Rotten Rodney

Comic strip artist Al Capp of Li'l Abner fame (1934-1977) had a merciless sense of humor which he used in parody after parody of pop culture in his strip. Unfortunately, by the 1960s he had lived long enough to become the villain. His outspoken hatred of the hippies and folk/rock 'n' roll protest music showed up in his strip as the ham-fisted parody of Commie-loving, America-hating, creepily masculine folk music traitor Joanie Phoanie. It was based on Joan Baez, who threatened Capp with legal action in 1967. A decade earlier, Capp's parody of Liberace (Loverboynik), also got him accused of libel by the pianist.

Capp wasn't done sticking it to them dirty hippies though, and planned an at least 12 strip story line with Rotten Rodney, his parody of singer Bob Dylan. But the project was never completed, probably because of Baez's legal threats. So the character never actually appeared in the strip, but the unfinished artwork turned up later on an auction website.

See also

• Joanie Phoanie
• Loverboynik

External Links

• https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/al-capp-andy-amato-and-bob-lubbers-li-l-abner-bob-dylan-parody-unfinished-daily-comic-strips-original-art-group/a/121909-11042.s
• https://archive.is/WeKgm “Just How Bitter, Petty, and Tragic Was the Comic-Strip Genius Al Capp?” By Steven Heller, February 28, 2013