As we speak, a number of brave and gracious souls are digging up old and forgotten newspapers comics from archives and microfilm collections, in order to keep them alive and available for posterity. That’s how I got to know and love George Clark‘s short-lived bittersweet Sunday strip The Ripples, and especially the little Aunt Peachy strips that editors could use to fill up the page (like the ones above from April 21 and 28, 1946).
Aunt Peachy specifically struck a chord thanks to Salty, the pet shop owner’s green talking parrot who’s too smart for his own good. He distinctly reminded me of one of the heroes of my youth, Flip, Jommeke’s feathered friend who more often than not gets himself, and his owner, in trouble. He even looks like Salty’s distant cousin.
Come to think of it, there’s another talking parrot that played an important part in the comics of my youth: the perroquet that sets Tintin off on his adventure with L’Oreille Casée. Judging from how often she referred to it, this must be the comic that my mom read the most.
ps — Jommeke is currently being published in English as Jeremy by Europe Comics. If you are looking for thrilling, funny all ages adventure comics, look no further!
(The Ripples by George Clark, Jommeke by Jef Nys © Standaard Uitgeverij, Tintin © Hergé / Moulinsart 2021 – All rights reserved. with thanks to those generous souls that scan old newspapers. Oh, and hi, mom!)
