Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 13h

Goodnight

10

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 17h

Sometimes cartoons teach good messages

Then there is Dudley Do-Right and hus horse ....

3 16

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 17h

I know ... I know ....

but I really like the gentle edutainment earnestness of the original 1972 Sealab 2020 - back when Jane Goodall and Jacques Cousteau on Nat Geo specials made us all into wanna-be stewards of the Earth.

but Sealab 2021 is funny

2

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 17h

Right! gotta get that moral message reinforced! There are probably a whole set of 'what did this teach you' characters, as well. Mr Wizard the Lizard is ine of those.

1

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 18h

Daily Hanna Barbera

From Sealab 2020 (1972) is Lt Sparks (William Callaway - who also voiced Aquaman from 1980 on in the Superfriends franchise)

Sparks would seem to be a nickname, but oddly all the character information says that is his real name. Like Major Major from Catch-22.

2 1 7

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 21h

I don't think people of a certain age can see this image and not think 'one ringy dingy'

Kurt Weldon @kurtweldon.bsky.social · 23h

Here's one:

5

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 21h

Ha! Well, he is certifiable on that radio

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

Its a larger issue than comics, but yes, definitely in American comics. One issue is that when nudity does get by, as in Heavy Metal, it overwhelms the rest. We have sexy non-mainstream comics with nudity, but then that's how they become known. So, we get Red Sonja and Psylocke instead.

1 2

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

I got John Tracy and Lt Sparks in another post!

Yeah. A communications officer is pretty standard for Gerry Anderson, although not for Fireball XL-5 (making up for that in Stingray)

1

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

There are massive Mailbox compilations on Youtube! That mailbox has fandom

youtu.be/uUYHHHKULZg?...

Blue's Ultimate Mail Time Marathon for 120 Minutes! #2 📬 | Blue's Clues & You!

YouTube video by Blue's Clues & You!

youtu.be

1

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

"Read all about it"

You also got the legion of one-way communications people. The old guy at the newstand, the loud-mouthed newsboy at the corner, the paper delivery boy throwing the paper into the bushes, the Western telegraph operator, the radioman in the sinking boat, etc

1 1 4

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

Celebrating fictional communications people, you can't have a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea without a radioman. Here its Tech Sgt Sparks (Arch Whiting) in the Irwin Allen adventure show. Sparks has to be a nickname, but his real name seems unknown.

Darryl Cunningham @acmedarryl.bsky.social · 1d

This one’s a bit obscure. Sparks, from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

4

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

He was on my list and you beat me to it!

1

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

Celebrating commuincations people in fiction and Radar O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) is one of the best known from MASH.

Uber competent (and with an unseen accomplice Sparky - another communicatiins trope) he wheels and deals, cuts red tape, and keeps the 4077th supplied.

Darryl Cunningham @acmedarryl.bsky.social · 1d

2 7

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

OMG! Radar is the BOSS. The suppoeting character who shows why their support is crucial

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

"We have an emergency call"

Gerry Anderson Supermarionaion has characters like Space Monitor John Tracy (Ray Barrett) on Thunderbird-5, and Lt 'Phones' Sheridan (Robert Easton) of WASP on Stingray.

Live action U.F.O. automated the space station and had some gals in purple wigs on the moon.

1 3

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

"Got any ideas that don't suck?"

The animated Star Trek gave us the feline Lt M'Ress (Majel Barret) - isn't she the cat's meow - while Sealab has Lt Sparks (William Callaway)

2 4

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

Speedy Delivery

Part Two of our look at Communications People in fiction
(Bluesky is awful for doing threads so this is a workaround)

Mr McFeely (David Newell) is the kindly mailman from Mr Rogers Neighborhood and Mailbox (Michael Rubin) from Blues Clues

5 2 11

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

"Not so fast, pretty boy"

Comedy also gets mileage out of the blue collar everyday communications workers

Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) of Cheers and Newman (Wayne Knight) of Seinfeld

1

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

"Hello Sarah, its Sheriff Taylor"

Comedy can use a communications person too - like Mayberry's unseen Sarah, who knows all the town gossip.

1 1

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

That is a great one! Then the support ship itself is attacked by treachery! Great movie

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

Thats a great one!

1

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

In the Transformers, the evil Decepticons 3rd in Command is their communications officer - Soundwave. An enormous tape cassette player. His chest compartment holds a secondary Decepticon spy. Voiced by Frank Welker in the original cartoon

1 1

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

Hogan's Heroes gives us Sgt Kinchloe (Ivan Dixon) clacking away in Morse Code on a clandestine radio, while Battlestar Galactica has Lt Athena (Maren Jensen) keeping the ragtag fleet in on the latest Cylon mischeviousness.

1 3

Jeffs Comics @jeffscomics.bsky.social · 1d

"Hailing frequencies open, Captain"

What WWII movie, or box of green army men doesn't have the radioman. Conversely, if its not military, the trope is often female - derived from switchboard operator being a classic woman's job once apon a time.

1 2