Rev. Crane goes on to tell us how novel reading leads to day-dreaming, "excitement of the passions" and leaves a person "unfit for real life". At one point he even compares it to an opium addiction.
Unfortunately for the Rev. Jonathan Townley Crane, professional disapprover of fiction, his son Stephen Crane grew up to write "The Red Badge of Courage" which is now considered one of the great American novels. Life can be ironic that way.
I'm celebrating 15 years of Incidental Comics by sharing some of my classic strips. Of the thousand or so pages I've drawn, The Nature of Ambition might be my favorite.
Read the full comic and my thoughts on a decade and a half of creating comics at my newsletter:
Gaiman: " If you really can't figure out which political party or which politician to vote for, just ask if they're on the side of libraries. Are they voting to fund their libraries? Are they voting to keep them free? Then vote for those guys. They're probably the good guys. And by the same token, the book burners, the book banners, they're probably the bad guys."
Some handy tips from the War Department’s “You’re Going to Employ Women” pamphlet, April 1, 1943.Â
Unfortunately, this is not a joke.Â
Record Group 407: Records of the Adjutant General's Office
Series: Central Decimal Correspondence Files
File Unit: 291.9 Status of Women 1-1-42 THRU 12-31-45
Transcription:Â
(a pamphlet with single staple on left side, off-white paper)
You're Going to Employ Women
WAR DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON, D. C.
(In pencil along right side) WGCS 17, 291.9, (4-1-43)
[page 2]
(left page black and white photo)Â woman filing a piece of metal
_______________careful...
(right facing page)Â Â
(title)Â When Training Women
ORIENT her more thoroughly than a man on health and safety rules, plant layout and production, company policies, job techniques.
Give her a preliminary training course to get the feel of work.
Relate her job training to past experience, usually domestic--interpret machinery operation in terms of household and kitchen appliances.
Arrange for continuous upgrading and train her for higher grade jobs.
Use community training facilities when necessary--trade schools, vocational classes in colleges and universities.
[page 3]
(Left side same woman)
_____________and conscientious...
(Right side)
(title)Â When Working Woman
LIMIT her hours to 8 a day and 48 a week.
Schedule short morning and afternoon rest intervals on arduous jobs.
Have diet-balanced luncheons available--and extra food on exhausting jobs.
Provide ample clean toilets and rest rooms--good plant ventilation free of dust, fumes and drafts--work seats and benches at proper height--clean orderly surroundings--safety devices on machinery.
Insist on proper work clothing, safe shoes.
Promote adequate local housing and transportation.
And…
[page 4]
(Left side of page)
(title)
Use a Trained Personnel Woman
She can counsel with management on training, job simplification and all general employment policies.
She understands women-worker needs.
She can give sympathetic attention to home problems.
She can be told personal difficulties that would not be confided to a man.
She can arrange for child care.
(right facing page)
-Women are pliant--adaptable.
-Women are dexterous--finger nimble.
-Women are accurate--precision workers.
-Women are good at repetitive tasks.
-Women are fine color and material observants.
Women CAN BE TRAINED TO DO ALMOST ANY JOB YOU'VE GOT.
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