Comic Strip
Uncle Wombat’s Tock-Tock Time Machine
- by Bill Walsh and Floyd Gottfredson
- 22 October 1951 to 22 January 1952 [newspaper syndication]
You’ve got to stop the bus . . . turn around or we’ll all soon be dead of old age!
But what would I do? If your automated processes are as efficient as I believe, a mere mortal cannot be important to you!
For though I do not know your real identity . . . I, Cleopatra, have lost my heart to you!
This was the message received by a dozen or so experts in the "time attempters" field:
"I have succeeded in establishing a creeping time-satellite or time-shuttle at my estate of Moonwick near Lunel in the Herault Department of the Peoples Republic of France. If you are really experts in your field, you will appreciate the importance of this. From this time-shuttle, which is just beyond the ‘shoal’ of all of you to whom I am sending this message, it will be possible for you to launch genuine time probes. I am sending this to a dozen or so and I hope for acceptance from at least five. I must have a matched set of at least five. Some soon. A very little bit after ‘soon’ will be too late for me to transmit the shuttle to you. Bring ideas only. Everything else for frugal and break-through living is provided. You will receive various transportation chits and enabling papers. Peter Luna.”
The World Courier Service (“No questions asked. Messages carried anywhere or anywhen in the world”) delivered these messages to the dozen or so persons who were experts in the time field. And some of the people gave assent and some didn’t. So, the next day, the Courier Service delivered airline tickets, train tickets, and International Taxi Coupons to five of the experts who had agreed to go to Moonwick.
Next Saturday night, we’re sending you . . . back to the future!
The time-traveling is just too dangerous. Better that I devote myself to study the other great mystery of the universe—women!
Doc: [blowing train whistle] I’ve wanted to do that my whole life!
If I had the power to decide never to meet him again, I reasoned, surely I had the power to change the course of the relationship for the better.
Albert: Hello?
Doc Brown: Wa . . . uoh.
Albert: What’s uh . . . what’s that?
Doc Brown: [hastily covering the DeLorean] Nothing! Wa . . . uh, it . . . [nods head] it’s a weather experiment.
Albert: Oh. [leaves]
Doc Brown: Great Scott!
Sir: [pointing at a billborad of the Space Shuttle] That is why we leapt into the future. We fly that back to the armada and show them where this planet is.
I built this Super Mega Robot Time Machine to use the Time Crystal’s power. That means I can travel through time!
Well, she wasn’t a contemporary, that much was clear.