This is a direct quote from the email that Chris sent to me, explaining the origins of the joke.
Well, it's an old gag that goes back to mid-80's to mid-90's or thereabouts. I heard the story from Steve
Corbett (Iron Badger) at Memphis FurMeet-7.
Basically, there's an artist named Steve Gallacci,
who had a character named Erma Felna who appeared in his comic book Albedo. Many years ago, Gallacci
was at a con where this kid was standing in front of his table, shifting from foot to foot, and actually
whimpering with anxiety as he tried to work up the courage to ask Steve to draw for him in his art book.
Apparently, he wanted an unspecified piece of nasty art, which Steve refused to draw because it was WAY out
of character for Erma Felna. Not to mention that when the kid finally *did* get up the nerve to go over and
talk to him, Steve was engaged in conversation with a friend and the kid butted right in.
So the kid gets mad and stomps off in a huff.
Comes back later on towing his dad, who demands to know why Gallacci will not draw for his kid, and asking
in the same whiny voice.
Steve explains the kid annoyed him and asked for art he could not draw for someone underaged. Steve was very
professional, described the incident in details and repeated he could/would not draw the scene requested. The
guy turns around to leave, and Steve lets out a whine that was a perfect copy of the kid.
The guy whips around, but Steve is head down, busily drawing away on something, so he stomps off.
Later on, Jim Groat or someone from the then-existing furry artist crowd who overheard the whole thing comes up, does
a comic whiny voice and goes "Mmiiiiis-teeerrrr Gaaallaaaacciiiii- would you draw me a picture of Erma Felnaaaaaa...
na-ked ... with a CROWBAR!?!"
And Steve lost it and couldn't stop laughing.
It became such a running joke, Paul Kidd actually worked in a gag based on it in a game they had to translate for the
australian Nintendo company called "Nightshade". Theres a point early in the game where you have to acquire a
crowbar lying on the ground. If you hit the "examine" key, it has an inscription that reads "To my dearest Erma.
Love, Toki." (Toki was Erma's female lover in the comic).
And "....with a crowbar..." has appeared as an in-joke dozens of times in old furry art from the late 80's to the
mid-90's. Anyone who was anyone who had a female furry character at some point drew her nude holding a crowbar.
Except Sabrina, she was fully dressed and holding it away from herself with her thumb and finger saying "This has been WHERE??" :)
So, I thought about Portia, and ......
I figured you wouldn't care to see her nude, so I left her clothes on :)
Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.
