17: A Cow's Tale
Walking tours, Mental Health Week, D-Day, and more!
In the Toronto area on June 15? Feel like checking out a walking tour about a rampaging cow’s meanderings through the downtown core? Feel like checking out that walking tour if it’s co-led by me?
Then I’ve got the event for you!
Adam (whose newsletter you can find here) and I presented this walk last year and, despite the gloomy weather, it still drew a few dedicated souls out. The forecast is looking good so far, so we hope to see some of you!
Curio Collection (Cow Edition)
Giant-Size Man-Thing (yes, that was an actual comic book title!) #5, August 1975. Written by Steve Gerber, illustrated by Frank Brunner and Tom Palmer.
For those of you who fear vampires, rest assured that Bessie the Vampire Cow (aka Hellcow) won’t make a surprise appearance during the walk.
Mid-1970s Marvel Comics are full of weird stuff, including a cow who had an unlucky encounter with a thirsty Dracula in 17th century Switzerland. This image is taken from her debut, where she fought (and was defeated by) Howard the Duck.
United States News, September 14, 1945.
One suspects this cow isn’t worried so much about the axles on the farmer’s truck, but his general driving ability.
Country Gentleman, August 1945.
This is one of those cases where it may be for the best to invent your own story about what is happening in this tent, how the cow got there, etc. Or maybe it’s Hellcow out prowling for a drink.
Ladies Home Journal, July 1957.
Let’s take a quick at the home life of the married business titans of the bovine world during the 1950s, Elsie the Borden Cow and Elmer the Elmer’s Glue Cow (also a Borden product at the time). Note Elmer’s paranoia that his wife was dropping hints that he was fat.
What’s New?
Chatelaine, July 1951.
Two new TVO pieces for your reading pleasure this time around. First up, to mark the anniversary of the first Mental Health Week in Canada in 1951, I looked at a few programs, primarily school-based, designed to raise awareness of mental health issues.
Ottawa Citizen, June 6, 1944.
On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, I looked at how Ontarians reacted to the invasion, which involved plenty of noise, plenty of prayer, and plenty of hope for the future.
The News, June 8, 1891.
On Tales of Toronto, I revisit a piece I wrote about how the Toronto press covered the final illness and death of Sir John A. Macdonald in June 1891, focusing on a Conservative party-owned newspaper (The Empire, one of the ancestors of today’s Globe and Mail) that went overboard in its coverage.
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That’s all for this edition - hope to see some of you at the cow walk, otherwise, stay healthy and see you next time!