I wanted to share two Holidays with you that goes hand in hand. May 5 National Cartoonists Day #NationalCartoonistsDay May 5 & National Hoagie Day #NationalHoagieDay. If you grew up when I did you would have read the funny paper in our local paper. Which is where I learned about Blondie and Dagwood and his famous Hoagie Sandwich.
I sure miss reading those funnies. How about you? Do you have a favorite Hoagie Sandwich you can’t get enough of. Or a favorite cartoonist? I like Charles M. Schulz who created Peanuts. How about you? Come join us in our Homeschool Classes this week as we study both the Hoagie Sandwich and Cartoonist.
I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t have been able to finish this Hoagie Sandwich ever because it was huge. But I bet you David and even Charlie could have and knowing them the way I do I wouldn’t be surprised to have been asked if they could have had a second sandwich. What about you. Could you finish a Hoagie and would you have wanted a second one?
National Cartoonist Day is celebrated every year on May 5th. If the papers were less about the news and more about the comic strip for you, then National Cartoonists Day is your day! National Cartoonist Day is held in remembrance of the first comic strip featured in a newspaper, National Cartoonist Day also honors all cartoonists, past and present, and their amazing creations.
In 1943, a bunch of cartoonists including Gus Edson, Otto Soglow, Clarence D. Russell, Bob Dunn, and others hosted small cartoon shows in hospitals to entertain the troops during the Second World War. The group expanded and performed across hospitals and various military bases. Then, while flying to one of the military bases, Clarence D. Russell suggested the group form a club so they could keep meeting even after World War II ended. And so, the National Cartoonists Society (N.C.S.) was born in 1946.
The cartoonists launched a celebration in 1999 and called it National Cartoonists Day which was a dedication to all cartoonists and the cartoons they created. News articles credited two co-chairpersons from the National Cartoonists Day Committee, Polly Keener and Ken Alvine, for this idea. National Cartoonists Day was inspired by the first color newspaper cartoon called “Hogan’s Alley.”
On May 5, 1895, the Sunday morning paper held a little surprise for its readers. Readers of the New York World discovered a single-strip, full-color drawing of a big-eared, barefoot little boy with a mischievous grin. Created by American comic strip writer and artist Richard Outcault, this comic strip called “Hogan’s Alley,” and later, “The Yellow Kid” which became the very first commercially successful cartoon. This famous character soon appeared on postcards, billboards, cigarette packs, and other product advertisements.
The name itself, “The Yellow Kid,” reportedly inspired the phrase ‘yellow journalism,’ although there is little evidence to prove this. Side note: ‘Yellow journalism’ refers to newspapers that don’t rely on facts but instead sell newspapers through catchy headlines and exaggerations. By the end of “The Yellow Kid” series in 1898, cartoons were a popular newspaper feature. As a result, the demand for talented cartoonists and illustrators also subsequently increased.
NATIONAL CARTOONISTS DAY ACTIVITIES
- I would like to ask you a question. Are you a cartoonist then please share your creations with people. Only an amateur or a simple doodler? Go ahead and let the world see your creations anyway.
- If you love a certain cartoonist’s work then you should show them some love by learning more about them, their work.
IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT THE GREATEST CARTOONS OF ALL TIME AND THEIR CREATORS
- “Calvin and Hobbes” (1985 – 1995) has been cited as ‘the last great newspaper comic,’ featuring a little boy and his stuffed Tiger. This cartoon was created by cartoonist Bill Watterson and the comic strip for has been celebrated for 10 years, enjoying widespread popularity and influence.
- “Peanuts” (1950 – 2000) Here is a question for you. Who doesn’t love Charles M. Schulz’s creations Snoopy and the gang which are going strong (via reruns) even today?
- “Garfield” (1978) which was created by Jim Davis, this chronic American strip was initially released under the name ‘Jon.’ I don’t know about you, but we definitely want a greedy, snarky orange cat like Garfield, and even an Odie.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL CARTOONISTS DAY
- Cartoons are a great stress buster, and cartoons take us right back to our childhood and make us laugh.
- Cartoonists have made our lives better and their cartoons are an endless source of humor, and cartoons provoke thoughts and debates.
- There’s a special cartoon for everyone across races, cultures, and genders. We love a day that helps us honor those who thought up such fun ideas and then shared them with us.
National Hoagie Day
National Hoagie Day falls on May 5th offering us a welcome alternative to the seemingly endless baskets of Chips and Salsa and mugs of cheap Mexican Beer Americans consume to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Today you can confidently say “no” to Tacos and Burritos, and take your buns to the local deli for a Hoagie.
Philadelphia is famously known for creating Steak and Cheese Subs, but did you know the City of Brotherly Love is also famous for another delight served on a Bun: the Hoagie? The Hoagie is the creation of Italian immigrant heritage that holds the title “Official Sandwich of Philadelphia,’ not the Steak and Cheese Sub.
