Strangely enough, this is fairly accurate (though JonTom’s Duar should NOT look like an acoustic instrument). So badly drawn, but more than acceptably accurate? Good Show Sir!
People stop and stare, they don’t bother me
For there’s nowhere else on earth that I would rather be
Let the time go by, I won’t care if I
Can be here on the paths where you perambulate
I’ve seen this in shops and tried to get a clear shot but it always blurs: maybe there is a perception filter. Or my camera picks up even the slightest involuntary flinching.
It probably means ‘Perambulator’ as in baby-stroller. And with Kooji taking centre-stage this is the second Rolf-themed cover this week.
Strange that Mr. Foster gave a sellout talk recently where he said sf must be science-based. I guess he counts demonology and teenage mutant ninja turtles.
@DeadStuff (4): That’s the Perambulator a cosmic reality twister not bound by the laws of time, space or physics. And it’s been captured and needs to be freed before the big bad uses it to destroy the world (the country and western demons aren’t the big boss, they’re the lead up).
In the book it’s awesome, colourful, ever changing and literally indescribable. I did mention this cover was badly drawn didn’t I? 🙂
The Jon Bon Jovi reference are oddly appropriate considering the human is a spellsinger called JonTom. And this series actually predates Mr Bon Jovi. The turtle, on the other hand is Clothahump, and a wizard, which I’m assuming was used by some D&D player, at some point, but is not, to the best of my knowledge, the name or even stage name of any musician in any genre. I would love to be wrong on that thougg
When I was a kid, I read the paperback editions of Mad comics (before it became Mad Magazine). There was a comic-strip that inexplicably inserted Peter Pain in panels. At the time, I had no idea what it was supposed to be, and the fact that is ugly creature was randomly attacking people and causing huge amounst of pain creeped me waaaaaaay out.
The ad linked above is relatively tame. He was very brutal in some of the old ads I’ve found online since I discovered the identity of this childhood nightmare.
@Tor: Geez, I’m glad I didn’t get into MAD till it was a magazine.
Those ads would never be allowed today. I guess when you’ve recently lived through a world war, a pain gremlin is nothing.
That particular ad puzzles me too, since Ben Gay of old had a VERY strong smell. She’s getting it smeared on her in her fancy dress (WTF? it was greasy and got everywhere) and then talking about what a swell party it is, and her dancing boy isn’t commenting that she smells like horse liniment and the room’s had its collective sinuses cleared?
He’s tactful, I’ll give him that — maybe he is worth marrying. Or else he’s ansomic and so she can poison him and collect the insurance later.
Mini history lesson (that you might already know). EC Comics made a lot of popular horror and sci-fi titles back in the 1940s and ’50s. There was a huge outcry, even congressional hearings, on whether comic books caused juvenile delinquency. This was the era when one “expert” declared that Batman and Robin were portrayed as lovers.
Faced with going bankrupt if distributors refused to carry their titles, EC dropped all the horror books and created Mad comics. But many of the artists and writers in their stable were used to doing horror, and so they kept up a really dark and grim feeling in the early years. Their parody of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck ends with one killing the other, iirc. I believe Robin also kills Batman. Their parody of Archie ends with him in prison, literally banging his head on the wall because he could have settled down with either Betty or Veronica instead of throwing his life away.
Dark stuff.
@Tor M—that Archie parody is beyond edgy. You recall he’s a junkie as well, and if I recall correctly he’s actually shown shooting up. And Betty and Veronica are really sleazy. I remember the repeated references to the “criss-cross marks” on his head. MAD in those days was a brilliant satirical enterprise. I read all of those 50’s books, borrowing them from a friend’s older brother
@Tor, BC: My older brother had some of the “Tales to Drive You MAD” books. The comics and the magazine were completely different beasties. OTOH, the magazine was a great way to smuggle social commentary, satire, and anti-establishment themes into suburban households while looking like just a funny cartoon book.
(I met Sergio Aragones once. He draws a little doodle with all his autographs, and he did a larger drawing of GROO for said brother.)
They’ve reprinted the comics since the “Seduction of the Innocent” panic died down and graphic novels are much beyond that now. Stephen King and others credit them for inspiration, and of course the “Tales From the Crypt” TV show helped introduce them to younger folk.
Ironically, I hear the new Archie-based TV show has many of the things the Comics Code forbade, and so do the comics.
