Here’s something that may or may not need an explanation, but I’ll offer one nonetheless. It’s basically a sight gag that occurred to me that I thought would be amusing to draw. The original inspiration was from the latest issue of Batman Odyssey by Neal Adams, a comic that I’ve been enjoying for it’s madcap portrayal of superheroes and the expressive drawings. The story reads a lot like a Mad Magazine movie parody, a narrative style that I enjoy. It jumps from scene to scene and the characters talk to each other a lot, but they don’t really seem to listen to each other, and they often talk directly to the reader. It’s nutty and I like it. The first page of issue 5 depicts Bruce Wayne eating a banana and drinking raw eggs. The banana reminded me of Leonard Cohen who I’ve been listening to recently on the home stereo. The cover of the album I’m Your Man is a real cool pic of Cohen in sunglasses … eating a banana. It tickles me, and so there you have it. Batman, Leonard Cohen, banana. Beyond that I don’t know what to tell you.
good catch! I’ve got the album too and never made the connection. Mind you I didn’t have the comic. Nevertheless, it’s exactly the same expression in both pictures. I mean how cool can one look with a mouth full of banana bulging your cheeks? (I preemptively strike against anyone that makes that last sentence sound dirty somehow.) In Leonard Cohens case I think the answer to that question is “not much cooler”. Then again, if one were to posit the obvious phallic symbolism of a banana, what could it all mean. The mind boggles.
Glad you found it amusing. Thanks for the link! The connection goes even further if you examine the song lyrics, “…if you want another kind of love, I’ll wear a mask for you.” (Needless to say I’m looking forward to seeing Leonard Cohen play Batman in The Dark Knight Returns;)