Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Gardol


[“They Must Obey the Cathode Ray.” Zippy, March 4, 2020.]

It’s 1953 in today’s Zippy, and television has arrived. “Gardol” made me think, Oh, dress shields. But no. I turned to Life for help:


[Life, August 8, 1955. Click for a larger floating head, scarier teeth, and more readable text.]

It’s clear to me that Bill Griffith spends time with the print materials of the dowdy world — see, for instance, this Zippy panel — but I suspect that Gardol, like Brylcreem, is something stuck in his head.

Related reading
All OCA Zippy posts (Pinboard)

comments: 8

Fresca said...

Could it shield us from the coronavirus? :)

(I too guessed underarm shields.)

Michael Leddy said...

In 1953 I’m sure it could.

Elaine said...

When do they encounter the successive signs with littlt jingles that always ended with the name of a shave ream? Barba.....something? Barbasol?

Michael Leddy said...

Burma-Shave!

Elaine said...

Duh!

Michael Leddy said...

Elaine, I made up a jingle for you:

Some folks fancy

Barbasol

But we’re the one

That beats ’em all

Burma-Shave

Elaine said...

A career you could have pursued!

Michael Leddy said...

Ha! I’m glad you saw this, Elaine.