It was 1944, the war was raging in Europe and the Pacific, and strip cartoonist George McManus appears in an ad for Rheingold Beer back in the US of A. We have already seen how McManus was a celebrity as early as 1908, with his chalk drawing vaudeville act and the popular strip, “The Newlyweds’ Baby”; flash forward to 1944 and the man is still a superstar, photographed at his drawing board and entertaining house guests at home. He likes his corned beef and cabbage as much as his famous character Jiggs does, from the “Bringing up Father” strip, and to wash it down he chooses an extra dry beer, Rheingold Beer, not bittter, not sweet, just dry and tasting like a beer should taste! So have yourself a bottle of Rheingold, the favorite beer of New Yorkers during that period. And remind yourself to get a copy of IDW’s gorgeous “Bringing up Father” book, perhaps the most beautiful reprint of last year. Notice the plea to buy war bonds at the bottom of this magazine ad, up for auction now on ebay.
