Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist/illustrator who was very popular starting around 1915 until his death in the mid 1960s. He was known for a series of wild, wacky inventions that did everyday things, like watering your flowers or lighting a cigar. Very involved and complex and wildly inventive. He was also well known for his early comic strips, such as Boob McNutt which was a social commentary strip, something along the lines of Bloom County. Nobody was safe from his caustic barbs. His work is not for all tastes, but if you've got any interest in the early part of the 20th century and what the fads and follies were, it's a great resource. Towards the end of his life he turned to doing political cartoons and is regarded as one of the deans of American cartooning. ...okay, so I'm a comics goof...