Fred Lasswell, 84: "Barney Google" cartoonist
sankkuss
March 4, 2001
Web posted at: 9:42 AM EST (1442 GMT)
TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- The man who drew the "Barney Google" comic strip for
more than a half-century -- and gave Americans such experessions as
"heebie-jeebies" and "horsefeathers" -- died Sunday morning.
Fred Lasswell, 84, suffered a heart attack at his home and was pronounced
dead about 6:30 a.m. (ET) at a Tampa hospital, Tampa police said.
Lasswell began drawing the "Barney Goodle and Snuffy Smith" comic strip in
1942, taking over from the strip's creator Billy DeBeck.
Today, the syndicated comic strip appears in 11 languages and 21 countries.
Tampa police said Lasswell was with a caretaker at his home when he was
stricken.
RChamp7927
Lasswell still drawing the cartoon-strip up to the time of his death or had he
appointed a successor? And will the strip continue now that he is gone?
Bob Champ
sankkuss
David Carson wrote in message ...
>On Sun, 04 Mar 2001 17:15:19 GMT, "sankkuss" <sain...@sprintmail.com>
>wrote:
>
>> 'Barney Google' artist dies
>>March 4, 2001
>>Web posted at: 9:42 AM EST (1442 GMT)
>>Lasswell began drawing the "Barney Goodle and Snuffy Smith" comic strip in
>>1942, taking over from the strip's creator Billy DeBeck.
>>
>>Today, the syndicated comic strip appears in 11 languages and 21
countries.
>
>them to their bulletin board, or tape them to their desk, or tack them up
>in the break room? I visit offices and other people's desks every day,
>and I've seen hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- of comics. I've seen lots
>of Dilbert, Garfield, Peanuts, Shoe, B.C., Wizard of Id, Blondie, etc.
>The list of clipped-out-and-displayed comics I've seen goes on and on.
>I've even seen Nancy. But I've never seen one "Barney Google and Snuffy
>Smith" comic on display. Ever.
>
Not surprising, really. Most comics displayed in offices are topical in
some way... I thought BG was dated even when I was a kid. And how many
papers even carry it any more?
Louis Epstein
:
: David Carson wrote in message ...
In terms of being passe,how does it compare to the Katzenjammer Kids?
sankkuss
Louis Epstein wrote in message ...
bob
still changing his diapers.
To...@fred.net
: Realize that their kid "Tater" was born in 1965? He's 36 now and Loweezy is
: still changing his diapers.
<Insert Dan Quayle Joke Here, emphasis on "Tatoe">
--
To...@Fred.Net http://www.fred.net/tomr
* Faith Manages...... But Willow is in Tech Support
* "Hello, girls.... I'm the Easter Bunny!" - Janet Reno, "South Park"
* Look out! If Bender says "ass", Katherine Harris will appear!
* "I have lost many friends in the Running of the Squirrels."
* Death by Snoo-Snoo!
Mary Kay Bergman 1961-1999 - http://www.wackyvoices.com
MadCow57
TJNawrocki
: TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- The man who drew the "Barney Google" comic strip for
: more than a half-century -- and gave Americans such experessions as
: "heebie-jeebies" and "horsefeathers" -- died Sunday morning.
: Fred Lasswell, 84, suffered a heart attack at his home and was pronounced
: dead about 6:30 a.m. (ET) at a Tampa hospital, Tampa police said.
: Lasswell began drawing the "Barney Goodle and Snuffy Smith" comic strip in
: 1942, taking over from the strip's creator Billy DeBeck.
The Marx Brothers made a movie called "Horse Feathers" in 1932. So how exactly
did Fred Lasswell give Americans that expression ten years later?
Tom Nawrocki
Barry Shein
Wasn't there some old song that went "Barney Google with the
goo-goo-googley eyes"?
--
-Barry Shein
Software Tool & Die | b...@TheWorld.com | http://www.TheWorld.com
Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 617-739-0202 | Login: 617-739-WRLD
The World | Public Access Internet | Since 1989 *oo*
Joe Fineman
> The Marx Brothers made a movie called "Horse Feathers" in 1932. So
> how exactly did Fred Lasswell give Americans that expression ten
> years later?
Evidently it was his predecessor. The OED's first quotation for
"horsefeathers" is from _American Speech_ in 1928:
Mr William De Beck, the comic-strip comedian...assumes credit for
the first actual use of the word "horsefeathers."
--- Joe Fineman j...@world.std.com
||: A bank will lend you money if you can prove you don't need :||
||: it. :||
Joe Fineman
> Wasn't there some old song that went "Barney Google with the
> goo-goo-googley eyes"?
...
