Enter a contest checking your pop culture knowledge of late ’70s cartoon characters when you read strips 140-144 of the popular comic Molarity, which previewed in The Observer in 1977.
140. As noted in the previous set of cartoons Father Hesburgh was interviewed by The Observer staff and was quoted as saying, “If they don’t know who I am, I guess they must be living on Mars.” I could explain the wit behind the statements I put into Hesburgh’s mouth but even I was falling asleep.
141. This cartoon probably needs no explanation other than that back then we referred to hardcore, cutthroat students as “throats.” The other cartoon that regularly appeared in The Observer, Doonesbury, had Carter and the country spirally into recession while his staff told him they were just on a coffee break.
142. The “dogbook” was the printed directory we received freshman year of our incoming classmates. I still have mine. It was the antediluvian version of Facebook. Advertisements in this Observer include Heart playing at the ACC, and stereo LPs from the BeeGees and John Denver at the Hammes Bookstore for just $5.99.
143. If you can name all of the cartoon characters, e-mail Jim Mole with the names. I will give out a complete set of the three original Molarity books — out of print for 30 years — to the winner randomly picked from all the correct entries I receive by the end of July. I will sign them, if you think that adds value. This is one of my favorite cartoons because it was so much fun to draw.
144. The cartoon was prompted by one of the student body president campaigns whose slogan was “We won’t stick pins in your eyes.” The frog slogan is actually the punch line of the joke “What’s green and goes 100 miles an hour?” Meanwhile the editorial page dedicated a full page on boycotting Nestles. Coach Michael DeCicco and his fencing team won their 100th straight victory. The streak ended the following season at 122.
See the first five classic strips. Check back monthly for more classic Molarity strips. Molarity Redux, the updated, continuing adventures of Jim Mole and friends, also is posted monthly. For those new strips, check out the cartoon archives.