Cartoon Cross-Breeding

Bizarro is brought to you today by Cartoon Hybrids.

There is an unwritten repertoire of cartoon themes into which just about any one-panel gag cartoonist will dip occasionally. The guy-crawling-through-a-desert is one, some other examples are someone-stranded-on-an-island, the psychiatrist couch, guys-chained-to-a-wall-in-a-dungeon (which I’ve never done because it disgusts me), fish-evolving-and-walking-up-a-beach, and ventriloquists. This cartoon combines two of the popular themes in a way that amuses me. If you’ve not seen many of the old-timey time ventriloquists, one of their favorite tricks was to make the dummy talk while the ventriloquist is drinking a glass of water. This is impossible, of course, and is irrefutable evidence that the ventriloquist has sold his soul to the devil in return for a dummy that can actually talk. Sure, it’s great for their career but they will be sorry when they burn in the fires of hell for eternity. Other examples of people who have sold their soul to the devil in return for celebrity are Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Vanilla Ice, Pauley Shore, the  entire cast of “Jersey Shore,” Honey Boo Boo’s mom, Bill O’Reilly, all of the Kardashians.

Here is one of my previous favorite ventriloquist cartoons from 2010.

And finally, here is my favorite journey into a classic cartoon theme, from 1995. All of the characters on the island are taken from other cartoonists, the one in the water is mine. You likely won’t be able to name all of the guys on the island so below the cartoon is a list, as best I can remember.

Left to right: Tom Wilson (Ziggy), Richard Guindon (tall guy), Charles Rodrigues (Charlie), Mick Stevens, B. Kliban (my hero), Gahan Wilson, Ted Rall, Gary Larson, Jack Zeigler, John Callahan, Charles Addams. I am a fan of all of these guys’ work with the exception of “Ziggy.”