GoComics A to Z, Vol 3: Pot-Shots
by LucasFeature: Pot-Shots
Creator: Ashleigh Brilliant
Format: single panel, no more than 17 words
Frequency: daily
Recommended if you like: epigrams, eCards, clip art, riddles, wordplay, brevity, brilliance
Although the punchy phrases, ironic, made-for-T-shirt humor and symbiosis of sarcasm and clip art look and feel very similar to the modern meme, these "Pot-Shots" date back to the 1960s and '70s, when Ashleigh Brilliant was giving daily public lectures in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, teaching history on a "Floating University" cruise ship, and publishing his clever epigrams by the dozen. According to Brilliant's own description for what constitutes a proper Pot-Shot:
"...What is said must be really worth saying, but, as far as possible, never actually have been said before. There can be humor, profundity, poignancy, whimsy or a combination of all these. Another criterion is that the material should have lasting value and be capable of being appreciated in other times and other cultures. Because of this stricture, there can be no rhyme, no rhythm, no puns, no idioms - in fact, none of the conventional wordplay that makes writing short expressions fun and easy."
In a way, Brilliant's epigrams - no longer than 17 words in all but a few cases - are a forerunner to the modern use of Twitter for comedy and wit. They're lots of fun to read, look at and think about, and a perfect combination of a sharp British wit steeped in popular American humor. Think Oscar Wilde meets Mark Twain with a dash of sixties San Francisco whimsy, and that will put you somewhere close to the mark.