Show Blessed Event Ruins Fisher Fishers s V Date to Sketch Roosevelt Walter alter is on vacation during the month of August He lIe will have a guest columnist replace replace replace re re- re- re place him each day The Winchell column will be back as usual September Sep 1 By HAM FISHER Father of Joe Joo Palooka Dear Walter Valter Got a letter from Jack Lait askIng asking asking ask ask- ing me to do a guest column in your absence So I am dropping Palooka for the next hour or two to try a hammie substitute Luck III jot down a few thoughts which float past me as I sit drawIng drawIng drawing draw- draw Ing my comic strip each day Theres There's always the realization of how lucky Ive I've been My iy first break was to wake up one morning and without having done a thing to deserve it find myself born an American Ive I've tried to deserve it ever since Its It's the greatest favor that can be bestowed on a human being I Got my first job as a cartoonist when I was 20 on a paper in my home town Talent I had to practice drawing in the attic at night after father had gone to sleep He wanted me to tobe tobe tobe be a business man and thought artists were bums Since Palooka went over he tells me that I in inh inherited inherited in- in h what he calls my talent from rom him as he always draws lemons emons while telephoning Valuable Autograph The mayor maor of my home town gave jave me the job of Grover Whalen Whalen- ing ng for the city I met Secretary of State William WilHam Jennings Bryan at the station and all the way around Public Square I stood up in n the car gravely bowing and doffing my hat to the cheering crowd as I had seen President Wilson Vilson do in the newsreels while Bryan sat with an immobile pan I later sketched Bryan and asked hIm im to autograph the drawing le He He refused so I I. I autographed it ito to o myself from him I value it among my autographs Stubborn When I was wan in fourth year high school chool I was was wa sent down to sit with the he kindergarten class for drawIng draw draw- Ing ng pictures instead of paying attention at- at to the geometry professor I have since been asked to give a drawing to my old school I sent ent them a map Free Speech I covered from one to six banquets banquets banquets ban ban- every night and a clambake almost every day in summer Naturally Naturally Nat Nat- they were infested with politicians and I knew new every everyone one of f them and his pet speech I was called ailed ahead of the mayor one night and gave the speech I knew hed he'd deliver I even included his pet et gestures He was sore at me for or weeks but later paroled me Extravagance I went fishing with M. M E. E Coyle president of ot Chevrolet on his private private ate preserve in Michigan last week He did all the rowing g and baiting etc Gosh he said if I weren't so busy Id I'd love to row and bait hooks for folks His time is worth millions so I kept him busy all afternoon I love to be extravagant ex ex- ex- ex Nerve This gives me a good chance to answer scores of letters as to how I got away with using the president in Joe Palooka So o Im I'm going to take tak advantage of your 10 million circulation Walter and save many manya a stamp I had taken Palooka into the Foreign Legion and didn't know how to get him out A friend was in my studio and andI I told him that the only way I could get him out of it was to fake a letter from the president of the United States to the president nt of France asking for a discharge for Joe I went further I said I had a mind to phone hone the president and ask for the letter Ih rhe friend said I dont don't think you have the nerve nerve I picked up the phone and asked the operator to get Steve Early at the White House I told Steve I was on a spot and needed a letter from the president nt Steve put me in touch with Marvia Marvin Marvin Mar Mar- vin via McIntyre who made a date for me to visit the president Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day to get the letter and do a sketch of him to appear in the strip As luck would have it my wife decided to blessed event Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day morning I was torn between leaving for Washington and pacing the hospital floor I paced But ButI I got permission from the WhiteHouse White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House to go ahead with the idea Ive I've been asked so often I thought ld Id d explain it here Love kisses and thanks lIam Ham Fisher |