DTLongo Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Many moons ago in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's a cartoonist named Charles Rodrigues published his audiophile cartoons in the then-magazines HiFi & Music Review which became Stereo Review. Many were hilarious. Looking back on them, they constitute a humorous, tongue-in-cheek catalog of the states of the art at the time, all the fads and foibles, from superfcalifragilistic phono cartridges to mega-turntables to supertube amps to boomboxes to tape decks to World's Best Loudspeakers to... In 1988 many of the cartoons were compiled into a book, "Total Harmonic Distortion," that is now extremely rare and unobtainable. Well, I just obtained one for a price rivaling, relatively for books, what you'd pay for a topline speaker like P-39F's. It took a search outfit called alibris.com over a year to find a copy for me, but they did and it is in mint-new condition and NOT for sale. Alas, the collection does not include my all-time favorite of his that my (sick?) self still chuckles over in recollecting. Two jailers are testing an electric chair. The caption went something like, "Sorry, Mac, it's not right yet, she's still clipping!" But here is another one of the cartoons. Let me know if there is interest and I will run additional ones from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in ABQ Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I loved those cartoons! thanks for the memory and the laugh. Thank you and I'd love to see more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudeJ1 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 My favorite two were the one about Seniors citizens not needing useless frills, on sale, speakers without tweeters. But the best was the guy kneeling in front of his girlfriend and proposing with an open jewelry box revealing a phono cartridge instead of a ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share Posted May 28, 2009 "My favorite two were the one about Senior citizens not needing useless frills, on sale, speakers without tweeters. But the best was the guy kneeling in front of his girlfriend and proposing with an open jewelry box revealing a phono cartridge instead of a ring." ClaudeJ1, I'm not sure they're the exact ones you referred but I found in the book two 'toons that pertain. Here's the first... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share Posted May 28, 2009 ...and here's the second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwingylee Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Hilarious, thanks for sharing. I recalled one where a guy was reminiscing about his first hi-fi to his buddy. He was able to recall all of the model numbers but can't recall his first wife's name...lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT FAN Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 One of the best things about the old Stereo Review. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Thanks for those. I do remember the one about the stereo for old guys with hearing loss. Funny stuff. Does anyone remember the fake product review they'd do once a year? Maybe it was Audio magazine. Professor Lirpa. I recall they did one on a phono cartridge and made up a spec called the ERC or Elastic Rebound Characteristic - this was the height the cartridge would bounce to when dropped from a one meter height onto a marble slab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Featured links of the Month - April 2006 A spiritual visit from I. Lirpa Those of you who are old enough to have met or read about the interminable Mr. Lirpa will agree with me that ANY visit from the esteemed gentleman is an honor, all jokes notwithstanding. For years his brilliant and weighty (literally...) inventions graced the pages of Audio Magazine, and it is with a tip of the historical hat that I ever so humbly present some offerings which I can only guess were inspired by I. Lirpa's genius. Oddly enough, a google search will only reveal scant information about this secretive genius, yet the mere mention of his name in certain technical circles is enough to cause joyful havoc among the constituents. Actually most of the thanks for this month's content go to Wes Phillips, one of the resident geniuses at Stereophile, whos columns/newsletters/blogs (as mentioned below, for January 2006) I would not miss (nor should you) and some of whose links I am honored to pass along. While nearly everyone makes fun of Professor I. Lirpa, who among us cannot appreciate the scientific contribution of such devices as the cement turbo steam turntable (and rowboat), the shower microphone, the 5kg (antivibration) tonearm, the inflatable audio reviewer, and the ZYX phono system? I have it on pretty good authority that the famous Rane PsuedoAcoustic Infector ( PDF file, HERE 120k ) was inspired by the good professor's work. There is a real listing of all the Audio Magazine articles (PDF) HERE. If there is enough interest, we will revive the T-shirts once handed out an an AES convention which said on the front, "Pin 1 Hot" and on the back, "Back to Mono". Here then are some audio-connected and I. Lirpa inspired musings for the Month of April, starting with the web page where everyone gets 'those' pictures from... right here - the Acoustic Radar page. See the King of Audio HERE. Professor Lirpa would LOVE this hamster powered midi music machine. What, you think that's easy? OK, YOU build something that cool and submit it for next year! And speaking of building things, here's a gramophone ... Audio clothing, (otherwise known as Sonic Fabric), and at least one of the world's largest subwoofers... ahhh, but here's the OTHER world's largest... Professor Lirpa would appreciate racecars built out of cassette machines, here ... and as long as we're out on the open road how about a little vinyl? One of the reasons you don't hear much about the professor any more is that someone told me he was working for Sony. Hmmm, you don't believe me? Take a look at this page from free patents online, with a PDF of the abstract HERE... (the patent site places a session cookie on your machine and it seems you have to access the PDF from INSIDE the first page) In your audio travels you will surely want to visit here , one of the most enchanting and flawlessly done flash / audio sites around. And if you want to beat the drums right now, try this. A little more animé in approach, but still self generated, is this site. As long as we're on track of pointless obfuscation, lookee here. (small hint: once you get inside, mouseover and click) (amazing!) We have more "Things In A Class By Themselves" here on our own Links Page 5, about halfway down the page on the left, and in case you missed last year's April fun, it's near the bottom of this page, HERE Surround Sound setup inspired by the great professor Maybe not quite in an audio vein, but one of Professor I. Lirpa's students (and a genius in his own right) is Professor Irwin Corey, whose homepage is here. I'm sure you will see the connection. There's more to come if I can find it, or if you can submit it, email me here: webmaster@BostonAudioSociety.org Let's give the good professor his own honorable page in history! Enjoy! — Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardP Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Here's one, perhaps very close to home for many on this forum: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 It's about time I get to see a cartoon based on audio! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 One of my favorite and I believe it was not in the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Those are all precious. Thanks for sharing! For what its worth I have a Charles Bragg litho that was used for the Akai advertisements. There were 3 I believe. I have the Frankenstein one with the tape deck bolted to his head. Sure wish I could find the other two. Thanks again [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share Posted May 28, 2009 Let's keep this going! Another one from the book (no caption) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 You can see my post of the back cover of the book here http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/p/110677/1115569.aspx#1115569 The name of the book is Total Harmonic Distortion, The cartoon is about thd and features PWK. Therefore, in some fuzzy logic, the book is named after PWK . . . . yeah, fuzzy. Wm McD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 oh OH he's definitely not pointing to the corner!!!! [li] [*-)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Hmm, I never noticed before. The one with the finger of God pointing. Is the customer wearing a minister's collar? That gives it a little extra humor. Wm McD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanO55 Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 More please. Laughing out loud again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted May 29, 2009 Author Share Posted May 29, 2009 ":Hmm, I never noticed before. The one with the finger of God pointing. Is the customer wearing a minister's collar?: Yep, it's a minister getting the Word. Onward: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted May 30, 2009 Author Share Posted May 30, 2009 Keeping it going... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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