The Blog of Death

Jan. 18 2004
Ironically, I was sorting through 50 years worth of "my" stuff this morning & I found a cache of "Mr Tweedy" cartoons which I had cut out of the local Hartford paper when I was but a tyke. Tyke or not; I was mesmorized by Ned's sense of humour,actually, all the kids my age looked fo0r "Mr. Tweedy" B4 we even went to the sports page. This is how I found out the sad news that another Icon has passed to a better place.
I am going to turn my 13 yr old son onto Ned's work, now. I'm ceertain he will enjoy this stack of cartoons I faithfully cut out of the paper every day as much as I did.
A Question: Were any of Ned Riddle's works published in book form. I am certain I do not have all of his cartoons & would love to have a complete anthology of Ned's wounder hunour.
Sincerely with a Tear, Rich

I grew up in Wichita, KS. I carried newspapers during my high school years, 1960 thru 1964, for the Wichita Eagle Beacon. I remember reading the comics daily with a dose of humor from the always-one-frame cartoon, Mr Tweedy. One that I can alswys remember showed Mr Tweedy in his living room with a 35mm slide projector on a table and a veiwing screen also in the room. Two neighbors were on the sidewalk talking. A sign was placed in the yard of Mr Tweedy that said "Vacation Slides 50cents. One of the neighbors said to the other that Mr Tweedy would pay 5o cents to anyone that would come in and view his slides. My deceased father also took tons of slides and although most relatives enjoyed viewing his photographic skills, perhaps they just watch the slides to please my father. I hope you can put a book of these cartoons together for all to enjoy.

I loved Mr. Tweedy, and always wondered what happened to him. His gentle humor and general confusion at the vastness of life always brought a smile. In the Washington DC area, he was in the Star, a paper that ceased publishing in the early 70s, and the only surviving paper--the Post--did not pick him up. I too would like to find a collection of Tweedys. I understand two or more paperbacks were published, but so far no luck. I'll keep searching. Thierry Sagnier

Just came across this site and, as a long-time Mr. Tweedy fan, wanted to add my notes.
Like others who have posted tributes here, I looked forward every day to Ned Riddle's cartoon. When he retired I called him in Texas to thank him for years of pleasure. (I'm a recruiter, so finding people, even before the Internet, wasn't hard to do.)
We had a great conversation and Ned told me he was having a ball, painting and sculpting. At the end of our conversation he kindly offered to send some originals. I was thrilled and told him so. He asked what profession I was in and that of my wife and sent two that were appropriate, with photos of his sculpture and a nice note.
Like Peanuts, his work is timeless and should be re-run.
Robert Johns
Farmington CT

Loved Mr. Tweedy while growing up in the 60's and 70's. Any chance anyone knows where to find any of the Mr. Tweedy cartoons? I'd love to re-read them again. Thanks in advance.

I have an original Mr Tweedy cartoon hanging on the wall of my office. It ran Dec 3rd - of what year I don't know. Mr. Tweedy is picking up his car at a parking lot next door to a bug killer factory. His car is on it's back, tires pointed to the sky. The car is of course a VW Bug.

My dad drove a Bug at the time and the comic so tickled his funny bone that he wrote to the syndicate. The letter must have gotten to Ned because a few months later we received the original in the mail along with a personal note. When my father died, I got the drawing and it's been in my home office ever since.

My sister just came upon this site last night. I can't tell you heartwarming it is to hear that there are still "Tweedy" fans out there. Ned was our father. Growing up, we never realized how far reaching our dad's cartoons were, and now as grown-ups, we are constantly amazed when someone says "I remember Mr. Tweedy." Dad loved his fans and was always happy to hear from them. It's great to hear your stories about him. There were two books published in the 60's - both New York publishers - both are now out of print. After he died last year we decided to put together a third collection. We'll let you know when that happens. Thank you for sharing your memories. -Kate

I have been reading cartoons for nearly 50 years, including the top of the line New Yorker, and my favorite cartoon of all time is a Mr. Tweedy. I wish I could find it, but it is burned in my memory, so I don't really need it.

It was the one where there is a nursery van parked in front of Mr Tweedy's house, and they are unloading a tree, obviously to be planted in his yard. The side of the van has the name of the nursery: "Caveat Emptor Nursery". Mr Tweedy has clearly asked a question, and the nurseryman's reply is the caption to the cartoon: "It's Latin for 'Guaranteed to Grow'".

It doesn't get much more clever than that.

I remember Mr. Tweedy from the Thomasville (Ga.) Times-Enterprise in the early 1960s. We children always made a special effort to read it, and sometimes the older ones had to explain it to the younger, which was me. The comic was always back in the classifieds, because of its size. This made it special.
I remember one where he was waiting to be seated at a crowded restaurant, and the waiter is telling him there's only one seat available -- it's a baby's highchair. Another one: he's saying to a painter, "How did you use three gallons of paint so fast?" and we can see around the corner, but he can't, that the painter had climbed to the top of the ladder and poured the paint down the wall.
I can say that Mr. Tweedy was often getting the short end of the stick, but was not mean-spirited in response. A good role model for children, and adults too.
I would be happy to buy a collection of Mr. Tweedy comics for my own children to enjoy.

