Monday, January 16, 2012

Alphabeasts: N is for Nerd

As you may know, I am letting myself have only one Alphabeasts creature per universe or creator. This week's critter was therefore in some ways a difficult choice, because one could practically draw a full alphabet populated only by Dr. Seuss's figments and oddments and homunculi. (I don't know whether he ever invented a critter that starts with an X, though.)

And yet, how could I resist the original nerd?



I slipped in a few nice nerd gags there. Click to enlarge and read, but don't give yourself any bonus points if you use google to "get" the references.

I'm not wild about my drawing—I seem to have as much trouble with Seuss as with Mercer Mayer, and I definitely got the head-to-body proportions wrong—but I suppose the little japes are fun.

Anyway: believe it or not, Dr. Seuss really may have added the word nerd to the lexicon. Have a look at what the OED, the ultimate etymological authority, has to say about it:



There's only one drawing of the nerd in If I Ran the Zoo, and it's one of three critters on the page (along with the nerkle and the seersucker). But in case you are curious what the original looked like, I have scanned it for you.



Next week: little critters you might have heard of if you have a little kid in the house.

6 comments:

Rich Barrett said...

I have an early Seuss book where he has a creature called a "Blogg". Cracks me up every time.

Isaac said...

Oh, man. Now I am RACKING my brain trying to remember which one that is. I think I remember Bloogs from Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!, but I think the Blogg is something else, right?

Curious Art said...

What a delightful creature & origin story! This makes being a person-nerd all the better.

{Do you hear an echo?} ;-)

Curious Art said...

Also, regarding the Blogg:

http://zeroxp.com/2008/08/my-digital-life.html

Seuss was an inspirational guy.

Loops O'Fury said...

What's on his shirt? Moss and Roy?

(I have an IT Crowd reference planned for my alphabet...)

Isaac said...

It is indeed Moss and Roy. Today's bonus points go to you, Lupi, if you can explain the four animal names in the second part of the speech balloon.