Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for May 03, 2009

A. Nony Moose = Anonymous. The “PO8” (Marky, the “poet”) should remain anonymous.

I bought some comic strip originals from Mark Cohen years ago, and he was very good to deal with. By all accounts he was a very clever and kind gentleman.

Marktrail, ever so often, Sunday strip has A Nony Moose - drawn as an actual moose - reading his high poetic creations.

A. Nonny Moose didnt stop me. It was the Mark Cohen reference. I’m not afraid to show my ignorance, can someone help me out? Wikipedia let me down and google is no help here. I can tell he works in comics from Axe’s comment. Help! – Oh yeah, it’s May. Does goComics do anything special in May for the Ruebens? It’d be kinda fun to have something special. — To see this years nominees: http://www.reuben.org/news/?p=79

Sounds like one from the TV show “Hee Haw”. “Hey Grandpa, what’s fer supper?”

Dypak, unless I have the wrong guy, Mark Cohen was a cartoonist agent of sorts. He represented a few artists and artist estates in the selling of original strip art. I bought a Pogo daily from him, and later a Zippy daily. He was very funny on the phone and in his mailed notes to me. Actually, I just found a reference to him on wikipedia: http://tinyurl.com/ce7esc I think I read somewhere that he sometimes supplied jokes and gags to cartoonist friends, too. I bet the letter is a real one, but sent from Mark to the Scancarellis. Just guessing at that, but if so it’s a nice tribute.

I missed that he even has his own wikipedia entry too: http://tinyurl.com/dbwwjc That settles most of the details.

That’s interesting, axe. Adds a lot of dimension to today’s strip. What fun it would be to have a friend like that.

Yes, Stringmuse, It’s fun reading regardless, but seeing it as a tribute to a friend who died too young makes it poignant. Jim is good at what he does. Not that I knew Cohen beyond a couple of pleasant purchases (I remember calling him to say I’d sent him out a check, and he replied that he’d be “waiting in the mailbox” for it), but I was very sorry to hear he’d died of cancer. I actually found out when I called his number to inquire after some art, and spoke with his wife who gave me the sad details. I see now on the internet that he was also a writer of books about comics.

Sounds like Cohen was quite a character too. Looks like his death year was 1999, so this would be 10 years. Yes, today’s strip seems to be a tribute. Very well done.

Wow, thanks Axe! That’s why I asked, I knew someone would come up with what I missed. String is right, it does help. One more reason to admire Mr. Scancarelli, the guy has class. — Just an aside, I’m pretty sure Justin Thompson who writes Mythtickle, another fine comic also found here on this site, is connected to the Charles Shulz Museum. It sounds like a place to visit one day.

I’ll have to remember the Charles Shulz Museum if I’m ever out that way.

Rest in peace, Mark Cohen. May God bless his wife Rosie, and all his friends who’ve missed him 10 years now. Based on Jim’s tribute here and the words at http://tinyurl.com/cnzo73 , Stringmuse is right: “What fun it would be to have a friend like that.”

The comments made this strip so much more meaningful. And it was nice to see Nina again.

Found much later: ”Hogan’s Alley” http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/interviews/scancarelli/home.asp