The wacky "Colbert Report" intro has triggered new interest in Rube Goldberg, whose cartoon inventions delighted an earlier generation. Lucky for us, Goldberg (1883-1970) left a job as a engineer working on San Francisco's sewers to create a syndicated cartoon about complex machinery used to perform the simplest daily tasks -- the self-operating napkin, for example.
I was a little too young to read the newspaper cartoons, but I caught up to him thanks to my father's memories, the Mousetrap game and the book pictured here. Goldberg's inventions involved boots, balls, matches and various household pets; they also had a certain quaintness, including bowler hats. (I get a flashback to Rube when I think about the proposals to plug the Gulf coast oil leak.)
Consider his contraption that keeps you from forgetting to mail your wife's letter: As you walk past cobbler shop, hook (A) strikes suspended boot (B), causing it to kick football (C) through goal posts (D). Football drops into basket (E) and string (F) tilts sprinkling can, (G) causing water to soak coat tails (H). As coat shrinks, cord (I) opens door (J) of cage, allowing bird (K) to walk out on perch (L) and grab worm (M) which is attached to string (N). This pulls down window shade (O) on which is written, "YOU SAP, MAIL THAT LETTER."
Just think what Rube could have done today, with a video camera and YouTube. Here are a couple of modern examples, including Honda's The Cog and a toy-filled stunt that reminds me of the hilarious opening scenes from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.