Altogether Ooky

There might be some people out there who don't know Charles Addams.  He used to do cartoons for The New Yorker, and the old 60s show "The Addams Family" was based on his characters.  The tv family looked remarkably like the family he drew.

The writers were clearly fans.  There was a single cartoon of a disembodied hand ~ I think it was delivering mail to the Morticia character who was saying "Thank you, Thing."  That became a recurring character in the show.

Another had her introducing a hairy midget with a hat and glasses with "This is my cousin Itt."

These are a few cartoons I picked off the internet ~ I didn't have time to scan anything from the many books I own.  Fortunately, there are a few choice cartoons out there.

The first is the quintessential Addams.  The second is one of my favourites; he also did an opposite cartoon with everyone laughing and one man crying.  He liked crowds: one cartoon featured a horse race and a crowd of kings watching it.

I had a Christmas card with number three on it.  I also had one with the family sitting around and Morticia saying "suddenly, I have a dreadful urge to be merry."

The last cartoon always makes me laugh.  I hope they make you laugh too.  Buy a book and laugh some more.  There are lots of used editions out there.