Mark Burstein

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

Here’s the official word on “Nov Shmoz Ka Pop”.

Gene Ahern created “Our Boarding House” (featuring Major Hoople) for the NEA syndicate in 1921. The “topper” on that strip was “The Nut Brothers, Ches and Wal”. (A “topper” is a less-significant strip running on the same page as the main strip, done by the same artist).

Gene moved over to the Hearst syndicate in 1936, taking with him his characteristic drawing style and the major characters, although they were renamed (e.g. Judge Puffle). The new strip was called “Room and Board”. He also started a new half-page Sunday topper, called “Squirrel Cage”, replacing “The Nut Brothers”. The character “The Little Hitchhiker” appeared in the “Squirrel Cage”, and that was his trademark saying. Another running gag was that he always hitchhiked with something which made it impossible to pick him up (a horse, for instance). There was even a sequence in which the characters traveled to his homeland.

Meanwhile, Bill Freyse and others continued drawing “Our Boarding House”.

Many later comic “stars” started out in the little additional strips, where artists were not under so many constraints, and could try out new ideas. For instance, a cat and mouse duo started life in an unnamed strip which ran under “The Dingbat Family” in 1906. Their names were Krazy and Ignatz.

“Nov shmoz ka pop” is prominently featured on the back cover of the new “R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book” where his descendent, Mr. Natural, is speaking the holy phrase on the back cover.

This information has been checked with Malcolm Whyte, founder of the Cartoon Art Museum of San Francisco, who also sent me a Xerox of an original strip he owns with the Little Hitchhiker himself in the last panel, and we confirmed this with Bill Blackbeard of the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art. Case closed.

Best wishes,

Mark Burstein

Cartoon Art Originals

Mill Valley CA

Another reference:

“Squirrel Food” / by Mark Johnson. p. 61-66 in “Nemo”, no. 25

(Apr. 1987) — About Gene Ahern’s early strip, with reprinted examples.

— Cover title: “Life in the Squirrel Cage”

Lora Farrell

January 1, 1997

Dear mr. pinkwater,

I just got e-mail last week and yours is the second sight i decided to come to.

I was glad to see the picture in the photo gallery of you floating a foot above the ground. When I was in fifth grade, three of the boys in my class wrote to you and got those postcards. I always wanted one after that, but decided to be content with your books.

The funny thing is, as I was reading this ‘guest book’, or whatever you want to call it, one of those guys is in here, about ten people down- Joshua cohen. He wrote to you in fifth grade, along with kareem haddad and jeremy mai.

i have a feeling he’s going to write you again soon, so anyway, Hi Josh. I have always wanted to ask you how you felt about a movie being made of the snarkout boys and the avocado of death ? It’s one of my all time favorites and I think even an adaptation of it would be so much fun to make.

also, your books and film have inspired my life in both my work and my eating habits. when I was 16 I got a job at this place called ‘famous corn dogs’ in the mall. I wanted to be eva from stranger than paradise, and I wanted to be the girl in the snarkout boys.

Their corn dogs weren’t famous, and I don’t really like corn dogs. but they had great pretzels, and if you’re working by yourself you can stick all different types of cheese and things and make corn dogs out of those.

ps, what’s up with the kansas followiing? I’m from kansas too.

Hank Conner

January 1, 1997

Mr. Pinkwater,

Three cheers (maybe even more) for the young man [Ed.–thanks!] that put this site together. He made it possible for us to read even more Pinkwaterisms in the form of your replies to Web surfers’ questions. I fear, however, he might be guilty of addicting you to this dreadful habit of staring, for hours on end, at a cathode ray tube. Keep on staring! There are thousands of us fellow addicts out here.

Levent Ozgur

January 1, 1997

Hi Mr. Pinkwater…..

I doubt you’ll remember this, but years ago, you received numerous letters from a nerdy sixth grader who was obsessed with your books. You very kindly answered these letters, thus bringing a bit of happiness into his generally lonely life, and then, abruptly, his letters stopped. The kid entered high school, had a good time, graduated and attended NYU film school for a while, until the money dried up. He then moved to Colorado, where he currently attends CU Boulder for a fraction of NYU’s cost. OK,OK, I’m guessing my talking about myself in the third person is fooling no one, for I am that nerdy sixth grader, and I’ve been waiting for years to extend my heartfelt thank you for making that difference in my life. I still look back to your books, endlessly surprised at their wit and wisdom. Hey, I really dig this website!!!!!!!

