I was all prepared to post something on a controversial topic today (don't worry, I have something prepared for tomorrow) but, while tracking down links for said post, I noticed the Doodle of the day on Google and discovered that today is the anniversary of the birth (he would have been ninety-three) of Norman Fredrick Hetherington. For those who do not know, Hetherington was creator, puppeteer and voice of Mr. Squiggle.
If you are one of the poor, benighted souls who grew up somewhere other than Australia, the name Mr. Squiggle may mean little to you and if you grew up relatively recently in Australia it may mean little more. For generations of Aussies, however, the name will immediately evoke happy memories of sitting in front of our T.V. shows, watching Mr. Squiggle drawing and trying to guess where his drawing was going.
Mr. Squiggle was a childrens' television show running for just over forty years on Australian television. Mr. Squiggle was also the name of the main character of said show, a man from the moon with a pencil for a nose, a playful sense of humour and a great love of using said nose to turn random squiggles, drawn by children, into creative works of art.
When I realised what today was, I tried to think of something to say that would encapsulate what Mr. Squiggle meant to me and to generations of young Australians. I tried to find words to verbalise how watching him turn those random lines into something clever would fire our young imaginations and creativity.... I got nothing. All I can say is, if you happen to have a spare, take that time to lay aside your adulthood and watch this episode.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Hetherington, may you rest in peace, and thank you for the memories.
If you are one of the poor, benighted souls who grew up somewhere other than Australia, the name Mr. Squiggle may mean little to you and if you grew up relatively recently in Australia it may mean little more. For generations of Aussies, however, the name will immediately evoke happy memories of sitting in front of our T.V. shows, watching Mr. Squiggle drawing and trying to guess where his drawing was going.
Mr. Squiggle was a childrens' television show running for just over forty years on Australian television. Mr. Squiggle was also the name of the main character of said show, a man from the moon with a pencil for a nose, a playful sense of humour and a great love of using said nose to turn random squiggles, drawn by children, into creative works of art.
When I realised what today was, I tried to think of something to say that would encapsulate what Mr. Squiggle meant to me and to generations of young Australians. I tried to find words to verbalise how watching him turn those random lines into something clever would fire our young imaginations and creativity.... I got nothing. All I can say is, if you happen to have a spare, take that time to lay aside your adulthood and watch this episode.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Hetherington, may you rest in peace, and thank you for the memories.
He was great. I will never forget Mr Squiggle and Miss Pat and Blackboard.
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