Air Raid Robertson

Author notes

Air Raid Robertson Strip 26

Air Raid Robertson

on Sept. 30, 2009

Okay, it's late again. But hey, it was only late by about twenty-two minutes, right?

Anyways, there are a couple of pop culture references in this one. Just like in the other strips I feel the need to explain them. Let's do it in a numbered list, shall we?

1. One of Ridley's assailants is The Frito Bandito. This character was the official mascot of Frito's corn chips in the late 60's and early 70's. His commercials were directed by Friz Freleng and the Bandito himself was voiced by Mel Blanc. In the commercials the Frito Bandito would rob people of their snack food bounty while singing in a Speedy Gonzales accent.

The Frito Bandito received numerous complaints from Mexican-American groups. The Frito company tried to tone down the character by removing his pistols, getting rid of his stuble, and also whiting out his gold tooth. In addition to that, they also had him acquire his fritos through playful trickery and guile rather than through muggings and larceny. Still, it wasn't enough and The Frito Bandito was soon retired.

2. One of the other assailants is Shylock. Shylock is the villain of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. In the play, Shylock is an angry and miserly Jew who is also a moneylender. He famously demands that a pound of flesh be carved from one of his clients as penalty for failure to pay a debt. During the course of the play Shylock also recites the "Does a Jew not bleed" monologue. This is one of Shakespeare's most well known passages.

In Shakespeare's time it was illegal to be a Jew in England. The character of Shylock was usually depicted as a straw villain. However, in the early 19th century some Europeans began thinking that maybe hating Jews was kinda sorta wrong. At this time people began interpreting Shylock as a tragic and sympathetic figure. This depiction continues to the present day.

3. Standing behind Ridley in the fourth panel is Injun Orange. This guy was the mascot of a powdered drink mix similar to Kool-Aid. In the mid-70's the flavor was changed to "Jolly Olly Orange" and the mascot was dropped. I'm sure you can guess why.