How do you take a drawing of a triangle, add a few appendages, give it an odd name and turn it into overnight national sensation? I dunno, but you apparently DON'T call it a Mung and invite readers to submit ideas for objects and people in which the term "Mung" has been inserted -- Mungnetism (magnetism), Mungsignor (monsignor), Weathermung (weatherman), Three Mungateers (three Musketeers), etc.
This was the idea behind Mung Ho!, a daily and Sunday panel feature whose idea was supposedly based on a Kilroy imitator originated in the Navy. The newspaper feature originated at the Chicago Daily News and was syndicated to a few papers that probably should have known better. The feature was either credited to an imaginary Omar Mung, or the triangle character was named Omar Mung; I'm not entirely clear which. Maybe both? I notice on the Sundays there does appear to be a signature of some kind -- looks like "YEP" or something?
The feature began sometime in 1969 (earliest I've found are from October) and the Sunday seems to have been dropped in January 1970 while the daily panel continued as late as March 21.
A web search finds a cartoonist named Dustin based out of Chicago who uses the name Omar Mung for his cartooning, photography and general weirdness blog. Is there any relation? I don't know but given the very strange content of the blog I take a pass on finding out.
What's the name of the modern-day comic page feature that does something similar, but with "Egg"s instead of "Mung"s? I can't remember it.
ReplyDeleteI did a search for a cartoonist called Yep once, but I can't remember what strip or cartoon was the cause...
ReplyDeleteHi Joshua -
ReplyDeleteThat would be Eggers.
mungkini?!! oh, man, that sucks!!!
ReplyDeletecheers!
Thanks, Allan.
ReplyDeleteAnyone looking to Google the "Eggers" feature should note that the creator is Lori Lee Landi; a search for "eggers" alone is mostly going to find things about writer Dave Eggers.
Mung Ho! was in the Sunday comics in the Daily Oklahoman at least until the mid-80's. I have a (shaky) memory of it being sponsored by Mung bean farmers. It also may have been part of the Cap'n Dick Activity page. I'm glad someone else remembers this obscurity.
ReplyDeleteI too remember the "Mungs." I especially remember a character named Mung the Merciless. As to dates, I only remember them from my teens, so that is more than forty years ago.
ReplyDeleteYes. I won 5 dollars in the Daily Oklahoman Mung Ho for my drawing/character, "Charlie ChapMung" Thanks for your article. J Foster Nashville, TN
ReplyDeletehttp://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Elementary-Electronics/1960/Elementary%20Electronics-1969-09-10.pdf
ReplyDeletePage 44 to 46 'Omar Mung's Dubious Dynasty'
I'd love to see the one i sent to u when i was a kid in edmond...like '77-'78...i was in 3rd or 4th grade. it was dad who came up with the idea and i remember mom helping me draw the picture, lol...thanks...
ReplyDelete"The Cow Jumped Over The Mung"
-Lance Coleman
I was a high school senior in South Florida (1969-70) when this comic somehow came to the attention of some of us, who proceeded to riff on it by creating caricatures of our fellow students. Just this morning I was trying to remember the name of the little triangle-people we were creating, and when “Mung” finally came to mind, I googled ”triangle mung cartoon 1960s” and found you. Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDeleteSeeing a photo today of the former baseball player Carlos May somehow reminded me of a drawing I did back then of a triangle figure holding a baseball bat and wearing a White Sox cap that I called "Carlos Mung." After a little googling, I found your blog and was glad to see I hadn't hallucinated the memory... I may have even won something for my drawing, can't remember.
ReplyDeleteI went to Navy Aviation Electronic School at NAS Memphis in 1957. There were chalkboard drawings of Omar Mung even then...
ReplyDelete