Tag Archives: Gilbert Shelton

Onward through the fog

The title phrase is an old Austin expression, which I lightheartedly used the other day for the first time in years. It was the slogan of Oat Willie, Austin artist Gilbert Shelton’s comic book character. The Oatman was often seen in his underwear, astraddle a wheeled trash receptacle holding aloft a blazing torch.

Later Oat Willie’s became the name of a local head shop. By which some understandably assume the fog was a cloud of happy weed. But I suspect that since the expression has been known to be used in the drug law-enforcing Texas Legislature, what is meant is that the future is foggy under most conditions.