Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern

Last updated
Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern
Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern logo.svg
Type Humor magazine
FormatQuarterly magazine
Owner(s) Dartmouth College
Founded1908
Headquarters Hanover, New Hampshire
Website dartmouth.edu/~jacko

The Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern (also known as the Jacko) [1] is a college humor magazine, founded at Dartmouth College in 1908.

Contents

History

One of the magazine's oldest traditions is "Stockman's Dogs". In the October 1934 issue, F.C. Stockman (class of 1935) drew a single-panel cartoon of two dogs talking to each other. That same cartoon has appeared in virtually every issue published since, always with a different caption. [2]

The magazine is alluded to in the opening lines of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "The Lost Decade", which was first published in Esquire in 1939. [3]

Jack-O-Lantern writers Nic Duquette and Chris Plehal invented the unofficial Dartmouth mascot Keggy the Keg in the fall of 2003. [4]

From 1972 to 1974 the Editor in chief was playwright Robert DeKanter '74. Among the first Dartmouth women on the staff was Barbara Donnelly, '77, later a writer for the Wall Street Journal.

DeKanter was succeeded by the team Brad Brinegar and Maxwell Anderson, both '77. One evening in July, 1975, cartoonists Brian "Hojo" Hansen '76 and Mike Mosher '77 slipped in and painted a cubist rendition of bibulous alumni in translucent acrylic washes upon the wall. When this was eradicated the following week, Hansen and Mosher replaced it with a Renaissance-style "pittura infamante" (topic of an art history lecture in Carpenter Hall) called Allegory of the Evisceration of Humor, depicting Brinegar and Anderson abusing a Jack-O-Lantern figure. "This was the perfect crime" enthused Hansen, "for to paint it over would prove our point: that they have no sense of humor."

From 1976 to 1978 the Editor was N. Brooks Clark, who published a Jack-O-Lantern calendar during his tenure. Clark wrote a parody of the controversial college-issued sex guide, which he called Thrilling Contraception Comics and Stories, illustrated by Mosher and featuring a wisecracking spermatozoic guide, Snappy Sammy Sperm. It was reprinted in the 1982 Holt paperback collection of 1970s college humor, [5] whose lead editor Joey Green was the founding editor of the Cornell Lunatic.

A 2006 video prank by the Jack-O-Lantern on a Dartmouth College tour group entitled "Drinkin' Time" was featured in an article by the Chronicle of Higher Education , [6] posted by AOL on the Online Video Blog, [7] and was mentioned by The Volokh Conspiracy. [8] As of November 2013, the video has garnered over 585,000 views on YouTube. [9]

Format

The Jacko publishes print issues approximately four times a year, as well as regularly updated online content and occasional video productions. The magazine devotes one publication cycle each year to a parody of the campus newspaper, The Dartmouth. [1]

Notable alumni

Some notable writers, artists, comedians and politicians began their careers at the Jacko, including: [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Seuss</span> American childrens author and cartoonist (1904–1991)

Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American children's author and cartoonist. He is known for his work writing and illustrating more than 60 books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.

Private Snafu Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

Private Snafu is the title character of a series of black-and-white American instructional adult animated shorts, ironic and humorous in tone, that were produced between 1943 and 1945 during World War II. The films were designed to instruct service personnel about security, proper sanitation habits, booby traps and other military subjects, and to improve troop morale. Primarily, they demonstrate the negative consequences of doing things wrong. The main character's name is a play on the military slang acronym SNAFU, "Situation Normal: All Fucked Up".

