Artistwocky Redux
While you’re probably familiar with Lewis Carroll’s original Jabberwocky from 1872, you most likely haven’t come across Louise and Mary Everett’s 1928 parody, Artistwocky, into which they inserted various names of California Art Club members. Because both of those versions made me chuckle, I wrote my own, updated for 2009 (the Everett version follows below).
Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) “The Jabberwocky,” 1871
Artistwocky 2009 © By Eric J. Merrell, CAC Historian
From the Spring 2010 CAC Newsletter
`Twas Burdick, and the Roski Tsai
Did Orlov and Gallup in the Wray:
All Mirich were the Knowles Ly,
And the Roberts Solliday.
“Beware the Gertenbach, my Rahm!
The Roca that Peters, the Carlson Slatoff!
Beware the Doheny bird, and Damm
The Nemesio Zlatkoff!”
He took his Dempwolf sword Elstad:
Long time the Mendez foe Lipking
So Riesau he by the Pinkham tree,
And Burtt awhile Bohling.
And, as in Humphrey thought he Lentz,
The Gertenbach, with eyes of Greene,
Came Wurmser through the Abbott Jenks,
And Apinchapong it Skene!
One, Zhou! Two Liu! And all three Situ
The Dempwolf Steele went Sidrane-LeGrue!
He Kaiser dead, and Siple head
He Prior Dickson too.
“And, has thou Muench the Gertenbach?
Dean to my Merrell, my Adams boy!
O Ignatov Pro! Stout! Asaro!’
He Aspevig in his joy.
`Twas Burdick, and the Roski Tsai
Did Orlov and Gallup in the Wray:
All Mirich were the Knowles Ly,
And the Roberts Solliday.
Artistwocky by Louise and Mary Everett
From the December 1928 CAC Bulletin
‘Twas Barton, and the Cressy [sic] Yens
Did Buff and Cotton in DeKruif;
All Shrader were the Rich Reiffels,
And the Botkes man and wife.
Beware the Vysekal, my son,
The Borgs that Clark, the Hopes that Wendt;
Beware the Herron bird and shun
The Sample Soper sent.
He took his Daggett sword in hand,
Long time the Leighton foe he sought –
So Parshalled he the Everett tree,
And Parkinson in thought.
And as in Hazen thought he stood,
The Vysekal, with Lion’s flame
Came Thurston through the Ulber wood
And Hinkled as it came.
One two, one two, and Burnham through,
The Daggett blade went Dowiatt;
He Weber dead and Miller head
He Johnson Whelan back.
And Baxter slain the Vysekal?
Come to my arms, my Bartlett boy!
O Schuster Smith! Modra! Brandriff!
He Alvarezed his joy.
‘Twas Barton, and the Cressy [sic] Yens
Did Buff and Cotton in DeKruif;
All Shrader were the Rich Reiffels,
And the Botkes man and wife.