July 22nd, 2017

Timeline – 1966 Part 3

by Brian Walker, Greg Walker and Chance Browne

Hi and Lois Sunday page color proof, July 10, 1966.

It’s another day at the beach for the Flagston family. Dot and Ditto amuse themselves by asking strangers embarrassing questions. The twins’ relationship is often competitive but here they seem to be working together. One thing they have in common is inquisitiveness, which occasionally makes them a good team.

This is an outstanding example of how Dik Browne would create interesting secondary characters to punch up a gag. The individuals that Dot and Ditto interview each have distinctive features. The sunglasses and short bob on their first woman, the moustache and glasses on the bald man, the crew cut and muscles on the teenager and the pink straw hat on the lady lying face-down, all give the reader a hint about who these people might be.

The crowd scene in the last panel features over a dozen funny looking bit players. This panorama, and the one in the second panel are masterfully composed – busy yet balanced – and the backgrounds provide a sense of place. It’s a typical job well done by a great cartoonist.

Next week is the last installment from 1966 in our Timeline series so don’t miss it.

– Brian Walker