Fred

We're wrapping up February with one more look at another of Jerry's special friends, Fred. He was a retired county attorney who was also an active civil war reenactor. It wasn't long before he and Jerry became comrads, enjoying civil war camps across Kentucky. 

One Sunday afternoon, the pals created a different kind of reenactment, including Jerry as a Star Wars Wookie and Fred as, well Fred: 

  

Apparently, Wookie scared Fred right out of his nightshirt, 

as he spent the rest of the afternoon

 in his long red union suit underwear. 

  

As their friendship grew, Jerry created and published books he had drawn of "Ol' Fred," typically in his union suit or sometimes a nightshirt over his long red underwear. You may remember, I first featured Fred loosing his overalls and appearing in his union suit in a posting back on September 25, 2019 and again this past Ground Hog Day: 

From the Book, Bud. Farmer Fred wades into the mud to grab his prized pig so he can take him to the county fair. In the process, Fred looses his clothes to the sticky mud. But, oh well, he proceeds to the fair in his union suit anyway:

 
He isn't going to let a little thing like attending the festivities in his long underwear stand in the way of a good time!

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And, back then, I posted Ol' Fred in a nighshirt over this long red underwear when his angry horse, Raymond,

 kicked down the outhouse while he was using it!

In Ol' Fred Has a Bad Day,
he wears a nightshirt over 
his red union suit when
going to the outhouse. 

 

Ol' Fred with his dog, General Jack, surveying the destroyed Outhouse!

A special thanks again to Jerry Walters and his most fun and entertaining contributions to Union Suit Fan!

Don't forget to Copy and paste:  www.blurb.com + The Legend of Thunder Cow

and buy a couple of  his books to enjoy again and again! By the way, Jerry has other excellently drawn books of his subjects wearing clothes, not just their underwear or nightshirts over their red union suits.   Regards, Chris

                 Jerry's New Friends  

      The Coach Doubles Up on Cold Days

Thespian Ron - Shoveler of Viriginia Snow: 

...The Ghostly, Illinois' Retro Jeff

 Yours Truly: I Shoulda Been a Cowboy:

Ohio's Buckeye Mike with his friend, Ricky Flapperdan:

 These new "Friends of Jerry'" are also friends of mine. 

Everyone featured in this post have corresponded with me over many years. 

Jerry drew them in union suits from photos hallmarked in Union Suit Fan.

Special thanks to Jerry Lee Walters, Artist, and to all these characters who have been caricatured.  Keep 'em buttoned!

Jerry and Friends

Calling him a cartoonist, illustrator or draw-er, character-ist, or caricatu-rist just doesn't seem adequate somehow. How does one capture that which Jerry captures? Perhaps “Artist” defines him best. He and I first met by way of the amazing invention we call the “Internet.” That was about five years ago when I found him on www.blurb.com. That site allows very talented folks of all persuasions to publish their books for the world's enjoyment. I'm pleased that Jerry found this outlet for his immense gift. Well, like this one for example,”Coach”... 

Many, if not most of Jerry's creations feature men and sometimes animals caught in some predicament or another wearing little else but their union suits. So, you know by now how that caught my attention! After all, union suits are my go-to underwear and why I have posted countess union suit photos, articles and stories in two blogs over the years, a very large number contributed by you, the viewer.

Jerry resides in Kentucky, wears union suits in the wintertime, and like many of us watched many a cowboy wearing long one-piece underwear on TV and in movies. Kenturcky is a state where union suits have flourished as men's and boys' long underwear for over a century and a half. So, why not story books with characters wearing such? 

A few years back, a local newspaper featured Jerry Lee Walters, his storied career, and his best friend, Joe Sharp, in an article.... 

Jerry holds up his book, "OkeyDokey," with Joe who's clad in a red union suit with a grizzly bear breathing down his neck on the front cover. The newswpaper also ran a photograph or two of "Santa Joe," in person, wearing, what else, his button-down, long red underwear and santa hat, posing with his beloved donkey.

For easier reading see this enlarged account below:

The above account relates the two men having met at Wal-Mart where they both worked and became close friends. Joe even thought of Jerry as his son. The bear is actually Jerry in disguise, Joe plays himself. "OkeyDokey" also caricaturized Joe's donkey and cat, Tom.  Here's some more pictures courtesy of the newspaper and Jerry's book:

Some of Jerry's other buddies like Zolle at the outhouse and Bryan, the Cantakerous Racoon peeking out the flap of a union suit hanging on the clothesline:

Don't miss next week's posting for a couple surprises, courtesy of Jerry.

Copy and paste:     www.blurb.com + The Legend of Thunder Cow

Purchase a couple of books and enjoy!

 It's Ground Hog Day!  

Yep, from California to the New York Island, from the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters, and all points in between, people are celebrating Ground Hog Day today, anxiously awaiting to see if we'll have six more weeks of winter weather. And a big decision for you and me... whether to keep our long underwear and wool socks handy. Well, maybe not such a big decision for me as here in Northern Idaho just a stones throw from Canada. We'll continue to have cold weather for several more months. So, I'll be wearing union suits and heavy socks at least through Memorial Day!

Pennsylvania may have Gobbler's Knob's Punxsutawney Phil but the back-country hollers of Casey County, just outside of Somerset, Kentucky has Larry Longhandles! 

Oh, boy! Larry with eyes wide open seems to be saying, "I saw my shadow today so back to my den to hibernate I'm headed!"  And today, Larry Longhandles still has on his woolen union suit over his fur covered body. He plans on keeping warm. So I'm thinking, at least in Kentucky (and Idaho), there's more cold weather ahead...maybe even for six more weeks. 

This marmot is brought to us by the same talented, Jerry Walters, who you may remember created for Union Suit Fan, Cletus Coffee, way back in a September 25, 2019 posting. Long-johned Cletus was the ambassador for all of us early morning coffee lovers with that hot cup of joe balanced on the top of his hat.

Back then too, I posted several favorite cartoon characters I had found on-line in books by Jerry. Many of his characters had various adventures in their union suit underwear! Has it really been almost 5 years ago??!!  Here's that entry from yesteryear.... 

Hey, Union Suit Fans!

Old Thornberry

Introducing a very fine, entertaining author, illustrator, storyteller, all around good guy, and fellow Union Suit Fan... Jerry Walters

For several months now, I have been enjoying Jerry's books.  He is an exceptional storyteller and illustrator. With his permission, I am featuring some of my favorite characters from those books. From his website, Jerry says, "Just love to do fun silly stories."  I think you'll agree. Here are a few book excerpts...

From the Book, Bud. Farmer Fred wades into the mud to grab his prized pig so he can take him to the county fair. In the process, Fred looses his clothes to the sticky mud. But, oh well, he proceeds to the fair in his union suit anyway:

 
He isn't going to let a little thing like attending the festivities in his long underwear stand in his way of a good time!

n

From Lost Teddy Bear
Your pants come in handy 
if you don't have a rope!

In Polecat, Johnny has to go around 

in his union suit 

thanks to an ole polecat who squirted him 

and ruined this clothes:

In Ole Fred Has a Bad Day,
he wears a nightshirt over 
his red union suit
going to the outhouse.

And from the Book, Hillbilly Cookie Bear

I'm sure you'd love to check out these stories in more detail and to see other of Jerry's books. 

Copy and Paste:  www.blurb.com + The Legend of Thunder Cow   

and Buy a couple Jerry's books and enjoy.

Thanks again, Jerry!  In coming days, look for another posting or two in Union Suit Fan, of Jerry's fine work, illustrations, and maybe some surprises....Chris