Number 2517: Fritz Frazetta's ugly tree

Frank Frazetta was a master of fantasy, muscular guys, exotic, beautiful women. He was also able to draw funny animals, which seems strange to those only familiar with a painting like “The Death Dealer.” In this particular funny animal story he gives us a reasonably good knockoff of Walt Kelly’s Albert the Alligator called “Al,” and a cute squirrel called Munchy. Who came up with those names? I hope it wasn’t Frazetta. Being a funny animal strip, it is a fantasy, just not the kind you expect from Frazetta; so he signed his name “Fritz.” The tree is the main character of the story, and is the ugliest tree I have seen outside of my neighbor’s front yard.

Altogether the story falls short of genius, Frazetta’s or anyone else’s, it is short, at 5 pages, so you get to look at another facet of Frazetta’s drawing talent, without having to invest much time or brain cells on the story.

From Coo Coo Comics #47 (1949):

 

Number 1381: Cat and mouse

Comics helped me learn to read before I went to school. I don’t remember reading these two stories specifically, but they’re the kinds of comics my mom would help me with, picking out words and learning sentences. That was two-edged, though...by the time I got to school and was handed a copy of a Dick and Jane reader, compared to my comic books it was pallid and uninteresting.

These two stories are exactly the sort of thing I loved, with funny drawings and rocketships and a sense of wonder at what was going on in those colorful panels. Since I have never lost touch with that kid I was (the “inner child”) I still love this sort of thing. Or, it could be I’m going through my second childhood. Or seventh...or tenth.

From Felix the Cat #16 (1950); art and story by Otto Messmer:

From Coo Coo Comics #45 (1949), art by Milton Stein:

More Milt Stein and more Felix. Click on the pictures:

Number 628


Bubbles in the brain


Here's some more high-larity from the gang at the Sangor shop, where issues of Giggle, Ha Ha and Coo Coo Comics were produced.

Animator Hubie Karp wrote this funny story which comes from Coo Coo Comics #39. "Bubbles in the brain"; I love it. I wish I could do what Colonel Punchy Penguin does. Sometimes you've just gotta unscrew your lid and let out those bubbles.

My appreciation to Dave Miller, who scanned this story for us. Thank you, Dave.

Number 246


Supermouse and the Timid Giant


What would writers do without fairy tales, nursery rhymes or folk tales? Probably have to actually look for a plot beyond Mother Goose or the Brothers Grimm. The surprise is in the endless variations on such familiar stories. Supermouse and his nephew Roscoe go into Cloud Coo Coo Land for this riff on Jack and the Beanstalk. It's from Coo Coo Comics #40, July 1948. It's derivative, but a cute kid's story, done by an unknown writer and artist.

As many comics fans know, Frank Frazetta did some illustrations in the late 1940s for text stories in these funny animal comics . This issue of Coo Coo is blessed with three: