Next question. What is your earliest memory? I recall an 104 year old woman’s answer. “Oh, do I have to go back 100 years?” The reporter didn’t respond, just waited. Then she said, “Christmas when I was four years old. I got my first doll.” That doesn’t match Walt’s whit, but it paints a beautiful picture.
davidf42Since there was no year 0, all centuries start with a year ending in 01 and end with a year ending in 00. 1900 is part of the 19th century. The 20th century was from 1901 to 2000. If you want to talk about the years 1900-1999 you can call it the 19 hundreds.
At this point Scancarelli is by necessity playing a little fast and loose. Walt was clearly older than 19 when he got Skeezix. And in the 80s it was established that Walt is younger than Joel (both are WWI). It’s a tricky one, when Frank King started doing this I’m sure he didn’t think the strip would still be going almost a century later. But also, I don’t know that it matters as much at this point. Under King and Moores, Gasoline Alley was a much more character-driven strip, and less punchline-driven than it is now. I miss that GA, but I think Scancarelli is doing a good job with it, it still has more heart than most of what’s out there. And his draftsmanship is impeccable…it’s one of four strips I read every day (the others being Lio, Dick Tracy and Doonesbury).
The last WW1 vet (in real life) was a waitress in an RAF mess hall. She lived to be 110—nearly 111, but died in early 2012. The last American WW1 vet was also 110 when he died about a year earlier.
DaJellyBelly almost 11 years ago
Walt’s mind is still sharp as a tack! :-)
davidf42 almost 11 years ago
And that ends the theory that Walt was born in the year 1900.
Dkram almost 11 years ago
There was a dear old gal from our home town that passed away at 105, she just missed living in three different centuries by one year..\\//_
Willow Mt Lyon almost 11 years ago
Next question. What is your earliest memory? I recall an 104 year old woman’s answer. “Oh, do I have to go back 100 years?” The reporter didn’t respond, just waited. Then she said, “Christmas when I was four years old. I got my first doll.” That doesn’t match Walt’s whit, but it paints a beautiful picture.
Andrew85994 almost 11 years ago
davidf42Since there was no year 0, all centuries start with a year ending in 01 and end with a year ending in 00. 1900 is part of the 19th century. The 20th century was from 1901 to 2000. If you want to talk about the years 1900-1999 you can call it the 19 hundreds.
Andrew85994 almost 11 years ago
The number in question was Walt’s birth year. The point is that 1900 is in the 19th century, not the 20th.
jumbobrain almost 11 years ago
At this point Scancarelli is by necessity playing a little fast and loose. Walt was clearly older than 19 when he got Skeezix. And in the 80s it was established that Walt is younger than Joel (both are WWI). It’s a tricky one, when Frank King started doing this I’m sure he didn’t think the strip would still be going almost a century later. But also, I don’t know that it matters as much at this point. Under King and Moores, Gasoline Alley was a much more character-driven strip, and less punchline-driven than it is now. I miss that GA, but I think Scancarelli is doing a good job with it, it still has more heart than most of what’s out there. And his draftsmanship is impeccable…it’s one of four strips I read every day (the others being Lio, Dick Tracy and Doonesbury).
jumbobrain almost 11 years ago
Oops, meant to write that both Walt and Joel are WWI vets…and in the real world, I don’t think there are any still with us.
John W Kennedy Premium Member almost 11 years ago
The last WW1 vet (in real life) was a waitress in an RAF mess hall. She lived to be 110—nearly 111, but died in early 2012. The last American WW1 vet was also 110 when he died about a year earlier.