Classic Wodehouse Illustrations, Part 13: "Bingo and the Little Woman" and "The Metropolitan Touch"

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

These are both kind of short, so I'm giving you a Bingo Little double feature today! I've got two stories illustrated by our old pals Mills and Skidmore.



Sadly, the Cosmo version of "Bingo and the Little Woman" that I found online is missing some pages and a couple of the illustrations are chopped up. I'm happy to say the Strand version fared better.



Bertie has the best "Oh Christ, here we go again" look in this picture. You can almost hear the exasperated sigh.

The same scene, by Skidmore, sadly mangled during digitization:



Well, there's just a tiny bit of love-struck Bingo visible there. We can't see Bertie, but I'm sure he's depressed about it. I think Rosie actually looks too young. It's one extreme or the other with our Skidmore. *shakes head*

Rosie and Lord Bittlesham have their big blow-up, while Bingo freaks out hilariously in the background. I love Rosie's gigantic hat:



Skidmore did the same scene, and judging from what's left of it, everyone's a lot calmer:



I'm not sure what Rosie's wearing on her head there, but Bingo seems to find it alarming.

The last illustration from Mills:



I wonder what Jeeves would think of those striped pants Lord Bittlesham is swanking around in. Come to think of it . . . Angry!Jeeves hasn't even made an appearance in this one! That's got to be a first.

There's one more illustration from Skidmore, too, and it might be one of my favorites, just in terms of viewing it through slash goggles:



In case you can't read it all through the annoying "Original from University of Michigan" stamp, the caption says "'Jeeves,' I said, 'I wish . . . that is . . . I think . . . I mean . . . Oh, nothing.'" Just tell him how you feel, Skidmore!Bertie! And for God's sake, shave off the mustache.

Next is "The Metropolitan Touch", which is in better shape. We have a full opening illustration from Skidmore, complete with an unintentionally awesome tagline:



*giggles like a 12-year-old*



Haha, nice pants, Bingo.

Bingo Little tries his hand at directing:



Wow, the poor kid looks terrified. I also pictured him being a tad older -- this kid looks like he's about two or three (judging by height, anyway).

Yay, Angry!Jeeves returns!



Although, to be honest, Bertie looks more angry and Jeeves looks more amused in this one. I love the size of the poster.

Of course, Bingo's entertainment goes off about as well as you'd expect:


But Skidmore's crowd doesn't look nearly rowdy enough. Let's check in with the tough eggs in Mills-land:



Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! I'm pretty sure that's Bertie making a quick escape out of the right edge of the scene.

Bingo's competition:



Darn those curates!


Other entries:
"Comrade Bingo"
"Bertie Changes His Mind"
"Leave It to Jeeves"
Right Ho, Jeeves
"The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace"
"Aunt Agatha Takes the Count"
"Jeeves in the Springtime"
"Scoring Off Jeeves" and "Sir Roderick Comes to Lunch"
"Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest"
"The Great Sermon Handicap"
"The Purity of the Turf"
"Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg"

Comments

[cosmosmariner.livejournal.com]

Oh no! The first illo doesn't show! :( I can't see Bertie's Holy Crap expression...

I do so like Skidmore's Bingo. He seems so flighty, unlike longsuffering and all around downer Skidmore!Bertie.

Also, the thing on that lady's head that Bingo is so alarmed by is not a hat, but is actually a UFO.

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Oh no! Huh, I can see it okay . . . I'll have a look on another computer when I get a chance.

I like Skidmore!Bingo, too. His age and personality are actually about right!


Also, the thing on that lady's head that Bingo is so alarmed by is not a hat, but is actually a UFO.

LOL! She's being abducted!

[cosmosmariner.livejournal.com]

It's working now, and it's delightful! :D The only thing better would have been if Mills could have put "!!!" above Bertie's head!

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

I love you so much for posting these things. I do. *happysigh*

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Awww! :) <3

[trista-zevkia.livejournal.com]

I admit it, 'Contributing to the Gaiety of Nations' made me giggle like a 12 year old also.

I haven't been able to see these b.c of my internet connection, but I hope to go back through them soon.
Meanwhile, keep 'em coming, you darling you!

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Will do (although I'm starting to run out of them, alas)! :D

[imshi.livejournal.com]

i think i need to reread all the short stories, i don't recognise half of these! they are excellent nevertheless. XD

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had forgotten about some of these myself! "The Metropolitan Touch" is one that didn't make it into the TV show, but it was treated in the Jeeves and Bertie manga that's been posted around here a couple times.

[lapin-petite.livejournal.com]

haha!So lovely and funnyXDLove it all!Thanks for sharing sweetie!

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Glad to share! :D

[stalkerbunny.livejournal.com]

Lovely posts as always. I'm always glad to see these. : D

Mill's illustrations especially are a joy to see, with all the character and details in them. V. in the spirit of the stories, I think. Unlike Skidmore who does technically lovely art but... *sigh*
That said, that caption on you-know-which illustration really is quite piney. Poor sad!Bertie, he really needs some not-quite-connubial bliss ASAP. It must be the dreaded moustache, just like Jeeves said in canon. Poison on a marriage if the wife partner doesn't approve. :'3

Incidentally, I recently got a Photoshop on my new computer, would you mind if I used the scans on your posts for icons, should an icony mood strike me one day?

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Sure, you're absolutely welcome to make icons! I'd love to see some!

[ladymoondancer.livejournal.com]

Oh my God. This is a treasure trove. "Contributor the to Gaiety of Nations" made me giggle like a 12 year old as well!

What I don't get about Skidmore is his Bingo and his curate are about the age Bertie should be, so apparently he CAN draw young men instead of depressed, middle aged ones. (Well, the curate is a bit too old, but closer than Skidmore!Bertie is.) Did he not realize that Bertie and Bingo are the same age? Or is there a missing Wodehouse story entitled "Jeeves and the Unexpected Premature Aging of the Young Master"?

I actually like Skidmore's Bingo a lot, although his scenes still aren't action-y enough. ("Action-y" . . . Wodehouse would be so proud of my command of the English language.)

Mills is a delight as usual, from his exasperated Bertie to "WTF is this giant poster doing taking up my armchair" Bertie.

I, on the other hand, cannot look at the giant!poster without laughing, and it seems to have even cheered up angry!Jeeves.

[cosmosmariner.livejournal.com]

a missing Wodehouse story entitled "Jeeves and the Unexpected Premature Aging of the Young Master"?

OMG ROFL.

"Jeeves, please summon the doctor! I've become older than my aged relations! I'm older than that female werewolf that masquerades as my Aunt Agatha!"

"Indeed, sir. I shall call immediately!"

[ladymoondancer.livejournal.com]

"Please hurry, Jeeves! There appears to be some manner of bootbrush glued to my face as well!"

"I . . . I think . . ."

"Jeeves? Jeeves, are you all right? You look positively faint."

"I, I apologize, sir. I was merely startled. I believe the object to which you're referring is a . . . *choke, sob* . . . mustache, sir."

[mxdp.livejournal.com]

Gosh. Love these posts.

[emeraldreeve.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting these!