But I still don't get it.
We've gotten some interesting answers to yesterday's question:
1.) "That looks like some sort of Aztec sun god disc. It likely signifies human sacrifice. Since the cat and dog are talking about what species to eat ... draw your own conclusion! Human sacrifice and canibalism. Now you know why he couldn't come right out and say it."
Uh-huh. I wish they would come right out and say it! Discuss: which comic would the addition of human sacrifice most improve? Why? I'm gonna go with Beetle Bailey. You know, those military people are always doing crazy things like stacking naked prisoners in pyramids and attaching wires to their genitals. I think a human sacrifice or two is not too far-fetched for Sarge, Beetle and the gang.
2.) "Darby Conley is making a point that you can put any damn thing in the comics, and no one will complain -- as long as it isn't controversial. He probably just ran out of things to say in that strip, and figured -- who'll notice?"
Well, this makes sense regardless of what Panel #3 turns out to be. So, this may be Conley's point, but we still don't know what panel 3 is!
3.) "I think it's from a Parchesi board. "
I don't. Although, admittedly, I'm not much of a Parchesi paisan, so I don't have much of a leg to stand on here.
4.) "Isn't it an old TV test pattern when the station went off the air?"
Ooh. Now this would make sense, because the strip did basically experience some technical difficulties. So, a little research (Google rules!) proves that Laura is correct!
This is "the most famous American B&W test pattern -- the so-called "Indian Head" monoscope pattern. This pattern was originated by RCA in 1939; it was designed to be generated using a special tube called a monoscope, a CRT which had a metal plate target on which the pattern was printed. The black lines of the pattern would interrupt current flow as the pattern was scanned to provide the desired video output. These tubes could only handle black and white - no shades of gray hence they had to be simulated either with a halftone dot pattern or with patterns of fine lines."
That was easy.
This doesn't explain why it looks familiar to me. I do not own a time machine that allows me to watch television from the 1940s. That's not even a good era of TV. Is this pattern used elsewhere in an ironic fashion today? What's with the Indian head? Do they still have test patterns today? I remember the colored bars. I think test patterns have been replaced with infomercials.
Was Darby Conley having technical difficulty? How does a cartoonist have technical difficulty? Did his pens run out of ink? Was he trying to be funny? Or cool? Was he just winking to those smart enough to know what he was talking about? Did he actually draw the test pattern, or was it some sort of clip art?
Today's strip is also about television -- is this week to be a "lesson in tv history?" Will we get to hear about Walter Cronkite? Milton Berle? Jackie Gleason? Jack Paar? We shall see.
1.) "That looks like some sort of Aztec sun god disc. It likely signifies human sacrifice. Since the cat and dog are talking about what species to eat ... draw your own conclusion! Human sacrifice and canibalism. Now you know why he couldn't come right out and say it."
Uh-huh. I wish they would come right out and say it! Discuss: which comic would the addition of human sacrifice most improve? Why? I'm gonna go with Beetle Bailey. You know, those military people are always doing crazy things like stacking naked prisoners in pyramids and attaching wires to their genitals. I think a human sacrifice or two is not too far-fetched for Sarge, Beetle and the gang.
2.) "Darby Conley is making a point that you can put any damn thing in the comics, and no one will complain -- as long as it isn't controversial. He probably just ran out of things to say in that strip, and figured -- who'll notice?"
Well, this makes sense regardless of what Panel #3 turns out to be. So, this may be Conley's point, but we still don't know what panel 3 is!
3.) "I think it's from a Parchesi board. "
I don't. Although, admittedly, I'm not much of a Parchesi paisan, so I don't have much of a leg to stand on here.
4.) "Isn't it an old TV test pattern when the station went off the air?"
Ooh. Now this would make sense, because the strip did basically experience some technical difficulties. So, a little research (Google rules!) proves that Laura is correct!
This is "the most famous American B&W test pattern -- the so-called "Indian Head" monoscope pattern. This pattern was originated by RCA in 1939; it was designed to be generated using a special tube called a monoscope, a CRT which had a metal plate target on which the pattern was printed. The black lines of the pattern would interrupt current flow as the pattern was scanned to provide the desired video output. These tubes could only handle black and white - no shades of gray hence they had to be simulated either with a halftone dot pattern or with patterns of fine lines."
That was easy.
This doesn't explain why it looks familiar to me. I do not own a time machine that allows me to watch television from the 1940s. That's not even a good era of TV. Is this pattern used elsewhere in an ironic fashion today? What's with the Indian head? Do they still have test patterns today? I remember the colored bars. I think test patterns have been replaced with infomercials.
Was Darby Conley having technical difficulty? How does a cartoonist have technical difficulty? Did his pens run out of ink? Was he trying to be funny? Or cool? Was he just winking to those smart enough to know what he was talking about? Did he actually draw the test pattern, or was it some sort of clip art?
Today's strip is also about television -- is this week to be a "lesson in tv history?" Will we get to hear about Walter Cronkite? Milton Berle? Jackie Gleason? Jack Paar? We shall see.
posted by big al at 2:54 PM
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