Knowledge

Mr. Block

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250: 86:"Mr. Block is legion," wrote Walker C. Smith in 1913. "He is representative of that host of slaves who think in terms of their masters. Mr. Block owns nothing, yet he speaks from the standpoint of the millionaire; he is patriotic without patrimony; he is a law-abiding outlaw... licks the hand that smites him and kisses the boot that kicks him... the personification of all that a worker should not be." 27: 112: 20: 345: 45:. He is the protagonist of an eponymous satirical comics series which appeared in left-wing publications to sympathize with the common worker. Decades later 360: 94:
Joe Hill wrote "Mr. Block" to the tune of "It Looks to Me Like a Big Time Tonight". The song, like the comic strip, is bitterly satirical about the
370: 335: 83:. Subsequently, Mr. Block lost the fancy clothes but often kept a hat, ten sizes too small, perched on one corner of his wooden blockhead. 395: 291: 340: 405: 238: 102:. Sometimes also called "Please Give Me Your Attention", it has remained a popular number through multiple editions of the 325: 385: 350: 226: 218: 400: 66: 330: 320: 284: 390: 95: 365: 315: 410: 375: 99: 355: 310: 277: 380: 8: 104: 70: 42: 222: 214: 193: 179: 75: 50: 265: 261: 304: 62: 38: 257: 61:
Mr. Block, who has no first name, was created on November 7, 1912, by
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gained historical importance for being a predecessor to
213:, (Chicago: Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company, 1984) 79:, smoking a cigar and wearing a checkered suit with a 302: 115:Mr. Block gets news only from the bosses' paper 41:in 1912 and commemorated in a song written by 285: 346:Industrial Workers of the World publications 37:is an American comics character, created by 239:A collection of cartoons at the IWW website 292: 278: 361:Songs with lyrics by Joe Hill (activist) 110: 25: 303: 69:(IWW). Block appeared that day in the 371:Songs about fictional male characters 336:Comics characters introduced in 1912 244: 211:Mr. Block: Twenty-Four IWW Cartoons 160:Kindly do that for Liberty's sake. 13: 204: 18: 14: 422: 396:Comic strips started in the 1910s 232: 89: 248: 67:Industrial Workers of the World 341:Fictional construction workers 186: 172: 56: 16:American comic strip character 1: 165: 121:Please give me your attention 264:. You can help Knowledge by 7: 406:Counterculture of the 1910s 209:Ernest Riebe (orig. 1913), 129:His head is made of lumber, 10: 427: 326:American comics characters 243: 137:And Block he thinks he may 135:and his name is Mr. Block. 127:"Our Red, White and Blue"; 100:Socialist Party of America 386:American political satire 351:Male characters in comics 150:you were born by mistake, 125:A man that is a credit to 156:Tie a rock to your block 401:Criticism of capitalism 30:Mr. Block joins the AFL 260:–related article is a 163: 139:Be President some day. 116: 31: 23: 331:American comic strips 321:Comics about politics 158:and jump in the lake. 133:he is a common worker 123:I'll introduce to you 118: 114: 29: 22: 391:Public domain comics 131:and solid as a rock; 105:Little Red Songbook 366:Songs about comics 316:1912 comics debuts 152:You take the cake. 117: 65:, a member of the 32: 24: 411:Comic strip stubs 376:Trade union songs 273: 272: 154:You make me ache. 76:Industrial Worker 51:underground comix 418: 356:Satirical comics 311:Anarchist comics 294: 287: 280: 252: 245: 198: 197: 190: 184: 183: 176: 146: 426: 425: 421: 420: 419: 417: 416: 415: 381:American satire 301: 300: 299: 298: 235: 207: 205:Further reading 202: 201: 192: 191: 187: 178: 177: 173: 168: 162: 159: 157: 155: 153: 151: 149: 147: 142: 141: 140: 138: 136: 134: 132: 130: 128: 126: 124: 122: 92: 59: 17: 12: 11: 5: 424: 414: 413: 408: 403: 398: 393: 388: 383: 378: 373: 368: 363: 358: 353: 348: 343: 338: 333: 328: 323: 318: 313: 297: 296: 289: 282: 274: 271: 270: 253: 242: 241: 234: 233:External links 231: 206: 203: 200: 199: 194:"Ernest Riebe" 185: 180:"Ernest Riebe" 170: 169: 167: 164: 148:Oh, Mr. Block, 119: 91: 90:Eponymous song 88: 58: 55: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 423: 412: 409: 407: 404: 402: 399: 397: 394: 392: 389: 387: 384: 382: 379: 377: 374: 372: 369: 367: 364: 362: 359: 357: 354: 352: 349: 347: 344: 342: 339: 337: 334: 332: 329: 327: 324: 322: 319: 317: 314: 312: 309: 308: 306: 295: 290: 288: 283: 281: 276: 275: 269: 267: 263: 259: 254: 251: 247: 246: 240: 237: 236: 230: 228: 227:0-88286-063-1 224: 220: 219:0-88286-062-3 216: 212: 195: 189: 181: 175: 171: 161: 145: 113: 109: 107: 106: 101: 97: 87: 84: 82: 78: 77: 72: 68: 64: 54: 52: 48: 44: 40: 36: 28: 21: 266:expanding it 255: 210: 208: 188: 174: 143: 120: 103: 93: 85: 74: 63:Ernest Riebe 60: 46: 39:Ernest Riebe 34: 33: 258:comic strip 57:Comic strip 305:Categories 166:References 73:newspaper 47:Mr. Block 35:Mr. Block 98:and the 43:Joe Hill 144:Chorus: 81:top hat 71:Spokane 225:  217:  256:This 262:stub 223:ISBN 221:and 215:ISBN 96:AFL 307:: 229:. 108:. 53:. 293:e 286:t 279:v 268:. 196:. 182:.

Index



Ernest Riebe
Joe Hill
underground comix
Ernest Riebe
Industrial Workers of the World
Spokane
Industrial Worker
top hat
AFL
Socialist Party of America
Little Red Songbook

"Ernest Riebe"
"Ernest Riebe"
ISBN
0-88286-062-3
ISBN
0-88286-063-1
A collection of cartoons at the IWW website
Stub icon
comic strip
stub
expanding it
v
t
e
Categories
Anarchist comics

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