The Merchant of Dennis The Menace The Autobiography of Hank Ketcham

The Merchant of Dennis The Menace The Autobiography of Hank Ketcham

Hank Ketcham is the creator of Dennis Menace based on his five year old son. Hank Ketcham says he was always interested in being a cartoonist since he was five year olds.

He had been drawing cartoons all his life. He even left college early to go work in Los Angeles as a cartoonist. He started working as a cartoonist at Walt Lantz studios. Then he eventually reached his dream of working for Disney where he worked on Pinocchio, Donald Duck, Bambi, and other films.

He calls his education university of Disney. The section of Disney is the history of the studio from an artist working thre during its early days. He worked with many famous cartoonists like Walt Kelly.

This book details the artists life. It describes the every day life of a working cartoonist: the deadlines; the reliance on gag writers; and learning from other cartoonists.

There are illustrattions and photographs from every part of Hank Ketcham's career. This includes some unexpected episodes like the Dennis The Menace Playground and Half Hitch, a cartoon about a navy sailor in the 1960's.

For Dennis The Menace fans there are biographical sketches of all the major characters, Martha and George Wilson, Henry Mitchell, Alice Mitchell, Joey McDonald, Gina Gillotti, Margaret Wade, and Ruff the dog. Hank Ketcham wanted to include an African American character, but when he tried initially there was an outcry against how the character was portrayed. It was his one regret about the series.

In addition to being a cartoonist, Hank Ketcham travelled all over the world; he lived in Switzerland for ten years, and travelled through Russia during the cold war. Dennis the Menace is known as Daniel el Travieso in South America and Henkie Het Huisgevaar in Amsterdam.

You get a picture of a very conservative man who wrote a very universal character for children. Hank Ketcham was a father of five, a navy man, a supporter of Barry Goldwater, a lover of Bing Crosby, powerboating and golf who supported strictly traditional values in raising children.

This book is excellent. I enjoyed the cartoons, photographs, and writing. It was accessible to read and good clean fun.

Good Morning, A New Years Eve Manifesto

Zane Grey in Australia. Zane Grey wrote westerns. It is such an idiosyncratic picture.

Good Morning

Right now, I am reading The Merchant of Dennis The Menace The Autobiography of Hank Ketcham. Hank Ketcham new he was going to be a cartoonist from time he was six years old. He was an incredibly focused man. I can see parallels between the life of Hank Ketcham and Charles Schulz. Both were very clean, middle american white anglo saxon protestants. The book is profusely illustrated with black and white photographs and cartoons.

Today is a half day at work.

I picked up a copy of the dvd Capote about Truman Capote. I heard that it was a very goood film. I liked In Cold Blood and was wondering what the life of the writer Truman Capote was like. I could not finish the movie because the dvd was scratched. This happens sometimes. I'll have to return it and request another one. The first part of the movie was very interesting. It makes me interested enough to maybe read some of hist other works.

I am trying out a Tumblr account. http://bookcalendar.tumblr.com/ . It looks like an interesting sharing network for a variety of different things from links to videos to picures.

Baker & Taylor is laying off 60 people from their retail division which is bad sign. It means that less people will be buying books from bookstores. If less people buy books from stores they are likely to use the library more. However, because less money is being spent there will be less tax money for libraries. It is a kind of vicious circle. The coming year will be about increasing efficiency without increasing costs. This means a lot more will be expected of people.

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6625720.html

This poem is after the style of the Beat poets, it is a kind of lyrical nonsense poem in an attempt at a jazz kind of rhyme. I am thinking of Bob Kaufman the beat poet who wrote the Abomunist Manifesto when I am writing this.

A New Years Manifesto

I manifest a festive festival

This festival of manifestos

New years festival on all days

To remind your mind to enjoy

Manifests positive manifestations

Affirm your new years affirmations

Resolve to resolve your resolutions

And remember to remember joy

Happy New Years!