Gasoline Alley Comic Strip and John Hartford

[Hal Allert]

Hello everyone. I found these newspaper clippings hidden away in some old music of mine. I must have clipped them when they first appeared. Though John Hartford didn't play classic banjo, I know there are a lot of you who remember him, met him, and loved his music. 

So I scanned all 36 panels into JPEGs for you to treasure. Unfortunately, I don't think this is the complete series. For some reason, it stopped or I stopped or the world stopped and I only have these 36 panels. So enjoy what is there. I will only post 8 panels at this time. If there is more interest, I will post the rest.

Hal

[Joel Hooks]

Consarn it!  They are coming by my shack!

[Trapdoor2]

You doesn't has to call me Mr. Williams, you can call me Esther!

[Ray Jones]

That's quite an honour for a banjo player.   Okay, hands up, who wants their own comic strip?

John was at the forefront of promoting the banjo, and sadly missed.

[Chris Cioffi]

I was one of John's booking agents when Jim Scancarelli started doing those featuring John.

John was quite honored, and at the agency, we were all pleasantly surprised.

A few years later, while at a known banjo company, I saw a Jim Scancarelli cartoon that was sent to the principle of the company parody-ing him in similar caricature.

The comic was in the waste basket face up...keep in mind, I believe this was a hand done original, not a copy, with Jim's signature and a handwritten note on it.

I picked it out of the garbage, and brought it excitedly to this person and basically said "when did you get this, and why is it in the waste basket?  Do you know who the man is who did this is?"

"I don't know...no" was the reply.

I told the story of the Jim's career and work and John's series, and the fellow's eyes got big, and then the comic disappeared....possibly to another waste basket.

Kind of weird.

I think I still have my copies from the agent days that were sent to the agency featuring John and I really like having them.

Jim must either be a banjo player or big fan of banjo music.

[Hal Allert]

Can you scan the rest of them that I don't have? Like I said, I have 36 panels. That way we could preserve this piece of banjo history.

Chris Cioffi said:

I was one of John's booking agents when Jim Scancarelli started doing those featuring John.

John was quite honored, and at the agency, we were all pleasantly surprised.

A few years later, while at a known banjo company, I saw a Jim Scancarelli cartoon that was sent to the principle of the company parody-ing him in similar caricature.

The comic was in the waste basket face up...keep in mind, I believe this was a hand done original, not a copy, with Jim's signature and a handwritten note on it.

I picked it out of the garbage, and brought it excitedly to this person and basically said "when did you get this, and why is it in the waste basket?  Do you know who the man is who did this is?"

"I don't know...no" was the reply.

I told the story of the Jim's career and work and John's series, and the fellow's eyes got big, and then the comic disappeared....possibly to another waste basket.

Kind of weird.

I think I still have my copies from the agent days that were sent to the agency featuring John and I really like having them.

Jim must either be a banjo player or big fan of banjo music.

[Chris Cioffi]

Hi Hal-I would do that if I had a decent scanner and/or could operate it.

I'm just about computer illiterate, and the scans I've made on my cheap copier are horrible.

I will have to find the strips, and I have no idea where they are at the moment, but I will look for them, and then find a way to get them to you.

I don't know which ones I have or which ones you have, so we'll have to communicate about that once I find them.

I'd be more than happy to get you scans of what I have if you would like them.

How do I identify them, Hal?  Are they numbered in a certain place?

Chris

[Hal Allert]

Unfortunately, they are not numbered or anything else. They would have to be pieced together and read as a story. If you could send them to me when you find them, I could scan them and send them back to you along with the PDF of the entire series.

Chris Cioffi said:

Hi Hal-I would do that if I had a decent scanner and/or could operate it.

I'm just about computer illiterate, and the scans I've made on my cheap copier are horrible.

I will have to find the strips, and I have no idea where they are at the moment, but I will look for them, and then find a way to get them to you.

I don't know which ones I have or which ones you have, so we'll have to communicate about that once I find them.

I'd be more than happy to get you scans of what I have if you would like them.

How do I identify them, Hal?  Are they numbered in a certain place?

Chris

[Chris Cioffi]

That's what I was thinking of doing, Hal.

I kind of assumed they were a long "mini series" with a thread of a plot line running through them, but didn't have confirmation on this until you just mentioned this.

I would be neat to read/see the whole series in one shot......

[Hal Allert]

I agree. I hope you find them.

Chris Cioffi said:

That's what I was thinking of doing, Hal.

I kind of assumed they were a long "mini series" with a thread of a plot line running through them, but didn't have confirmation on this until you just mentioned this.

I would be neat to read/see the whole series in one shot......

[Chris Cioffi]

I'll keep you posted.....