Big Little Books were these tiny books that could fit in the palm of your hand and even your pocket but were pretty thick with about 300-400 pages.
They started in the 30s based on radio serials and comic strips.
They were still being made when I was a kid, but the one I remember having was a Wile Coyote comic with a Road Runner flip book in the corner. The flip book part of it is why I really remember it. I can’t remember the other two that I know we had, and can’t remember if we have more than that.
That’s not true. Christmas used to be an adult holiday where people would go to houses and demand stuff. “Bring us a figgy pudding.”A group of people decided they wanted to change the holiday, and altered the story of Santa Clause. Clement Clarke Moore took the story and improved upon it, turning it into A Visit from St. Nicholas. Better known as The Night Before Christmas.This has had a very heavy influence on Christmas, and the connection to gift-giving really started in the 19th century.
A pocket calculator was a luxury item at this time. But only 2 years later, in 1974 Texas Instruments would come out with a $10 calculator. Equivilant to $59 in 2023.
All of these are stories of unrequited love. The girls to the boys, Charlie Brown to the little red-haired girl, and Linus to miss Othmar.
I wouldn’t look too deeply in search of sexism in comics though, especially in a comic that started in 1950. We always have to be careful not to put a modern spin on history. This comic is 52 years old as I type this. The year James Bond, Diamonds are Forever came out.
But each character is following their character’s psychology. Charlie Brown would never get the nerve to approach the little red-haired girl, while Lucy has always been a take-charge, aggressive type of person. Sally is less aggressive, and more of a romantic than Lucy. Linus just basks in the glow of Miss Othmar and sings her praises. He put her on a pedestal and that’s good enough for him.
Big Little Books were these tiny books that could fit in the palm of your hand and even your pocket but were pretty thick with about 300-400 pages.
They started in the 30s based on radio serials and comic strips.
They were still being made when I was a kid, but the one I remember having was a Wile Coyote comic with a Road Runner flip book in the corner. The flip book part of it is why I really remember it. I can’t remember the other two that I know we had, and can’t remember if we have more than that.