Remembering Joe (Palooka)

  I've been invited to do a bit of speaking lately
  Back in 1972 I became involved in a story that
lead to my reuniting two survivors from the Titanic!
  That had me hooked and, since, I've researched
other stories involving regional connections to the
doomed ocean liner.
   This year marks the 100th anniversary of the
disaster...hence the speaking engagements.
    Another invitation came this week.
    But this time it wasn't about the Titanic.
    The Luzerne County Historical Society is
planning an event to remember Ham Fisher, the
cartoonist who created the Joe Palooka comic
strip.
    Fisher was born in Wilkes-Barre.
   Joe Palooka was Fisher's comic strip character.
A Heavyweight Championship fighter and all
around "good guy" who was always a symbol
of patriotism and everything good about our
country.
    Most all of you know I've been in radio and
television. A few of you know I've done a small
part in an as yet to be released movie. But I
doubt that too many of you know I've been in
a comic strip! (Although I'm sure there are a
few out there who might suggest it's the perfect
place for me!)
    Back in the 1970's somebody stole a plaque
dedicated to Ham Fisher which was placed on
the mountainside along Route 309 in Wilkes-
Barre Township.
    I was the Assistant Manager and News
Director of an area FM Radio station at the
time. I did an editorial calling for the replacement
of the memorial which was dedicated to Fisher
but bore the likeness of Joe Palooka. I felt the
values Fisher's character stood for were a tribute
to the people of our area.
    The folks at the former Sunday Independent
Newspaper agreed and kicked off a fund raising
campaign to put a new, bigger, monument in
place. I was on the committee to erect the new
memorial.
    The artist doing the Joe Palooka strip at that
 time decided to include the 4 committee members
in his story line.
    But, here's the thing, the story line at that time
involved a Beauty Contest! So, I and my
colleagues were identified as judges in the
Beauty competition. Our names appeared on
a door in one scene and my caricature is
pictured in another!
     Somewhere in my old clippings there is
also a photo from the monument dedication.
     It pictures the artist, all four committee
members and, pictured right next to me, a
drawing,that was inserted, of Joe Palooka!
     It's really neat. But given my long
sideburns and plaid slacks (really..they were
"in" back then) it does look ...well...comical!
     The last Joe Palooka comic strip ran in
1984. In it, Joe retires....to Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania.
     I've got to look him up one of these days!
    Hope you all remember "the Champ" and
that all your NEWS is good!