Cow Soup For The Soul
Rick London
Though the cow is not man's best friend, it is often his best food, or at least best-tasting food, and is possibly the funniest animal on the planet. Though this may be hard for some city-dwellers to fathom, I can assure you Mississippians and other inhabitants of the southeastern states were laughing at cows long before The Far Side was a twinkle in Gary Larson's eye.
Growing up, some of us who were considered "a bit weird", yes Virginia, I would fall into that category, would imagine what the cows were saying. "Got Milk?", was not one of the most asked questions. It was a given. But as we would pass the cows, and there were many, down the many lazy country roads in Ms. we would make believe, as children, that we were the cows talking to each other. Of course our intrepretation paled in comparison to The Far Side but we were able to make each other chuckle.
"This is simply an isolated southern thing," I used to think to myself. then came the Internet. By the time I was twenty, I was already collecting "All Things Bovine" as were so many of my peers. It was just the thing to do. Corn was semi-funny, but how many puns and jokes could be made from corn aside from "The Jolly Green Giant had to have been a stalker" or "The Jolly Green Giant's son is grounded after school as he was caught viewing web corn". Corny, sure, but had to be said.
I wish cotton had been funny. It was cheaper and much more accessable than cows. But alas, cotton is benign.
Now I know there are cow figurine and other type collectibles, or cowlectibles as I like to call them, worldwide, and I have corresponded with many.
Maybe it is the way they stare at us with their souldful brown eyes. Perhaps it is the way they stand patiently while being milked for all they have.
Maybe it's because Ol' McDonald had a cow e-i-e-i-o. Who knows? We just love our cows.
After high school and well into college when my peers were all checking out med schools, law schools, and how to become CPA's, I was trying to figure out what cow items would sell the best. I would be the cow selling king of Mississippi if not the world. I had grandoise udderly ridiculous ideas and still do.
With a little research behind my belt, I have discovered that many of the most popular cow collectibles today come in the form of funny cartoons manufactured onto products. Aprons, hoodies, t shirts, mouse pads, and other types of gifts that can be utilized are favorites of many. This pertains to me too. I collect a great many cow t shirts for instance and sometimes sweatshirts, a few aprons and mousepads, but I always like them to be funny or silly. I thought silly was a trend, as did my parents (or at least they hoped), but, it became my life.
Humans love to "see" things. And the funnier the things, the more impact they have on our emotions. We instinctively know that if we are not feeling well, sad, blue, depressed or whatever, we can look at a funny picture or cartoon or product featuring a cartoon, and we will often "snap out of it" and even share it with a friend or neighbor.
This is why "cowtoon collectibles" are the presents I enjoy receiving the most. I give them to people who grew up in the city. Oddly enough, they seem to enjoy them even more. Maybe its because many of them were not used to seeing cows growing up, and, upon first glance, notice the beauty and serenity of the cow persona (is there a cow persona?); if there wasn't at one time, let's tag it and say there is. Even a national holiday? Cow Persona Day?
Rick London is a writer, entrepreneur, and (obvious cow lover) and founder of the Internet's very popular cartoon, Londons Times Cartoons. He sells cow gifts, clothes and collectibles at several of his stores.
The Internet's top cartoonist Rick London, founder of Londons Times Cartoons, also founded several webstores including Rick Londonwear which feature some of his funniest cow cartoon gifts and clothing. The cow page on his site is
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