The Mysterious Odor of 1941, Grays Harbor

The approaching American involvement in the Second World War was not the only concern on the minds of Grays Harbor residents. I ran across this article from the Oct. 25, 1941 Aberdeen Daily World, page 3.

All these towns not claiming responsibility makes me think of a what happens in a crowded room when everyone is trying to find who is guilty of flatulence! Not me! Not me!

Postcard - Astoria, Oregon

"The bridge across the mouth of the mighty Columbia River linking the southwest corner of Washington State with Astoria, Oregon."

1960s.

This photo was taken from the Oregon side. Driving on this bridge can get pretty exciting when the wind is kicking up.

Phone photo 1903

Public trashcans in Astoria, Oregon cleverly celebrate their history of canning fish

Phone photo 1902

Liberty Theater, Astoria, Oregon

Phone photo 1901

 

Harry Flavel House

Astoria, Oregon

Phone photo 1900

 

Astoria, Oregon

Phone photo 1899

Columbia River, Astoria, Oregon

Phone photo 1898

Columbia River with the Willapa Hills, Pacific County, Washington in the background

Taken in Astoria, Oregon

Phone photo 1897

Streetcar

Astoria, Oregon

Phone photo 1896

Astoria, Oregon

Phone photo 1895

View of Astoria, Oregon across the Columbia River from Dismal Nitch, Megler, Washington

Morty Comix # 2429

Morty Comix # 2429 was left inside an empty plastic case initially meant for a telephone directory in a phone booth in downtown Astoria, Oregon.

I originally was going to leave this one at an Astoria restaurant where I had lunch, but the waitress caught sight of the comic before I could plant it. So my evil plan was thwarted.

Astoria is a fun town and several local stories there contributed to my Bezango WA 985 series.

Morty Comix # 2428

 

 Morty Comix # 2428 was left in a picnic area at Dismal Nitch, Megler, Washington.

In the background you can see the Columbia River and Astoria, Oregon.

Phone photo 1881

Birthplace of Ranald MacDonald

Astoria, Oregon

Phone photo 961

Hotel Elliott
Wonderful Beds
Astoria, Oregon

Phone photo 960

Liberty Theatre
Astoria, Oregon

Suuri Kurpitsa

Finnish cartoonist Pauli Kallio invited several of us American Newavers into his amazing anthology series, Suuri Kurpitsa (translated = "Great Pumpkin"). I've included the cover of the issues followed by my contributions.

While many of us here in the states were messing around with cheap photocopy, Suuri Kurpitsa had slick paper production values and color on the covers. I couldn't decide what was more thrilling: having my work published in high quality hardcopy, or someone thinking enough of my comix to take the trouble to translate them.

Finland, by the way, has quite a role in Pacific Northwest history. Here in Grays Harbor County, you can see many Finnish surnames adorning the signs of business enterprises, especially in Aberdeen. Down in the neighboring Lewis County, the town of Winlock was basically a Finnish colony. Nearby Astoria, Oregon had a major Finnish neighborhood that was home to Maila Nurmi, also known to us Ed Wood fans as Vampira.

It would also be safe to place the Finns as among the most politically radical ethnic groups up here in the first half of the 20th century.

Anyway, I'm starting to ramble. So I'll slap myself in the face and start my morning chores now, like filling the porcupine with helium. No, that isn't a quaint euphemism for anything-- I really do have to fill the porcupine with helium. Otherwise he gets earthbound and cranky.

Bezango WA 985 #7

1st ed., November 16, 2002, 41 copies, blue cover.

Print-on-demand for a brief time starting with Jan. 25, 2003. I'm pretty sure that by March 2003 I was no longer keeping this series in print.

1st Danger Room Reprint Ed., June 2005. Five copies (1 blue, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 pink, 1 red).

This one is my favorite in the series. The initial character was very loosely based on an eccentric member of an influential family just across the Columbia River in Astoria, Oregon.

The Columbus Day Storm of 1962 was the by far the very worst in living memory in the Pacific Northwest. And I'm one of those living with a memory of it. My family was residing in Olympia in 1962.

And speaking of memory, I'm sure when I invented the shapeless black birds I had an allegory for them all in mind. But whatever it was, the original concept has escaped me, so now I'm as mystified as the rest of you-- which is kind of neat. It isn't unusual for me to read this old stuff as if a different person actually created it. I guess in a way, I was a different person back then.

I do know that I partly based the fowls on those fat little greasy mooch birds that always hung out at the Dick's Drive-In chain in Seattle and scarfed up loose fries. I called them Dick Birds.

Bonker Memorial Hospital is a reference to former 3rd District Congressman Don Bonker, a Democrat who was actually a pretty decent politician and is now retired.

The Bezango Lunatics were inspired by the real-life Orofino Maniacs (Orofino, Idaho). Orofino is also home to Idaho State Hospital North, an institution providing service for those with mental illness. Supposedly, even though the history of the hospital traces back to 1905, the psychotic mascot predates that. But it doesn't matter. The fact Orofino High School still maintains the use of the Maniac comes across as so incredibly socially clueless it really makes that dark humor pool in my cranium swirl with delight.

We used to have a guy here in McCleary just like Sparky. He wasn't a judge but he was a town pillar.