“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
Que coisa hein??!!
4 Zslaves aftlife only
https://zodiacode1933.blogspot.com/
This card got me thinking….
Zodiac WAS copy-cat. 
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
This card got me thinking….
Zodiac WAS copy-cat.
Working as designers, we often found that when one of us had a really good idea for something either yourself or one of the others would see something really similar eventually somewhere else. It wasn’t that the idea had been copied but rather that the thought processes that led to it most likely followed a similar path. There was also the "taking inspiration from" approach and finally good old fashioned flat-out plagiarism. Z I suppose could fall into either depending on what we’re discussing and what the reality of it was.
I came to think that in some way every idea was copied and it always made me think of this verse – Ecclesiastes 1:9
Just my own experiences and a little expansion on your thinking T. 
“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
I was just writing about this one particular Halloween card reference, in that (his very specific–by fire, by gun, by knife, by rope) was simply not his own original idea. It’s not as creepy, imo, when those words are derived from somewhere else, from someone else….a comic book no-less.
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
Certainly takes the edge off it a little, doesn’t it? Then again, clowns were never meant to be scary and look how that worked out lol.
“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
This card got me thinking….
Zodiac WAS [a] copy-cat.
NO doubt! Borrowing from the Lipstick Killer, Jack the Ripper, Groucho Marx(!!!!), your marvellous cartoon find, and the Good Lord knows what-all else.
And of course from the newspapers and AP wire – the Riverside Enterprise, the Vallejo’s (both) and the Chronicle (stuff like the attack on Kathleen Johns.)
And perhaps the police reports. Hmmmm?
Derivative.
I will not take credit for this find. So I thought I would do an article putting Tahoe27 firmly where it should be. After all this has to be the best find to date. http://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/tahoe27the-zodiac-death-wheel
Hows that!!
I would so rock that bumpersticker. Being that I ride a bike I would have to weld something to the back, but it would be worth it.
I have been poring over all these comics since this find and using keywords and I am not finding anything that gets me as excited as this. I did find one featuring a character called "The Black Mikado" which is probably no connection but I am posting the pic anyway. Still looking.
The whole comic thing is interesting as well since he said that he often ordered stuff from mail order houses and often these comics will have all kinds of weird spy stuff and even decoder rings and such.
Hmmm, a bumper sticker! Nice. haha
The comic book angle is definitely something more worthy of looking at after finding this. I’ll admit, I always liked that some folks had thought of Batman, etc., but was never quite sure to take it seriously or not. There is no doubt this Tim Holt Death Wheel Comic influenced the writing on the Halloween card so it is more than possible other things such as this, the movies, novels and more did as well. I guess we are all a product of our environment. What was his?
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
T., first we have to convince ourselves – absolutely – that the Halloween card was "from the same guy" don’t we. So many letters and cards and so many variations, I really wish there was a definitive list. Maybe we should have a matrix and vote on it?!
Note I mentioned the comic influenced the writer. 
Most know my take.
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
Tim holt screaming skeleton
And note what looks like 21 on the pelvis bone
Nice find. I think they isolated the skull itself, I believe, the source for the one on the inside that he had glued in?
I always thought it was weird that he put a pumpkin over the skeleton’s torso on the front. "Pumpkin pants". Which is, strangely enough what I call my cat hahaha.
Edition 40.
