COMICS PORTAL: Ernest Invades Comics, Knowwhatimean?

Ernest P. Worrell is coming to comic books, whether we like it or not!

As announced on Ernest Day, which was held on June 11, 2024, Ernest P. Worrell will be “verning” his way into a graphic novel written by Corey Perkins called Ernest & the Dream Stone. You can sign up for information as it becomes available at this link. The book is expected to launch on Kickstarter later this year.

So, just who in the world is Ernest P. Worrell, anyway? Here’s what Wikipedia says:

Ernest P. Worrell is a fictional character that was portrayed by American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials and then later in a television series (Hey, Vern, It’s Ernest!) and a series of feature films.

Ernest—created by Varney with the Nashville advertising agency Carden & Cherry—was used in various local television ad campaigns. The only national products the character promoted were The Coca-Cola Company’s sodas, Chex cereals, and Taco John’s. The first Ernest commercial, filmed in 1980, advertised an appearance by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at Beech Bend Park, an amusement park near Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Of course, Ernest went on to star in a series of movies in the 1970s, including Ernest Saves Christmas, Ernest Rides Again, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, Ernest Goes to School, Ernest in the Army, and even Ernest Goes to Africa.

Varney fell victim to lung cancer and passed on February 10, 2000. Since then, Tennessee resident and Varney fan Phil Baker launched an annual “Ernest Day” in 2017 at Montgomery Bell State Park, which was one of the filming locations for Ernest Goes to Camp.

Ernest was revived in 2005 as a CGI cartoon, now voiced by John C. Hudgens. And comics are the next area for Ernest to “save.”

I was living in Central Florida several years ago, working at a local hospital’s ER as a clerical worker. When I would go home after a busy shift, I would plunk down in front of the TV and turn on local Channel 35 to watch reruns of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

One night, I was munching on snacks when apparently whoever was on the TV was driving up to a home. Suddenly, a loud guy wearing a denim vest and a baseball cap came running directly at us! “Where have you been, Vern?” he yelled at us. “You’ve been missing all the great shows on Channel 35! They’ve got comedy—BeDeep, BeDeep, BeDeep.” (His poor imitation of Porky Pig.) “They’ve got drama—Oooohhhhhh, Martha!” (He droned.) Then he said something to the effect of “Get your act together and turn on Channel 35!” He then outstretched his arms and dashed into the bushes behind him.

I remember sitting there, and I had to ask myself, “What in this world just happened?”

The next day, I went to work, and everyone was buzzing about “this crazy guy on Channel 35.” This was a pre-Internet time, so all we could do was guess.

From that point on, I watched a lot more Channel 35, specifically looking for that commercial to run again.

It wasn’t long before a second ad ran. Everything was dark for a second until Ernest turned the lamp on, which was obviously next to Vern’s bed. “Why are you sleeping, Vern? There’s all the great shows on Channel 35 to watch!” He listed several, but then said to us (as Vern), “By the way, I like the little bear!” apparently referring to an off-screen teddy bear! Then he broke into an almost nasty laugh with a serious smirk on his face before he turned the light off again.

I soon discovered Ernest had released a collection of commercials he had done, including selling everything from ice cream to many other local products. But what made me laugh out loud was an outtake in which Ernest was trying to talk to Vern through a window while he was apparently on the top level of a ladder. The window was supposed to slam down on his hands, which would make Ernest to complain loudly. Instead, the window, all too slowly, began to lower inch by inch until it was about to touch his hands. During this process, Ernest was saying, “Oh, no! It’s too late! There’s no point in doing this!” until it reached his hands. When it finally rested there, Ernest looked straight into the camera and said a low “Ow.” I lost it!

I didn’t think there were many other fans who enjoyed Ernest’s antics, but I’m happy to say that I’ve recently discovered several others online. Now, to many, Ernest is an acquired taste. I often compare him to the pop song, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. Among the people I knew, one either loved it or hated it, with no one anywhere but at those extremes. As I said, to many, Ernest is very much like that—you either love him or hate him!

I’ve often pointed out that comics creators love nostalgia. Look at all the previous characters being revived in comic books, including Space Ghost, Thundercats, many of the Disney afternoon folks like Darkwing Duck and far too many for me to list here.

It makes sense that, given the fact that Mr. Varney is no longer with us, that his unique visage and dialogue (including his unique catchphrase, “Knowwhatimean?”) belongs in print. As long as there are fans willing to plunk down their hard-earned quatloos for such a book, I’m all for it! I still remember the Hanna-Barbera cartoon superheroes had their own comic for a time, but apparently there weren’t enough of us to keep it afloat.

With Ernest, hey, it’s worth a try!

Now, what was it about Ernest that I liked? I was often drawn to his childlike (not childish) sense of wonder and ability to get into sticky situations. And I truly liked his obviously silly way of interacting with people. And this is unusual because my silly quota often gets filled and exceeded really quickly. But with Ernest, I bought it!

So, will Ernest & the Dream Stone be a big success? As long as I think there’s a chance, I’m willing to support it! We’ll have to see just how many other Ernest fans are out there!

What do you think? Did you happen to watch the Ernest commercials and movies? Do you think there is enough support to bring the character back to pop culture? Or has he already had his 15 minutes of fame? Whatever your opinion, feel free to share it in the space below!

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