Number 2346: “Wherefore art thou, Cookie?”

Dan Gordon, who drew Cookie in a comic book of the same name, was an animator whose work in the field went back to the Van Beuren studios in the 1930s, then Paul Terry’s Terrytoons, to the Fleischer Brothers, where he worked on Popeye and also the classic Superman cartoons. After his time in comic books was over, he eventually went back to animation, working for Hanna-Barbera. Whew! The guy got around.

Gordon (who also signed his work “dang”) was a superb draftsman, a born cartoonist, and kept his stories moving along. In this tale, our hero, Cookie, is watching from the sidelines in a jealous fit over his girlfriend, Angelpuss, playing opposite his rival, Zoot, in a high school production of “Romeo and Juliet.” The story, funny as it is, gives me some memories that cause a cringe or two, especially jealousy of a rival for a girl I liked.

Cookie was another of the Archie imitators who cropped up in the late forties. The comic book was published by ACG, a company which also published Adventures Into the Unknown, Forbidden Worlds, Herbie, and others. Unlike most of Archie’s comic book rivals, Cookie had a good long run for a teenage comic.

From Cookie #11 (1948):

More Cookies! Just click on the thumbnail.

Number 1543: Not so smart Cookie gives up on girls!

Ha! This story reminds me of a time in the mid-‘90s, finding my teenage son’s stash of Playboy magazines, and the nice afternoon I had going through them. Cookie’s pop in this story is as interested in his son’s pin-up collection as I was in mine. It’s nice when a father and son share a hobby.

But Cookie says he is through with women. Ha! again.

This is at least the second story I’ve shown where Cookie dresses up like a girl. I...er...uh...have no explanation for that.

Art by Dan Gordon (who sometimes signed his work “dang”). It’s from Cookie #14 (1948):

**********

Another story of Cookie dressing like a girl. Click on the thumbnail.

Number 1375: That dang Cookie!

Cookie O’Toole, who despite the name was a boy and not a girl, was one of the Archie competitors during the late forties and early fifties. I think Cookie is an excellent comic book, and I have shown a couple of stories in the past.* It had a long run at ACG under editor Richard E. Hughes. Cookie was drawn by Dan Gordon, who sometimes signed his name “dang.” Gordon was one of the animator/cartoonists who worked on ACG’s funny animal and teenage comics line.

Cookie may have been a half-pint, but he was also smart, and brash, and had a cute girlfriend named “Angelpuss.” Cookie followed the teenage template for this type of comic. He had friends, and rivals who were supposed to be his friends. He also had a family, including a very funny, excitable dad. Come to think of it, when I was a teenager I followed that template, too!

This story is from Cookie #7 (1947):

**********

*Click on the thumbnails for more Cookie.

Number 1162: Dan Gordon was a dang fine cartoonist

 Dan Gordon, who sometimes signed his name dang, was a talented animator and comic book artist who worked for ACG on their humor books. Cookie is a funny Archie-style teenage comic. Gordon's fluid drawings move the eye quickly across and down the page (a good example is page six of "Cookie's Oil Company," in a borderless sequence of Cookie sleepwalking). To show his technical drawing ability, page four features a large bird's-eye view perspective drawing.

You can find some more examples of Dan Gordon's work in Pappy's #796 (with a short bio of Gordon, and a story of Cookie in drag), and a Superkatt funny animal story in Pappy's #506.

Cookie's Pop is a great example of how Gordon could draw anger. Poor Pop looks like he's about to have a stroke. Those of us pappies who raised teenage sons remember the feelings Pop goes through in this story. I also love Gordon's funny little bearded guy, Pete.

From Cookie #6 (1947):

The inside cover features a subsidiary character seen in a couple of panels in the above story: