Opera Company of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act of Culture

Tales From the Other Planet Sylvia

Hi, this is Sylvia. When I was a teenager, my brother Sidney gave me a series of 'Planet Sylvia' books by Nicole Hollander, the creator of  'Sylvia,' a famous, nationally syndicated comic strip that  was published in newspapers. What? You don't remember her? How old are you? She was hilarious, ironic, witty, sometimes crazy! I loved her. She was one of the first women I knew about who ranted, raged, rumbled, raved (actually, my mother was up there too, but for reeal, not in the comics. But, that's another story.) about all kinds of things (in print form)that bothered or simply got her attention. With a cigarette hanging from her mouth, worn down slippers, big glasses, plump, 50ish, she reminded me of a neighbor, Mrs. Markowitz, who used to yell out at her son Michael from her fourth floor window:"How many times do I have to remind you?" The whole neighborhood knew his business. Anyway, Sylvia's topics went everywhere: "You Can't Take it With You, So Eat it Now,' 'That Woman Must be on Drugs,''Sylvia on Sundays,' 'Cats Make Great Kids,' 'The Whole Enchilada,' and more.
Recently, I ran across my 'Sylvia' collection and felt inspired.