[Ads-l] Famous Quotations from Comic Strips

[James A. Landau]

Also from the Li'l Abner strip:

"skunk works" or "skonk works" --- adapted by Lockheed in the 1950's (maybe earlier) for their secret design department which, among other things, produced the U-2 spy plane.  Also used outside of Lockheed to mean an independent design team.

"Kickapoo joy juice" --- the product of the original Skonk Works

"Lower Slobbovia"

"shmoo" (introduced by Al Capp in late August 1948) Among other things "During the Soviet Union's blockade of West Berlin, Germany in 1948, candy-filled shmoos were air-dropped to hungry West Berliners from transport planes by America's 17th Military Airport Squadron. The commanders of the Berlin airlift had cabled Capp, requesting the inflatable shmoos as part of Operation: Little Vittles. "When the candy-chocked shmoos were dropped, a near-riot resulted...."" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shmoo, footnote reads "Newsweek, 11 October 1948".  

from the Superman comics:  "X-ray vision", "super-powers" (NOT referring to world politics!---I doubt the comic strip was the origin for that term), "secret identity", "Kryptonite", "Bizarro".  There was once a billboard near where I worked that read "Superman had foster parents".  From the TV show (was it in the comic books?) "mild-mannered reporter", "truth, justice, and the American way", and "Up in the key..."

- Jim Landau

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