A Few Words About Will Elder’s Obituary

Will Elder's obituary in today’s NY TIMES was a good appreciative obituary pointing out that Will blazed a new satiric trail in humor.

The article said he was a dead-on caricaturist with an anarchic sense of humor – which I related to the Marx Brothers – no respect for authority. He stuffed the background of his parodies and spoofs with puns, silly signs, and weird people doing strange things… which sat the pace of satiric magazines.

Will called these background unrelated fillers “Chicken Fat” saying that “they were part of the strip that gave it some flavor but did little to advance the story line”.

I think he stole the idea from me. Well, My Chicken Fat started in 1965. Elder’s started in the early 1950s… you can figure out by the dates who the thief is.

His son-in-law, Gary VanderBergh, said Will died of Parkinson’s disease. For an artist that must be a horrible disease to have, because it focuses on shutting down your muscles, a little at a time. My mother had Parkinson’s. I watched it work.

I didn’t think you could die of it as you cannot die of “old-age” – Parkinson’s disease closes down life operating systems, such as your heart. But, Parkinson’s disease played an important part, anyway.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens, our visit

(note: You might get more out of these if you click on each picture, but again with a couple of them you may be repulsed).


Friday we went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, which is on the edge of Piedmont Park. It was a beautiful day, not too hot, not too cold, just right with a pleasant breeze. There are outside gardens and ponds of many types and a huge greenhouse which, I think is a complex of many greenhouses under one roof. One huge room high the regulated environment of a tropical rain forest and another one was much cooler, it was trying to be like a mountain climate.

They had many types of man-made art to complement the plants.. some moved with the wind or even sounds and some just stood there. There were all a pleasant viewing experience.

The many types and varieties of plant life were beautiful. I took several hundred pictures. I have been through these pictures many times trying to “weed out” (get it?) the bad ones. Here are the not- too- bad -ones that remained:
(as usual click on the picture to enlarge it)














See the little frogs? Don't touch, they are poisonous. Also, see the frog with his/her mouth all blown up - it must be a mating thing.















I'm pretty sure this is a Rubber Plant.


Another Rubber Plant.

HU-4, DET 86, U.S.S. EDISTO AGB-2 OP DF-65

(click on photo to enlarge)

I have mucho photographs and genealogy papers and am trying to get in some kind of order. The I came across the an old photograph I didn’t know I had.. It is a detachment from my old Navy Helicopter Squadron, Helicopter Utility Squadron Four, or HU-4, for short, home base at NAS Lakehurst, NJ.

This picture was taken about 1964,, about 44 years ago. I suppose some of these men are dead by now. I recognized the faces of all but a couple, and knew the names by sight of only three of them. One named Montgomery was trouble – he was always getting into trouble.. I remembered one of the officers to be the typical officer, who didn’t know much, but he did know enlisted people were suppose to salute him – which they rarely did – which confused him, didn’t they know he was better than they were?

Also, one of the men’s name was Moody. Moody was a very likable easy going guy. A career man, or a “lifer”. I ran into again a couple years later at NAS Yuma, Arizona, at a two week reserves’ training. I wished I knew then what I knew now about my family history – one of my ancestor’s maiden name was Moody. I could have pumped him full of questions.

On the back are their names and what ship they were a detachment to. For posterity on the back, is written: HU-4, DET 86, U.S.S. EDISTO AGB-2 OP DF-65, and their names.

I emailed the picture and the back of the picture to my Navy friend Reuben who has his interesting blog, he is a retired teacher in Thailand who has some very interesting observances of the traditions and eccentricities of the people of the area.

He wrote back saying that was a Coast Guard ship, but he didn’t remember the people.

I wonder how I came in possession of this picture?
I am hoping one of these men might run a google on HU-4, USS EDISTO and come across this picture and bring back a rush of memories so I can justify my possession of the picture…. In other words, this posting is all about my greed.

Atlanta - The IBM Tower postcard

I am sure that it is stilled called the IBM Tower. I think it might have an Asian name.... it is so hard to keep up with things in Atlanta - by the time one thing is remembered, something else changes.

This building is near the I-75, 14th and Spring Streets. It used to be a beacon when ran the Peachtree Road Race. It is next to Marta, Atlanta subway-rapid transit.

It is probably over a mile to downtown Atlanta where most of the towering building looms. So, for the present, this tall building pretty much stands alone, which makes it even more impressive.

But hold on, things change, one day it will look like just another small building surrounded by giants.

