Working 8:59 to 4:59

June 17, 1966

Did medicine have flavors in 1966 like they do now? I know medicine used to be really gross--metallic or bitter-flavored. And let's not forget things like cod liver oil or other gross "natural" things that kept you "healthy".

Everyone loves medicine that makes your head want to collapse in on itself.

Wow. Brutus is clocked in and ready to work at 8:59. Let me document this occasion with a picture. Instead of talking to the reader, you should be going through that in box.

I'm unnerved by the lower case 'a.m.' and 'p.m.'

A Golfer's Wife

February 1, 1987

Is Brutus a jerk here? According to the actual definition of 'jerk (derogatory)': "a contemptibly obnoxious person", so I guess you can say Brutus is that. Anymore, I feel 'jerk' is used for someone who is consciously mean--a nicer way to call someone an 'asshole'.

"So by rule..." and then what? Depending on how they were playing, either they have to play the hole again with the correct balls or the player who hit first loses the hole. I guess we'll never find out because Gladys can't stand to talk to and/or listen to her husband.

Y'all know you are supposed to like who you're married to, right?

Late Night Quickies

June 16, 1966

Ok, sir. Get back in your car. Just wait for the police. You don't need to beat this guy into a bloody pulp. Let his insurance do it.

How does he fit into that car? "Everyone deserves to drive an automobile, even the very tall..."

It's nice that Brutus always goes into Wilberforce talking about playing sports believing he won. Maybe someday Wilberforce will win one.

What does playing an "intersquad game" have to do with anything in this strip?

Jordan Road Bridge

This bridge, located between Wakarusa and Carbondale in Osage County, was built in 1920 and features a steel girder construction with wooden planks for a deck. It crosses a small unnamed stream and run perpendicular to a railroad track.

The bridge has been deemed structurally deficient and due to circumstances like its age, width, deterioration, and stream bank erosion, replacement is probably not too far down the line. However, it's estimated only 40 cars travel on this bridge per year and it may be easier and cheaper to close it and dead end the road from the north and south.

Mathing

June 15, 1966

Did Thornapple not see that gigantic sign hanging up next the entrance? Maybe he always walks around with his eyes closed so he doesn't see advertisements. I also find it odd they don't have signs inside the store.

I don't know if anyone else in education has this issue, but it's kind of difficult to explain to students that when you add or multiply you can transpose the numbers (34+63=97, 63+34=97, 9x8=72, 8x9=72) but you can't do that with subtraction or division (12-4=8, 4-12=-8, 49÷7=7, 7÷49=0.14...) so Hattie is already ahead of those kids.

Thursday Quickies

June 14, 1966

Escape?! He's a born loser! He's never going to escape.

Ok. But what does that get Brutus?

Couldn't They Just Write the Special On a Board?

June 13, 1966

Car horn don't typically "die". They do rely on an electrical current to work so I guess a horn that won't stop blaring could eventually drain the battery. I've never had a horn malfunction so can a horn keep blaring if the car is turned off? I guess so, because you can still honk the horn if the car is off. I'm thinking about this and perusing this Boss Horn website too much. Women drivers, amirite?

Hope you like oysters in brown gravy, Brutus!

That was the most disgusting thing I could think of that this diner might have. I spent too much time learning about how car horns work.

Hired!

June 11, 1966

We should all start doing this more. Eat bomb boss.

What's with the circles/bubbles? Is he sick? Sleepy? Drunk?

I complain that Brutus should just quit as well, but I understand that quitting your job and finding another one isn't all that easy. You have to fill out applications and then give them your resume, which has everything relevant from the application. Then you have to wait and maybe they will give you an interview, but they aren't required to. Maybe you'll get an interview or maybe you won't. If not, you'll never know why and the company has just essentially wasted about two weeks of your life.

Late Monday Quickies

June 10, 1966

This is like one of those Warner Bros. cartoons about life and society. You know the ones, where something is updated to be futuristic or easier but it really just makes it more difficult. Remember that one where you could press a button and have the upstairs come downstairs? Then when you pressed the button again, it's revealed the downstairs is basically obliterated in the process? That always stuck with me.

That's the suit he wore at his wedding?! This marriage was doomed from the start.

At Least It's In a Vase

January 25, 1987

Why does Brutus look like he's really pulling one over on her and getting a bargain in the fifth panel? She's a businesswoman and probably kind of a sleazy one. Well, not sleazy, just looking out for number one.

I like the veil. Adds a layer of mystery that kind of makes the $25 worth it.

Ooh, a dandelion from your own yard. Yes, very thoughtful.

There actually is a Children's Day. It's an international holiday usually used to bring causes that highlight child welfare across the world to light. This year, in the United States, it is on June 8. Hopefully there are still dandelions around to give to Wilberforce that day.

A brief history of the Heber Institute posted yesterday. If you would like to support me or this website, you can click on the Support page.

Everyone Loves Golf

June 9, 1966

Fifner is not a given name. Fifner is a surname. According to Ancestry, most Fifners in the United States settled in Ohio and, I guess, Art Sansom knew them all.

I guess Fifner is kind a of prototype Wilberforce. Like with Quincy Madison becoming the star, I wonder how close we were to "Fifner Thornapple"?

September 1, 2018

This is a favorite? Ok.

I guess it combines two things we all love to see. Brutus getting hit on the head and golf.

Whatever Happened to the Heber Institute

The only photograph of the Heber Institute

As early as 1856, a group of Episcopal churchmen settled in Prairie City, Kansas and established a congregation under Rev. Charles Reynolds. At the urging of Bishop Thomas Vail, a college was established and construction of a two-story stone structure had begun.