<i>Green Eggs and Ham</i> 1960 childrens book by Dr. Seuss

Green Eggs and Ham is a children's book by Dr. Seuss. It was published by the Beginner Books imprint of Random House on August 12, 1960. The book follows Sam-I-am as he follows an unnamed man, repeatedly asking him if he would like to try some green eggs and ham before the man eventually tries it and likes it. Seuss began writing Green Eggs and Ham after his editor Bennett Cerf bet him $50 that he could not write an engaging children's book with a vocabulary of 50 words. Finding the challenge difficult, Seuss used notes, charts, and checklists to keep track of his progress. The book covers themes of conflict between individuals, though Seuss has said that it lacks any deeper meaning. Green Eggs and Ham was widely praised by critics for its writing and illustration, and challenge of writing a book in 50 words is regarded as a success. The book has been the subject of multiple adaptations, including a television series of the same name in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John S. Monagan</span> American politician and author

John Stephen Monagan was a Connecticut politician, lawyer, and author.

<i>The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins</i> 1938 childrens book by Dr. Seuss

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins is a children's book, written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss and published by Vanguard Press in 1938. Unlike the majority of Geisel's books, it is written in prose rather than rhyming and metered verse. Geisel, who was a collector of hats, got the idea for the story when he was on a commuter train from New York to New England, while sitting behind a businessman wearing a hat. The businessman was so stiff and formal that Geisel idly wondered what would happen if he took the man's hat and threw it out the window, and he artistically, albeit erroneously, concluded that the man would "simply grow a new one".

<i>Horton Hatches the Egg</i> 1940 childrens book by Dr. Seuss

Horton Hatches the Egg is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss and published in 1940 by Random House. The book tells the story of Horton the Elephant, who is tricked into sitting on a bird's egg while its mother, Mayzie, takes a permanent vacation to Palm Beach. Horton endures a number of hardships but persists, often stating, "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent!" Ultimately, the egg hatches, revealing an elephant-bird, a creature with a blend of Mayzie's and Horton's features.

Jacko may refer to:

<i>And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street</i> 1937 Dr. Seuss book

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street is Theodor Seuss Geisel's first children's book published under the name Dr. Seuss. First published by Vanguard Press in 1937, the story follows a boy named Marco, who describes a parade of imaginary people and vehicles traveling along a road, Mulberry Street, in an elaborate fantasy story he dreams up to tell his father at the end of his walk. However, when he arrives home, he decides instead to tell his father what he actually saw—a simple horse and wagon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mo Willems</span> American childrens books illustrator and writer

Mo Willems is an American writer, animator, voice actor, and children's book author. His work includes creating the animated television series Sheep in the Big City for Cartoon Network, working on Sesame Street and The Off-Beats, and creating the popular children's book series Elephant and Piggie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keggy the Keg</span> Unofficial mascot of Dartmouth College

Keggy the Keg is the unofficial mascot of Dartmouth College, an Ivy League college in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Keggy is an anthropomorphic beer keg, created in 2003 by members of the college humor magazine the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern, to fill the mascot void that followed the abolition of the unofficial Native American mascot in 1974. Due to its nature, the mascot was controversial on Dartmouth's campus, and it was reported on in a variety of national media. With time, however, it has become an "ingrained part of Dartmouth culture".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geisel Library</span> Iconic Library at the University of California, San Diego

Geisel Library is the main library building of the University of California, San Diego. It is named in honor of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as children's author Dr. Seuss. The building's distinctive architecture, described as occupying "a fascinating nexus between brutalism and futurism", has resulted in its being featured in the UC San Diego logo and becoming the most recognizable building on campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William C. Dowling</span>

William Courtney Dowling is University Distinguished Professor of English and American Literature emeritus at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, specializing in 18th-century English literature, literature of the early American Republic, and Literary Theory.

Dartmouth College and its students publish a number of journals, reviews, and magazines, including the Aegis and the Dartmouth Law Journal, a nationally recognized law publication run by undergraduate students.

<i>I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!</i> Book by Dr. Seuss

I Am Not Going to Get Up Today! is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and illustrated by James Stevenson. It was published by Random House on October 12, 1987. It is the only Dr. Seuss book not to be illustrated by Seuss himself. The book is told from the perspective of a boy who decides not to get out of bed as his family and neighbors try to convince him to get up. Audio versions have been released, including a cassette tape in 1988 and an audiobook read by the actor Jason Alexander in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Vaccaro Seeger</span> American writer

Laura Vaccaro Seeger is an American author and illustrator of children's books. She has often appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and has won the Caldecott Honor twice, the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Best Picture Book, the Empire State Award for "Body of Work and Contribution to Children’s Literature", the Massachusetts Reading Association Award for "Body of Work and Contribution to Children's Literature", and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor twice.