The traditional Italian Hoagie is a generous Sandwich of Italian deli Meats and Cheeses stuffed into a split long roll, brimming with Pepperoncini Peppers and Veggies, topped with a drizzle of Olive Oil, Vinegar, and Seasonings. There are no fewer than a dozen credible stories laying claim to who was responsible for inventing the first long bread Italian sandwich in America.
Most stories point to the New England States where many Italian immigrants settled in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although whose mama or papa is truly responsible for assembling the first Hoagie in Philadelphia will always be up for debate, we do know that Hoagie naming rights belong to the City of Philadelphia.
The most popular story of how the Italian Sandwich got the name Hoagie in Philadelphia is one cited by the now-defunct “Philadelphia Bulletin,” Philly’s daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982. The paper’s story revolves around the lunch box staple of 1950s Italian immigrant workers in a Philadelphia shipyard known as Hog Island, a long Bread roll stuffed with Italian Meats and Cheeses. The sandwiches were commonly referred to as “Hog Island Sandwiches.” The name was eventually shortened to “Hoggies,” which, when said with a South Philadelphia accent, sounded more like “Hoagies,” and the moniker namee stuck.
Patrons disagreed with the Bulletin’s published story, both insisting that Philadelphia’s Hoagie roots could be traced all the way back 1879. According to the Philadelphia Almanac and the Citizen’s Manual, street vendors known as hokey pokey men sold bakery Rolls called Pinafores stuffed with Antipasto Salad and Meats to theatre patrons before and after attending the operetta, (light opera,) “H.M.S. Pinafore” by the famed writer-composer duo of Gilbert and Sullivan. The Pinafores were commonly referred to as Hokies, which again sounded a lot like Hoagies in South Philly.
Regardless of who first stuffed all these Meats and Cheeses into a split Italian long Roll, topped it with Peppers and drizzled Oil and Seasonings on top, the name Hoagie stuck like the newspaper it was first wrapped with in the City of Philadelphia. By the end of World War II, the term Hoagie was quite common on the streets of Philadelphia, and Philly’s favorite sandwich was turning up on restaurant menus all around the city, spelled Hoagie, Hoggie, Hoogie, and Hoagy.
As the Hoagie’s popularity breached City boundaries and spread to other parts of the Country away from the East coast, the term Hoagie took on new definitions. Hoagie eventually became a catch-all name for any Sandwich served on a long Bread Roll. In Philadelphia, however, the Hoagie remains true to its Italian roots as an Italian Meat and Cheese Sandwich covered with roasted and pickled Veggies and Peppers, with Oil, Vinegar, and Seasonings topping it all.
LET’S CELEBRATE NATIONAL HOAGIE DAY
- If you feel conflicted because today is Cinco de Mayo and the whole world seems to be eating Tacos and dancing to songs about La Cucarachas, we sub pose a 6-pack of imported Beer and Limes could pair nicely with your favorite Hoagie. Play some lively Italian dance tunes like the “Chicken Dance” and “Tarantella Napoletana” and Hoagie on down.
- You will need to rely on a sub-contractor for this one because six-feet of Hoagie is one big hoagie so you will need to invite your family, friends, and neighbors to dive into this submarine adventure.
- Nothing transforms the ambiance of a room like lighting a few candles and the glow of candlelight is all that’s necessary to make National Hoagie Day memorable. Although a straw-wrapped bottle of authentic Chianti Wine would be a nice Italian touch. Saluté!
ESSENTIAL AUTHENTIC ITALIAN HOAGIE INGREDIENTS
- Genoa Salami is probably the best-known imported Salami and a must ingredient on any authentic Italian Hoagie, despite it being outrageously high in saturated fats and sodium.
- The Spam-like smoked Beef and Pork Sausage loaf that looks like a mosaic of fat chunks, Peppercorns, and Pistachio Nuts, was once banned from import into the U.S. market, until the year 2000.
- If you don’t have a stomach for fatty Mortadella, boiled Ham is your go-to substitute.
- Authentic Italian Mozzarella was once made exclusively with Water Buffalo Milk, while Provolone from the South of Italy is favored for its tangy bite and can be mild, sharp, or extra sharp.
- Pepperoncini are mild Peppers whose pickling juices add a delightful burst of tangy, sweet-hot flavor and a colorful red or green when you lift the top half of the long Roll to take a gander at the fixings.
- Roasted Red Peppers add more than a distinct smokey flavor to a sandwich that is off the charts in unhealthy fats. Red Peppers are the Hoagie’s nutritional saving grace, with significant amounts of Vitamin C and beta-carotene.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE HOAGIES
- Hoagies are the ultimate take-along lunch or dinner, all neatly wrapped up in deli paper to keep the Oils, Sauces, and juices from dripping down your chin. Just make sure you grab extra napkins because you will need them.
- You don’t need special cooking skills or a semester in home economics to become a Hoagie pro. Simple rules: buy the highest quality authentic ingredients for the best results. Ask your local Italian grocer for suggestions and your Hoagie will make the honor roll.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
