From the Archives
From the Archives: ‘The Pothole,’ October 26, 1978
The Herald is pleased to announce the ongoing digitization of our comics archive. The Hobart, Ohio comic strip appeared daily in the Herald from 1976 to 1987. Selections from the archive will be published periodically as digitization continues.
Click image to view full size
I REMEMBER THIS. MY WIFE USED TO READ IT EVERY MORNING. THAT POTHOLE WAS REAL TOO IT WAS ON MULBERRY BY THE LIGHT POLE. THEY NEVER FIXED IT EITHER JUST PUT A CONE ON IT LIKE THAT FIXES ANYTHING. SOME THINGS DONT CHANGE IN THIS TOWN
SHEILA I HAVE LIVED HERE SINCE 1952 I KNOW WHERE THE POTHOLES ARE
Hollis that pothole was on Court Street not Mulberry. You’re thinking of the one by the old feed store. This one is clearly at the Mulberry intersection, look at the sign.
Wait wait wait. This strip started in 76. Same year they buried the capsule. Anybody else think that’s weird? And it just STOPS in 87? Nobody knows what happened to the guy? Look I’m not saying anything I’m just saying look into it.
Dale not everything is connected to the capsule. Sometimes a comic strip is just a comic strip. Guy drew cartoons for the paper. Guy stopped drawing cartoons. Happens all the time. Not everything is a conspiracy.
Marvin name one other thing in this town that started in 76 and ended for no reason with nobody asking any questions.
This is wonderful!! Speaking of community traditions, the Hobart Little League Annual Raffle is coming up and we still need donations for the prize table. If the Herald is looking through old archives maybe they can find the 1983 raffle results too because there was a DISPUTE that year that was never resolved.
My grandmother always said that strip was the only honest thing in the paper. I don’t know what she meant by that but she said it every Thursday.
I used to use these in my classroom to teach the children about local culture. Mr. Shank had a real gift for capturing the way things are around here without making fun of it. It’s a fine line and he walked it well.
Does anyone know if the Historical Society has any information about W.J. Shank? I’ve been trying to put together a timeline of Hobart artists and craftspeople and this would be a wonderful addition.
How nice to see the Herald preserving its history. I do hope the digitization effort extends to the editorial pages as well. There were some very spirited letters to the editor in the early ’80s that deserve a second look. Nancy dear if you need help locating the bound volumes I can tell you exactly where I shelved them.
my papaw knew the guy who drew these. or maybe he didnt. i cant remember. but he had a stack of heralds in the barn and the chickens got to them
Somebody should just look him up in the phone book. Shank isn’t exactly a common name around here. If he’s still in the county there’s probably a record somewhere.
My husband Gene says he thinks the Shanks lived out past the reservoir but I don’t know if that’s the same family. There were Shanks in Raccoon Township at one point. Gene would know more but he won’t get on the computer.
I delivered papers for the Herald in 79 and 80. Never met Shank. He dropped his strips off at the office in an envelope. Donna at the front desk said he came in early before anyone else was there. She only saw him once or twice and said he was quiet.
My dad said there was never a missing persons report filed for anyone named Shank. I asked him specifically. He said “people leave Lorraine, it’s not always a case.” But he got quiet after that which is how I know there’s more to it.
I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH A KID NAMED SHANK OR MAYBE IT WAS SHUNK. HE ATE PASTE. THAT MIGHT NOT BE RELATED
For what it’s worth, and speaking purely in my capacity as a private citizen and not in any legal capacity, a search of Proctor County property records for the surname Shank returns zero current holdings. Make of that what you will.
my mom says she remembers when the strip stopped running and nobody at the herald ever said why. she called the office and they told her they had “no further information at this time” which is what they say about everything around here
I saved every single one of those strips for eleven years. Cut them out every Thursday morning with my good scissors. Had them in a binder. Then the basement flooded in 91 and I lost the whole thing. I still think about it.