Turn On, Tune In, Go Bragh

It's the first day of spring, and we met the morning with a pleasant sense of optimism. This, of course, makes us nervous. The cartoonist's brain tends to be distrustful of its own happiness, but we'll try to enjoy the mood as much as we're able to.

This week's amazing pipe pic was originally published in Vue magazine in 1954, and shows Dada artist Marcel Duchamp smoking dancer Ann Miller's leg. Thanks to Jazz Pickle Dr. Joe S, of Melbourne, Australia for alerting us to this spectacular image.

I've always had an interest in the Dadaists, and their anarchic approach to art, music and writing. When I was self-publishing minicomix in the late 1980s, I named one of my books Festive Desperation, after the title of a 1916 masked dance performance staged by the Dadaist collective Cabaret Voltaire.

The book contained a series of ink drawings executed in a jagged style I experimented with for a time. The cover was a visual interpretation of the title, which reminded me of some of my fellow citizens' misguided jingoism. Unfortunately, that still exists.

Most of the interior pages were drawings of friends, and one (above) was a self-portrait.

Returning to the more recent past, here's a look at this week's Bizarro comics.

 

We kicked off the week with a look at what really happens in your basement. Some gags require photo research, which I believe is always worth the effort.

Apparently, they abandoned the flat by the roadside. In case any blog readers plan to make a comment correcting me, a few helpful internet citizens already pointed out that the vehicle shown is called a sedan, sedan chair, or litter, but not a carriage.

 

For Saint Patrick's Day, we offered an psychedelic alternative for those who don't drink stout or whiskey. Naturally, these electric edibles are endorsed by Timothy O'Leary.

 

 

Thursday's gag showcases a member of the little-known United Utilitarian Church.

 

 

And try to limit yourself to four lobes a day.

 

 

After centuries of sporting a long, curly mane, Vlad now shaves his head, but he kept the fancy mustache.

The second vampire was modeled on Canadian-American actor Oliver Platt, but I don't recall the reason.. 

Perhaps something about the initial sketch reminded me of him, but I'm not seeing it now.

That's the latest batch from Bizarro Studios North. Thanks, as always, for visiting. Don't forget to check out my partner Dan Piraro's weekly blog post. It's always loaded with interesting observations, some of which even mention the comics. While you're there, you can also admire his latest panoramic Bizarro Sunday page.

See you next week!

Bonus Tracks

The old minicomic page shared above mentioned my teenage wish to have lived as a beatnik, although my ideas were initially based on mass media's twisted appropriation of that subculture.

As I grew older, I learned more about the Beats, but retained a fondness for the mainstream America's goofy take on beatniks, exemplified by this 1959 record written and sung by Rod McKuen (credited here as "Dor.")

Note: Some YouTube videos are not available outside the US. On some phones, you must select "View Web Version" on the blog in order to see the video preview and link.

 

My copy of this record is in rough condition, but fortunately other researchers have posted the song on YouTube.

"The Beat Generation" inspired punk rock musician Richard Hell's 1976 single, "Blank Generation." 

Hell's band featured the stunning, angular guitar work of Robert Quine, and his drummer was a guy named Marc Bell, who was later rechristened Marky Ramone.