That ‘’70s Strip Is Son’s Time Travelling Valentine to Dad

 

"Thornsby" provides the joy of exceeding even high expectations. What was thought to be a complete collection of these single-panel strips from the ‘70s turned out to be the epitome of “so much more.”

To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, there would not have been anything wrong with actor/author Tom McLaren merely reintroducing old fans to this slice of Watergate-era life and providing “kids” this highly amusing history lesson. However, Tom does so much more.

This time it is personal. "Thornsby” (and Tom) is the creation of Fred McLaren. Tom proves that he is the best son ever by including a loving 10-page introduction from the perspective of a young boy. The reader can smell the cigarette smoke and hear the crackle of the vinyl as Tom watches his artist dad practice his craft.

Tom further honors his father by turning to friends and family as well as the files of the old man to make this book a truly complete collection. This returns the love that Fred expressed in ways that included having an all-American tow-headed boy making frequent appearances in "Thornsby." 

The added content as to the strips themselves includes notes as to the ones that literally and figuratively were banned in Boston. We also learn how the strip easily easily could have been titled “Being Fred McLaren.” The man loved busty babes and actual classic headlights. He also hated Monday’s a decade before a certain overweight orange tabby cat.

Fred was very kind to the formal and informal censor by highlighting the "fickle finger of fate" that Thornsby college-aged offspring Tune-In directed at his dad in a strip. Why the Beacon Hill bluebloods allowed that one remains an unsolved mystery. Fred shows more discretion by literally blurring the lines in strips (of course, pun intended) in which Tune-In indulged in the '70s craze of streaking.

The bigger picture is that Fred timelessly reflects the sensibility of the middle-aged man. As Tom writes, Fred was no Archie Bunker but shared his frustration as to era-specific woes such as regular car recalls and the eternal generation gap. Many current middle-aged fossils can relate in the form of struggling to master some technology and by detesting hipsters.

The bottom line this time is that the late Fred had every reason to be proud of his boy.