Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling for August 23, 2008

Transcript:

Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling The History of Doug Odyssey of an Unremarkable Cartoon Character In 1924, Doug made his debut in the popular comic strip "Those Stoopid Immigrants." Man: Vell? Iss you goin to der races? Boy: Ya, mister. Iss you goin? But it soon became apparent that Doug did not have a flair for dialect, which was all the rage at the time. Doug: Per ronkin und unner hep jonkin ist! Man: ? Vot? Boy: I caint unnerstan. Doug did not reemerge until 1935, when he would often appear as an extra in the comic "Nuts 'N' Barry". Man: I see by the sun it's time to lunch. Man #2: Then let's do so. In the May 1936 issue, he committed a miscue for which he was summarily dismissed. KE-RASH Doug: CRAP!! I mean @#%!! World War II proved to be a boon to Doug's career. He became a character in Army-issue comic books. Sargent: How you gonna fight Krauts if'n you gots gonorrhea??! Doug: I don't rightly know, Sarge. Unfortunately, World War II ended, and Doug was again relegated to making appearances where he could, as this panel demonstrates. Fast as By 1955, Doug was desperate for work, and he signed on as mascot for an ill-fated cereal. MAR-TEENY PUFFS Toasted Corn Puffs Shaped Like Martinis Doug: Just like Mom and Dad! With Olive Bits The cereal failed, leaving Doug with a tag as a "team player" (ie. he would endorse ANYTHING). The shady deals that followed gave Doug some exposure, but severely damaged his reputation. MATCHES Doug: Play with 'em! It's fun! NOT FOR CHILDREN PAINT CHIPS Pre-peeled For Your Convenience NEXT WEEK: The salacious sixties! The solicitous seventies!! The annoying eighties!!