The Exploitation of A Dear Old Friend

I have just received word that a series of trading cards has been published which depict the various adventures of my dearest, oldest friend Friedrich Heironymous Munchausen, better known to the ladies as "oooohh, the baron. [fluttering of eyelashes]"

I am not exactly sure when these cards were printed, but I presume, based on the fact that they are published in colour on stiff cardboard, that it was within the last year. As far as I know, colour printing was, until quite recently, prohibitively expensive.

Now, as we all know, Friedrich's adventures were world-class and well-worth being recounted in the form of tradable cards. However!, I am deeply offended because these cards were published to promote Little Joker Tobacco.

These cards are clearly designed to delight and invigorate small children and yet they promote the unhealty, but delightfully invigorating, habit of smoking pipe tobacco! Smoking is a knavish habit, and the Baron would never willfully promote smoking amongst women, children or the lower classes.

To see the good name of my comrade sullied, especially in a post-pseudo-humous manner such as this, is a great blow to my normally high spirits and clearly a sign of our impending doom.

For those who would like to know more about the Baron Munchausen, you can read about his exploits here. For those philistines amongst you who would rather not read, there is also an excellent film made by the incomparable Terry Gilliam. It is both mine and Matthew's favourite film.