Friday, November 10, 2023
Selling It: Snake Oil? No, Fish Oil!
Scientific testing has proven that there is no special medical wonder inherent in cod liver oil. It is high in vitamins A and D, and so it is undeniably good for those who have a deficiency. But there was a day when it was considered an indispensible member of the family medicine cabinet, "good fer what ails ye," a cure-all for most any malady.
Preying on such beliefs, the Scott's Emulsion folks made claims that it had some special ability to ward off rickets in children. Which it would since rickets is caused by a vitamin D deficiency. But most kids get plenty of vitamin D from sunshine, and those who don't get any time outdoors in the sun probably have bigger problems that Scott's Emulsion won't fix.
Anyway, I digress. The October 1938 Sunday half-page ad shown above sports art by a wonderful newspaper and magazine cartoonist, an artist who I don't generally associate with advertising strips. Let's leave his name off this post for awhile and see if a Stripper's Guide reader can ID the artist whose work we see above.
UPDATE 11/13/2023: So, not much activity in the ranks. Alright, here's my ID, and I'm 98% sure it is accurate. The Uncle Dan ad is by R.B. Fuller, of Oaky Doaks fame. The unusual take on the woman's eyes is to me the dead giveaway of the ID.
Labels: Advertising Strips
(of course if one clicks on the image
the new tab hedder reads "Uncle Dan by Fuller.")
Now the question is R. B. or Ving?
