Monday, December 06, 2010

First Willie

This ad is from the November 25 1939 issue of The New Yorker and this is clearly Willie, although he is not identified as such. But this is technically the first appearance of Willie the Whaler.



Willie glossary:

shellback - someone who has crossed the equator (in a ship presumably)

 aft - towards the rear of the ship

Gloucester Grog - apple cider mulled with spices and beach plums and spiked with bourbon

At least I think so. Literally every reference to "Gloucester Grog" on the Internet is from Willie the Whaler ads in the New Yorker except this one site.