Harry Albacker’s Magic Touch – Part 1

Last week (here), I wrote about a Sheffield Lake girl whose contribution to the Journal feature “Tell Me Why” provided her fifteen minutes of fame back in Feb. 1960.

Today’s post deals with another successful local submission – this time, to a comic strip called There Oughta Be a Law!

I’m sure you remember it. But those who do not, There Oughta Be a Law was a very popular, long-running strip that depicted many of the frustrations and comic situations that people encounter in their everyday lives, all told in a humorous fashion.

The strip was usually presented in two large panels, with the first one establishing the setting or mood, and the second one delivering the joke, often with a twist. The writer of the strip eventually solicited ideas from readers – and credited them if the suggestion was used.

Anyway, while doing some research recently on one of those online newspaper websites, I stumbled upon an edition of There Oughta Be a Law! from February 9, 1952. Lo and behold, the contributor was from Lorain, Ohio!

Harry Albacker of 2015 E. 31st Street in Lorain, Ohio made the humorous suggestion that was chosen that day.

Since the comic strip was distributed nationally, I was sure that the Lorain Journal would make note of Albacker’s winning entry that day. So I headed to the library to see if there was a special article on the front page, or perhaps a mention in the “Log of Lorain” gossip column.

Imagine my surprise to discover that although the strip had appeared in the Journal in January 1952, it apparently had been dropped by February. The ‘winning’ comic strip didn’t even appear in the hometown paper!

It was an situation worthy of There Oughta Be a Law! itself.

But don’t feel too bad for Harry Albacker being robbed of his fifteen minutes of fame. He enjoyed decades of fame – as we’ll see in tomorrow’s post.