Bozo by Foxo Reardon for June 22, 2021

2 – “Hey, I’m a highly-decorated veteran! You should see me all lit up for Christmas!”

1 A good day to run late.

2 Busted!

3 Needed pruning anyway.

1. Oh my gods. I is late for wo.. oh waitsaminute.

2. Well, whatd’ya know. His classy dame gal pal’s a vet too.

3. Bozo don’t likes tree vandals.

I just loves the three dimensional aspects in this comic. All three strips today’s exhibit this skillfully. Scenes are at an angle to the audience which helps put a three dimensional depth for the readers who sees this on a two dimensional piece of paper or nowadays a two dimensional screen.

Peoples and buildings placed in different positions, before and behind, which is drawn with accurate relative sizes s that it appears to the audience as if they is standing behind or before the protagonist.

Even though this is a comic from 1940’s, it gives a breath of fresh air much more than several contemporary comics. The artwork is so well done that I don’t even care whether it’s in colour or monochrome. In fact, this looks much better than several new comics which are in colour because those new ones lack good drawings. The grey tones are aptly used in this comic which completes the artwork’s greatness. A master of art and perspectives, was Foxo Reardon.

And in these gloomy days of pandemic affected daily life, Bozo comes as a great sunshine and brings happiness.

1. Now that you’re up, enjoy your day off Bozo.

2. Bozo is keeping his real war medals safe. (Is Poppy Cola good?)

3. Cut the grass but not the tree, please.

Umbrella man is always peeking in and around things these days.

1. Bozo is actually early for work.

2. Bozo was a highly decorated veteran. I recall that the “Drink Poppy Cola” battle was quite the fizzy fight.

3. Bozo is very upset that the young lad was vandalizing the tree, so he breaks off a branch to punish him with it.

Today’s three efforts highlight in my mind the philosophical construct called “relativism”. “Relativism” is defined as a family of philosophical views which deny claims to objectivity within a particular domain and assert that facts in that domain are relative to the perspective of an observer or the context in which they are assessed. In the more scientifically studied subject of psychology, relativism is often examined in the juxtaposition of “perception versus reality” which I feel will help in our analysis today. Psychologists use the following definitions: Perception : A single unified awareness derived from sensory processes while a stimulus is present. Reality : The state of things as they are or appear to be, rather than as one might wish them to be.

In other words, perception is defined what we are “sensing” and reality is defined as what is happening So, how has our hero helped us to better understand both the philosophical “relativism” and the psychological “perception versus reality” today?

1. In the first panels we see Bozo “sense” that he is in significant trouble because he overslept for his job, leading to pronounced surges in the various stress hormones as he clamors to get to the factory as quickly as possible. When he arrives, however, his perception is shown to be diametrically opposed to the reality of the Labor Day Holiday when his factory job is given the day off.

2. In the second series, we have Bozo becoming aware( “sensing” ) that it is V.J. Day. Now, some folks may not even any longer know what this day was about. But, from 1945 and through at least the mid-1970s, this date (September 2nd) was celebrated as the official ending of World War II (V.J. = Victory over Japan, and September 2nd was the date Japan signed the official “Surrender Document”). In Bozo’s 1947, however, knowledge of and positive sentiment towards celebrating V.J. Day was abundant. While it seems our hero may not have been eligible to serve in any branch of the armed services during that war (likely due to his diminutive stature), it does not keep Bozo from attempting to help in that celebration. Sadly, though, Bozo does not choose wisely and models himself a soldier, which causes a negative “perception” of Bozo by those who did serve because it does not match their reality.

3. In the final series, we see Bozo in his more ecological mind set as he works hard to manicure the tranquil, park-like setting…. he even uses a no-carbon footprint style mower to boot! However, Bozo’s “perception” of a calming, pastoral setting is abruptly destroyed as he spies a ne’er-do-well lad carving “love graffiti” into the trunk of the young tree. Bozo works hard to change the young lad’s reality but in his plans for giving the lad a thrashing, he inadvertently further changes the reality of the environment in ways akin to what the lad was doing as well.

So, philosophically, moralistically, and psychologically today we find that Bozo has provided us three different scenes in which we may further contemplate our own perceptions and how they may or may not represent well, the reality in which we live.

Well, your brilliant analysis goes well beyond perception. It is the real thing and always greatly appreciated. Bozo did, though, serve in the U.S. Army during World War II, fighting both the Nazis and the Japanese for the four years of the War within the pages of the Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch. Thanks so much for giving us all a part of your obviously valuable time.

I am upset to find out that Umbrella Man is a peeping tom….Panel one and in Panel two Bozo is guilty of Stolen Valor (which was not a law then, it was signed in 2005.) Panel three just speaks for itself.

1) Get up late rush to work and fine Bozo forgot Labor Day. Not a fine way to start it.

2) “Vet’s Parade today”, Bozo in uniform but his medals are not military grade. A lovely lady in uniform notices…

3) A green hand pushed mower Bozo is using when he notices a boy carving on a sapling and chases him away. Unfortunately he tears off part of a limb from that same small tree to threaten him with a thrashing.

1. I knew I loved this comic! A chance to talk about me!!

Once I came home from work and fell right to sleep. I woke up a few hours later, looked at the clock and thought I overslept. That time of year the light was right.

Dashed to the subway. Cool, a rare uncrowded train. Although the papers weren’t delivered to their vending boxes yet. That happens, bummer.

It wasn’t until I yanked on the locked office door that I realized it was still the PM.

Thanks to the two new Bozo followers from yesterday. Welcome aboard!