Frank McKinney Hubbard, better known as Kin Hubbard, was an American cartoonist, humorist, and writer who became renowned for his keen observations and witty commentary on everyday life. Born on September 1, 1868, in Bellefontaine, Ohio, Hubbard’s humorous and insightful works entertained readers and offered a refreshing perspective on the human experience.
Hubbard began his career as a cartoonist, drawing political cartoons for various newspapers. However, his breakthrough came in 1904 when he created the character of Abe Martin, a wise yet eccentric rural philosopher. Through the comic strip “Abe Martin of Brown County,” Hubbard’s astute observations and humorous anecdotes about small-town life became immensely popular.
Hubbard’s talent lay in his ability to find humor in everyday situations and present it with a touch of satire. His witty one-liners and clever aphorisms became widely quoted and cherished by readers. Hubbard had a knack for highlighting the absurdities and ironies of human behavior, often drawing from his own experiences in rural America.
Abe Martin, Hubbard’s beloved character, represented a down-to-earth wisdom that resonated with readers from all walks of life. Martin’s musings touched on various topics, including politics, relationships, and the quirks of human nature. Hubbard’s ability to distill complex ideas into succinct and relatable statements made his work accessible and enjoyable for a broad audience.
Kin Hubbard’s unique brand of humor and his memorable character, Abe Martin, secured his place in American humor. His witty remarks and observations became part of the cultural fabric, inspiring later humorists and cartoonists. Hubbard’s works also influenced the development of comic strips, paving the way for future generations of artists.
Kin Hubbard’s contribution to American humor and satire is immeasurable. Through his character Abe Martin, Hubbard provided a delightful and astute commentary on the everyday absurdities of life. His ability to capture the essence of human nature with wit and humor remains cherished by readers to this day. Kin Hubbard’s legacy as a keen observer and humorist endures, reminding us to find the joy and laughter in life’s quirks and to appreciate the simple wisdom that can be found in the most unexpected places.
There’s no secret about success. Did you ever know a successful man who didn’t tell you about it?
Kin Hubbard
The fellow that agrees with everything you say is either a fool or he is getting ready to skin you.
Kin Hubbard
The fellow that owns his own home is always just coming out of a hardware store.
Kin Hubbard
The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more.
Kin Hubbard
The only way to entertain some folks is to listen to them.
Kin Hubbard
The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.
Kin Hubbard
The world gels better every day – then worse again in the evening.
Kin Hubbard
The worst feature of a new baby is its mother’s singing.
Kin Hubbard
There are two ways to handle a woman, and nobody knows either of them.
Kin Hubbard
As to those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in God’s path, give them, then, the tidings of a painful agony: on a day when these things shall be heated in hell-fire, and their foreheads, and their sides, and their backs shall be branded therewith.
Kin Hubbard
There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose.
Kin Hubbard
There is nothing so aggravating as a fresh boy who is too old to ignore and too young to kick.
Kin Hubbard
Universal peace sounds ridiculous to the head of an average family.
Kin Hubbard
We would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate.
Kin Hubbard
When a fellow says, “It ain’t the money but the principle of the thing,” it’s the money.
Kin Hubbard
Where ignorance is bliss it’s foolish to borrow your neighbor’s newspaper.
Kin Hubbard
Being an optimist after you’ve got everything you want doesn’t count.
Kin Hubbard
Boys will be boys, and so will a lot of middle-aged men.
Kin Hubbard
Classical music is the kind we keep thinking will turn into a tune.
Kin Hubbard
Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while.
Kin Hubbard
Lots of folks confuse bad management with destiny.
Kin Hubbard
Some folks can look so busy doing nothing that they seem indispensable.
Kin Hubbard
Bargain… anything a customer thinks a store is losing money on.
Kin Hubbard
I’ll say this for adversity: people seem to be able to stand it, and that’s more than I can say for prosperity.
Kin Hubbard
No woman can be handsome by the force of features alone, any more that she can be witty by only the help of speech.
Kin Hubbard
It isn’t enough for you to love money – it’s also necessary that money should love you.
Kin Hubbard
It is pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness; poverty and wealth have both failed.
Kin Hubbard
It ain’t a bad plan to keep still occasionally even when you know what you’re talking about.
Kin Hubbard
If you haven’t seen your wife smile at a traffic cop, you haven’t seen her smile her prettiest.
Kin Hubbard
If there’s anything a public servant hates to do it’s something for the public.
Kin Hubbard
It’s going to be fun to watch and see how long the meek can keep the earth once they inherit it.
Kin Hubbard
If capital and labor ever do get together it’s good night for the rest of us.
Kin Hubbard
It’s pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness; poverty and wealth have both failed.
Kin Hubbard
I don’t look for much to come out of government ownership as long as we have Democrats and Republicans.
Kin Hubbard
Honesty pays, but it doesn’t seem to pay enough to suit some people.
Kin Hubbard
Getting talked about is one of the penalties for being pretty, while being above suspicion is about the only compensation for being homely.
Kin Hubbard
Fun is like life insurance; the older you get, the more it costs.
Kin Hubbard
Every once in a while someone without a single bad habit gets caught.
Kin Hubbard
An optimist is a fellow who believes what’s going to be will be postponed.
Kin Hubbard
Men are not punished for their for sins, but by them.
Kin Hubbard
If some people didn’t tell you, you’d never know they’d been away on a vacation.
Kin Hubbard
Nobody can be as agreeable as an uninvited guest.
Kin Hubbard
Peace has its victories no less than war, but it doesn’t have as many monuments to unveil.
Kin Hubbard
Of all the home remedies, a good wife is best.
Kin Hubbard
Now and then an innocent man is sent to the legislature.
Kin Hubbard
Nothing is as irritating as the fellow who chats pleasantly while he’s overcharging you.
Kin Hubbard
Nobody works as hard for his money as the man who marries it.
Kin Hubbard
Nobody kicks on being interrupted if it’s by applause.
Kin Hubbard
It used to be that a fellow went on the police force when everything else failed, but today he goes in the advertising game.
Kin Hubbard
Nobody ever forgets where he buried the hatchet.
Kin Hubbard
Some fellows get credit for being conservative when they are only stupid.
Kin Hubbard
Next to a circus there ain’t nothing that packs up and tears out faster than the Christmas spirit.
Kin Hubbard
Live so that you can at least get the benefit of the doubt.
Kin Hubbard
Listening is the only way to entertain some folks.
Kin Hubbard
Lack of pep is often mistaken for patience.
Kin Hubbard
Kindness goes a long ways lots of times when it ought to stay at home.
Kin Hubbard
It’s what a fellow thinks he knows that hurts him.
Kin Hubbard
It’s the good loser who finally loses out.
Kin Hubbard
Nobody ever grew despondent looking for trouble.
Kin Hubbard
After a fellow gets famous it doesn’t take long for someone to bob up that used to sit by him in school.
Kin Hubbard
A lot of Thanksgiving days have been ruined by not carving the turkey in the kitchen.
Kin Hubbard
A loafer always has the correct time.
Kin Hubbard
A grouch escapes so many little annoyances that it almost pays to be one.
Kin Hubbard
A good listener is usually thinking about something else.
Kin Hubbard
A bee is never as busy as it seems; it’s just that it can’t buzz any slower.
Kin Hubbard
No one can feel as helpless as the owner of a sick goldfish.
Kin Hubbard
All the world loves a good loser.
Kin Hubbard