<i>How the Grinch Stole Christmas!</i> 1957 childrens story by Dr. Seuss

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a Christmas children's book by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It follows the Grinch, a cranky, solitary creature who attempts to thwart the public's Christmas plans by stealing Christmas gifts and decorations from the homes of the nearby town of Whoville on Christmas Eve. Miraculously, the Grinch realizes that Christmas is not all about money and presents.

Toon Books is a publisher of hardcover comic book early readers founded by Françoise Mouly. With titles by such creators as Geoffrey Hayes, Jay Lynch, Dean Haspiel, Eleanor Davis, and Mouly's collaborator and husband, Art Spiegelman, Toon Books promotes its line as "the first high-quality comics designed for children ages four and up".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craven Laycock</span>

Craven Laycock (1866–1940) was the dean of Dartmouth College from 1911 to 1934. He is perhaps best known as the dean who suspended Theodor Seuss Geisel from editing the Dartmouth humor magazine, after which Geisel wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss.

Donald E. Pease is the Ted and Helen Geisel Third Century Professor in the Humanities, chair of the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program, professor of English and comparative literature at Dartmouth College. He is an Americanist, literary and cultural critic, and academic. He has been a member of the boundary 2 editorial collective since 1977 or 1978. He was the founding editor of the New Americanists series at Duke University Press and editor of the Re-Encountering Colonialism Series and Re-Mapping the Transnational Turn: A Dartmouth Series in American Studies for the University Press of New England (UPNE). Pease directs the annual Futures of American Studies Institute at Dartmouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political messages of Dr. Seuss</span>

The political messages of American children's author and cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geisel, best known as Dr. Seuss, are found in many of his books. Seuss was a liberal and a moralist who expressed his views in his books through the use of ridicule, satire, wordplay, nonsense words, and wild drawings to take aim at bullies, hypocrites, and demagogues.

References

  1. 1 2 "About This Site". Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  2. "85th Anniversary Issue" (PDF). Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. Fall 1995. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
  3. Fitzgerald, F. Scott (December 1939). "The Lost Decade". Esquire . Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  4. Orbuch, Steve (2003-11-04). "Jacko mascot 'Keggy' wins many Dartmouth fans". The Dartmouth . Archived from the original on 2007-01-23. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
  5. Green, Joey; Handy, Bruce; Corcoran, Alan, eds. (1982). Hellbent on Insanity. p. 66. ISBN   0-03-059981-4.
  6. Bartlett, Thomas (2007-04-06). "Culture Watch: The College Prank as Viral Video". Archived from the original on 2007-04-06. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
  7. Tonka D. (2007-02-22). "AOL Video Log". AOL . Retrieved 2007-04-13.
  8. Kerr, Orin (2007-02-03). "'It's Drinkin' Time!'". The Volokh Conspiracy . Retrieved 2007-04-13.
  9. DartmouthJacko. "Drinkin' Time". YouTube . Retrieved 2013-11-22.
  10. "About Us: History". Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. Archived from the original on 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
  11. Geisel, Theodor Seuss (2005). "Dr. Seuss Biography". In Taylor, Constance (ed.). Theodor Seuss Geisel The Early Works of Dr. Seuss. Vol. 1. 228 Byers Road, Suite 201, Miamisburg, OH 45342: Checker Book Publishing Group. p. 6. ISBN   1-933160-01-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  12. Estrada, Louie (2005-10-25). "Conn. Congressman John Monagan Dies". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
  13. "Confessions of a Spoilsport: My Life and Hard Times Fighting Sports Corruption at an Old Eastern University by William C. Dowling".