Boner's Ark
Boner's Ark | |
---|---|
Author(s) | Mort Walker |
Illustrator(s) | Frank Johnson |
Current status/schedule | Concluded daily & Sunday strip |
Launch date | March 11, 1968; 56 years ago (March 11, 1968) |
End date | May 27, 2000; 23 years ago (May 27, 2000) |
Syndicate(s) | King Features Syndicate |
Genre(s) | Humor, religion |
Boner's Ark is an American comic strip created by Mort Walker, also the creator of Beetle Bailey. Walker debuted the strip under the pseudonym "Addison" on March 11, 1968.[1] The title is a reference to Noah's Ark of Abrahamic religions.
Designed and written by Mort Walker, Boner's Ark first appeared on March 11, 1968. The series ran until May 27, 2000, with the final strip depicting the Ark reaching dry land.
The series also ran in Norway and Sweden under the name Arken, in Finland as Masan arkki, in Denmark as Olsen's Ark and in Italy as L'arca di Gian Noè (John Noah's Ark). In the Netherlands it ran under the name De Ark van Zoo (Zoo's Ark).
Characters and story
Boner's Ark depicted a menagerie of animals trapped on a boat (the "Ark") and constantly in search of land. Helmed by the bumbling Captain Boner, the Ark is small on the outside and abnormally large within. In addition to sleeping quarters for all the animals, it also features a cinema, a restaurant run by a hippo, a hospital, a pub and a golf course where Captain Boner, Cubcake and the doctor spend most of their time. The complaints department is staffed by a hyena. The large initial cast was gradually pared down to a small group of regulars.
- Captain Boner
- Captain Boner is the leader and only human aboard the ark until Mrs. Boner is introduced to the series. He struggles to get the animals to listen to him or follow his orders. A car enthusiast, Captain Boner remodels the bridge to resemble the interior of an old automobile. When not on the bridge, the Captain is a regular at the golf course and the end of the "plank", where he goes to escape the frustrations of his office, or is forced to walk off the edge by the Hyena's frequent mutinies.
- His wife, Bubbles, was introduced to the series in the 1970s, when she was rescued at sea. Shortly after she joined the strip, a story arc involved her convincing Boner to shave his moustache. He remains clean-shaven until the end of the strip.
- Duke
- Duke is a male penguin and a member of the society on the ark.
- Rex
- Rex is a dinosaur, usually depicted on the deck of the Ark or in the hospital with the Doctor.
- Cubcake
- Cubcake is a koala, occasionally referred to as Captain Boner's nephew. The character was originally nameless. "Cubcake" was the winning entry after the strip asked readers for suggestions regarding the koala's name.
- Aarnie
- Aarnie is a male aardvark. His struggles with his enormous nose are the subject of a number of strips . He is the Ark's First Mate.
- The Doctor
- The doctor aboard the ark is a male duck, Dr. Quack, who is often seen with Rex in his hospital. The Doctor is also a regular golfer and accompanies Captain Boner on the course.
- Priscilla
- Priscilla is a female pig and girlfriend of Dum-Dum the gorilla. Priscilla also unsuccessfully pursues a romantic interest with Duke.
- Dum-Dum
- Dum-Dum is a gorilla, and Priscilla's boyfriend. In early versions of Boner's Ark, Dum-Dum is generally naked. By the late 1970s he appears in overalls.
- Lookout
- Lookout is a giraffe. He is named Lookout because he is in charge of searching for land.
- The Hyena
- The irritable and grouchy hyena is occasionally seen staffing the complaints desk, and running a marriage counseling service for Boner and Bubbles. He stages frequent mutinies against Boner.
Minor characters
Minor characters include a snake, mouse, otter, bear, turtle, elephant and a lion. A hippo waits tables at the Ark's restaurant. A pelican works as the ark's handyman.
References
- ^ "Comics Kingdom | Boner's Ark by Addison".
External links
- Boner's Ark at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018.
- Editor & Publisher
- v
- t
- e
- Arctic Circle
- Baby Blues
- Barney Google and Snuffy Smith
- Beetle Bailey
- Between Friends
- Bizarro
- Blondie
- The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee
- Carpe Diem
- Curtis
- Deflocked
- Dennis the Menace
- Dustin
- The Family Circus
- Flash Gordon
- Funky Winkerbean
- Hägar the Horrible
- Hi and Lois
- Intelligent Life
- Judge Parker
- Kevin and Kell
- Laff-a-Day
- Legalization Nation
- Mallard Fillmore
- Mark Trail
- Marvin
- Mary Worth
- Mother Goose and Grimm
- Mutts
- On the Fastrack
- The Phantom
- Popeye
- Olive & Popeye
- Prince Valiant
- Pros & Cons
- Rae the Doe
- Rex Morgan, M.D.
- Rhymes with Orange
- Safe Havens
- Sally Forth
- Sam and Silo
- Sherman's Lagoon
- Shoe
- Six Chix
- Slylock Fox & Comics for Kids
- Take It from the Tinkersons
- Tiger
- Todd the Dinosaur
- Zippy
- Zits
- Abie the Agent
- Ace Drummond
- Agatha Crumm
- Alphonse and Gaston
- The Amazing Spider-Man
- And Her Name Was Maud
- Apartment 3-G
- Archie
- Art Linkletter's Kids
- Barney Baxter
- Baron Bean
- The Better Half
- Betty Boop
- Betty Boop and Felix
- Big Ben Bolt
- Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog
- Boner's Ark
- Brick Bradford
- Bringing Up Father
- Buckles
- Buz Sawyer
- Captain Kate
- Count Screwloose from Tooloose
- Crankshaft
- Crock
- Disney Christmas Story
- Disney Holiday Story
- Donald Duck
- Dr. Kildare
- Dumb Dora
- Edge City
- Etta Kett
- Felix the Cat
- Flapper Filosofy
- Franklin Fibbs
- Gil
- Grandma
- Grin and Bear It
- Gummi Bears
- Half Hitch
- Happy Hooligan
- Hazel
- The Heart of Juliet Jones
- Hejji
- Henry
- The Incredible Hulk
- Inside Woody Allen
- Johnny Hazard
- José Carioca
- Jungle Jim
- The Katzenjammer Kids
- King of the Royal Mounted
- Krazy Kat
- Little Annie Rooney
- Little Iodine
- Little Jimmy
- The Little King
- The Lone Ranger
- Mandrake the Magician
- Mickey Mouse
- Mister Breger
- Moose & Molly
- My Cage
- Norb
- The Norm
- Oh, Brother!
- Ollie and Quentin
- Ozark Ike
- The Pajama Diaries
- Pete the Tramp
- Piranha Club
- Polly and Her Pals
- Quincy
- Radio Patrol
- Red Barry
- Redeye
- Reg'lar Fellers
- Retail
- Rip Kirby
- Room and Board
- Rusty Riley
- Sam's Strip
- Scamp
- Secret Agent X-9
- Silly Symphony
- Skippy
- Steve Canyon
- Steve Roper and Mike Nomad
- Strictly Richter
- Teena
- They'll Do It Every Time
- Tillie the Toiler
- Tim Tyler's Luck
- Tina's Groove
- Toots and Casper
- Triple Take
- Trudy
- Tumbleweeds
- Tundra
- Uncle Remus and His Tales of Br'er Rabbit
- Walt Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales
- What a Guy!
- Winnie the Pooh
- Wonder Woman