Barney Google was the luckiest of guys.
If he fell down in the mud,
He'd come up with a diamond stud.
Barney Google with his...
Barney Google with his...
Barney Google had a wife three times his size.
She sued Barney for divorce;
Now he's living with his horse.
Barney Google...
Nice tune, IMO.
--- Joe Fineman j...@world.std.com
||: Some think that if weapons abound they will not be used; :||
||: some, that they will be. Most prefer not to think. :||
David Samuel Barr
>
> Wasn't there some old song that went "Barney Google with the
> goo-goo-googley eyes"?
Yes, In 1923, the team of Ernest Hare & Billy Jones recorded it for
six different record labels; their Columbia version charted for seven
weeks, two of those at #2. During that run, Georgie Price's Victor
version also charted for a single week at #12.
Brad Ferguson
<dsb...@mindspring.com> wrote:
Wow. Ernest Hare and Billy Jones, the "Interwoven Pair." They did the
first singing radio commercial in history, for Interwoven Socks, circa
1926. It went to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap
Your Hands."
How do ya do, everybody, how do ya do?
(forgot the second line)
I'm Billy Jones / I'm Ernie Hare
We're the Interwoven Pair
How do ya doodle doodle doodle doodle do?
I had no idea they were well known prior to that.
bob
thir...@frXOXed.net wrote on 3/6/01 7:39 AM:
The second line was a repeat of the first. I used to have a copy on one of
those clunky 78's, not the thin ones but the 1/4' thick Vitaphone records
that would play on those big record players with the horn on top. It was all
left behind in a house I bought.
They sang their song at the start, then:
Hey Billy?
Yeah Ernie.
Tell me a car that starts with B
B...B...B...that's a Buick
Now me one that starts with H
H...H...H... a Hupmobile (! SP?)
Now tell me a car that starts with P
With P? Don't kid me, no car starts with "p"
Corny, yeah now but side splitters back then. Funny, I can't remember the
names of people I met yesterday, but I can remember a Jones & Hare recording
that I heard 40 years ago.
I wonder if any of their stuff has ever been released in any modern formats,
lp or cd.
MadCow57
with the Goo-Goo-Googly Eyes on TV?
David Samuel Barr
>
> Wow. Ernest Hare and Billy Jones, the "Interwoven Pair." They did
> the first singing radio commercial in history, for Interwoven Socks,
> circa 1926. It went to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It,
> Clap Your Hands."
>
> How do ya do, everybody, how do ya do?
> (forgot the second line)
> I'm Billy Jones / I'm Ernie Hare
> We're the Interwoven Pair
> How do ya doodle doodle doodle doodle do?
>
> I had no idea they were well known prior to that.
>From 1921 to 1939 the "Happiness Boys", as they were billed, were a very
famous & popular radio staple, which is no doubt the reason they were
tapped to be Interwoven's spokesmen. From 1921 through 1928 they
charted 27 records, all of which were Top Twenty (most of them Top Ten).
Hare also charted 6 Top Twenty records on his own and another one as a
duet with Al Bernard; Jones charted a dozen records, 3 with other
artists and 9 solo, all of which were Top Twenty, most notably his
Edison recording of "Yes! We Have No Bananas" which spent 5 of its 13
chart weeks at #1 (he also recorded the song for five other labels).
The act ended when Hare died in March 1939; Jones died in November 1940.
As for the Interwoven jingle, it was a variation of Hare & Jones's own
introductory jingle, which went:
How do ya do, everybody, how do ya do?
Gee it's great to say hello to all of you
I'm Billy Jones / I'm Ernie Hare
And we're a silly-lookin' pair
How do ya doodle doodle doodle doodle do?
(My guess is that they probably also introduced other variants into the
lyrics when occasion dictated, but that's the version I have on tape.)
Brad Ferguson
<madc...@aol.com> wrote:
> Is my memory having another problem, or did Eddie Cantor sing Barney Google
> with the Goo-Goo-Googly Eyes on TV?
He probably did, since he had a pair of googly eyes himself.
Cantor had a syndicated variety show that ran in 1955. He'd largely
retired after a heart attack in 1952, but the TV show was filmed, paced
slowly for Cantor, and was loaded with guest stars who did all the hard
work. Even though it proved to be popular, "Eddie Cantor Comedy
Theater" ran for only 38 episodes. I suspect his health was a factor
in shutting it down. Cantor died on October 10, 1964 at 72 of another
heart attack. His wife Ida ("sweet as apple cidah") died two years
before he did.
1953's "The Eddie Cantor Story," with Keefe Brasselle in the title
role, is currently making the rounds on the True Stories channel, for
all you satellite and digicable people out there.