) who was driven to suicide by Jack constantly changing his mind about Don Wilson’s gift. (…..amonga!”)
Frank Nelson’s role on the Benny show was pretty much the same as it is here with Skeezix, namely to drive the lead character into a slow burn that finally has him exploding. By the late 1940s Nelson was appearing in most of the shows. Sometimes he’d be a department store floorwalker, sometimes the ticket seller at the railroad station, sometimes a doctor or dentist who had been recommended to Jack because his prices were low. Nelson’s character was generally seen as a nice guy right up until he and Jack came together. Then Nelson’s sarcastic character took over.
retropop over 8 years ago
People don’t like the Frank Nelson bit, but yet has no problem accepting Walt being over 110 years old and still alive? face-palm