I love Gorzo the Mighty! He's a sendup of Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon. You'll see one of my favorite columns from him later, titled "SIEZE HIM, YOU FOOLS!"
Yes, thank you! I knew there was an obvious reference that I simply never encountered. I know Gorzo has a handful of columns later in the 2000s, but is the one you're referencing this one? https://www.theonion.com/seize-him-1819583402
Sadly, it's from 1997, but maybe I'll find a way to sneak in a mention :)
The image of Gorzo the Mighty is Photoshopped (obviously), but the source headshot is of Madison cartoonist Pete Mueller, whose ridiculous and beloved single-panel cartoons would run in a weekly Madison paper called The Isthmus. Pete Mueller was also the sonorous voice of Onion Radio News anchor Doyle Redland. Doyle Redland's own headshot, however, was of one of the writers' dad (I think it was Chad Nackers' dad?).
thank you so much for all of this, Scott! Amazing background. I'm pretty good at Google and exploring Internet Archive for this newsletter, but this is stuff I can't imagine ever finding on my own.
Y'all are coming through with the details on this issue. Thank you! I love how that comment card really tells you the writer wanted to get this off their chest.
I love Gorzo the Mighty! He's a sendup of Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon. You'll see one of my favorite columns from him later, titled "SIEZE HIM, YOU FOOLS!"
Yes, thank you! I knew there was an obvious reference that I simply never encountered. I know Gorzo has a handful of columns later in the 2000s, but is the one you're referencing this one? https://www.theonion.com/seize-him-1819583402
Sadly, it's from 1997, but maybe I'll find a way to sneak in a mention :)
That's the one! I'm originally from Wisconsin, so I was an avid weekly print reader. Thanks for the weekly, I really enjoy it!
The image of Gorzo the Mighty is Photoshopped (obviously), but the source headshot is of Madison cartoonist Pete Mueller, whose ridiculous and beloved single-panel cartoons would run in a weekly Madison paper called The Isthmus. Pete Mueller was also the sonorous voice of Onion Radio News anchor Doyle Redland. Doyle Redland's own headshot, however, was of one of the writers' dad (I think it was Chad Nackers' dad?).
Ah, just found an NPR interview from 2006 about this very thing. Have not listened yet, but there's a photo of Pete Mueller to compare with Gorzo. https://www.npr.org/2006/02/02/5184980/the-voice-behind-onion-radio-news
Ha, just found out it's Pete Mueller's birthday today, too. (1 August)
thank you so much for all of this, Scott! Amazing background. I'm pretty good at Google and exploring Internet Archive for this newsletter, but this is stuff I can't imagine ever finding on my own.
All this is fantastic, I was in Milwaukee, but Madison, so this is a lot of fun info I didn't know!
That's Onion writer Todd Hanson's handwriting all over the *Gigli* comment card.
Y'all are coming through with the details on this issue. Thank you! I love how that comment card really tells you the writer wanted to get this off their chest.