"the T stands for Larry, my father couldn't spell..."

Saturday morning for us kids was a treasure trove of cartoons.  Funny,yet sophisticated for  our 1960’s minds, we laughed, but it was later on in our teens when we began to understand the cleverness in the names of them.  Various bad guys like Dishonest John, whose “dirty deeds done cheap, special rates for Sundays and holidays,” would threaten heroes like Beany and Cecil.  Snidely Whiplash was always trying to kidnap Nell Fenwick, while Dudley Do Right would always rescue her at the end.  Yet his affection was always for his horse, poor Nell.  Dudley Nightshade was our favorite on Crusader Rabbit, whose partner in crime was Billious Green, great plays on words.  We laughed at all the names, we knew they were funny, we just didn’t know why.  Later as we got older and wiser at age 10, we had Milton the Monster, with Count Kook, and Heebie and Jeebie.  Monsters were a big thing at the time...at least in our neighborhood of kids.  Boris Badenov and his side kick Natasha were signs of the Cold War, where they reported to Fearless Leader, an obvious Nazi flashback.  But by the end of the show, Rocky would save the day, despite Bullwinkle, a favorite was in returning the Kerwood Derby, a play on words for Durwood Kirby, a news anchor on CBS.  Good and safe satire, entertaining to us kids, and that could be appreciated by adults.  And to start every morning we had Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse, with the coolest jazz music ever on a cartoon.  Later in the day we would laugh at Deputy Dawg, and Vincent Van Gopher with his witty insight.  Tom slick taught us there is no such word as quit, and Fearless Fly was really a meek, timid little fly known as Hiram, until he drank the secret sauce.  If only we were as smart then as the cartoons were, sadly some never make it.  Not the cartoons, us.

But my favorite was Ragland T. Tiger, the sidekick of Crusader Rabbit.  They reside in Lukupu Junction, and the show was perhaps the ultimate test for satire.  Arson/Sterno the two headed dragon, and Seymour the singing Dinosaur, who lost his voice at age 2 like all dinosaurs amused us.  King Kong Wong kidnapped Dr. Ed Foo Young, who was trying to perfect a game of Chinese checkers. We learned Civil War history through Simone Legree, a testament to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, who dealt with S. Crow.  Titus Canby ran the National Holiday Society, Dr. Frank N. Stein lived in Loudmouth, Wyoming, and they panned for gold in Alaska in “If Anyone Can, Yukon.”  Even rock and roll was made fun of, when they went searching for the missing 18th hole in Scotland, where a monster got poor Angus, his roar was really made by playing a rock and roll record at slow speed.  Anything and everything was fair game in the name of fun, so naturally my favorite line came from Rags, who when asked “what does the T. in Ragland T. tiger stand for?” responded, “Larry, my father couldn’t spell.”  And we all laughed at that one.  Funny plays on words, thought provoking, mixed with history and humor, and not a one selling toys.  But what I wouldn’t give for a set of Crusader Rabbit episodes today.   To the Wayback Sherman....

So maybe a sail back with Captain Peter “Wrong way” Peachfuzz is order.  A look at names from the Bible.  Nebuchadnezzar, what other name has two z’s?  Ozzie?  Who names their kids Methusaleah any more?  Live long and prosper, Mr. Spock.  Mushi, Puah, and Nepheg, you wonder how many kids at PS 31 in Jerusalem made fun of them.  We had a dog named Ichabod, whose Bible reference predated Ichabod Crane of the Headless Horseman story by thousands of years.  Zebadiah, son of Asahel, brother of Joab.  Nergalsharezar the Rab-Mag....all names that could be found on any Saturday morning cartoon show in Jesus’ time.  Yet they all mean something to those who named them, and you wonder how many were named by a father like Rags had who couldn’t spell.  Reminds of a friend I knew named AB, the first two letters of the alphabet.  They couldn’t spell....But there are names, and there are names, with one above all names.  Jesus.  Just the mention of the name and even atheists know who we are talking about.  Demons flee at the sound of it, and souls are set free in it.  From the Hebrew it is comprised of two meanings, that when put together means God will deliver his people.  Yet the Jews are blinded by it, and even avoid the New Testament, despite the humble origins.  But to those that believe, it means life, and life abundantly.

And when Christ is added, meaning the anointed, we see him as the one sent from God to be our deliverer, the anointed one.  Name above all names.  But it is important to realize that he was anointed by God, and not by man.  Where we may name kids today after Biblical names, only Jesus Christ was anointed by God, the unique son, unlike no other.  He is the only one who is prophesied of, who was with God in the beginning, and was and is God.  Who died for our sins while we were yet sinners, who rose again so we can too.  So much and so much more in just one name...yet many deny him.  Taking it in vain, while he asks “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  But maybe the gospel foretold in Genesis 5 tells it best, reading the geneology of the fore fathers and how they tell of Jesus.  Of course it is just a coincidence it all points to Jesus.....yeah right.

Hebrew English
Adam Man
Seth Appointed
Enosh Mortal
Kenan Sorrow;
Mahalalel The Blessed God
Jared Shall come down
Enoch Teaching
Methuselah His death shall bring
Lamech The Despairing
Noah Rest, or comfort.

A man appointed to sorrows, blessed God who came down to teach, his death will be despairing , but will bring us peace.  Rest and comfort.  God made mortal.  So we can be made immortal.

Life has come along way from those Saturday morning shows, sad too many have fallen away.  But Jesus is the way back, the original Wayback Machine.  He forgives, and even if your father couldn’t spell,  he knows just who you are.  He knows your name.  Count Kook may have put the wrong brain in Milton, but God put his spirit in Jesus, and offers it to you today.  Good deeds done daily, special rates on holidays and Sundays.  Today is the day of salvation....he’s “comin’ Beany Boy...”  he’s comin’.  And to him there is no word as quit!

love with compassion,

Mike

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