This “Mr. Boffo” strip was submitted by David Curwin as a CIDU. I didn’t think the gag was that difficult to decipher, but Zbicyclist pointed out that the real question is how many historical inaccuracies did Joe Martin manage to incorporate into just this one comic?
P.S. The strip’s publication date does not count as a mistake. Columbus Day originally fell on October 12th, but that was according to the Julian calendar. It was moved to the second Monday in October for convenience, but would actually have fell on October 21st, if the modern (Gregorian) calendar had been in use back then.
Comics I Don't Understand 
I don’t get it.
The gag is that the new continent was named “America” after Amerigo Vespucci instead of “Colombia” after Cristopher Columbus, thus making Columbus mad.
In reality, Columbus died without knowing (or accepting) it was actually a new continent (and in fact never reached mainland America). And Queen Isabella had nothing to do with the name of the new continent.
@Lord F, first thing is, just ignore the P.S. puffery after the cartoon. Then, focus on the question “Why do we now call these America or The Americas? Why not something to recognize Columbus?” There is one idea expressed in the cartoon, with the-funny probably coming from the outlandish behavior of offended Columbus and the oddly grinning cartographer. But as the editors point out, those in the know may also be amused that the cartoon’s explanation is wide of what historical documentation and research have come up with.
I suppose the joke is supposed to be Columbus is incensed that what he ‘discovered’ isn’t named after him but for another explorer (Amerigo Vespucci). Of course Vespucci actually did land on what was unknown to Europeans at the time (what is now Brazil) so the connection from him to ‘America’ is more accurate than naming the area after Columbus.
Looks like Martin took Allan Sherman’s version of the story at face value…
Sorry, @Powers…But Columbus DID reach mainland Americas: He got to the northern bit of South America during his third voyage, and all the way to what’s now Mexico during his fourth-and-final voyage…. but that was after serving a prison term back in Spain for being a monumentally horrific governor of the places he landed on earlier.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyages_of_Christopher_Columbus
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/celebrating-hispanic-heritage-exploration-christopher-columbus/columbus-imprisoned
“Columbia” was sometimes a name for the USA, as in “Columbia the Gem of the Ocean”. Also associated with the Americas in a broader sense. That’s distinct from Colombia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_(personification)
Yep, and not to forget the record label and the CBS network.
Brian in STL: Indeed. And I’ve heard that Washington state was originally going to be called “Columbia”, but someone thought it would be confused with the District of Columbia. So they called it “Washington” instead, since that…would be less confusing?!
Not sure I believe the story but I like it!
There is also the song “Hail Columbia” with music written in 1789 and lyrics written in 1798, before the words to “The Star Spangled Banner” were written. “Hail Columbia” was a kind of de facto national anthem or perhaps co-anthem until ‘The Star Spangled Banner” won Congressional approval.
@ Phil (9) – I once heard that a coin flip was responsible for selecting the name of Portland, Oregon (thus causing occasional confusion with Portland, Maine), but it would have been even worse if the coin had fallen the other way: the alternative would have been “Boston”.
The state of Columbia would have been next to the province of British Columbia? :-)
Well, Kansas City, Kansas is right next to Kansas City, Nebraska.
Well, Kansas City, Kansas is right next to Kansas City, Nebraska.
It is? Interesting, as KC doesn’t border Nebraska. Now, Missouri is another matter.
That was the worst spell of Missouri I ever saw.