A Hero For The Ages

September 25, 2015 9:30 AM

The Outbursts Of Everett True, a comic strip by A.D. Condo (more) about a man frustrated with nonsense, up with which he will not put!

A Poetry Reading
At Dinner
In Church
On The Train (via)

posted by the man of twists and turns (18 comments total)

Christ, what a... cartoonist.
posted by cmoj at 9:36 AM on September 25, 2015

These are not funny?
posted by maryr at 9:43 AM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

Previously.
posted by klangklangston at 9:51 AM on September 25, 2015

These comics do an excellent job of backing up the thesis from a post a couple days ago that violence is primarily used to enforce a presumed moral order. They'd be easy to update too, with True hulking out on people with cells in theaters, lavaballers, etc.
posted by klangklangston at 9:52 AM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

Climate scientists. Social Justice Warriors. The unemployed. Prius drivers. Members of the Teachers Union. Bicyclists. Vegetarians. People who say "Happy Holidays." Liberals in general.
posted by Naberius at 9:59 AM on September 25, 2015

Everett True has long been one of my favorite forgotten cartoon characters. He's the personification of the imposition of social order, via the cartoon character's preferred discourse: violence. Best part is he's in the public domain, so he can just as easily employ his umbrella against today's cretins such as county clerks that refuse to issue marriage licenses and pharmaceutical CEOs that jack up drug prices.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 10:14 AM on September 25, 2015

Oh, and these cartoons aren't meant to be funny, they're meant to be cathartic.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 10:15 AM on September 25, 2015

"What do you folks think of my new costume?"

"It's fierce!"
posted by edheil at 10:33 AM on September 25, 2015

It's a good thing he married a woman who can hand it right back to him with interest.
posted by Segundus at 10:57 AM on September 25, 2015

I feel like seeing him say to his wife, "You don't know the first principles of pie baking!", helps me understand the phenomenon of mansplaining a lot better.
posted by penduluum at 11:02 AM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

helps me understand the phenomenon of mansplaining a lot better.

Mr. Truett may be a mansplainer, but he's evidently no fan of manspreading, going by that On the Train link.

These are great! Thanks!
posted by saulgoodman at 11:08 AM on September 25, 2015

I liked him better when he was the music editor for The Stranger in Seattle.
posted by Ratio at 11:09 AM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

Sort of an ur-Plugger, before they decided it was unsafe to go outdoors.
posted by thelonius at 11:32 AM on September 25, 2015

I encounter these all the time researching in old papers; pretty much they all consist of:

*stranger does something inappropriate or annoying*

Everett True: "YOU ASSHOLE."

*Everett does something even more inappropriate back at the original person*

It's like this real-life story....but...funnier?

I always just assumed it was a cultural thing at the time; I much prefer Flapper Fanny, which is a little later but did share the newspaper pages with Everett for a little while.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:07 PM on September 25, 2015

Mike Baron created a superhero named The Badger in the eighties who was kind of like this; a one-panel summary of his ethos has him roundhouse-kicking someone in a supermarket while screaming, "Fill out your check before you get in line!" The difference with Everett True being, the Badger was known to be mentally ill.
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:18 PM on September 25, 2015

There used to be a comic strip in The Comics Journal and The Comics Buyer's Guide, featuring Everett True. He would rant about stuff happening in comics publishing. I had no idea the character had a history like this.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:49 PM on September 25, 2015

"Oh, and these cartoons aren't meant to be funny, they're meant to be cathartic."

Ahhh, so that's why I so viscerally dislike them. The audience, by existing, is the issue.
posted by radiosilents at 6:52 PM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

I read hundred-year-old newspapers regularly, for reasons, and Everett True is in so many 1915 papers!
posted by salix at 12:52 PM on September 26, 2015