Hobo Nickels

image: OHNS

The hobo nickel, an early form of creative currency modification, had its heyday during the circulation run of the Buffalo nickel, from 1913 to 1938. Since they were small, cheap and easier to carve, they were popular with hobos, who often used them to trade for food and goods. (Jefferson nickels and other denominations were used, but the old "Indian Head" design was considered best because the large profile gave the artists a greater area to work with and allowed for finer detail.)

The period from 1940 to the late '70s saw the Buffalo nickel almost completely fade from circulation and with this, the styles took a decided turn to the modern. In the early 1980s, there was a resurgence of hobo nickel carving and collecting and this time period marks the separation between the "old" and "modern" eras.

You can find many examples, old and new, at The Original Hobo Nickel Society.

Wikipedia provides a serviceable survey of the topic.

thanks to Ledgergermane for tip!

Alfred's ancestors

The origins of the archetypal image of Alfred E. Neuman have been obscured by mortality, foggy memory and the dust of junk shop photo bins. You might be surprised to know that variations of this unforgettable visage peppered American pictography for well over half a century before being adopted by Mad editor Harvey Kurtzman in 1954.


















"This card came from an old print shop. I believe this image predated his use by Mad Magazine." (source) (via)


















A postcard with the "me worry?" face. (c.1920s) (source)


















Antikamnia Tablet Calendar (1908) (source)


















Belle Archer's new comedy drama, Jess of the Bar Z (c.1900) (source)


















"Comics in America started with The Yellow Kid." (1895) (source)

The Origin of the Alfred E. Neuman Image (scroll down)

lagniappe:


















First magazine cover appearance, Mad 21 (1955) (he's in there) (source)


















The first color cover with Alfred (1956). The original drawing is now up for auction.


















I love Alfred to death, but this was always my favorite. From Mad #166, April 1974. (source)

stray bullets

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Talk to Elbot I did. For way too long. It was interesting, but I could tell it wasn't human, although I was probably biased because I already knew. It was a decent conversation and was quite funny at times. Elbot can be a bit of a wise-ass. (prev)

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Hobo Code

In the fraternal spirit of the road, hobos have developed a set of symbols to communicate local conditions. Important information concerning things like food and drink, the disposition of the residents, the presence of dogs and police and even the state of the local jail was codified into a universally adopted picture-language. Hobo signs are still used today. Considering the state of the economy, it might be helpful to buff up.

from Fran's Hobo Page

Hobo Slang

Specialized Vocabularly: Hobo Slang 1939

Pearl Diver. A hobo dishwasher and who works for his meal.

Scenery Bum. “A young tramp who bums it around the country, just for the fun of it.”

Jungle Buzzard. “A tramp who loves to eat but is too lazy to get the ingredients for a mulligan stew. He eats what is left when the gang leaves the jungle fire.”

stray bullets

The £10,000 drawing that turned out to be a £100 MILLION Da Vinci Known as Nuptial Portrait of a Young Woman, it was sold for £10,000 in 1998 after being attributed to a German artist. However, experts say it is looking 'more and more like a Leonardo work'. This would push its value up as high as £100million. (ht)

You've got to have hope: studies show 'hope therapy' fights depression Dear psychology: It took you this long to figure that out? This is akin to saying that continued breathing averts death. One of the main drivers of depression is hopelessness. Duh. You're a bit out of touch if you have to do a study to come to this conclusion. Yours truly, Uncertain Times.

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stray bullets

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Futility Closet: Plying the Blue - Phantom ships, as they have been called, have repeatedly been seen by various observers. Mr. Scoresby, in his voyage to Greenland, in 1822, saw an inverted image of a ship in the air, so well defined that he could distinguish by a telescope every sail, the peculiar rig of the ship, and its whole general character, insomuch that he confidently pronounced it to be his father's ship, the Fame, which it afterwards proved to be. – Charles Kingsley, The Boys' and Girls' Book of Science, 1881

Phantom ships, ghost ships, even derelict vessels sailing the oceans rudderless and without a soul aboard have always intrigued and creeped me out to the highest degree.

Ghost Ships
Ghost Ships on Wikipedia

William Gropper's America: Its Folklore, c1946

People Are My Landscape: Social Struggle in the Art of William Gropper:

Cartoonist, painter, lithographer, and muralist William Gropper was born on the Lower East Side of New York City into a working-class Jewish family that labored in the sweatshops of the garment industry. Like many of his peers–such as Philip Evergood, Joseph Hirsch, Louis Lozowick, and Anton Refregier–Gropper rebelled against the formal theories of art that were prevalent at the time. Preferring to depict the harsh reality of social injustices as they were played out in everyday life, Gropper became a defender of the working class. He was best known for his satirical portrayals of the elite and powerful and the effects of capitalism and war on American life.

via coisas do arco da velha