GHM Columns : GHM Staff : Melissa L. aka "Tall Girl" [ Makulu's Musings ]

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GHM Online Columnist - Melissa L. aka "Tall Girl"

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"Q&A : Ann Telnaes"

You may wonder why I have chosen to interview a Political Cartoonist for my first Q&A. Well, the answer is simple: Political Cartoons are the forefathers of modern day comic books. How so?

According to Boondocks.net political cartoons have been around since the days of Benjamin Franklin. However, their general use did not come about until the end of the 19th century, thanks to technological advances that made it possible to more easily reproduce drawings without having to create woodblock engravings. Even then the political cartoons were relegated to weekly and monthly magazines, thus they dealt with long term issues as opposed to day to day political activities.

Perhaps the first and most famous of early political cartoonist was Thomas Nast. Nast waged a campaign against the "Tweed Ring" of New York City, run by corrupt politician, William Marcy "Boss" Tweed. Tweed, who started out as an Alderman and worked his way up to a U.S. State Senator, had his fingers in every business deal that concerned New York City. It is believed Tweed and his Tammany Hall political machine, stole anywhere between 30 to 200 million dollars from his state and constituents.

Nast campaign hit it's mark when he drew a cartoon of Tweed and the Tammany Ring pointing at each other in answer to the question, "Who stole the people's money?" So enraged was Tweed that it was reported he said, "Stop them damned pictures. I don't care what the papers write about me. My constituents can't read. But, damn it, they can see pictures." Tweed eventually went to jail for his crimes and later escaped to Spain, only to be caught when a Nast drawing was used to identify him.

The usefulness of political cartoons was legitimized when Joseph Pulitzer published a cartoon by Walt McDougall on October 30, 1884 that satirized a dinner held the night before honoring Republican presidential candidate James G. Blaine. For the first time a political cartoon was not only published on the front page of a daily newspaper, but filled the entire width of the page. The headline read "The Royal Feast of Belshazzar Blaine and the Money Kings." Blaine was defeated five days later and the cartoon was credited with bringing about his defeat.

Political cartoonist were now at the center of the circulation war that erupted between Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst the following year. Hearst took over the New York Evening Journal and went up against Pulitzer's New York World.

Around this time a gentleman named Richard Felton Outcault, or R.F. Outcault as he became known as, was doing a few freelance cartoons and jokes for Truth Magazine and other weeklies. According to Richard D. Olson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of the University of New Orleans, and member of the R.F. Outcault Society, as cited in his article "R. F. Outcault, The Father of the American Sunday Comics, and the Truth About the Creation of the Yellow Kid," Outcault's work usually focused on blacks living in "Possumville," or Irish tenement street children living in New York City. These cartoons were solely for adults, and often well received.

The Yellow Kid's first appearance in a newspaper (Pulitzer's New York World )was "Fourth Ward Brownies" and it appeared 8 days after originally running in Truth Magazine. Originally given only one column by two inches, and done in black and white, as the Kid's popularity continued to grow, he was given more space and a yellow night shirt. Eventually The Yellow Kid was given a full page cartoon in each edition of the paper. Hearst finally managed to lure Outcault away from Pulitzer.

Olson goes on to write that, "At his peak, he was appearing several times during the week as well as on the cover, in a full-page panel, and a half-page sequential comic strip eachSunday. The public wanted more and soon the Yellow Kid was being merchandised in every imaginable form from soap to whiskey."

When asked why this was important, Olson answered," Regarding the Yellow Kid, he was the first comic character to (1) show that a comic character could actually increase circulation, and (2) to show that a comic character could be used to market products successfully. Because of these facts, he permanently established the comics as part of the Sunday paper--and later the daily paper. Within just a few years, the Sunday comics were being reprinted by two major publishers and sold nationally-the first comic books. Over the years, the size and content of the comic book has evolved, but they do owe their existence to the Yellow Kid and R. F. Outcault."

And that is why I have chosen to interview a Political Cartoonist for my first Q & A. And not just any Political Cartoonist; Pulitzer Prize winner Ann Telnaes.

Special thanks to Boondocks.net and About.com for the history on Thomas Nast and Boss Tweed, and extra special thanks to Richard D. Olson, Ph.D. and the R.F. Outcault Society for allowing me access to use Dr. Olson's article and, to Dr. Olson for answering my many questions via email.

Image courtesy of the Richard D. Olson Collection

To read Melissa's interview with Ann, please visit: GHM's interview section

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:. ABOUT MELISSA

Melissa came into the world kicking and screaming some 32 years ago on a May day in the sweltering South. Her early plans to become a doctor were derailed in the summer of her 12th year when she discovered movies and decided she wanted to become the next Barbara Walters. Following her dream she graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and set out to make her fame and fortune. Strange as this may seem, fame and fortune did not come immediately. Or at all as of yet.

Making a permanent move to Los Angeles, Melissa soon learned what the term starving artist meant. She also learned that she was not made to starve and quickly entered the regular 9-5 job grind. About this time she began writing for a web site called www.tv-now.com where she still works today covering just about anything entertainment related.

Discovery of the Hawaiian Dick comic sent her snooping around the Hawaiian Dick board on the Image web site. From their she quickly became one of the comic's biggest fans, to the point of being named Tiki Queen of Hawaiian Dick. Other claims to fame include being runner-up on the special TV Trivia edition of The Weakest Link, and discussing female sexual dysfunction on the nationally syndicated Berman&Berman talk show on the Discovery Health Channel.

Melissa makes her home in lovely and scenic Sherman Oaks, CA with her two guinea pigs, Langly and Byers. Her current relationship status is "taken." In addition to writing for TV-Now.com and Gray Haven, she is the movie and DVD reviewer for SouthernIsland.com as well as any other freelance gig that comes along.

:. FUN LINKS

RECOMMENDED SITES
Hawaiian Dick
Sarah's Dodger Page
Court TV

:. ABOUT MELISSA ( CONTINUED )

Favorite Comics:
HeroBear and the Kid, Route 666, Hawaiian Dick, Scene of the Crime, Any true crime comic

Favorite TV Shows:
The X-Files, Lois and Clark, Law & Order, anything on CourtTV

5 People I Could Sleep With Guilt Free:

Colin Farrell

Scott Bakula

Catherine Crier

Julie Newmar

Sean Connery / Ashleigh Banfield

Š 2003 - Gray Haven Magazine & All Authors.