Kate,

If you don't have enough proof already that your Dad's wit and artistry touched so many people...here's more. I grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania, 'way out in the country. The Oil City Derrick carried the Mr. Tweedy strip, and I'd always save it for last. I'd read the rest of the comic section first, while eating my breakfast cereal and toast. When I'd finished that, I read Mr. Tweedy for dessert. I'd get on the school bus feeling a little more enlightened, a little more insightful, a little more realistic about life. Ned's work has a whole new potential audience out there, not to mention a lot of us who would just revel in seeing those one-frame cartoons again. Please keep pursuing the third edition. If it's already out there, let me know.

Jim

I would like a copy of the new book because, born in 1950, I always saved Mr. Tweedy for last when reading the Milwaukee Journal Green Sheet because it was the best cartoon of all. To this day I miss Mr. Tweedy.

Steve Lawrenz, Lusaka, Zambia, Africa.

Once a week during the 1960s my uncle in Milwaukee sent me the week's Mr Tweedy as it did not appear in the local paper. I was hooked and corresponded with Ned Riddle on several occasions telling him of my and my uncle's admiration of his cartoons. He sent me the original panel of Mr. Tweedy in the oculist's chair reading the "barking dog" (window washer making hand signals on the wall) and the turned away doctor asking, "you see what sir?" with a personal inscription to me from Ned. It still proudly hangs on my office wall today. I sure miss him . . . and Leonard Tweedy.

There is one Mr. Tweedy cartoon that for me sums up Ned Riddle’s genius. In it, Mr. Tweedy is standing in the distance at the end of the block, clearly happy and excited. This is because he sees his boss ( in the cartoon’s foreground) standing in front of a Cadillac dealership in the act of pulling out his wallet, while announcing something like, “I think it’s time , Tweedy, you were rewarded for your years of service.” Thinking he’s about to get an expensive car, Tweedy is vibrating with joy. BUT, what we can see that Tweedy cannot is that in the doorway of the car dealership is a street vendor selling cheesy paper monkeys on a string—which is what Tweedy’s boss is really buying for him. This cartoon teeters at that exact point where hope is highest just before it is to be most cruelly dashed. It is both painful and very funny.

In a benevolent universe, we would get a complete edition of Mr. Tweedy, just as with “Calvin and Hobbes.” One can dream.

Paul L.

So sad to hear of Ned Riddle's death. I loved Mr. Tweedy from my local paper. I actually bought a Tweedy paperback book which Mr. Riddle actually signed! Tweedy was the greatest!

Mr. Tweedy was a favorite of mine throughout the sixties and seventies.

I best remember the one where he was being pulled over by an unmarked police vehicle. The vehicle was a crane.

I grew up in Dallas, and remember reading Mr. Tweedy every morning in the Dallas Morning News. I also went to high school with Emily Riddle, and remember thinking how neat it must be to have that sort of talent in the family - a famous dad who made people laugh with some of the cleverest and most insightful cartoons ever.

I too, would cheerfully by a Tweedy book.

As a Dallas Morning News paperboy in Old Preston Hollow, I enjoyed reading Mr. Tweedy every morning while folding my papers prior to my daily deliveries. Thanks for the funnies Ned, you always made me chuckle.

James T. Chiles - Dallas,Texas

My brother and I were just remembering 'Tweedy' this morning and thinking what a cool name for a guitar sound. It would fit the comic image perfectly. We grew up in Wichita, Ks. The comics were a first for me from the first day of school, in 1962, and I remember 'Mr Tweedy', being my favorite from the beginning. Our father worked for Boeing as a 'jig builder' and we had many neighbors that worked more or less 'professional' jobs and had to wear a shirt and tie every day to work. I often wondered how many, lived a 'Tweedy' life. I do know there is at least a little 'Tweedy' in all of us. I can only wish and hope for the best for the 'Tweedy' family and the 'Riddles'.

marquew

Another Wichita Person here. Does anyone know any websites where there are Mr Tweedy strips? I remember really liking the strip when I was a kid and I'm actually kind of shocked how little there is on the net about it. My favorite strip had Mr Tweedy taking a phone survey. Pro wrestling is on the TV in the background and he is saying something like, "A telivision survey? What am I watching now? er, It's a gladiator type epic.

I (heart) Mr. Tweedy. I don't know why he popped in my head today. I haven't seen one since I was young (it must be at least 25 years ago). Obviously, the comic made a lasting impression. I also remember saving Mr. Tweedy for last.

Funny thing life is. Now that I'm in the advanced stages of "Baby Boomer," seems like more of the "baby," is beginning to boom in me. "Mr. Tweedy," was so much a part of my youth. As a child, nine or ten years old perhaps, I would walk to the train station to greet my father on his way home from work. When we met, the second thing he did, hugs came first, was to hand me the newspaper. I went straight to the comics' section. "Mr. Tweedy," was always there waiting for me, too. No other comic in my past had left such a long lasting and wonderful memory than good old "Mr. Tweedy." I sure do miss both fathers. Would love to have a picture or publication of a "Mr. Tweedy," comic(s). Any suggetions, please? Thank you

I saw Mister Tweedy daily in The Jacksonville Journal in Jacksonville, FL more than 20 years ago. Today I am 53 and my son put a few of my favorite strips on gocomics.com that aren't in my daily newspaper and I asked if he could put Mr Tweedy on too. It was always my favorite. I hope someone will rerun a collection of his stuff.