Between the
economy and the world being in a state of angst, just for this week I’d like to
forget about those things. So silly is in.
If you could
be any cartoon character you’ve ever seen, which one would it be? I have to
admit I’d like to be Porky Pig, even though I’m a girl. After all, I write
mysteries that are light reading with a little humor. Can you imagine Porky Pig
trying to solve a mystery?
One of my favorite
memories is of the aforementioned pig and Daffy Duck visiting a haunted house.
As I recall, it was a dark and stormy night, and I have remember them standing
on a dock watching a spooky old house. My memory may be faulty, but that’s how
I recall the beginning of the story.
Imagine
writing a human character with Porky’s characteristics. Not believable, huh?
People stutter, and people become frustrated just like Porky. There are plenty
of loud mouths like Daffy. If you think about it, maybe cartoon characters aren’t
all that outrageous.
Bud Abbott
and Lou Costello could have been human cartoon characters. Some of the whacky
things they did in the movies could rival Porky and Daffy.
Think of Bugs
Bunny, Mickey Mouse or Goofy. In all honesty, haven’t you known someone in your
lifetime with similar characteristics? I have.
I remember
once when I worked in law enforcement, I turned away from the counter to answer
the phone, stepped in to a wastebasket and dragged it across the room with me.
The people at the counter were feeling a little annoyed because I happened to
be the only one in the office during the lunch hour and they wanted to finish
their business and leave. After seeing my little incident, everyone calmed down,
had a good laugh and waited their turn with good humor. That sounds like a
Porky Pig moment to me.
People need
to be able to laugh at themselves like I did that day. Characters in books need
to laugh at themselves from time to time, too. I’m a big believer in looking for
humor whenever and wherever possible.
In the Sandi
Webster series there’s a character named Stanley Hawks. Stanley is a klutz.
When Sandi and her partner, Pete, first met him they had two different reactions.
Pete initially thought he was a loser. Sandi, on the other hand, found him to
be endearing as he tripped over nothing when he entered the office. Initial
reactions to someone can be so unfair. As Pete came to know Stanley, he found
him to be a good and loyal friend, and the two men could laugh together over
some of Stanley’s antics. I find it quite interesting to see how fictional characters
grow and change, just like real people.
Stanley wasn’t
based on a cartoon character, but a cartoon character could have been based on
him. (Honestly, this klutzy guy is based a little on myself.)
Elmer Fudd
has a speech impediment. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been quite as loveable and
funny when he referred to that “wascally wabbit”. Yosemite Sam was in a class
by himself. How about Foghorn Leghorn and Henry Hawk?
So back to my
original question. What cartoon character would you like to be? Send real life
on a well-deserved break and spend a few minutes thinking about my question.
You can even choose to be Snow White or one of the dwarves. Prince Charming?
How about Tweety Bird or Sylvester?
Could you
write your choice as a fictional character in one of your books? Or do you
think you most resemble your choice?
Hopefully,
this silly post took you away from your day-to-day cares for at least a few minutes.
CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw's website
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com
In Bubba's Ghost - A Sandi Webster Mystery, Bubba the dog thinks the house might be haunted. You might want to check it out.
