Showing posts with label 1940s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1940s. Show all posts

Sunday, May 5, 2024

It's Cinco De Mayo!!!

 Let's show how Mexican-American writer/artist Gus Arriola told about the holiday in his newspaper strip, Gordo...
...by the way, this is from the original art for the Sunday page on May 5, 1946!
A couple of years earlier, Cinco de Mayo fell on a weekday, and Gus made the holiday part of a week-long run of daily strips...
...which were reprinted in United Feature's Tip Top Comics #100 (1946).
Running from November 1941 to March 1985, Gordo was the first nationally-syndicated newspaper strip to title-feature a Mexican character!
While the characters initially followed many Hispanic ethnic stereotypes of the era (never going over the line into offensiveness), Arriola downplayed and eventually eliminated them over time.
By the 1960s, the strip was earning praise from both the Mexican government and the California State Legislature for its promotion of tolerance and understanding between ethnicities.
Charles (Peanuts) Schulz described it as "probably the most beautifully drawn strip in the history of the business."
You can read more about Arriola and his creation HERE, HERE, and HERE!
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Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Reading Room GREEN GIANT COMICS "Fear the Wrath of...The Researcher!"

Next to "The Listener" (DC), "The Witness", or "The Watcher" (both Marvel), probably the least frightening name for a comic hero is...
...however, this guy could make the name synonymous with "action hero"!
“Criminals are a cowardly superstitious lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts.”
As if in answer, a book falls from a nearby shelf.
“A book!
That’s it!
It’s an omen…I shall become a RESEARCHER!”
And thus is born this weird figure of the library…this avenger of evil!
The Researcher!"
(Actually, that never happened, it's just a rephrasing of The Batman's origin from Batman V1N1 (1940)!)
Who is The Researcher?
We never learn his real name.
Everyone calls him "Researcher"...even his girlfriend.
Where did he get the money for his kool weaponry and equipment?
Is he independently-wealthy or does he bill clients?
He hob-nobs with the upper crust, including diplomats, politicians and rich businessmen.
Did he start out as a librarian?
Many are the mysteries surrounding...The Researcher!
Unfortunately, this short strip from Pelican's Green Giant Comics #1 (1940) was his only appearance anywhere!
Pity, since he has a lot of potential.
Frank Thomas, the writer/artist behind this strip created a number of detective-themed characters in the Golden Age including The EyeThe Owl, and Dr Hypno.

Monday, April 8, 2024

Monday Moon Madness BLACK CAT COMICS "Legend of the Sun Eclipse"

Why are we calling this entry "Monday MOON Madness" when the story's title has "Sun Eclipse" in it?
What do you think causes the eclipse?
THE MOON!
Marv Levy wrote and illustrated this never-reprinted tale from Harvey's Black Cat Comics #9 (1948) which combines both Greek and Norse mythology!
Remember:
Don't Look Directly at the Eclipse Without Special Glasses!

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Easter Reading Room EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE "Jack Rabbit and the Beanstalk"

The only thing even vaguely Easter-related in this Walt Kelly-written and illustrated story...
...is the fact Jack Rabbit is selling Easter Eggs to make ends meet!
Accept it, and enjoy the obvious adaptation and the guest characters from other nursery rhymes and fairy tales!
This never-reprinted tale from Dell's Four Color Comics #220: Easter with Mother Goose (1949) winds up our holiday-themed posts for the season.
Hope you enjoyed reading them as much as we did producing them!

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Easter Reading Room TICK TOCK TALES "Judy and Her Magic Chalk in the Land of the Easter Bunnies"

Though no other American comic publishers besides Dell ran Easter-themed anthologies...

...many ongoing series did run Easter stories, including this strip appearing in the kids' humor anthology Tick Tock Tales!
Illustrated (and possibly written) by animator Larry Silverman who freelanced for packager Jason Comic Art Studio, this never-reprinted story from Magazine Enterprises' Tick Tock Tales #4 (1947) was only the second entry in the "Magic Chalk" strip, which ran for almost thirty issues!
Judy would also appear on covers and in two-page text stories teamed with other characters from the anthology like Goofus the Gopher and Spanky, but, oddly, never in an actual comic story with them!
Be Here Thursday, When We Present a Walt Kelly Story Featuring Numerous Fantasy Characters in an Easter-Themed Adaptation of a Classic Fairy Tale!

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Space-Hero Saturdays CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT "...Finds the Lunar Lair!"

Place Your Bets, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Note: they still haven't fixed Jagga's chameleon-like coloring!
Judging from the cover, that trial is going to be a killer!
The unknown writer and artist Leonard Frank bring back long-time aides Joyce Ryan and Chuck Ramsey for a brief visit in this tale from Fawcett's Captain Midnight #55 (1947), though they don't actually participate in the adventure!
It's also their final appearance in the series.

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Thursday, March 21, 2024

Easter Reading Room EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE "Mr Dumpty Gets Mended" and "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater"

More holiday fun with Walk Kelly's adaptations of nursery rhymes...
...starting with a never-reprinted revisionist short from Dell's Four Color Comics #140: Easter with Mother Goose (1947), showing the Easter Bunny succeeding where All the King's Horses and All the King's Men failed!
Revisionism continues the next year, with another never-reprinted short (with guest-stars Jack and Jill), this time from Dell's Four Color Comics #185: Easter with Mother Goose (1948)...
Should we ask why Peter isn't actually living with his wife?
Trivia: this issue features the now-repaired Humpty Dumpty on the cover!
All script and art by Walt (Pogo) Kelly!