Will Elder (1921-2008)

I just received word from my friend Pappy of Golden Age Comics that Will Elder died yesterday. He was 86 years old.

I have been keeping up with his antics in the comics and magazines since I was a preteen. He was one of the four original artists of MAD comic book and the co-creator of Annie Fannie in PLAYBOY.

In fact, the very name of this blog, "Chicken Fat" was inspired by Elder making the greasy globby stuff funny.

When I was about in the 7th grade I wrote him a fan letter c/o MAD and he sent me back an excellent cartoon of a man plucking the legs and wings off an insect saying, “She loves me, she loves me not….” I framed it and hung it on my bedroom wall. When I returned from the Navy it was no longer there… I never figured out what happened to it.

However, less than ten years ago, I sent him another fan letter and explained that the first one got misplaced and he sent me another hand drawn cartoon, this time of Annie Fanny, and a personal note saying how he regretted that some of his fellow cartoonists became a negative force later in life. I can only speculate who he was referring to.

At a future date I will have to do something on the art and antics of Will Elder, you can’t beat him.

I seemed so in-tuned to his wit and humor it is like losing an old friend I never met.

Moonwalker Minus His Umbrella

On this day in 1983 the “Moon Walk” dance was introduced to the public during the Motown 25th Anniversary celebration – according to The History Channel page a day calendar..

It is an unrealistic walk – which has the appearance of maybe walking backwards - which is about what you could expect from a person with a reshaped face and lightened skin tone - not to mention wears lipstick. Oh well, I suppose it is no more unrealistic than the robot dance.

But take the Twist dance. That was a good dance.

I think I am getting old.

What a Thriller!

The Forever Liberty Bell postcard

We got to see the Liberty Bell when we carried our young boys to Independence Hall in Philadelphia many years ago.

On the back:

“THE LIBERTY BELL – Originally hung in the tower of the new State House (Independence Hall) in 1753, this bell has greater significance than any other. It was first used as a symbol of freedom by abolitionists prior to the Civil War. Today, the Liberty Bell’s universal appeal is demonstrated by the more than a million people from all over the world who visit it annually.”

It doesn’t say so here, but I am sure I read or heard it got its famous crack when it was tolling because of Chief Justice John Marshall’s death.

Of course it is also the picture on Forever Stamps at the postal service. Just before the latest rate increase I bought 300 of them, which will save me 300 pennies. And once a resident of Philadelphia said, “A penny saved is a penny earned”.

Claudius Linton Foster (1888-1964).

This is Anna’s great uncle. He is the one with his wife Matt posed with their sporty convertible in a previous photo. I think this photo was taken before the one with the car.

The Fabulous Fun Freaky Fox Theatre postcard

This is the main showing room of the Fox Theatre. I mentioned “main” because the Fox Egyptian style building also has a mini theaters I think I read it is for reviewers. It also has a radio station, an ornate Egyptian Ballroom, and an apartment for the person who saved the Fox from Bell South’s bulldozers, but that is another story.

This room we are looking at has 4,600 seats and great acoustics

You can not tell by the postcard, but the blue ceiling has little twinkling lights, like stars on a clear night…. Just all the more to enhance you.

See on the left part of the stage, it is hard to see but it is giant organ. The man who saved the Fox also was an expert on things like antique organs and he repaired it back in working order. The organ has a nickname, but I forgot what it is called. When we took a tour of the Fox a few years ago, the person who plays that organ just happened to be there, and treated our tour group with several songs. He also “just happened” to have on hand some of his CDs of music he made from that organ… oh, did I mention that he has played with all the greats? Such as Henry Mancini, Frank Sinatra, etc.

A long time ago, before I was grown I remember the organ player was Bob Van Camp. Bob Van Camp was also an announcer on WSB Radio.

If I remember correctly, Bob Van Camp also co-host a live TV show – this was in black and white, before color TV – with Bert Parks. The show was with about 10 or 15 ladies, who were the guests for the show that day and they would play games…. I think possibly the Woody Willow show stemmed from this daily show… same format almost, except replace the women with kids and you didn’t show cartoons – maybe with the cartoons the ratings went up… so, who is going to watch cartoons more eagerly, women or kids?

Besides Bob Van Camp on the live show with Bert Parks, again, if I remember correctly, were Boots Woodall and the Peachtree Cowboys doing their music singing non-controversial songs, such as “Git Along Little Doggie.”