April 12th, 2016 at 12:40 pm
“I’m the manager, I’ve got the bloody sword, and I’m TELLING you, not asking you… you’re not going to play ‘Teddy Bear’, not tonight, not ever!”
April 12th, 2016 at 12:47 pm
Strangely enough, this is fairly accurate (though JonTom’s Duar should NOT look like an acoustic instrument). So badly drawn, but more than acceptably accurate? Good Show Sir!
April 12th, 2016 at 1:09 pm
Is the sad little tortoise at the back saying
“What the hell is this? You replacing me? He doesn’t even have an awesome red hat!”
April 12th, 2016 at 1:13 pm
David Gilmour was contractually obligated to perform on Roger Waters’ solo album Rainbow Bat Smurf Sex.
@DaveM: what is that thing in the background that looks like a broken window?
April 12th, 2016 at 1:41 pm
That angry goth koala is so distracting.
April 12th, 2016 at 1:48 pm
Filking never looked so cool.
April 12th, 2016 at 1:48 pm
@DSWBT—I think it’s the Glass Onion.
“Now here’s another clue for you all
The Green One was Paul.”
April 12th, 2016 at 2:01 pm
I have a feeling this is the song they’re singing.
April 12th, 2016 at 2:02 pm
“The Paths of the Perambulator”
Back in Philly, we called them “sidewalks.”
April 12th, 2016 at 2:02 pm
“This is the last time I play a trinket shelf.”
April 12th, 2016 at 2:19 pm
Followed By:
THE ROUTES OF THE RAMBLER
THE SIDEWALKS OF THE SHAMBLER
THE TRACKWAYS OF THE TIPTOER
April 12th, 2016 at 2:36 pm
Jon bon Jovi jams with gremlins. A cover of the Laughing Gnome song.
April 12th, 2016 at 2:46 pm
THE STREETS OF THE STRUTTERS
THE HIGHWAYS OF THE HIKERS
THE TURNPIKES OF THE TREKKERS
April 12th, 2016 at 2:49 pm
On second thought, maybe it’s more Lerner/Loewe:
People stop and stare, they don’t bother me
For there’s nowhere else on earth that I would rather be
Let the time go by, I won’t care if I
Can be here on the paths where you perambulate
April 12th, 2016 at 2:57 pm
If you are a singer/musician and are going to wear a cape the rest of your clothes better be Vegas Elvis worthy, not John Denver bargain basement.
April 12th, 2016 at 3:26 pm
THE ROADS OF THE ROAMER
THE ALLEYS OF THE ALSO-RANS
THE MEADOWS OF THE MEANDERER
April 12th, 2016 at 3:40 pm
To wear the cape one must be Rik Wakeman.
April 12th, 2016 at 4:33 pm
What kid’s show is this from, again? I’m not familiar with the one where the guitarist and his animal friends fight demonic imps.
April 12th, 2016 at 4:56 pm
I’ve seen this in shops and tried to get a clear shot but it always blurs: maybe there is a perception filter. Or my camera picks up even the slightest involuntary flinching.
It probably means ‘Perambulator’ as in baby-stroller. And with Kooji taking centre-stage this is the second Rolf-themed cover this week.
April 12th, 2016 at 4:57 pm
Strange that Mr. Foster gave a sellout talk recently where he said sf must be science-based. I guess he counts demonology and teenage mutant ninja turtles.
April 12th, 2016 at 4:59 pm
“No, we’re not gonna do a free-form jazz exploration in front of a festival crowd!”
-David St. Hubbins
April 12th, 2016 at 5:01 pm
“Tie me Koala-bear down, sport”
April 12th, 2016 at 11:21 pm
It’s “Take me koala back, Jack”. Yes, I did see Rolf in concert before the proverbial hit the fan.
April 13th, 2016 at 10:34 am
@DeadStuff (4): That’s the Perambulator a cosmic reality twister not bound by the laws of time, space or physics. And it’s been captured and needs to be freed before the big bad uses it to destroy the world (the country and western demons aren’t the big boss, they’re the lead up).
In the book it’s awesome, colourful, ever changing and literally indescribable. I did mention this cover was badly drawn didn’t I? 🙂
April 13th, 2016 at 5:14 pm
Presumably the guy at the front with his back to us is Prince?
April 13th, 2016 at 6:26 pm
@DaveM: thanks for the synopsis. I’m now going to have the theme from ‘Wander Over Yonder’ stuck in my head all day.
