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The very first "Stubby"	Return to the Introduction

"Squealch" is the first Stubby cartoon strip, published May, 1983. Stubby spends a lot of his time sitting in his owner's "Ham Shack" in his little charger stand, as seen in this first strip. If you've ever embarrased yourself, you'll know how Stubby feels. (Squealch on a radio is a setting that limits low power noisy signals from being heard, but lets through stronger signals, which usually contain a transmission from someone you want to hear. However, sometimes, a signal containing only loud noise is strong enough to break through the preset limit. Thus, "breaking squealch" refers to such an unwanted loud noise being heard despite efforts to stifle it.) - click to view"Squealch"

Stubby has a hard life.

"Two-day Hamfest" Stubby is just like the rest of us. After a long hamfest weekend of bargain hunting and meeting friends, we need to have time to "recharge" ourselves too. -(at right) "The Good Life" (a personal favorite) Hamfests are for everyone, where rich and poor rub elbows, drawn together from far and wide by their common passion for Amateur Radio. But once the booths shut down for the day, everyone is on his own. - click to view "The Good Life" "The Checkup" (another personal favorite) Just like us, Stubby occasionally has a problem that requires a professional diagnosis, and a cure of one kind or another. Stubby is just as squeamish about those visits as the rest us are. - click to view "The Checkup" "Coming Home In A Box" If you've ever sent a package through the US Mail, you can understand Stubby's predicament. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "sending someone home in a box". - click to view "Coming Home In A Box"

"Cheap Thrills" Stubby gets to travel to other places besides Hamfests and the repair shop, whether he wants to or not. When there's work to be done, it's good to have friends in "high places". (XYL is an Amateur Radio term of endearment for a formerly young lady who is now married, making her an "ex-young lady" or "X-Young Lady")- click to view "Cheap Thrills"

Stubby has no luck with the chicks.

"Alligator" Stubby turns on the old charm for Crystal and Synthie. While his complimentary small talk almost works on Synthie, Crystal's jealousy shows itself. (In the 1980's, the Izod alligator emblem was as in vogue as Nautica or Tommy Hefliger is today. By the way, Crystal's definition for an "alligator" is correct.) - click to view "Alligator"

"Cold Knobs, Warm Batteries, or something like that" Even when Stubby does get lucky, it has nothing to do with his charm. But, hey, he's not complaining. - click to view "Cold Knobs, Warm Batteries" "Old Stubby Claus" (another personal favorite) Not even Santa could talk the girls into sitting on Stubby's lap. You gotta admit, he looks pretty ridiculous in that beard.- click to view "Old Stubby Claus"

"Happy Valentines" Did I say Stubby had NO luck with the ladies? Well, even Stubby has his day every once in a blue moon. (at left) "Miss Liberty" Nobody can say Stubby is not a red-bloooded All American handi-talkie. In this installment, he's all fired up for the 4th of July. -click to view "Miss Liberty" "The Unknown Comedian" Just like Rodney Dangerfield, no matter how hard he tries he gets NO RESPECT. (There used to be a riotous "talent show" on TV called "The Gong Show". A regular on the show was "the Unknown Comic", who wore a paper bag over his head and told bad jokes until he was "gonged". Also, Don Meredith, a popular sportscaster, was nicknamed "Dandy Don" Meredith.) - click to view "The Unknown Comedian"

"Super Stubby" (a personal favorite) Even after enduring so much ridicule, our irrepressible Stubby still dares to dream, for all the good it does him. This strip was originally a two-parter. - click to view "Super Stubby"

Would you believe Stubby the Astronaut? See page two.