August 24, 2020
On August 24, 1968, at 1:45 in the afternoon, there was a downpour in Williamsport, Maryland. I was inside Williamsport Church of God with my brother, Kyle, and Rev. Lloyd Abbott, waiting for the rain to stop so we could proceed with the reason we were all gathered there that day. The bride was outside waiting for the rain to stop so she could make her walk down the aisle. 52 years later, the bride, Bonnie Belle Carter, and the groom, Melvin David Sisler, Jr., give thanks for another year. On the road to forever together.
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| Brother Abbott, Trish, Bonnie, David, Kyle. |
👉 Let’s look at couple of pieces from two of my favorite cartoons: Pluggers and Shoe. They are featured because Gary Brookins retired from Pluggers yesterday. He announced his retirement in Saturday’s and Sunday’s panels.
Gary first announced his retirement on April 1. “It’s not an April Fools joke. I’m in the process of retiring from cartooning ... 40+ years of relentless deadlines is enough, and I have other interests I want to devote my time and energy to.”
Editorial cartoonist Rick McKee from Augusta, Georgia, will be taking over Pluggers. After nearly 30 years with The Augusta Chronicle, with over 20 of those years as their editorial cartoonist Rick was laid off last year.
Shoe gave a salute to Brookins Saturday (I love the puns!). The note in the right corner of the strip “Jeff would be proud” is a nod to Jeff MacNelly who created Shoe and Pluggers (he died in 2000).
👉 While we are talking about cartoons, let’s look at one of the classics from Walt Disney: Donald Duck (and confess it if you read the Duck’s name and tried to talk like him).
When you think of Disney, you probably think instantly of Mickey Mouse. However, there is another significant character that is sometimes not as well remembered for his efforts. That is Donald Duck.
Disney had been considering creating a character that was more negative than Mickey Mouse, a character who was very respectful and kind. The tone of Clarence’s “duck voice” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2wetiHiG-w inspired this fiery character and this is where the concept of Donald Duck originated.
An urban legend that refuses to die (like most urban legends) tells us that Donald was once banned from Finland because he does not wear pants. Donald was sort of, but it was only because the government was trying to save money and discontinued Donald Duck comics for youth centers in favor of hobby and sport publications – the vote was unanimous, but when the rumor started the next year, Mr. Markku Holopainen, a local Liberal Party representative, lost the election, due in part to fake news https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fowled-out/.
Did you know that Donald has a middle name; Donald “Fauntleroy” Duck and is the only Disney character with an official middle name. It was announced to the public in the 1942 movie Donald Gets Drafted.
Donald won an Academy Award for his performance in Der Fuhrer’s Face https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-PZVrWvJM0. This anti-Nazi cartoon was originally titled Donald Duck in NutziLand.
By 1940, just 6 years after he first came to the screens, Donald Duck had more cartoon episodes than Mickey Mouse. Over 128 actually, and that doesn’t even count ones where both Mickey and Donald appeared together. He went on to star in 7 feature films, which is more than any of his Disney counterparts.
👉 Today’s close is a repeat from May 22, QB 53.
“She turned around and saw Jesus standing there” (John 20:14 NKJV).
C. Austin Miles was a pharmacist whose hobby was photography, and he found his darkroom perfect for developing, not just his photographs, but his devotional life. There Miles could read his Bible in total privacy.
One day in March 1912, while waiting for some film to develop, he opened the Bible to his favorite chapter, John 20, the story of the first Easter. Miles said, “As I read it that day, I seemed to be part of the scene. I seemed to be standing at the entrance of a garden, looking down a gently winding path, shaded by olive branches. A woman with head bowed, hand clasping her throat as if to choke back her sobs, walked slowly into the shadows. It was Mary. She came to the tomb, bent over to look in, and hurried away. Then Peter and John entered the tomb.
“As they departed, Mary reappeared, leaning her head upon her arm at the tomb. Turning, she saw Jesus standing; so did I. I knew it was He. She knelt before Him, with arms outstretched and looking into his face, cried, ‘Rabboni!’
“I awakened in full light, gripping my Bible, with muscles tense and nerves vibrating. Under the inspiration of this vision I wrote as quickly as the words formed the poem exactly as it has since appeared. That same evening I wrote the music.”
I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear,
Falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me,
And He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that he gave to me,
Within my heart is ringing.
And He walks with me,
And He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
I’d stay in the garden with Him,
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go through the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling.
And He walks with me,
And He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
In the Garden was my Dad’s favorite hymn. He was born 102 years ago today.
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Congratulations on 52 years of togetherness and real love. Fran and I had our 53d anniversary this year and are still in love. She got over 50 sympathy cards. I got cake.
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