Number 1820: The Sad Sack...sex and torture

Sad Sack was created by George Baker during World War II for an Army newspaper, so the strip was aimed at male adults. The Harvey comic book was sold along with their line of comics for children, but sometimes had more adult themes. These three stories show what I mean.

“Cold World,” (Sad Sack #107, 1960) the torture story, is real dark humor. It ends in Sack being egged on to commit suicide! Definitely not one for the kiddies. To add to Sack’s misery, he even gets his dog taken from him. “They Laughed” reminds me of my favorite fantasy when I was a U.S. soldier in Germany during 1967 and 1968. Sack gets lucky. I didn’t. Then there is “The Dope-Offs.” It’s about soldiers malingering (a punishable offense), and includes a performance by “Marilyn Mulroe” doing a sexy dance for the guys in the hospital. The latter two stories are likely reprints. Marilyn Monroe had been dead for 7 years when the version I scanned was printed. Both it and “They Laughed” were printed in Sad Sack Laugh Special #4 (1969).

The sad story of Fred Rhoads after years of drawing Sad Sack. Click on the thumbnail, soldier.

Number 1519: Sad, sad, Sad Sack

I’ve had many a day like poor Sad Sack in this story. I can relate.

From Sad Sack #18 (1952):

Number 1134: Fred Rhoads's cautionary tale

Fred Rhoads drew Sad Sack for Harvey Comics. He worked out of his home in Arizona, mailing in his work. In the late '70s when Harvey stopped sending him assignments he applied for unemployment compensation, only to find he wasn't considered an employee of Harvey. They claimed he was an independent contractor doing work for hire. It resulted in Rhoads filing a lawsuit against Harvey which eventually cost him everything. In the end the publisher won.

For decades artists signed away their work, never got payment for reprints, didn't get medical benefits or retirement. Rhoads' story is a cautionary tale for artists to understand what they are really signing when they endorse their paycheck.

Sad Sack, created during World War II by cartoonist George Baker, was stuck in an Army where he never got a promotion, was under constant harassment, a target of his ass-kicking sergeant and overbearing officers. (Not unlike Mort Walker's later Beetle Bailey.) I like Rhoads's writing and drawing. I chose these stories to show because they are more fantasy than typical G.I.-humor.

According to some accounts Rhoads drew 9,500 pages for Harvey from the '50s to the '70s. He died in 2000.

From Sad Sack #220 (1971):










I think Rhoads slipped one by the censors. In the last panel of page one of "Hair Raising Tale" Sack says, “I don't like the smell of this,” while standing under the horse’s tail. Ha-ha!

From Sad Sack and the Sarge #90 (1971):





Hairy Green Eyeball posted a story from a 1964 issue of Sad Sack where Sack became on alien abductee! Link to the posting with the story here.