Who's Who: Saint Goar

Some local figure named Goar has a thing for baptisms for those crossing the Rhine River (Saint Fidgeta and Other Parodies; 66-9).
The sixth chapter of Saint Fidgeta and Other Parodies is one that is turned over almost exclusively to Marilyn Fitschen. "John brought over a couple of his little sketches and Marilyn gave it her treatment," says Marilyn’s husband, Dale. "You'll notice some echoes of Walt Kelly's style with the breaking and bending of the frame and ending with a silhouetted frame."

Goar's record of terminal baptisms is not missed by the local bishop who elects to reward the ferrisome, if not worrisome, figure with martyrdom.

A more real Saint Goar of Aquitaine (585-649) was a priest and hermit who was revered as a miracle-worker; he is the patron saint of innkeepers, potters, and vine growers. Sankt Goar, a village in southwestern Germany along the Rhine River, is named for the saint.