April 20th, 2016 at 2:04 pm
The Jon Bon Jovi reference are oddly appropriate considering the human is a spellsinger called JonTom. And this series actually predates Mr Bon Jovi. The turtle, on the other hand is Clothahump, and a wizard, which I’m assuming was used by some D&D player, at some point, but is not, to the best of my knowledge, the name or even stage name of any musician in any genre. I would love to be wrong on that thougg
April 20th, 2016 at 3:50 pm
Clothahump could be a Celtic folk-rock group.
June 14th, 2018 at 9:20 pm
@Tag Wiz: Bear-wielding!
June 15th, 2018 at 4:09 am
Trivia note: The green gremlin in the lower right is obviously patterned after Peter Pain, a nasty looking ad mascot for Ben Gay ointment.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MCToMUCApi0/UpUclbrviVI/AAAAAAABINo/BxulgYkH5bw/s1600/Peter-Pain-Ad-1946-11-03.jpg
When I was a kid, I read the paperback editions of Mad comics (before it became Mad Magazine). There was a comic-strip that inexplicably inserted Peter Pain in panels. At the time, I had no idea what it was supposed to be, and the fact that is ugly creature was randomly attacking people and causing huge amounst of pain creeped me waaaaaaay out.
The ad linked above is relatively tame. He was very brutal in some of the old ads I’ve found online since I discovered the identity of this childhood nightmare.
June 16th, 2018 at 12:01 am
@Tor: Geez, I’m glad I didn’t get into MAD till it was a magazine.
Those ads would never be allowed today. I guess when you’ve recently lived through a world war, a pain gremlin is nothing.
That particular ad puzzles me too, since Ben Gay of old had a VERY strong smell. She’s getting it smeared on her in her fancy dress (WTF? it was greasy and got everywhere) and then talking about what a swell party it is, and her dancing boy isn’t commenting that she smells like horse liniment and the room’s had its collective sinuses cleared?
He’s tactful, I’ll give him that — maybe he is worth marrying. Or else he’s ansomic and so she can poison him and collect the insurance later.
June 18th, 2018 at 4:58 am
Mini history lesson (that you might already know). EC Comics made a lot of popular horror and sci-fi titles back in the 1940s and ’50s. There was a huge outcry, even congressional hearings, on whether comic books caused juvenile delinquency. This was the era when one “expert” declared that Batman and Robin were portrayed as lovers.
Faced with going bankrupt if distributors refused to carry their titles, EC dropped all the horror books and created Mad comics. But many of the artists and writers in their stable were used to doing horror, and so they kept up a really dark and grim feeling in the early years. Their parody of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck ends with one killing the other, iirc. I believe Robin also kills Batman. Their parody of Archie ends with him in prison, literally banging his head on the wall because he could have settled down with either Betty or Veronica instead of throwing his life away.
Dark stuff.
June 18th, 2018 at 2:18 pm
@Tor M—that Archie parody is beyond edgy. You recall he’s a junkie as well, and if I recall correctly he’s actually shown shooting up. And Betty and Veronica are really sleazy. I remember the repeated references to the “criss-cross marks” on his head. MAD in those days was a brilliant satirical enterprise. I read all of those 50’s books, borrowing them from a friend’s older brother
June 19th, 2018 at 1:11 am
@Tor, BC: My older brother had some of the “Tales to Drive You MAD” books. The comics and the magazine were completely different beasties. OTOH, the magazine was a great way to smuggle social commentary, satire, and anti-establishment themes into suburban households while looking like just a funny cartoon book.
(I met Sergio Aragones once. He draws a little doodle with all his autographs, and he did a larger drawing of GROO for said brother.)
They’ve reprinted the comics since the “Seduction of the Innocent” panic died down and graphic novels are much beyond that now. Stephen King and others credit them for inspiration, and of course the “Tales From the Crypt” TV show helped introduce them to younger folk.
Ironically, I hear the new Archie-based TV show has many of the things the Comics Code forbade, and so do the comics.
July 13th, 2022 at 5:46 pm
More in this series:
The Byways of the Baby Buggy
The Streets of the Stroller
The Corridors of the Carriage.
Me? 🎵I like to push the….pram-a-lot…..
July 14th, 2022 at 6:30 am
@JJYoyo: The Course of the Carrier
(Those critters look like they’d fit in a Baby Bjorn)
July 14th, 2022 at 8:04 pm
Or if we get shut down by another variant:
The Backyard of the Bassinet
The Patio of the Playpen
The Baby Swing under the Sycamore…