Bernadette Noll

January 1, 1997

After reading the AFTERLIFE DIET I must tell you to go to your grocery store and look for the Boar’s Head natural casing hotdogs. There are 7 in a package all connected of course by one long casing. Get out your vegetable steamer to steam your buns, slice up the Claussens, sprinkle a little celery salt and ENJOY! I am fortunate to be married to a Chicago boy and so was introduced to the celery salt concept soon into our courtship. For those of you reading, if you haven’t tried it yet, turn off your computer and get thee to a grocery store.

I am thoroughly enjoying your book. The part about the lost manuscript really explains a LOT! Thanks for your fine work.

Ken Horne

January 1, 1997

Hello Mr. Pinkwater,

If Lord Buckley were to reappear on this orb known as God’s golfball, what should we do?

Ken Emley

January 1, 1997

I look forward to your pieces on NPR. At the conclusion of two of those features, the song “Yesterday, I read a book” with Jimmy Durante was played. As an elementary teacher, I can think of many uses in my classroom. However, I have been unable to locate that particular album, CD or ? Any suggestions you could make would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work, you always make my day.

Kate G.

January 1, 1997

Hi. I’m 16 and just now starting to read the Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror; I feel my childhood was deprived. Well, I appreciate the characters; they remind me of my friends and I. I was thinking that this book would make a really awesome play. Anyhow, i hope this isn’t a big lie and i’ve just wasted a whole 3 mins. of my life typing this. This is really pretentious, but could I adapt a few scenes from this for drama? It could enlighten my school. thanx- kate g. sorry if this message makes little sense!

Stefan Jones

January 1, 1997

Dear Captain:

Many years ago I saw a theatrical production of _Lizard Music_ in Chicago . . . you may remember me reviewing it on your GEnie board.

Do you know if the production was ever put on elsewhere, videotaped, etc.?

Josh Cohen

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

At my sister’s suggestion, I am informing you that, at the moment, I am Here. I do not know why she asked me to tell you this, or why you would care at all about my whereabouts, although I am a great fan of yours and currently trying to become a published children’s author (whose style is “a bit TOO much like Pinkwater,” according to one publisher), but as she pays the bills and hs insisted I inform you of my whereabouts, I must duly comply. So, if you need to contact me for any reason, please contact me Here.

Please note, though, that I do not intend to remain Here indefinitely. Tomorrow, for instance, I might be There, or possibly Elsewhere, and I have long range plans eventually to be Somewhere Else Entirely. But for the moment, you may contact me Here. Thank you.

John Marshall

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

My name is John Marshall. I am 10 years old. I go to school at Burton Valley School in Lafayette, California. I read the book, Mush, A Dog from Space, and I really liked it. I want to know if you are planning to make a sequel to this book. I think it would be a great idea.

Abe Gurewitz

January 1, 1997

I am doing a school paper on a subject that I have noticed in many of your books that I have read. What I noticed was that you appear to make fun of many Jewish charecteristics. I was wondering if you could tell me about what you think and what I could use to show it.

Jeff Weilburg

January 1, 1997

dear mr p

several years ago, on new years eve, I heard “The Klondike Yid” on NPR; I laughed my ass off, and would love to hear it again. Where is it to be found?

Jason Ward

January 1, 1997

I have been a huge fan of your stuff since I was about ten. That’s why I think you should know that I hope, make that PLAN, to be a writer JUST LIKE YOU. I’ve been trying to achieve this goal by eating one eighth of my weight in boiled pasta every day. I’ve gained 34 pounds so far, and it’s only been two months! When I’m not eating, I rest on the floor and think up ideas for stories. I’m only 5’9″ and have always been skinny, but by the end of the summer I hope to weigh at least 300 pounds. I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, keep up the good work.

Fat people rule!!!!

Jane Greer

January 1, 1997

Dear Mr. Pinkwater: Several summers ago, my husband and I were driving in the hills of North Dakota and listening to you tell a story about how your dog used to play a game with you when you drove, trying to stick his nose into your pocket. We were laughing, crying, and driving at the same time. No, we didn’t crash — but we DID go behind a big hill before your story was finished, and the radio signal was interrupted. We never heard the end of the story. Is there any way I could get a transcript or at least get you to finish the story for us? The human/dog friendship you described gave me goosebumps. If I need to send somewhere for a transcript, just tell me where. Thank you.