Number 2314: Captain Comet Crabbe

I think it is possible that “Captain Comet, Space Pilot” may have been intended for another publication. Eastern Color, also known as Famous Funnies, published 12 issues of Buster Crabbe comics between 1951-1953. In reviewing the issues I see that Al Williamson did a couple of stories for them. Today’s posting could have been originally intended for Buster Crabbe, but was not published. It appeared in Danger Is Our Business #1 (1952) instead, with the Buster Crabbe name changed. Not only that, “Captain Comet” was a character being published by DC Comics in Strange Adventures, appearing from 1951 to 1954. If I had been a comic book publisher in those days I would have worried about running afoul of DC’s lawyers, in light of the ongoing Superman/Captain Marvel lawsuit which dragged on for years, finally settled in 1953.

The “Space Pilot” story itself is drawn by Williamson and Frank Frazetta, and for fun it features space pirates. The pirate captain is a descendant of Captain Kidd, so he wears a skull-and-crossbones on his chest. I like the artwork, but am indifferent to the story...except for the pirate chief.

Toby Press published Danger Is Our Business, and the first issue was reprinted in 1958 by I.W. reprint comics, from which my scans are taken.

Number 1899: Pot-shot Pete by Kurtzman

When I look at the Pot-shot Pete stories in Toby Comics, I see Mad a couple of years hence. The editor at Toby Press* bought at least three 5-page slapstick Pot-shot Pete adventures from Harvey Kurtzman, who wrote, drew and lettered. Kurtzman even borrowed a couple of them back to run in Mad.

The original art was auctioned by Heritage Auctions, and went for  $46,605, undoubtedly much, much more than Kurtzman earned for drawing it.

There is at least one more Pot-shot Pete page that was published by DC Comics, first in Jimmy Wakely #4 (1950), reprinted at least a couple of times over the years, including this appearance from Blackhawk #143 (1959).

“The Sheriff of Yucca-Pucca Gulch,” is from John Wayne Adventures #5 (1950).

*Was it Mell Lazarus, of the future comic strips, “Miss Peach” and “Momma”? He was an editor at Toby for a time. Lazarus also wrote a novel, The Boss is Crazy, Too, about the comic book biz. Lazarus died recently, on May 24, 2016.

Number 1854: The Duke goes pearl diving

John Wayne is a really nice guy! At least he is in this story from John Wayne Adventure Comics #10 (1951).  Wayne witnesses an accident. Juan, a young Mexican boy, suffers a badly broken leg.The boy and his family, described by the local priest as “desperately poor,” have no money for an operation to repair the leg. so Duke Wayne, bless 'im, risks his own life to pluck a huge black pearl from the seabed to pay for the needed health care. What a guy.

We are left with a warm feeling for movie star Wayne, a grand and friendly fellow. Oops. But wait. Looking at the cover of the comic book, we see John Wayne’s right hand, and Wayne appears to be giving us the well-known obscene gesture — the infamous finger! We relax again, though, when we tell ourselves he is not flipping it at us, but more likely aiming it at the movie studio still photographer, who may have just informed Duke he would be holding up the rather large man for another few minutes while the photographer finished. The stunt man laying across Wayne’s broad shoulders looks dern near big as Wayne himself, who topped out at a few inches over 6 feet. They don’t call a movie villain a “heavy” for nothin'.

Artist and writer uncredited by the Grand Comics Database.

Number 1534: The monster sets her Capp for Li'l Abner

It’s been a generation since Li’l Abner disappeared from newspapers. It was 1977 when creator/writer/artist Al Capp, sick with emphysema from a lifetime of smoking, shut down the strip. It, like Capp, had been in decline for some time. Capp died two years later, in 1979.

The strip was one of the most popular comic strips during the period of the thirties through at least the mid-sixties. It even influenced popular culture. Sadie Hawkins' Day, which is the subject of today’s post, became an annual event at some colleges and high schools. Up until 1952 Li’l Abner avoided being caught by Daisy Mae.

As biographical information about Capp shows, he had a troubled life and probably had personality disorders which caused him to be a total jerk at times,and then a generous, funny and friendly person at others. Maybe sitting at a drawing board for over 40 years, putting out sharp and oftentimes savage satire — Capp was a conservative when he died, but as a former liberal he still had a stinging view of the rich — will do that to a guy. Speaking of savage, the little character in this story who straps dynamite to his chest is a lot closer to today’s world than that of Li’l Abner.

I have shown this before, several years ago. These are new scans. From Al Capp’s Li'l Abner #74 (1950):

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Cartoonist Mel Lazarus (Miss Peach, Momma was an editor at Toby Press, which published this comic. The company was founded in 1949 by Capp’s brother, Elliott Caplin. This page of gag cartoons by Lazarus is from the inside front cover of the issue.

More Li’l Abner is available at the Hairy Green Eyeball blog, including Li’l Abner Sundays from 1960 and reprint strips of Li’l Abner that appeared in newspaper in 1988 and 1989: Part 1 and Part 2.