Number 2363: “Now to plow that lowbrow off this scow!”

Reading Basil Wolverton brings me such happiness: this Powerhouse Pepper story is full of Basil’s clever and funny alliteration and internal rhymes. The story has Powerhouse, in his own innocent way, and on the water, going up against a couple of thugs who have tied in with the Nazis. Wolverton’s villains are always more funny looking than dangerous, and they always underestimate the undersized Powerhouse Pepper.

From Powerhouse Pepper 1 (1943):

Number 1361: Funky Funnies: Powerhouse Pepper!

 In January of this year we had a theme week called "Funky Funnies Week," and I’ve decided I haven’t laughed enough lately, so I’ve lined up more Funky Funnies.

First up, Basil Wolverton and his great Powerhouse Pepper. Powerhouse was super strong, but not a superhero. Because he was a little guy the big guys usually misjudged him. As you can see in these two stories from Powerhouse Pepper Comics #2 (1948), they did so at their own peril.

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More funny, funky Basil! Click the pics:

Number 1297: Basil’s boys, Mystic Moot and Powerhouse Pepper

What? Another theme week so soon, right on the heels of of the Furry Foes and Fiends week? Yep, this one will be our Funky Funnies week, featuring some oddball, yet funny postings. We start the week with the one and only comic art genius of funky and funny, Basil Wolverton!

I had so much fun with my Wolverton posting in Pappy's #1263 and it drew so many visitors to this blog, thanks to a plug by www.comicsreporter.com, that I decided to further exploit entertain you (and myself) with more Wolverton.

From Ibis the Invincible #5 (1946):

From Marvel Comics of the 1940s, Basil's own title, Powerhouse Pepper #2 (1948):

Some of us still have clunky old desktop computers and old-style laptops that make it difficult to read upside down comics panels, so for those of us still mired in the past, here is the final panel rightside up.

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Golden Age comics fans will want this book!

Recently I got an e-mail from goodguy Craig Yoe:

"Comics About Cartoonists: Stories About the World's Oddest Profession" was supposed to be available for the holidays but got F'd--flummoxed--by the L.A. dock workers strike and the distributor closing over the holidays for two weeks and the usual end of the year drunkenness and debauchery by people in our industry.

It's my fave book i'll ever do because of the subject matter--I do so love cartoonists! "Comics About Cartoonists" got some very enthusiastic initial pre-press promo which I am so very glad of. But with all the hoopla of the above and subsequent lateness of the book I and IDW are quite worried about the word having timely gotten out to people that will share my passion for these kind of awesome comics. I know you understand "timing is everything" ;) I'd DEEPLY appreciate any kind consideration to remind your readers of this ("Mind-blowing!"--MTV Greek) book now.

Humbly and in gratitude, 

Craig

P.S. Here's a fun little video we did about the book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYqQGMcIIoU and a cover is attached, too. Thanks again for any and all help!"

Craig used my copy of Weird Science #22 to scan the story, “My World” by Wallace Wood, perhaps one of the greatest and most famous “comics about cartoonists.” I want you to visualize a high quality book like Yoe and IDW are well known — nay, famous —  for. Besides the Wood story there are over 200 pages of self-referential cartoons, comic strips, comic book stories, as well as original art from Craig's own collection. I give it my highest recommendation, not just because Craig is a pal, a fellow collector, comics historian and because he has to sell his books in order to publish new ones  — and we all want more books, don’t we? — but because this book is one helluva good read, and the best thing of all is it's not expensive. Remember, your Pappy has never steered you wrong! Use that leftover Christmas money burning a hole in your jeans, why don't you?  www.yoebooks.com

While you're at it, check out Yoe's other books, including his collaborative horror comic, now in its third issue, Haunted Horrors, which he edits with the help of Steve “Karswell” Banes of The Horrors Of It All.

Number 955


Basil "Weirdwit" Wolverton's funny business


Amongst other comic artists, Basil Wolverton is unique. You look at a strip by BW and you know immediately it's his work. I've thought about it, and wonder if it had something to do with having a name like Basil Wolverton. Right away that name would set a fellow apart from the John Smiths and Joe Joneses. Perhaps having an unusual name gave him the impetus, in a conscious way or not, to fill his pages with the outrageously original and unique comic book characters he did. I don't know that for sure. I'm just sayin'.

Back to what I do know: "Powerhouse Pepper" was scanned from a black and white reprint in one of those cartoon magazines published by Martin Goodman, who also published Marvel Comics. In this case it was from a 1973 issue of Wheely Nuts. It originally appeared in comic book form in Powerhouse Pepper #4, 1948. I have shown it before.

"Scoop Scuttle" is from Lev Gleason's Daredevil #16, published in 1942, and the "Jumpin' Jupiter" stories are from Weird Tales Of the Future numbers 2 and 4, from 1952.