20: The "For Hire" Edition
Plus a political accord, a deadly disaster, and how to outbluff vicious dogs.
Note: this entry has nothing to do getting even with others, nor the classic 1980s TV show Spenser: For Hire, though I’m sure Louisa will appreciate my acknowledgement of her eternal love for Robert Urich…
Usually I post the “Hire Me” section at the end of this newsletter, hoping that somebody with a project or other freelance possibilities will reach out. But, as sometimes happens in the freelance life, I’m experiencing a dry spell at the moment and working to overcome my fear of annoying people when I really need work. A major client I’ve relied on is essentially off the table for now, leaving a void to be filled.
So, if you have or know of any upcoming projects which would benefit from my writing and research skills, freelance assignments that need to be filled, or know of any other suitable opportunities please send me a private message via email, LinkedIn, Messenger, or whatever other form of communication works best. And feel free to peruse my portfolio.
It doesn't have to involve history!
Asking others for help in this way has always felt awkward and is one of my major professional weaknesses. I often see posts elsewhere from people who share this uneasiness, or have been told “not to look desperate” when seeking new opportunities (which raises the question: what do you to do when other methods fail?). My worst fear is coming off as a pest or nuisance which, for a freelancer, is one of the worst, most crippling fears you can have.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I will try not to disappoint you.
What’s New?
Globe and Mail, June 19, 1985.
For TVO, with the governance agreement between the federal Liberals and NDP having ended, I look at how their provincial counterparts in Ontario reached a historic accord in 1985 that provided stable government for two years. A lot of legislation was passed, and the public seemed happy that two parties could work together.
The Noronic on fire, September 17, 1949. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 1518.
I also marked the 75th anniversary of one of Toronto’s deadliest disasters, one which feedback suggests few people know about: the fiery demise of the passenger ship Noronic. Let’s say there was a lot of fatal incompetence involved in a story which my editor felt was “genuinely scary to read.”
Ongoing Projects
Created while libraries and other research facilities were closed during the COVID lockdowns, I continue to maintain my guide to online Toronto historical newspaper resources. Most recent updates have centered around additions to the pay site Newspapers.com, which has added plenty of Torstar and Metroland connected titles, include the suburban Mirror papers. I’m tantalized by the bits and pieces of a key part of Toronto’s newspaper history that are showing up on the site: The Telegram (currently all of December 1946, part of a 1953 edition, the Canada Day 1967 paper, and the final edition from 1971).
If there are papers whose archives are available online that are missing from the guide, please send me a message.
Curio Collection
Star Spangled Comics #64, January 1947.
Advice from a comic book back cover ad on what to do when you encounter that 1 in 1,000 dog who isn’t friendly, safe, or lovable. Hint: carry a very bright light.
Star Spangled Comics was a DC anthology series which ran from 1941 to 1952. Its lead features included Robin The Boy Wonder (with occasional appearances by Batman), the Newsboy Legion (the misadventures of a group of scrappy teens created by Captain America co-creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby), Tomahawk (a Revolutionary War-era frontiersman who battled the British), and Doctor Thirteen, The Ghost Breaker (a supernatural debunker).
Star Spangled Comics #129, June 1952. Cover art by Leonard Starr, who later created the comic strip On Stage and drew the 1979 revival of Little Orphan Annie.
One of my favourite goofy covers from this series, taken from its next-to-last issue. Spoiler: those beauties are 100% human, part of a scheme to swindle rich exotic plant collectors.
This cover also exhibits how tame DC Comics’ idea of horror was in 1952, compared to the gruesome, gory tales published by its competitors. Tales From the Crypt it was not.
The series was relaunched as Star Spangled War Stories with issue 131 and featured battlefield tales for another quarter-century.
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That’s it for this edition. See you next time.