I actually had a bit of a hard time knowing which order to put these panels in… they’re funny to me in almost any order! Maybe not funny to many other people, but that’s ok!
The inspiration for today’s comic is actually an original cartoon from Punch magazine, published in 1877. Punch was one of the first widely-circulated publishers of comics, like the one below, which satirized popular women’s fashion at the time—the famous “hourglass figure.”
Punch was no stranger to satirizing fashion. There are loads of bizarre cartoons about this very topic, most of them by the same artist (Linley Sanbourne). He drew so many, I tend to think he was phoning it in a bit as a comic artist.
I also don’t love how women-centered his fashion critiques were. The 1800s were full of hilariously weird fashion choices for men and women alike—and the fashion of the aristocracy was especially absurd. Unfortunately, women were a far easier punching bag those days, and Punch did not pull punches. (OK I will stop now).
Despite being largely a political satire magazine (and therefore punching up rather than down) Punch comics also found themselves on the wrong side of history more than once. I won’t traumatize you with all their incredibly cruel depictions of folks on the lower rungs of the social ladder—women, immigrants, black folks, the Irish, suffragettes, and more. Suffice it to say, Punch has had more than one offensive depiction in the decades of its publication.
I do, however, still appreciate Punch—at least aspects of it—for other reasons. Mainly, because it was one of the first expressions of pop culture in the modern age. Named after the rosy-cheeked scoundrel Mr. Punch from the popular Punch & Judy puppet show, it was one of the first publications to become a household name since the invention of the printing press, and it was all about comedy. Namely, satire and political comedy.
Think of it like “The Daily Show” during the Bush years—or “Last Week Tonight,” or some other political or social “hot take” genre. That was Punch. It was so popular that thousands of letters written at the time are littered with folks asking each other, “Have you seen this week’s Punch?” It was like a widely-shared inside joke about whatever was going on, and had many famous contributors as well as subscribers (writers included folks like Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, C.S. Lewis, Sylvia Plath, A.A. Milne, and P.G. Wodehouse, among others).
Despite a financially rocky start (the first run of Punch magazine cost 25) Punch magazine would eventually be found in most parlours and sitting rooms throughout England, and later throughout the commonwealth. In fact, Punch became so popular that versions of it popped up all over the world—in countries including Turkey, India, Japan, and China, Australia, and the United States.
The magazine was a staple of cultural influence for decades. In fact, we have Punch to thank for one of the most ubiquitous terms in the hand-drawn art world—the word cartoon.
Yes, Punch popularized “cartoon,” first using the phrase in 1843. The story goes like this: the Houses of Parliament were in the process of redecorating, and this included the creation of elaborate murals depicting grand scenes from English parliamentary history. As the murals were produced, rough sketches of the designs were displayed on large pieces of cardboard for the public to see. These pieces of cardboard were known by their Italian name—cartone—or, “cartoon.”
Punch magazine then appropriated the term to describe their own political comics, comparing their humorous sketches to the grand artistic depictions featured on the walls of Parliament.
It was all tongue-in-cheek, but the term “political cartoon” stuck around, and “cartoon” eventually became the common word for those beloved loony, animated characters in TV and film, thanks to the exaggerated features and expressions they shared with the satirized characters in Punch.
It’s pretty funny that we now have a phrase like “adult cartoon,” because cartoons were not originally intended for a young audience. In fact, many of the original cartoons in Victorian magazines would have been too sophisticated or too risque for children to understand.
So, there you have it—Punch magazine in all its comic glory. I love learning about the history of cartoons and comics—all these so-called expressions of “low art” that have nonetheless shaped our cultural experience for centuries. Some comics, like the one below, even show that we’ve been making literally the same jokes for centuries.
We’ve always wanted to make fun of things—sometimes with good intentions, sometimes not. I do my best to stay on a side of history that doesn’t leave me feeling ashamed, but I make mistakes, just like anyone.
I know we’re all going through various stages of “it” these days—there’s so much to fear, to dread, to regret, to avoid, to grieve. I know my little comic is such a small part of that daily tapestry, but I hope you know that I’m so glad you’re here. In what feels like a cascade of sorrows, this little community feels like a shelter. I love making things for you, and sharing weird stories about the world and how it came to be. It makes me feel grounded—a continuous thread weaving and bobbing along in the history of things. I appreciate you stopping by my little haunted library, and please know that if you need someone to share your story with, I’m here.
And I love to listen.
Thank you for being here, now and always.
With love,
🖤Becca Lee, the Haunted Librarian🖤