1. Since the Merry and Illustrated Histories are obviously written with a puerile attempt at humor, just how accurate are they?
2. We see there are bibliographies and references, but can we consider them exhaustive?
3. Hm. That last answer is a bit vague. Do you mean some WRITTEN references are NOT listed?
4. If a reference isn't given explicitly, how do we know that a statement isn't being made up just to increase readership and exploit sensationalism?
5. If I find an error, may I contact CooperToons and report it?
6. If I write a Merry History will you post it (and maybe even illustrate it)?
7. What about suggestions for Merry History topics?
8. And just what are the qualifications of the author for writing history?
9. It seems I noticed there was a change in a Merry History. Is this true?
10. Why do the Merry Histories waffle around, saying "Such and such may have happened" or "Joe Blow wrote this-and-that while Richard Roe wrote that-and-this"? Why not just say what really happened?
11. Since you welcome us pointing out spelling errors, I saw you used "who" when you should have used "whom"? What about your grammar?
1. Since the Merry and Illustrated Histories are obviously written with a puerile attempt at humor, just how accurate are they?
Let's just say they are written to be as factually accurate as possible. Care is taken to put accuracy first. And when you put historical accuracy first, humor isn't far behind.
2. We see there are bibliographies and references, but can we consider them exhaustive?
What you see is what you get. The major sources - books, articles, and pamphlets - are listed. There are some electronic references which are also given if they are deemed reliable. The Merry Histories do NOT use internet anecdotes as sources.
But you have to remember, these are GENERAL historical discussions and for the sake of brevity (and other reasons), not all material is explicitly referenced. And one source that is usually NOT referenced (at least not in the bibliographies) is the author's own observations. But these ARE recorded to the best of his memory. An example of that is the account the massive 20 person anti-war demonstration at a major university where the demonstrators decided to take over the language building ("A Most Merry and Illustrated History of the Hippies").
3. Hm. That last answer is a bit vague. Do you mean some WRITTEN references are NOT listed?
The major references are listed if they are in the author's files or actual possession during the writing. This includes original books, magazines, articles, and copies of such. Other references, alas, cannot be listed since they are not actually in hand. For instance, one Merry History mentions how a former Prime Minister of Canada threatened to kick his opponents rear end. That was reported in an article in the University of Minnesota's student newspaper from around 1978 or 1979. Because an exact reference is not available, it is not listed.
4. If a reference isn't given explicitly, how do we know that a statement isn't being made up just to increase readership and exploit sensationalism?
Hey, what do you think this is, mainstream American media?
Like an American President once said, "Trust me."
5. If I find an error, may I contact CooperToons and report it?
Sure, but there are a few trifling guidelines.
First, be succinct. State exactly what Merry History it is and what part is in error.
Next, provide the correct answer and - most importantly - give your source of information. If the author is convinced the Merry History is in error, it will be corrected.
But DON'T get into the game of "So tell me why you say that so-and-so did this-and-that when Stephen Ambrose said so-and-so did that-and-this." Such queries will be banished with a click of the "Delete" button and the the E-mail address being added to the SPAM list.
Remember, the CooperToons tolerance for SPAM is pretty much at its nadir. Even E-mail from friends and family is rapidly designated SPAM if it is sufficiently annoying.
Most importantly, make sure you have found an actual error. Don't wast time with stuff like:
1) Splitting hairs on trivialities due to variant reports. None of that "You claimed Nathan Hale said he only had one life to GIVE for his country, and I have a book that says his words were he only had one life to LOSE for his country." That's also a good way to get your E-mail name listed as SPAM.
2) Quibbling when statements are given illustratively. Like, "You said Thor Heyerdahl went to New York with his manuscript tucked under his arm. Isn't it more likely he carried it in a briefcase?" Spammed again!
3) Discussing and hypothesizing possible motivations and venturing personal opinions. This stuff you can recognize from the wording.
However, pointing out spelling errors is much appreciated. Being one's own researcher, writer, illustrator, editor, publisher, AND proofreader is a pain in the rear end.
6. If I write a Merry History will you post it (and maybe even illustrate it)?
Sorry, this website is reserved for the author's own stories, essays, and illustrations. To avoid possible conflicts, if a story is sent it isn't even read but returned (or deleted) along with a polite letter of refusal.
7. What about suggestions for Merry History topics?
Again, sorry. Getting topics isn't a problem. There's quite a pile of hoecakes on the griddle already.
8. And just what are the qualifications of the author for writing history?
Mostly it's the ability to read, write, and critically evaluate sources of information. Which given some of the tripe you read from professional historians sitting in endowed chairs, this gives the Merry Histories a leg up.
9. It seems I noticed there was a change in a Merry History. Is this true?
Possibly. This may be due to the fact that the Merry History has been recently uploaded and is still being "polished". In that case there may have been an error - no perhaps we should say a minor glitch - no even that's too much, let's call it a shift in nuance - where it looked like a change was called for.
Or perhaps since knowledge is never static something new was added that increased the merriness of the history.
10. Why do the Merry Histories waffle around so much, saying "Such and such may have happened" or "Joe Blow wrote this-and-that while Richard Roe wrote that-and-this"? Why not just say what really happened.?
Because no one KNOWS what really happened. In history there is no such thing as objective reality and all we get is what was written by people who as often as not had some axe to grind.
Naturally it doesn't help that the facts and sources that ARE available are often distilled through a (usually) academic filter which results in history being presented AS IF the writer knows the objective truth. But pretensions of higher education - and believe it or not, even holding endowed professorships - do not, repeat do not, give the holder any monopoly on truth. That's why stories from trained journalists of international reputations are sometimes blown out of the water by a few well-placed comments of amateur bloggers.
11. Since you welcome us pointing out spelling errors, I saw you used "who" when you should have used "whom"? What about your grammar?
Listen, my grammar was a nice old lady.
NyeahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually, CooperToons is deliberately written in an informal style largely using spoken American dialect. Hence, common usage dictates PROPER usage. The language of the people, not of pendantry, is the language of the Merry Histories.