Larry Weir participated in the Spring Blossom Parade in Nashville, Indiana, on May 4. He was costumed as “Abe Martin,” a comic strip character created by Frank McKinney “Kin” Hubbard published in The Indianapolis News and other papers from 1904 to 1937.

Besides Larry’s portrayal of Abe Martin, this year’s parade featured such Brown County characters as Grandma Barnes and artist TV Steele.

Abe Martin was an anti-hero character who made wisecracks and jokes, many of which became popular throughout the U.S. In 1905, Hubbard made his character’s residence clear when Abe announced “I’m goin’ ter move ter Brown County tewmorrow” in a February 3 strip. At his peak of popularity, “Abe Martin” was carried in over 200 newspapers and was the focus of an annual almanac. Among his fans were George Ade, Will Rogers, James Whitcomb Riley, and Groucho Marx.

The lodge at Brown County State Park was named “The Abe Martin Lodge” in honor of Hubbard.

Thanks to Larry for sharing this fun event! Additional information was found on Wikipedia.