But back to the Fabulous Fox. Growing up I have been to the Fox many times and after we were married we went on occasion and we went to a few concerts there also. I remember we Kris Kristofferson give a concert there. I think that was the time the Fox was looking shabby and was on the verge of being Bell South’s newly paved parking lot.

After Rocky and Adam came alone we took them to see JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and HAIR there.

And I think most recently we went to a female country singer concert, as guests of Anna’s uncle and aunt.

Each time, except the Kristofferson concert, I was awed by the grandeur and just how plush everything looked.

It is an impressive place. The postcard doesn’t do it justice.

Death of a Mother

About 1994 or so I met El Postino on an on-line Prodigy bulletin board that specialized in MAD comics and a focus on Harvey Kurtzman. Since then we have shared our MAD findings and stories – he was mostly the one giving and I was the one mostly receiving.

Although we have never met, I feel he is a close friend.

Monday, one day after Mother’s Day his mother died. I feel for him, that is something most of us have to go through.

On his blog Paranoia Strikes Deep El Postino pays tribute to his mother and his caring brother Rob.

Our thoughts are with him, his wife, son, granddaughters, and brother and what they are going through this week.

Movies Lately

These are the latest movies we have watched with our membership of Blockbuster movies. I think it is Blockbuster On-Line, but again, it might not be. On each movie I threw in my opinion. I don’t claim to be a movie critic, but just like everyone else I do have an opinion (and an anus):

I’M NOT THERE is a movie loosely based on Bob Dylan. It is played by several actors and one actress (Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, etc) who play different parts of Bob Dylan’s life – although none of them used Bob Dylan’s name. They just loosely some thing that he did. One of these actors was a young black youth, playing the part of a eleven year old. He played the guitar and visited Woody Guthrie in the hospital, which Bob Dylan did, before he became famous. I think most of the movie was an attempt to look like an artistic surrealistic Fellini movie, which sure takes away your focus on the movie’s story line – or what story line? I have always enjoyed Dylan’s lyrics and music – it took something out of it. The name of the movie, I’M NOT THERE fits. – he wasn’t.

MICHAEL CLAYTON. Is a movie about highly ambitious people and the people who take care of the details. George Clooney pulls a triumph slam-dunk and that is about it. I would tell you some more, but the complicated mess they weaved got too complicated. I thought it was pretty good.

NACHO LIBRE – starring Jack Black. Jack Black plays a monk cook at an poor orphanage in Mexico. He also has a secret ambition to be a mask marvel wrestler. He has a head mask and at times participates in a local wrestling bouts for the prize money. It was hilarious. Especially when he gave the Mr. Masked Meanie a wedgie. Interesting, he seemingly also has a crush on a nun at the orphanage – and near the end, you might notice that he and the nun look at each other a special way – did they or didn’t they shake their vows? I thought it was great, and it carried a certain Latino spirit all throughout the movie – ….maybe that was because some of the villagers looked depressed – or maybe it was the music.. It was a non-sleeper.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD is an adaptation of “Oil” by Upton Sinclair. Well, the title was right. There was blood. It is about like naming a Bob Hope movie “THERE WILL BE JOKES” The movie is about the wildcatting days of the oil rigs days in the west, such as Texas and Oklahoma. A very energetic oil wildcatter/producer was the boss but worked physically as hard as anyone. And he also took care of his son that looked about ten years old….. you couldn’t help but liking the guy. He worked hard seemed to be fair. Then he tangled with the local fundamentalist religion group and it took a turn and things got bloody, just like the title said. But, it was still a nodder.

Who's Been Tooting My Horn?

My neighbor Bob lost his job recently at a marina. His specialty was small engine repairs, subdivided into another specialty boat repairs.

He is now working on something like 19 small engines and boat motors that he has here and there in his yard and garage.

Bob has a very loud booming voice. He also has a very hot temper when it comes to his son.

The other day I heard Bob talking on his cell phone. He stands at the edge of his garage for better reception… if you didn’t know he was a one man operation talking from a junky garage you would think he was in a plush office of a large corporation and he was pushing the buttons.

While he was talking, his truck went, “TOOT TOOT TOOT!!!”

Bob immediately pulled the phone from his face, covered the mouth piece with his hand and said, “Don’t do that!!”

If it was his son blowing the horn I think he would have let out a string of four letter words chewing him out. Since he sentence almost sounded like a polite request I suspect his son’s live-in-girl friend was in the truck and tooted the horn.

