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The hillbilly stereotype is frequently used to shame mountain people, but there are gentler versions, like Snuffy Smith, the long-running comic strip character. Snuffy Smith originally started out as a supporting character in his comic strip, which first launched in 1919 when Billy DeBeck created Barney Google. Artist Fred Lasswell was brought in during the ‘30s to create Snuffy Smith and his friends. And now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
Listen: Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert Have Our Mountain Stage Song of the Week: 'Bailout Blues'
Acoustic duo Kieran Kane (R) and Rayna Gellert perform on Mountain Stage. Chris Morris
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This week’s encore episode of Mountain Stage features a pickers paradise, as we’re treated to sets from J2B2, the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band, plus the GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass group Della Mae, 2019 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year Tray Wellington and his band, plus topical singer-songwriter Crys Matthews, and a duo set from Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert, who have our Song of the Week.
In their second appearance together on the show, Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert perform their original song “Bailout Blues” from their most recent release, The Flowers That Bloom in Spring.
Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert – Bailout Blues, Live on Mountain Stage
The acoustic duo performs their song "Bailout Blues"
The hillbilly stereotype is frequently used to shame mountain people, but there are gentler versions, like Snuffy Smith, the long-running comic strip character. Snuffy Smith originally started out as a supporting character in his comic strip, which first launched in 1919 when Billy DeBeck created Barney Google. Artist Fred Lasswell was brought in during the ‘30s to create Snuffy Smith and his friends. And now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
"Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire" is a young adult novel set in Appalachia. Written by West Virginia native Don Martin, the book follows the story of a witch-in-training who uses her magic to help a forgotten mountain coal town. It was an instant New York Times bestseller after it was released last year. Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Martin about the book and his podcast "Head on Fire."
This week, having a very specific talent can lead to a dream job. It’s how cartoonist John Rose got his foot in the door to draw the comic strip Snuffy Smith. Also, there are dos and don’ts for treating poison ivy. And, a young, old-time musician wants to save her family’s lost ballads.
For nearly 100 years, Snuffy Smith has been a staple of newspaper comic pages, though these days, it’s easier to find him online. Snuffy Smith was brought to life by artist Fred Lasswell in the 1930s, but now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams spoke to Rose about drawing the famous hillbilly.
