Just Jake
Encyclopedia
Just Jake was a comic strip
that ran for 14 years in the British newspaper
, the Daily Mirror. Drawn by Bernard Graddon, it was published daily beginning 4 June 1938 and concluding early in 1952 after Graddon's death.
of Gertshire. The prime character, Captain A.R.P. Reilly-Ffoull, squire of Arntwee Hall, was parody of early movie villains. He was aided by his servant/butler Eric and the local serf
, Titus Tallow. Jake, the original hero of the title, seldom appeared after the first year. Other characters were schoolgirl Missy, old crone Maida Grannit and Cactus, a black man.
, "Stap Me!". The latter became the nickname of Squadron Leader
Basil Gerald "Stapme" Stapleton
, a Battle of Britain
fighter pilot, because it was his favourite comic strip.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
that ran for 14 years in the British newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, the Daily Mirror. Drawn by Bernard Graddon, it was published daily beginning 4 June 1938 and concluding early in 1952 after Graddon's death.
Characters and story
A satire of dramatic films and other comic strips, Just Jake depicted events at the village of Much Cackling in the countyCounty
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Gertshire. The prime character, Captain A.R.P. Reilly-Ffoull, squire of Arntwee Hall, was parody of early movie villains. He was aided by his servant/butler Eric and the local serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
, Titus Tallow. Jake, the original hero of the title, seldom appeared after the first year. Other characters were schoolgirl Missy, old crone Maida Grannit and Cactus, a black man.
Influence
The speech balloons contained colourful language with such exclamations as "Holy Polecats!", "Well, knock me down!", and the strips catch phraseCatch phrase
A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...
, "Stap Me!". The latter became the nickname of Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Basil Gerald "Stapme" Stapleton
Gerald Stapleton
Squadron Leader Basil Gerald "Stapme" Stapleton DFC was a Royal Air Force officer and fighter ace who flew Spitfires and Typhoons during World War II. He preferred the name Gerald and was nicknamed 'Stapme' after a phrase used in his favourite cartoon strip Just Jake published in The Daily Mirror...
, a Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
fighter pilot, because it was his favourite comic strip.