# Frazz: Caulfield's Costume Clues Commence! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170 "2009-10-26T12:55:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/1 "2009-10-26T12:55:28Z")
It’s that time again, folks! For those who don’t read the comic strip _Frazz_, the character Caulfield dresses up as a literary character every year for Halloween, and clues as to who he’s going to be start popping up about a week before the big night. [Our first clue](http://comics.com/frazz/2009-10-26) appeared today. Anyone have any guesses? The only thing I could find involving a tree near a grave is [The Grave Tree](http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/canvers-bin/entry?entry_nbr=1002&l=0&page_rows=10&clctn_nbr=1), a poem I’d never heard of before I went searching on “grave tree” to figure out what the costume would be. Otherwise, I’m stumped so far. Anyone else have a guess? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/2 "2009-10-26T13:25:56Z")
Rest In Peace… Rip Van Winkle? Hm. Buried under a tree. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/3 "2009-10-26T16:53:58Z")
Wasn’t the Headless Horseman ensconced within a tree, from which he would emerge each night to do his master’s evil bidding? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/4 "2009-10-26T19:14:53Z")
I’m not entirely convinced Caulfield was pointing to the tree. I guess we’ll see tomorrow. Is “There, there,” perhaps a clue? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/5 "2009-10-26T20:38:36Z")
I was thinking that the “There, there” was the key, too. ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/6 "2009-10-26T21:16:48Z")
That’s tough. If I had to take a wild guess, I’d say Charles Dickens…but didn’t Caulfield already dress up as him before!? ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/7 "2009-10-26T21:21:16Z")
OK, now that’s I’ve had my wild guess, I went at it with my Google-Fu skills, and came up with…Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Um, well. Can a songwriter be a literary character? Maybe I need to head back to the dojo for a little more training. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/8 "2009-10-26T21:24:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I was thinking that the “There, there” was the key, too. I thought so too, which would make it Gertrude Stein. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/9 "2009-10-27T06:05:37Z")
I saw that too. I didn’t realize this was an annual thing the artist did. On my first guess, I’m guessing Poe. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/10 "2009-10-27T10:28:01Z")
Today’s clue: Everyone gets what it is, instantly. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/11 "2009-10-27T10:43:15Z")
Including the readers. Or at least what book he’s going from. I haven’t read it so I have no idea how the graveyard fits in, but Mr Spaetzle’s comment was enough to give me an idea, and googling Jane’s confirmed my suspicion. Catch-22. Probably Yossarian. Unless, of course, said comments are a red herring. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/12 "2009-10-27T10:55:18Z")
From Caulfield’s comment, I wonder if he’ll switch because everyone caught on? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/13 "2009-10-27T11:02:55Z")
I don’t think Mallett would be so mean as to waste two days of hints, like that. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/14 "2009-10-27T12:56:27Z")
Wasn’t there a scene with 2 characters in a tree, watching a funeral, discussing the merits of chocolate dipped cotton? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/15 "2009-10-27T14:48:02Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Wasn’t there a scene with 2 characters in a tree, watching a funeral, discussing the merits of chocolate dipped cotton? I don’t remember the chocolate but, I recall that Yossarian is so affected by a death that he witnessed that he watched the funeral from a distance in a tree. Nude! Which explains why the teachers are concerned. But why is it that everyone has read the book? Just because its commonly read in school? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/16 "2009-10-27T15:45:44Z")
Okay, it has been a while. Just thought I remembered some conjunction of a funeral and a character in a tree. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/17 "2009-10-27T15:50:38Z")
I too was guessing Catch-22.I only skimmed the book though, so for me this was really a guess. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/18 "2009-10-27T17:10:48Z")
Awww, you guessed it too! Yeah, Mr. Spaetzle is what gave it away for me. I’d forgotten the tree part. … at least the costume will be cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/19 "2009-10-27T18:40:37Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Okay, it has been a while. Just thought I remembered some conjunction of a funeral and a character in a tree. Thanks. I just looked up a summary. You’re right! The chocolate covered cotton ball scene does happen while he’s up in the tree. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170/20 "2009-10-27T19:06:54Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Awww, you guessed it too! Yeah, Mr. Spaetzle is what gave it away for me. I’d forgotten the tree part. > > … at least the costume will be cheap. Is Mr. Spaetzle the guy with pens in his pocket? I think his quote was what kicked my (dim) memory in too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frazz-caulfields-costume-clues-commence/515170.md?page=2)