Rube Goldberg, former mining engineer, Godfather to Mad Magazine’s “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions,”
cartoonist for Boob McNutt and Mike & Ike (they look alike), is best known for the now
eponymous machines he started cartooning back in 1914 such as:
how to not forget to mail a letter. Or the reminder to
take out the garbage. Or the
local government efficiency machine. Or the
oversleeping cure. Or the
German webserver wakeup device (it’s got sound).
There are
amateurs making ‘Rube Goldberg machines,’ but there are also
serious contests, sponsored by
serious engineers. (There are even
do it yourself plans - y’know, for kids).
Goldberg’s influence can be seen in a
variety
of
media, but by the time he turned 80 he’d tired of cartooning and decided to begin sculpting. Needless to say he excelled and of course, influenced
humorous kinetic
sculpture.
posted by Smedleyman
on Mar 15, 2006 -
13 comments
