Mae Moo started as an entertainment column in the Bangkok Post Sunday in October 2008.
While it is still in its original spot on the back page of the main book, the column no longer focuses on the entertainment beat but on crime and lifestyle news, which is more popular with readers.
Former editor Paul Ruffini, who commissioned the column, said layout artists back in the column's early days would lay friendly non-cash wagers with each other as filing date drew near as to what stories the pig was likely to cover that week.
They helped make the column a stand-out feature of the page with creative use of design including their own cutouts and graphics. Some of the layout artists and sub-editors who have worked on her over the years include:
Nattaya Srisawang
Kanokthip Khunteeraprasert
Piyapan Dissaneewet
Warunwipa Kasempongpanit
On the subbing side, Mae Moo also had her favourites among the Post's foreigner sub-editors. One of the longest serving Mae Moo subs was the late Mark Childs. Others pressed into service over the years include subbing stalwarts Ted Howes, and Rob Vass.
The name "Mae Moo'' was a gift from the author's partner. The logo depicting Miss Pig with a pink mop on top (front on, and a sultry sideways look, cast over the shoulder) was designed by the Post's layout crew.
The logo, which also adorns this blog, has changed only once over the years: once, a small age ago, when it looked like she might fall victim to the corporate cost-cutter's axe and be carted off to the gilded abattoir where all celebrity pigs go to die, her caring layout crew added a small tear to her eye.
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| May 9, 2016: Pig faces the axe |
For those readers who still prefer the tactile experience of the printed page, I should mention that these columns look better in the newspaper than they do in digital form.
Unfortunately I lack the computer skills to make Mae Moo shine on a blogging platform. However, the Post's website is still a respectable option if readers would rather get their fill of the column there.
