Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities The other WTF covers.

Gag: "Oh no, the cake came out wrong!". Check.

Still undetermined: the prop is that is standing in for the "cake". Cake pan or jello/aspic/pate mold seems likely, I've never seen one that color. Metal ones are copper or dull silver, and plastic ones are bright.

I've also wondered if it could be fake jello (like wax fruit). You know, like all the photographers had lying around back in the day. But again, it's too dark. Jello would be red or green, or something bright.

"The Sarge"'s "Yeah, you and who else?" sounds like a typical response to an unlikely claim, like a small guy threatening to kick a big guy's ass. But "The Private" is leaning away from the Sarge and even has one of his hands up so the body language doesn't read right for that.

I can't explain "The General" AT ALL. Not why he is on the ground, or what is supposed to happen next. The closest gag I can figure is Sarge chewing out Private when Sarge is inadvertently about to hit the General but neither the dialogue nor the blocking bear that out.

Does the Private's left hand mean anything, or does the artist just draw hands weird? (Look at the General's. Ouch!)

When I was a kid, the comeback was "Yeah? You and what ARMY?" I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

Looks like the General is on the joke with the private. He's setting up the Sargent so when the Sarge is pushed by the Private, his legs will buckle against the General and he'll instantly fall to his butt. This was a recurring 'gag' throughout 30's - 50's cinema, comic strips, etc.

I guess the irony is that the Sarge can kick around the Private, but he too answers to someone who can kick him around, the General.

...and in real life, at least when I was growing up.

Looks like kids are still at it, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsw7feNBvIM

The classics never die, as evidenced by what the kid shouts at the end.

I think the Private's body language is part of the set up. He's ostensibly backing down to lull the Sergeant into a false sense of security until the General gets into position and then... push!

Oh... and actually now that I look closer, I don't think that rank is supposed to be a General, but rather a Major... who would generally be a Company Commander and therefore, likely the Sergeant's "boss", supporting Cobie's idea about the hierarchy of pushing someone around.

It's amusing to me because the standard phrase as I know it best is, "You and WHAT ARMY?" and these guys are Military.

I have no recall of the push-over thing, either from real life or movies. I can easily image it as a "Little Rascals" thing though.

What's not clear is why the top brass (actual rank unimportant -- main idea is that he IS ranking) would be in on it.

Armies? So last century. Today, it should be, 'Oh yeah, you and what unmanned predator drone?'

And, at some point in the future, 'Oh yeah, you and what artificially-intelligent fourth-dimensional bioweapon?'

The rank isn't super-important, but it does give the joke a little more punch if he were a Major, because then the reason that he's in on it is a little more clear.

This might be a little boring but, by way of explanation... basically, you wouldn't expect that the average low ranking sergeant would have much day-to-day interaction with a general... generals don't tend to hang around with enlisted men.

But if he were a Major - implied by the gold leaves on his epaulettes - then it's likely that he's the head of the "Company" - a smaller army unit - that the sergeant is in, and is basically the Sergeant's "boss".

So... just as the Sergeant bullies the Private (who he's in charge of), his rightful comeuppance (for being a bullying jerk) would come at the hands of his own boss, the Major. If the Private were to simply push the Sergeant without the Major's involvement, he'd be punished, but the "You and Who Else?" makes all the difference, because now the Sergeant has no recourse.

There's definitely a "there's the boss and there's the BIG BOSS" element that is not specific to the military, but the uniforms make it clear who's who in the scenario.

Sarge is probably supposed to be a loudmouth jerk, but "yeah, you and who else" HAS to be in response to a fresh remark.

I think the whole thing is visual gag that doesn't really flow with the "you and who else" conversational gambit.

Like with the Miss America cover (and lots of covers, really) you allow for certain exaggeration/simplification/whatnot to make the gag work -- or not. Even so, I can't help wondering if a senior officer would really dress down (in any manner) a lower-ranking officer in front of a GI. I can't claim any real knowledge of military culture, but it just doesn't seem right.

What's interesting is that in say, 1946, probably just about every kid buying comics knew the structure / ranks of the military.

I can tell you most kids today do not know that--not even close.

No, you're absolutely right... that sort of "dressing down" in front of someone's subordinates would very rarely happen (and be deemed really inappropriate if it did) but... yeah... suspension of disbelief, and all that.

Trust me... if military accuracy was a prerequisite to comic strips, "Beetle Bailey" would have been cancelled on day one.

80s kids learned it via G. I. Joe.

Is there a joke here?

Not that I can see???

I mean, really. I've checked this a few times and I don't see the joke.

I assume there's some sort of Irish thing at play here, based solely on costuming, and the idea of the ass not wanting to walk is well-known, but I see NO connection and nothing to make it an obvious "TEE-HEE" cover.

Unless there's something amusing about Irishmen and donkeys I am missing--?? *looks to Cobie*

Middle man definitely wants to get to the parade or procession or whatever.

Does redhead want to stay or go? At first I thought he was sitting, which = stay, but I think the tails of his jacket look like a stool or something.

Is it that his foot is braced against the animal's leg as a way to pull it along...but is really preventing the animal from moving?

I think they all just want to join in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and the donkey just isn't cooperating. I think that's all there is to it.

Nah, I think it's that he's pulling the head with the rope but his foot is pushing and blocks the animal from moving. It's not that noticeable because redhead's shoe blends into middle man's shoe.

I think it's just a trick of (bad) perspective. He's leaning back with his left foot pointing in the air, trying to get the donkey to move. I think the heel is supposed to be touching the ground on the far side of the donkey's right (background) leg.

I would expect the next move to be for the donkey to stop resisting and for him to fall flat on his posterior.

Yeah...I'm at a loss on this one. I think Eryk might be right on the pretty bare extent of the joke.

Again, is there a joke here?

Going by the pitcher's stance I think the ball is still mid-pitch, and MAYBE the gag is that it's called a strike before the batter can reasonably swing. "Funny"!

What are the signals the ump is making?
Is STRIKE ONE cover text? If it is dialogue, who is saying it?

It looks to me like the batter is disagreeing with the call, and the umpire is making a fist, getting ready to deck the batter. If that is the case, I think it is kinda strange that the umpire is making the fist with his left hand, unless he is a lefty.

If the gag is that it's being called mid-pitch (which isn't a bad gag), then you'd think they would've shown the ball mid-flight. As well as making more obvious that "Strike One" is the umpire's dialogue.

Since the umpire's right arm is in an impossible position (try it - you can't put your arm at that angle behind you with your thumb down), it's probably just bad, rushed, art.

It occurred to me that the pitcher may have called "strike one" to distract the batter, and the batter may be objecting to this (possibly even, in a never-in-real-life moment, mistaking it for the umpire calling it). Or it may just be the logo being in the way of the call being in the more logical place.