Bog started talking again.

The truck, again, “TOOT TOOT TOOT!!!”

Bob went into the house.

I thought I would crack up laughing.

The Oldest House (photo1886), St. Augustine postcard

On the back:

“14 St. Francis St., St Augustine, Florida.

The Gonzalez-Alavarez House is the oldest Spanish residence in the area, dating back to the early 1700’s.”

So, is THE OLDEST house or the oldest Spanish residence in the area (and how big of an area?) or the oldest house in Continental United States? Because I think St. Augustine claims to be oldest city the U.S., the oldest house would in the city would possibly be oldest house in the U.S. But, again, maybe not.

Who’s counting anyway?

Hubert Prance (1917-1930)

This is Anna's uncle Hubert Prance at a young age riding a rooster. Hubert died at age 13.

By the special number assigned to this photo shows that Anna's mother Marie put this picture in the Vanishing Georgia collection.

Birmingham, Alabama postcard.

On the back it says:

“”The Magic City”
The lights of Birmingham at night spread across the valley below Red Mountain, creating a “Magic City” that springs from the darkness, much as it sprang from barren fields to a booming industrial city in its early days”.

If they say so. I never been there. Anna went to a work related class there once, maybe that is how the card got here… if not, maybe it is a magic card.

You Know

This is not the case that “if anyone knows, Moe Knows.” We are talking about YOU. You know.

You might ask “What do I know?”

You know it all. And I do too, because to you, I am a YOU too.

Every day on TV when I see a news event being reported and the reporter is interviewing a witness to the event and the reporter ask him what kind of get a-way car was used, I bet 9 out of 10 times the witness will start off by saying, “You know….”.

Or, if they are asked what do they think about a certain issue, there is a big chance they will start off by saying, “You know…”

Well, if we already know, why does the reporter bother to ask them? They could pivot away from the action scene and present his hands to us the TV audience and say, “You know.”

And we could nod and say, “I know.”

The other morning on The Today Show a famous female singer was being interviewed – I would tell you her name, but I honestly don’t know – but you know. While being interviewed she used “You know..” several times.

When they asked her to sing, she sung something that went something like this: “Doncha Know, doncha know, doncha know I love you.”

I am thinking up an outline for a book that I plan to write and publish which I am sure will be a run-away best seller. The name of it will be YOU KNOW.

YOU KNOW will be like reading about your favorite person - you!

Maybe one of the first chapters will start something like, “Remember your first day in school? Remember what happened? You know.” – then I will just step aside and let the reader fill in the rest with what he knows.

And the other chapters will be very similar – well, you know.

I am thinking about having something reflective, like a mirror, on the cover in the front under the title so that it will reflect the reader’s favorite hero – him or herself.

I can’t go wrong!

Happy Muddah's Day

Look Away!

Portrait of Jefferson Davis

On this date in 1865 the Union forces captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Davis was wearing his wife’s black shawl at the time of his arrest. The History Channel Page-a-Day Calendar said that he said he was ill and was using the frock for warmth. Union forces suspected that he was attempting to disguise himself as a woman.

I’m surprised some of those horny Union soldiers didn’t really think Davis was a woman and tried to do a cavity search. Wow, talk about a Rebel Yell!

Streams & Rivers in North Georgia postcard

Not only does North Georgia have mountains and valleys but also streams and rivers. Which, if you are going to have the mountains you are going to have gushing streams and creeks.

By their sound makes you would think they are a live force, and maybe they are.

Years ago the rivers for fully loaded with trout by the state, I don't know if that still happens.

To here and see water charging down a hill roaring as it gushes past rocks is a great sight to behold. Sleeping near such a stream or creek and hearing that noise in the darkness is an enjoyable experience too.

William D. Petty (1834 – 1917).

Here William D. Petty poses in his CSA uniform. He was my great grandfather Daniel Webster Petty’s brother.

William was born in North Carolina but as a toddler moved with his family to Fanning County, Georgia. He had moved to Murray County, Georgia, by 1857.

He was a postmaster of Cisco, Georgia, Census taker, and a member of the Murray County Board of Education. Being a postmaster of small town, I bet he was a store owner too.

William was married three times. He and his first wife Lizzy Harris had seven children. The other two wives were late in life and no children were produced.




William loved to quote from the Bible and sing religious hymns.

William and his wives are buried in the same plot at Sumac Presbyterian
church Cemetery – Crandall, Murray Co., GA