DANIEL THE SPANIEL - Funny Animal Comics From Animator Bob Wickersham

1946.

World War Two had finally ended, and it was okay to laugh again.

Soldiers were returning home, the 'baby boom' was about to go BOOM, baby!

America needed a good Giggle or Haha, which incidentally were the names of two comics produced by ACG at that time.

Today's story originally appeared in HA HA COMICS #31, 1946.

It's a cute little story about a happy little dog named Daniel (the Spaniel) and what he encounters when a family of Robins move into the tree in his yard.

DANIEL THE SPANIEL was written by Jack Cosgriff and drawn by Bob Wick (Wickersham), two names that are probably better known in the field of animation. Cosgriff had written for the very first Woody Woodpecker cartoon, as well as The Fox and The Crow short, 'Woodsman, Spare That Tree!' that was directed by his buddy, Bob Wickersham. You can find more about Cosgriff here, and some good information on Wickersham here, here, and especially here.

It makes sense in retrospect that animators would excel in the field of comic books. Here, both the story and the art work together to create the distinct personalities of each character. As of this posting, according to GCD this was the first comic book art for Wickersham (of course GCD's records are far from complete). I will be looking out for more stories by Bob Wick and company.

...psssst...

After the comic is another special treat just for you!

But you have to read the comic first!

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Here is "WOODSMAN, SPARE THAT TREE"

Directed by Bob Wickersham

Written by Jack Cosgriff

PARENTS OF THE YEAR AWARD - Willie just likes to draw

Greetings and salutations!

This is my first post of the new year.

I haven't been able to post anything in about 2 1/2 weeks because I was:

A) under deep cover on a top-secret mission

B) the center of a national media storm after falling down a well (naked)

C) sleeping...plus, my dog ate my computer

D) busy plotting to take over the world
E) trapped in a alternate universe
F) all of the above

...or none of the above. You fill in the blanks.

All I can tell you is, time travel is possible, but the 'jet lag' is murder!

Anyway, I guess all that matters is  --  I'm back, and I brought something with me.

 Just for you.

From MARVEL TALES # 130, January 1955 (Atlas) comes a light little story about little Willie, and his exhasperated parents. Willie has a habit of drawing, and...well, you'll see. I think they all might need a shrink!

While the writer's identity remains unknown, this one was clearly drawn for laughs in an enjoyable style by artist Paul Hodge. Enjoy, see ya soon!

"WILLIE! OR WON'T HE?"

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NUTTIN' FOR CHRISTMAS!

THE GENIUS OF WALT KELLY - Uncle Pogo So-So Stories

Walt Kelly's Pogo has been making me smile ever since I was a little sprat. Lucky for me, Dad had great taste in comics, and when we were old enough to read, good ol' Dad brought forth his treasures and shared with us chill'un the joys that are Pogo. In a manner not dissimilar from the Warner Brothers cartoons that held the interest of children on one level, and also contained humor meant for older 'children' on a different level, Kelly could entertain and mesmerize all ages. As a kid, I didn't understand the social commentary and many of the popular culture references Kelly infused his comics with, I just knew they were funny.

I read and re-read these books and comics over and over throughout my childhood (and beyond), and after only a few decades of this, the bindings wore out and the pages began to come loose. That became a blessing in disguise, because now they are in perfect condition for scanning. Lucky you!

I can only imagine how Walt Kelly wrote his stories...they seem to flow from panel to panel in a spontaneous whimsy, going nowhere in particular, but overflowing with such gentle and approachable humor -- good-natured, but waaaay out there. Silly? Yes. Fun? Of course. Entertaining? To say the least! As you read the next 30 plus pages, I challenge you to find one single panel that isn't brimming with either Kelly's boundless wit in the form of jokes, or his unmatched humorous art, or both. G'wan, I dare ya!

So here is the first part of UNCLE POGO'S So-So-Stories, first print, 1953, including 'Robin Hood To Pay Piper', and 'A Chile's Guardin' Adversus'. What a talented fellow this Walt Kelly was. Enjoy.

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...COMING SOON!!

Click here to see "Muckey Spleen - The Bloody Drip"!