The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-06
COMIC JOURNALISM.


journalism, that it is no velvet one, but rather
suegestive than otherwise of that iron visor
bebind which a certain mysterious character
m history was compelled, for so many years,
A mt the best face he could upon circum-
stances Great assiduity is a thing almost
incompatible with humorous writing. The
strain of always trying to be witty and epi-
grammatic on the surface, without losing
grasp for moment of the weightier considera-
tions involved, is one against which few
minds could contend successfully for long,
continuous periods; and hence the desul-
tory mode of working so generally char
aoteristic of writers who make a spe-
eialty of this kind of literature. Con-
tributors to comic papers may be divided
into two classes-the brilliant ones, and the
reliable ones; and it is very rare to find in
one person a combination of the character
istics belonging to those respectively. Of all
the writers with whom | have travelled, from
time to time, along the highways and byways
of comic literature, have known but two or
three really sparkling ones whose aid could be
relied upon, to a certainty, for any given day
or week, The electric sparks thrown out by
some of them, when in full glow, seemed to
fall hack upOn them in ashes, and smother
their too sudden fires. Athorough Bohemian,
for the most part is the very brilliant con-
tributor-a bird difficult to catch and not always
available whencaught, seeing that, innine cases
ont of ten his habits are no more under
his control than his moods. And herein
lies one of the chief impediments to making a
real success Of a comic periodical. The relia-
BILE contributor, whose principal value lies III
his punctuality, is usually what may be
termed an even writer, seldom rising to the
pitch of brilliancy, nor often sinking below
the level of respectable burlesque; so that,
however valuable he may be as standby"
he is unequal at his very best, to establish
ing an unmistakable prestige for the paper that
takes him for better or for worse, whichever of
the two it may be. Wereit only possible to treat
these two types of contributors the juggler
does a couple of rabbits, roll them both into
one, and then divide them by dozens,-the
thing would be complete. Then might the
comic paper not always remind one of the
famous "down-town" merchant described in
the advertising columns of the of the "serious
journals as the hero of "many sleepless
nights" and the expectant watcher of the
times might reasonably hope for the coming
of a successful American 'Punch," a thing so
long in petto that it ought to be very good when
it comes at last.
1t has been frequently suggested, that
the most feasible plan for the perma-
nent establishment of a comic paper
leading contributor to it, and, if possible, all
the worlds wife and interesting family as well.
There is a certain fascinating massiveness in
this idea, it must be admitted but-as the
writer of one of a bushel of old letters now be-
fore me says, in reference to proliX conun-
drum offered by him-'Will it wash ?'' To
this reply without hesitation, that it will
not. There is no doubt that useful sugges-
tions are sometimes forwarded to editors of
80 40 bod
perience compels me to state that the hints
for squibs caricatures, and articles generally,
whether political or social in their bearing,
thus rendered, are, in the great majority of
cases. utterly worthless and impracticable. |
have somewhere read or heard of story told
by the late John Leech, who used to be
occasionally favored with such hints from
anonymous sources, and who once had COM
munication from person desrous to map out
his idea for scorching political cartoon. The
leading object in the picture was to be a rail
way train coming along at smashing pace
freghted with certain political characters, and
the artist was to draw another train rushing
from the opposite direction, but (now mark
you this welD not yet in sight | will ven
ture to assert that every person who has es-
sayed the task of editing comicpa has been
pelted, from all quarters of the country with
scores, nay, hundreds, of suggestions equally
impracticable with the above. Among the
curiosities of this branch of literature which
received in other times and retained for future
reference, many are of a strictly esoteric and
personal character. ga Borderer''-particula
selvage of civilization to which he belongs not
decipherable on postmark-writes to saw that
it would be good thing to extinguish the
postmaster of his place, and, to further
the abolition of that unhappy provincial
he encloses ten cents, with a copy of verses in
which impeachment for having "robbed a
trunk" is felicitOusly set to music by means
of rhyme with the disagreeable epithet
''skunk." Another person, apparently writing
from place OF detention for adults of weak
intellects, forwards number of anagrams-
one upon the name of Florence NIGHTINGALE.
and another upon that of General LAFAYETTE,
The same writer suggests a host of distin.
guished persons upon whose names the editor
would do well to immediate himself anagram
matically. Kossuth figures among these. a,
likewise does local citizen whose name i,
given as Pericles W. Beazley, and who. accord
ing to the suggester, is parsonage SO fllin,
to the eyes Of the world that a favorable twis
upon his name would at least double the circu
lation of the paper in which it might appear
A poetical contributor favors the editor with
parody upon Hoods "SOng of the Shirt." =" feel
ingly wrought out with view of infuencin,
the market value Of particular sewing ma
chine, the name of the patentee of which i
ingeniOusly stitched into the wonderful stuf
This troubadour modestly states that he doe
not look for any pecuniary recompense for hi
contribution, but he requests that it may h
printed with his name to it, in full AMI thu
twenty-four copies of the paper containing
NAV be forwarded to his address. Anoth,
bard sends in a little poem not devoid