Tuesday, April 2, 2013

B is for the Bobs

No, not these Bobs...


But these:


On the left is Bob Haney (1926-2004), a prolific and wildly creative comic book writer who did a lot of his work for DC Comics in the 1960s and 1970s.  On the right is Bob Ross (1942-1995), famed host of "The Joy of Painting" on PBS and art instructor to millions.

Why these two?  I couldn't choose just one bearded Bob!

I discovered Bob Ross around 1989, and -- like many others -- found his show to be an oasis of tranquility and optimism in a weary cosmos.  "It's your world," he would say, "so you can do whatever you want with it."  That was precisely what I needed to hear at the time.  His technique was both egalitarian and odd; he'd cover the canvas with a solid coat of paint (a technique he learned from a mentor, Bill Alexander) and use a combination of knives and big 2-inch brushes to blend and scratch for 30 minutes until a magical nature scene appeared.  But the real Joy in the Joy of Painting was Bob's soothing voice.  There's a kind of trance-out phenomenon that can happen when you're in the presence of someone with this kind of voice... it's no coincidence that Bob seems to be the patron saint of a group of people who aim to study and reproduce this phenomenon at will (Google the acronym "ASMR" if you dare).

On the seemingly opposite end of the spectrum was Bob Haney, who is kind of the patron saint of gonzo craziness when it comes to "Silver Age" superhero stories.  He co-created the Teen Titans, Sergeant Rock, and everyone's favorite chemistry-themed superhero, Metamorpho the Element Man...

You may have thought I was kidding?
 A few other highlights and factoids from the blissfully logic-free Haneyverse:
Hmm, I've discovered it's not easy to explain Bob Haney stories in single-sentence bullets.  Chris Sims, the world's foremost Haneyologist, spent some more time making summaries of other Haney gems here and here.

Haney did have a serious side, too.  His moving, 4-page story Dirty Job won several awards.  (You can read it in full at the above link, but scroll slowly to not spoil the ending on the last page.)

In the end, I'm not 100% sure why I paired these two very different Bobs together.  Both are known for their words and images, I suppose.  Maybe, like pickles and peanut butter, they really DO go well together despite all appearances!  :-)

15 comments:

  1. Ouch! I'm sorry, I can't get behind someone who celebrates Michael Bolton's entire catalogue... :-)

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  2. I thought it was bananas and peanut butter. :)

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    1. That was Elvis' favorite, yes, but do try the pickles & PB. (Note that half-done kosher pickles are worlds better for this; forget those soggy excuses for pickles found in un-refrigerated jars...)

      The lips again? I liked Floz's hat better.

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    2. It wasn't Floz's hat. It's Kyle's hat.

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    3. Whoops -- I guess I thought they were the same, but Kyle's coming into her own!

      Hey: thanks for putting your "Stirring" blogroll back up. It's useful for me to scan to see what's going on in the Suziverse...

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    4. I had to give it a lot of thought. Please know that you are a main attraction in the Suziverse.

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  3. I remember Bob Ross. "And what if we had a nice little tree over here." I can still hear his calm voice floating softly thought out green and yellow living room. And not the pretty green and yellow either. What were my parents thinking (LOL!). I also have to confess, the pic of "Bob's" got me! The movie "Office Space" is one of my husband's favorites. Yes, I know... doesn't say much about the man I love but I also thoroughly enjoy the printer in the field scene.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, emmlyjane. I just noticed that the Bob Ross video that I linked to above has been taken down. :-( (It was a full episode, not just a short clip... guess that's too much for the copyright police.)

      There's nothing wrong with Office Space. We've all had our eye on some piece of office equipment that deserved the field scene...

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  4. The finest pair of Bobs I have seen in a while! Plus a new sandwich adventure! Mr Cygnus, you offer great value for my time and it is much appreciated :-)

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    1. Much appreciated, Lisa! (Actually, I've still not tried pickles & PB in sandwich form... alls you need is the raw material and a spoon!) :-)

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  5. You can never have too many bearded Bobs.

    Just stopping by from the A-Z, it's nice to meet you! :)

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Julie. I'll be looking through your Alaska posts with interest -- I've got a friend who just moved up to Fairbanks, as well as a long-time love of Northern Exposure! :-)

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  6. With the Bobs it isn't just the beards but the hair!!
    Good luck with the challenge.

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    1. Oh, that hair. :-) Thanks for commenting... I'm now browsing your site and preparing a comment on the PhD experience...

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