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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136001
Posted: 11 April 2026 at 5:50pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

I hate being reminded how dim some fans are.

Back in my CAPTAIN AMERICA days, a few fans grumbled that his new girlfriend, Bernie Rosenthal, looked too much like Kitty Pryde. Strictly for my own amusement, I did a sketchbook drawing of the two of them standing next to each other, with Kitty noting people saying they look alike, and Bernie responding “Just like chalk and cheese.”

This was not intended for publication, but it was in one of several sketchbooks that were stolen, and thus it made its way into the public venue, along with several other pieces never meant to be seen.

Now, decades later, I stumble upon a FaceBook thread with someone asking how cheese and chalk are supposed to be the same, and someone else suggesting it means Cap’s “Jewish girlfriend” smells like cheese and chalk.

Perhaps I should shoulder a degree of blame, here. “Just like cheese and chalk” is an old British expression describing things that are NOT alike. But I may have reached beyond the intellectual level of the audience (that I didn’t think I would have), tho surely the meaning is obvious from CONTEXT?

But, yes, the internet is where context goes to die.

sigh

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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 31964
Posted: 11 April 2026 at 7:29pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Kitty should hope to look like Bernie when she grows up.
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Brian ONeill
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 04 July 2024
Posts: 119
Posted: 11 April 2026 at 8:44pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

The expression did not exist in the US...up until recent decades, when British  crime dramas featuring 'chalk and cheese' detectives became more popular. 
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Paul Kimball
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 21 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 2251
Posted: 11 April 2026 at 9:40pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

I have often wished that I had grown up with "chalk and cheese" as an
expression, it's charming.
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James Woodcock
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8441
Posted: 11 April 2026 at 11:01pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

Well I knew what the thrust of this thread would be, though not the
specifics, as soon as I read the title.
But I’m British.
Didn’t realise this was an expression that had not travelled.

I do a lot of international collaborations and it’s funny when we all use one
of our expressions. We usually follow it up with ‘do you have that one over
there?’. Surprising how many have been common across our teams.
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Mark McKay
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2300
Posted: 12 April 2026 at 6:34pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply



Edited by Mark McKay on 12 April 2026 at 6:35pm
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136001
Posted: 12 April 2026 at 9:29pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Forty six years ago!

That Kitty would be 60!!!

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Peter Martin
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 17 March 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 16414
Posted: 13 April 2026 at 1:42am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Always one of the things I admire in your art, JB (among many things) is the fastidious attention you pay to the height of characters, so that we get nice contrasts in height and you are very consistent about it. Love the height (and build) disparity between Kitty and Bernie here. They are, indeed, like chalk and cheese.

There are very few other artists that got Wolverine's wide width and short height like you -- and it always contrasted so well with how tall Peter Rasputin was. 
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James Best
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 02 March 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 972
Posted: 13 April 2026 at 4:56am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

It's sketchbook drawings like that of Bernie Rosenthal that convince me that Steve Rogers was a very lucky man...  
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Gundars Berzins
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 14 March 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 1584
Posted: 13 April 2026 at 3:40pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

I'm almost as old as Kitty... gasp!
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