Wednesday, October 15, 2003

Pete Morisi Remembered

Cartoonist Fred Hembeck posts a fond remembrance of the work of the late Pete Morisi.

• Posted at 1:41 PM · LINK

My Favorite Yearbook

In 1974, the National Lampoon folks published one of their crowning achievements: A mythical 1964 high school yearbook owned by student Larry Kroger. The yearbook was written by Doug Kenney and Michael O'Donoghue, and its art direction and photos were as funny as its text. The book went through several printings and was obviously much-treasured by those who purchased it. Copies rarely turn up on eBay or in used book shops, so it was about time the current National Lampoon proprietors (whoever they are, this week) reprinted the thing. Here's the link to order a copy of the new edition which is in hardcover and which contains a new foreword by P.J. O'Rourke and a "Where Are They Now?" feature which presumably notes that Larry Kroger went on to college where he pledged National Lampoon's Animal House.

I say "presumably" because I haven't seen a copy of the reissue, though I've ordered one. I'm told the printing is not ideal and that the whole thing is on one paperstock, whereas the original printing involved several in order to better simulate a real yearbook and various inserts. But since you're not about to find an original for $14 or anything near that, this should be well worth having.

By the way: I just realized that the movie, National Lampoon's Animal House, was set in 1962 but Larry Kroger's high school yearbook is from 1964. So maybe it's a different Larry Kroger.

• Posted at 11:45 AM · LINK

Triumph Unmasked

Here's a piece about Triumph the Insult Comic Dog from the Conan O'Brien show. But really, it's about Robert Smigel who works the puppet and does a lot of other funny things.

• Posted at 1:21 AM · LINK