Omg I just found out about a guy in the mid 19th century in San Fransisco who declared himself “Emperor of America” named Joshua Norton. He just walked into the SF newspaper and pulled out an imperial decree from his pocket and the staff decided to publish it anyway for laughs and people began to celebrate him as a joke. I wonder if he was part of the inspiration for Hildred.

nyaarlathotep:

rosymaplemoth:

tindalosmalakia:

rosymaplemoth:

One of my friends was just telling me about this guy, small world! I think he mentioned that he has a statue and everything.

Looks like this guy got a great deal farther than Hildred ever did….

°__° the chestnut was real. Holy Yuggoth.

Yes he was!

Looks like he got to live out his life happily, too.

He also had a rival who believed himself to be George Washington.

Imagine if Hildred became the mascot loon of New York.

Norton I is quite famous. Neil Gaiman put him in an issue of Sandman. There are also legends about him settling disputes among his “subjects.” Supposedly he once even talked down an angry mob who were planning to torch Chinatown.