Monday, November 8, 2010

Blast from the Past #328: Pumpkins under the bed

We're a little past prime pumpkin season here, but I ran across this drawing today and liked it enough to use it for a "Blast" post. This is another one of my drawings for "Hampshire Life" from back in the late 1970's or early 1980's. Like some of the drawings I did for that paper way back then, I look at this one and wonder "Why?"


 "Why is this person putting pumpkins under his bed?" Sometimes I wish I had saved all the text from the columns I illustrated, instead of just the illustrations, so that I could remember this stuff. -- PL

6 comments:

Mark H said...

Well not knowing why can be part of the fun. Now we can make it up!
Linus had it all wrong. In order for the Great Pumpkin to visit you and, leave presents on Hollows Eve, You have to put the most sincere pumpkin you can find under your bed. Not sit in the most sincere pumpkin patch. Silly Boy!
;)Schulz

Your Artwork is fantastic Mr. Laird!

Adam Riches said...

Is there maybe somewhere on the web you can order back copies of Hampshire LIfe? If they still exist, maybe you could call their offices and explain to them who you are, and how you had done all these editorial illustrations for them back then, so that maybe they could help you track down some of the articles?

mikeandraph87 said...

Perhaps you might find a back log of Hampshire Life in the library or maybe through micofiche?

Though I must agree with Mark H about its fun to try and guess the what and why after the purpose has been lost in time in images.

It may sound/read silly,but it looks like an illustration from a children's book opposed to a sumbition from Hampshire Life. Makes me wonder if a husband/wife team should form for a book? ;)

PL said...

"Mark H said...
Well not knowing why can be part of the fun. Now we can make it up!
Linus had it all wrong. In order for the Great Pumpkin to visit you and, leave presents on Hollows Eve, You have to put the most sincere pumpkin you can find under your bed. Not sit in the most sincere pumpkin patch. Silly Boy!
;)Schulz

Your Artwork is fantastic Mr. Laird!"

Thanks... and I like your interpretation. I am PRETTY sure that was not the original intent, but it's also probably more fun! -- PL

PL said...

mikeandraph87 said...

"It may sound/read silly,but it looks like an illustration from a children's book opposed to a sumbition from Hampshire Life. Makes me wonder if a husband/wife team should form for a book? ;)"

I have been suggesting that, off and on, to my wife for years. So far, nothing has come out of those suggestions. But I have hope that one day we will find a way to collaborate. -- PL

John Standridge said...

Pumpkin beer. Its a very, VERY old recipe. I don't really remember much of it, but it involves putting sugar in it and sliding it under the bed where critters wouldn't fall into it because of the thatched roof. If, perchance, you find the recipe somehow, I'd love to have it.