A Problem Like Maria V

Originally, the suits at EMI thought the Beatles ought to replace George Harrison with Maria Von Trapp. "'I Need You' is so dreary," said one. "The kids today, you like it upbeat, lively! Something like 'The Lonely Goatherd'!"

Here are the nearly-fab four spelling out "URJV" in semaphore.

A Problem Like Maria, Seite Vier

Maria might have found a career with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders if only her residual nun's modesty had not deterred her from wearing that skimpy uniform.

And her short hair. They really like the girls to wave their tresses about on the field.

Q Toon: Welcome to Wartmart

In the interest of getting a holiday-themed cartoon our there in time for most editors who run my cartoon, I really wanted to do something about Hallmark's "Don We Now Our Fun Apparel" ornament this week. But I don't think anyone will be able to top Ellen DeGeneres's take on the contre-temps.

This Week's Sneak Peek

And an early Happy Thanksghivukkah to all!

The Hills Will Go On

Returning to my little obsession with The Sound of Music for a moment:

I'm trying to decide whether I needed to flip Julie around 90 degrees, or the background. Ah, well. There will be more of these eventually.

Anybody Here Seen My Old Friend John?

Let's take a moment to mark the fiftieth anniversary of a tragic day in world history.

Q Toon: Jack and Alec

In case you don't keep up with MSNBC on Friday nights, brand new program host Alec Baldwin has been suspended for two weeks after being filmed calling a pesky photographer a "c***sucking f**." (Baldwin tried explaining that he actually called the guy a "c***sucking fathead," which is only half as homophobic.)

I don't usually have MSNBC on during Baldwin's particular time slot, but I presume that the channel has temporarily gone back to programming about what it's like to live in prison, where such language is completely unheard of.

As I mentioned the other day, drawing Baldwin from opposite angles proved to be quite the challenge, in part because he must have decided that his right side is not his good side. (Insert rightwing-vs.-leftwing snarky remark here.) After writing that, I tried image-Googling "Alec Baldwin cartoon" and found very little evidence that other cartoonists have been able to capture essence of Alec in their work. So I guess that while I don't feel that I've quite captured the Baldwin Moue, I don't feel so bad about my efforts this week after all.