Bedbuggery

The bedbugs come crawling at night
Make sure that your prayers you recite
Spray Deet on your sheet
(they eat little feet)
and pull up the covers real tight!

Former Chicagoan Paul Fricke has written and drawn a spiffy new children's book, Night of the Bedbugs. The book is kid friendly, and not nearly as scary as this limerick. Read a preview, as well as play games and other fun stuff at bedbugsmania.com

Night of the Bedbugs © copyright 2010 Paul Fricke. All Rights Reserved

Serial's Killer

The doc's building an army, robotic
And has killed to be ruler, despotic
The U.S. of A.
Held under his sway...
He's a villain most unpatriotic.


Robert Wilcox is the heroic and hooded "Copperhead", and Eduardo Ciannelli is the villainous and Mysterious Doctor Satan (William Whitney, John English, 1940). Originally written as a vehicle for Superman, Doctor Satan is considered to be one of the best of Republic's cliffhanger adventure serials. To carry out his nefarious plan, all Dr. Satan needs is to steal the professor's remote control device. And then...

Dada Entry

I've heard that the Devil wears Prada
but word is His Darkness wears nada
He's hotter than hell
and dresses like, well...
a stripper in Vegas, Nevada

Swizzle Styx

Your bar bill's in permanent ink
Of sulfur the bartenders stink
You've had quite a ball
but now it's last call
They've mixed you one helluva drink

A frame from Aventurera ( Alberto Gout, 1950), thanks to Six Martinis and the Seventh Art.

Belle and Damnation

They're deviling poor Dudley Moore
exposing temptations galore
Confronted by "Lust"
it's heaven or bust
He finds that it's hard to ignore



As "Lillian Lust", Raquel Welch has Dudley Moore Bedazzled (Stanley Donen, 1967), a Faustian Mod-era comedy written by Moore and Peter Cook.

Saturday Night FIFA

Mejia/AP

Fanatics from far away lands
wear costumes and chant from the stands
But 'merican fellas
don't blare vuvuzelas
or get why they can't use their hands


The vuvuzela is the plastic horn that's heard droning throughout soccer matches in South Africa. Apparently the sound is driving the French players crazy.

I must be un-American, because I've contracted World Cup fever. USA just beat Algeria in overtime, winning Group C, and advancing to the final 16. Meanwhile, North Korea is rumored to have hired Chinese actors to portray Korean fans at the Cup. You don't get intrigue like that at your so-called "World" Series. Thanks to Backthrow for the title.

Catch As Scratch Can

A devil, to knot-headed hick
lends cash and a hot-blooded chick
The bargain comes due,
rube whimpers boo-hoo
and hires a lawyer who's slick




The Devil and Daniel Webster (William Dieterle, 1941), aka All That Money Can Buy (andl other titles). Walter Huston steals the show as the devilish Mr. Scratch, Simone Simon is lovely as temptress Belle Dee, and James Craig is a lunkhead as farmer Jabez Stone. I wouldn't say he sinks the film, but it's hard to identify with him. The film's structure doesn't help, as he spends most of the story as a lout, then gets bailed out by Edward Arnold (not pictured), excellent as lawyer Daniel Webster. Thanks to Backthrow for the title. Photos: The guy doesn't know film from a hole in his butt (he gave up on Lubitsch's The Shop Around the Corner after 9 minutes), but he takes a great screen cap. Love that flaming carrot in the top pic.

Faust-about

If power and wealth is your goal

the Devil pays well for a soul
You'll live like a king

and play out the string

till one day you're shoveling coal


Faust (F.W. Murnau, 1926) stars Emil Jannings as Mephisto and Gösta Ekman as Faust.

Tricky Nick

Your signature's needed to seal
a devilish kind of a deal
For power and sex
a soul he expects
Just sign on the line for Nick Beal


Political deals with the devil are made by Thomas Mitchell, Ray Milland and Audrey Totter in Alias Nick Beal (John Farrow, 1949). Limerwrecks is going to the devil.

Obsessive Repulsive

He draws it again and again
This isn't cartooning as zen
Same head with big ears
for years upon years
He's waiting for you to say "when"

Birthdazed

There was an old artist named Barta
As old as ye olde Magna Carta
His comics were styled
when he was a child
and now he's a surly old farta

Season's Heatings

I march to the beat of a drummer

who hangs up his sticks in the summer

When it's sunny and warm

outdoors is the norm

and writing inside is a bummer

It's turned tropical here in Chicago and we're taking a break from the daily limerick grind. But don't worry, we'll still post--just not every single day. And, just like last year, we'll be taking part in the Countdown to Halloween all through October. Have a great summer, Limerwreckers.

Al Williamson, R.I.P.

His comics are filled with a joy
for strips that he loved as a boy
He rockets past stars
'round Mongo and Mars
and calls to his heroes, "Ahoy!"


Al Williamson was one of comics' great romantic artists. He was also one of the nicest and most generous of gents that I've been lucky enough to meet. Happy trails, Al.
From Heritage magazine, 1972: Williamson's cover pencils of Flash Gordon and crew, and Berni Wrightson's portrait of Williamson.