Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for August 20, 2010

Impressive!

FABULOUS !

I like how Ginger is off by herself practicing, while Ted and Doris do their boring reading…it must cost them a pretty penny!

My dancing needs a Vogon interpreter.

Ted and Doris, you are missing an impressive recital by Ginger.

A brand new poster from Stel Bel!

http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/feature?uc_comic=cscwy

Cyrano was known for having a lengthy snout. Still a handsome hound!

And of course, you need to blow it up to see all the little doggie knights! Stel, did you include them just for me?

Ah! It’s the classic Interpretive Ginger! Be still, my beating heart.

Ginger ought to be in pictures with Fred.

Cyrano Jones might be more appropriate. Boy, could he disrupt a space station!

http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/feature?uc_comic=cscwy&uc_full_date=20200820

I miss Doxanne, the lady of his heart, in the poster…

Here’s the human, slimmed version:

http://www.postercorner.com/v/vspfiles/photos/00831-2.jpg

What a sad little snout.

Wow!

As Dennis said… we’ve got a brand new poster from StelBel…

in the August 20th  2020 “CLEO and COMPANY” on Sherpa…

 

And the subject has ties to my childhood.

(OK, I hear those groans out there… it’s never stopped me before, has it?

And some people actually like these stories.

I’m… sniffle… almost sure of it. Sort of.)

 

First, though… beautiful work, Stel!

You’ve captured the fin de siêcle look of the production…

with its sunset oranges and shadows of blue.

This is a more “cartoon-y” sort of basset than your usual ones… quite suitable for that lengthy snout.

 

Good job finding that human copy, Tigressy…credit where it is due.

The humans made it so narrow… they didn’t even have room for StelBel’s whole traffic jam of soldiers and war machines….

and yes, that actor’s nose is long-ish for a human…

But why even try to compete with a basset hound?

 

As for the childhood connection….

Fourth grade was the year I discovered that books can break your heart.

And Cyrano was first… the Rosthound play, of course, the one featured in Stel’s poster… not the historical figure.

My teacher liked to encourage my writing… and sometimes lent me books and poems to read…. including, at one point, a children’s translation of Cyrano de Basset.

I felt a bit insulted by a children’s version… hmphff … till I discovered that the original was in French, which I didn’t speak…

and, she said, in old-fashioned French… in tiny print, and a zillion rhyming verses. OK, fine, kid’s version it is.

She told me that I would like it, because the hero wins the lady with his writing.

 

All I can say is… she must not have re-read it very recently before she said that.

First…Cyrano was not a very likeable fellow, for a hero… a braggart and peacock, it seemed to me.

I did develop some sympathy for his unrequited love… but couldn’t understand his helping his rival.

Second… Roxanne wasn’t very likeable either… manipulative, spoiled, with frivolous reasons for loving this man or that.

Third… I’m sure they left out some characters in the children’s book…

but the plot was still too convoluted to follow, what with various overlapping ranks and loyalties of French nobility and soldiers… betrayals and battles included.

And lastly… yeah… SURE… he wins the lady…. as he lies DYING.

Thanks.

 

Anyway… not long after, I picked up a “children’s book” at the library…

It looked like a children’s book… and some librarian thought so too, and shelved it there.

Maybe it is a children’s book. What do I know.

But I wouldn’t give it to a child.

 

“The Happy Prince” . stories by Oscar Wilde.

As an adult, I love Oscar Wilde.

But those stories were so sad I never got over them.

,

Before I go… OKAY!! I will, I WILL!

I just wanted to say this is one of my favorite Ballard Street strips….

I think it’s been re-run a couple of times.

 

And Ginger is a great dog…

which her owners appreciate too.

https://assets.amuniversal.com/8e6fd6001b4b0133fa0b005056a9545d.gif

 

I believe we saw her special gate a little while back…

https://assets.amuniversal.com/ae89a9e05243012d63c700163e41dd5b.gif

 

and they also gave her a crown:

https://assets.amuniversal.com/53076270c169012d63f600163e41dd5b.gif

 

You know, I think she has even given dance lessons to other dogs:

https://assets.amuniversal.com/ab039bf22f3e102d94d7001438c0f03b.gif

Look at that ski jump.

If it’s a success in Cleveland,* it’s on the Belchertown!

* Motto: Fᴇᴡᴇʀ ʀɪᴏᴛs ᴛʜᴀɴ Pᴏʀᴛʟᴀɴᴅ, ʙʟᴀᴄᴋᴏᴜᴛs ᴛʜᴀɴ Cᴀʟɪғᴏʀɴɪᴀ, ᴀɴᴅ sᴄᴀʟᴀᴡᴀɢs ᴛʜᴀɴ Aʀᴋᴀɴsᴀs!

Good morning Balladeers, (((((Plods))))) and Miss Susan.

Good Morning Ballardeers and Liverlips! Q-date 160.98235.51 and we’re headed toward a warm up.

Cyrano Di Basset for some reason reminded me of Steve Martin’s Roxanne. Sometimes I wonder where my mind went.

Y’all keep eatin your vegetables. (((((HUGS)))))

Gorgeous poster, Stel! You can see all the extra work that went into it. Ever since Dennis mentioned it a few years back, I automatically enlarge your posters. What a delight, all those bassets in costume. I’ll bet the wardrobe lady had fun rounding these dudes up.

Love this poster, Stel. Good work!!

A great poster of a dog of war that wrote doggerel!

Kudos again on the artwork, StelBel!!