My Favourite Cartoon?

This article first appeared in The Jester issue 481

I must say from the start I never have a favourite of anything. How can you possibly choose from the kerzillions of great cartoons over the last hundred or so years. I usually dodge this question by saying “Oooo that one with the desert island, yeah that’s the best!”

But seeing as it’s October and thoughts are slowly turn to the supernatural I’ll tell you my favourite Charles Addams cartoon. Hopefully it’s one you’re not too familiar with it and probably it wasn’t the first cartoon that occurred to you when I mentioned Addams.

Depending how big it gets printed you may have already glanced at this New Yorker cartoon from 1957 and wondered if the poor overworked Ed has left the caption off.

“Eh? What’s going on? It’s just a guy having a haircut? Great drawing but what’s so funny about that?”. But have a second look and you’ll see the pay off. In the, perfectly drawn, almost endless recursive images of the customer’s head in the mirror we suddenly see a single reflection of a demon.

It’s a delayed punchline expertly delivered, appearing at the very last possible point where it would still be recognisable. So while it’s not as obviously funny as one of his Addams family or monster cartoons you probably laughed and subconsciously gave yourself a pat on the back when you discovered the hidden treasure.

It’s also quite sinister when you think about it and would make a disturbing scene in any horror film. Picture the mirror demon just gently leaning out of the endless stream of our hero’s reflection. And just what is the idea behind it? Is the man possessed by an evil spirit? Is he cursed? Or does the reflection offer up the true nature of this mild-mannered chap, similar the enchanted mirror in Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film ‘La Belle et la Bête’?

Anyway enough with the over-analysis! For me it’s the creepiest, kookiest and all together ookiest Charles Addams cartoon.

This cartoon appears in the highly recommended The Complete Cartoons Of The New Yorker.