<![CDATA[Friday Funnies Presents: Dick Duck, Duck Dick #5> Jim Engel]]>

Jim Engel: The opening joke was based on the then-current HEINEKIN BEER jingle: “HEINEKIN tastes tremendous, no wonder it’s NUMBER ONE!”… I always heard it as “HEINEKIN tastes tremendous. No wonder—it’s NUMBER ONE!”.
“Number One” was a euphemism for urine when I was growing up, so if you read it THAT way, Dick’s reaction makes sense…

The “Romberg Rabbit” reference in panel 5 is to my favorite character on “GARFIELD GOOSE & FRIENDS”, a favorite Chicago puppet show of my youth.

This installment of “pals” was one of my favorites (the same idea was used in a ZIGGY Sunday. I’m pretty sure mine came first, but I dunno for certain). After it was published, comic book writer David Michelinie wrote asking to buy the original. Since (as I outlined last time) my originals were on tissue, I redrew it large and in color, and sent it to him. I was flattered, and it was one of the first indications I got that actual COMICS people were reading DICK DUCK.

Jim Engel with the ORIGINAL “Romberg Rabbit” puppet from WGN-TV’s “Garfield Goose & Friends” (In the picture Jim’s family refers to as his “Prom photo”).

In 1992, Jim was included in Eclipse’s “FAMOUS COMIC BOOK CREATORS” card series. The “representative” piece of art (chosen by Eclipse) on the back was from DICK DUCK episode #5 (much to Jim’s dismay, as he’d have picked something ELSE—and LATER)…

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