Homage to a Humorist.

• Author: Gehring, Wes D.

I AM WRITING a book on American film comedy, with a modest foundation in print humor. I am splitting the subject into comedic subgenres, with the current focus on parody. One's first response here might be Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" (both 1974). However, for me, I initially think of Richard Armour (1906-89), an academic turned poet and parody artist. His poems are not unlike those of Ogden Nash. For instance, his ode to mustard often has been credited to Nash: "Nothing attracts/the mustard from wieners/as much as the slacks/just back from the cleaners."

Yes, his poetry essentially parodies serious verse. I first fell in love with his spoofing of serious English texts, such as The Classics Reclassified (1960, where he also documents the importance of not being educated if you want to be a famous author), and American Lit Relit (1964. which asks the burning question: has poetry been dead since 1882? I cannot tell you: you will just have to buy the book).

I discovered Armour as a child in a used bookstore, a funny friend between two covers. Later, as a young professor, I was lucky enough to meet him at an "International Humor Conference" (1979, Los Angeles). Fittingly, he was receiving a lifetime achievement award-a large platter (undoubtedly plated), which seemed an odd gift for a humorist, though it undoubtedly could have been pawned. I would have opted for a bust of Mark Twain or, better yet, a slightly silly Shakespeare sculpture, since another Armour text classic is Twisted Tales from Shakespeare (1957). After all, there needs to be more thought put into an award for a humorist capable of writing in a preface, "The reader will not encounter any halftruths, but may occasionally encounter a truth-and-a-half."

Armour was disarmingly pleasant to be around, which frequently is not the case with many prominent humorists. As a sometimes scholar, he told me that he wore two outfits--cap and gown, and cap and bells. I later found out Armour told everyone that line. However, I didn't care; he could have just given me the brush. I would have.

I always will remember his egalitarian nature, plus his perception that I was a young scholar chafing at how boringly serious academia was addressing humor. To paraphrase his most memorable aside to me, "Whatever the writing...