The building was constructed by George Miller and H.E. Dodge, but due to a lack of funds, the school was scrapped for the time being. The school building, which had one room on each floor, was used as a meeting house. One of the more famous uses was a visit from Horace Greeley who spoke in front of 400 people. The building was complete enough to open the Episcopal Church's State School for Boys, now named the Heber Institute. The Institute was named for Rev. Heber of New York. I could find no record of who Rev. Heber was. Despite a push to get some kind of upper-level school in Prairie City, it's close proximity to Baldwin City and Baker University doomed any endeavor.

Dr. Henry J. Caniff finally got a school in the Heber Institute building in 1858 and called it District 1, it being the first organized school district in Douglas County. The old Heber Institute was used as a school and community meeting place for numerous years until 1903. At some point between 1858 and 1871, the district number was changed to 78 and in 1903, it was decided to consolidate Prairie City Number 78 and Peach Grove Number 45 into Prairie City Number 87. With this, a new school was built with brand new furniture on land donated by Robert Miller, which burned down in 1919 and was replaced later that year. This building still stands at the corner of North 150 and East 1550 roads.

As for the Heber Institute building, it was sold to Timothy Keohane and Capt. Nathaniel Cradit who dismantled the building in 1905 to construct a story and livery on High Street. It later served as a Ford dealership, a recreation club, and barbershop. Today, the building is used as a fitness center and apartments.

South and southwest elevation view of Keohane & Cradit Building, 2023.
📷Megan Bruey and Stan Hernly

Brutus Could Barely See the Parade Anyway

June 8, 1966

I'm going to assume that the joke for this strip is that he's an officer and has long forgotten what a lowly sailor likes or would want.

"Oh, Gob!"? Is this guy's name 'Gob'? As in, George Oscar Bluth as portrayed by Will Arnett in the cult favorite TV show Arrested Development? Does this lady know him or is Gob some sort of military codename?

July 4, 2011

Calm down. It's just a parade. Why can't Wilberforce just scoot past those four people?

When I first commented on this strip, I pointed out the person of color in the "crowd". That man would become Arnie, a beloved character who not only works with Brutus but also lives next door. Wait. Do all Veeblefester employees live in some sort of compound or enclave?

Pock!

June 7, 1966

Yeah, I'm not too keen on giant hands or things like that either. Mainly because my giant hand never got delivered from that community college I bought it from and now my son is somewhere lost in the sky.

2000

There should be a net or something to keep the balls from hitting the patrons. That could be a liability the bar won't want to deal with. But if you know balls will be flying at the bar, then why go to that bar?

Car Trouble

June 3, 1966

Betty, you gotta keep your eyes on Bamm-Bamm. Yes, he's the strongest baby in the world, but the world can be a dark and scary place.

Grocery stores still have loose pieces of vegetables that you can buy. You can use one of those hard-to-open plastic bags, but no one's making you. Just through that lettuce and celery in the cart without care. However, I never see loose loaves of bread.

1989

Gladys, if you're not going to help then get out and I will just push, steer, and stop on my own.

I think I could pull Gladys' hat off.

Blow Her Kisses!!

June 2, 1966

Is a moth flying out of his wallet? I'm going to assume that's what's happening.

Quincy Madison is really a ladies man. I don't like that he seems to bounce between some kind of simp to a man of action, but The Born Loser isn't really known for its character development or continuity.

19-I wish they would've left on the original signed date-83

"Come on, Gladys. You can't be mad at me for sneaking out of that party and leaving you alone with a suit of armor. That happened 10, 11 years ago."

Knight Off

June 1, 1966

I know we've seen the name Fifner before, but he looked different and doesn't seem smart enough to magnetize his father. Speaking of magnetized, I thought that was a carpenter's square, but I guess it's a picture frame--which seems weird. Are picture frames magnetic?

And you know all that magnetic stuff is just covered in lead.

1972

GoComics is celebrating 60 years of The Born Loser by posting a comic from each decade this week. The 60th anniversary is on May 10th. They made kind of a big deal about the 50th as well.

Ok. I've been reading a lot of vintage Born Loser over the last three years and the Thornapples (and those who came before them) go to a lot of costume parties. Were those really all the rage back then?

Newsy Sunday

In case you didn't know, this past week was a rerun week. Chip took a week off a few weeks ago so older strips were used with just that day's date edited. Since I had already commented on the strips used, I just took the week as well. But I did post links to the original posts if you would like to scroll through my Threads and Bluesky for them.

Anyway, there's a new comic today so let's get on with it already.

January 18, 1987

Wilberforce knows how to play chess? That ain't right.

I'd go with Gladys, because I've known Wilberforce for 35 years or so and he is definitely no genius.

I don't think Wilberforce is 6 these days. I place him more 8 or 9, like the kids from Peanuts.

I'm assuming it's not important bad news. Like, it's bad news but it doesn't really affect them. More like, DOGE has eliminated a grant that Veeblefester was going to use to create a better tea cozy. Tea cozies, I assume, are already perfect. DOGE just saved the taxpayers $715,000.

We're seeing a lot a face-front Gladys today and it makes me unnerved.

The second installment of Chris Welkin, Planeteer went up yesterday. Check out the comics from December 1951 by Russ Winterbotham and Art Sansom.

If you would like to support me or this website, you can toss some money at the Support page.

Chris Welkin, Planeteer #2

It's time for the next installment of Chris Welkin, Planeteer covering December 1, 1951 to December 31, 1951. In this collection, Chris, Dr. Budd, and Rocky are captured by Icthusians. Chris and the others spend a lot of time treating the Icthusians as villains which seems to just be jumping to conclusions.

After a convoluted plan to escape, will Chris, Dr. Budd, and Rocky make it out of the clutches of the Icthusians? Or is this the last we've seen of Chris Welkin, Planeteer?