Number 2503: Roc around the dock

 I like Ha Ha Comics, published by ACG, which featured moonlighting animators and writers. Hubert (Hubie) Karp was a gag writer, and I favor his stories because I think he’s one of the funniest of the bunch. He wrote the “Stalwart Swinburne” comic stories.

This particular Stalwart tale has the knight facing a roc who has eaten the other knights. Stalwart is confident in his own abilities, even when faced by an enemy hundreds of times larger than him.

By Hubie Karp and artist Allan (Al) Hubbard. From Ha Ha Comics #35 (1946):

 

Number 2234: Two ogres

Both of the stories today are from Ha Ha Comics, and true to the comic book’s title, both of them made me laugh.

The Grand Comics Database has no guesses for the writer or artist for “The Magic Ogre,” from Ha Ha Comics #29 (1946), but it is the same team that created the second story, “Stalwart Swinburne,” from Ha Ha #33 (1946): writer Hubie Karp and artist Al Hubbard. Hubert Karp and Allan Hubbard both worked for the Sangor Studio, which produced comics drawn by moonlighting animators, and were published by the company that became ACG. Hubie’s brother, Lynn, was an artist for Ha Ha and Giggle Comics, and said that besides his comic book work Hubie wrote jokes for Bob Hope and Martin and Lewis.

Al Hubbard went on to draw other features; he took over the Peter Wheat giveaway comics from Walt Kelly, and later he drew “Mary Jane and Sniffles” stories for Dell Comics’ licensed comics based on Warner Bros cartoon characters.

Number 909


The bear and the gorilla


Jim Tyer was an animator and comic book artist who has a lot of fans. I like animation but Tyer's name was unknown to me until I started posting his work on Mighty Mouse and my more knowledgeable readers told me. It was when I realized I'd grown up with a man's work, both in animated cartoons and in comic books and didn't know it. Tyer, who was born in 1904, died in 1976.

This funny strip, signed by Tyer in the last panel, is from Ha-Ha Comics #4, 1943. There are more hilarious Tyer comic book stories at Animation Archives here.

"Killer Gorilla" is signed "Schwalb," a name I'm not familiar with. The splash panel is surreal, the artwork is minimalist, and it's all very appealing to me. Regular readers of this blog know that--ook, ook!--I've got a liking for comic book apes and gorillas.

Number 593


Stalwart and the ogre


Pardon me for laughing, folks...I just reread the last panel in this story from Ha Ha Comics #33, 1946. This strip definitely puts the "funny" in funny animal comics. "Stalwart Swinburne" is written by Hubie Karp and drawn by Al Hubbard.

Thanks to David Miller, who was kind enough to scan this funny story so we can both share the laughs with you.

Number 586


Izzy and Dizzy and the genie of the lamp


Animator/comic book artist and writer Ken Hultgren makes his second appearance here. His first, in Pappy's #408 had me asking a question about Hultgren. Paul Spector told us that Hultgren was born in 1915 and died in 1968. Hultgren was part of the Sangor Shop, which provided comics to the company that became ACG. The artists who worked for Sangor were moonlighting animators.

Dave Miller kindly provided the scans for this story from Ha Ha Comics #33. He also sent me some more scans from this issue as well as other funny animal comics from his collection. You will see more of Dave's comics in the coming weeks as I work with his generous donations of material.

You can see some of Dave's own cartooning--for adults--in Storybored at Hairy Green Eyeball. Dave, you are a very talented guy.